GO BEYOND FOUR SEASONS

EARLY

DATTERINO – RED & YELLOW
Sicily, Italy
Mar - Jun

While we supply Red and Yellow Datterino Tomatoes year-round, there’s a specific time when we consider these to be at the height of their season. They’re now entering the early stages of this window – when their sweetness reaches its fullest expression. Small, brightly coloured and bursting with unparalleled flavour, now is the time to try this slowly ripened variety.

Though we generally think of really hot temperatures as the best conditions for tomatoes, that is not so for Datterino. In fact, this year, they’re at their peak between March and June, both in terms of flavour and abundance. ⁠

Currently in Sicily, conditions are ideal for harvesting Dantona and Tuccio’s Datterino. Daytime temperatures hover around 25°C with plenty of natural sunlight, while cooler nights at 15°C help balance growth.

We source Red and Yellow Datterino from two Sicilian growers – Tuccio and Dantona. Their tomatoes are grown indoors all year round to protect the crop from inclement winter weather and excess sun in the summer.

In the seasonal tomato calendar, Datterino reach their peak at just the right time: as we see the last of the Winter Tomatoes but before the season for larger tomatoes like Bull’s Heart or British Heirloom gets going.

LATE

ARTICHOKE – SPIKY
Liguria, Italy
Nov - Apr

Italian artichokes thrive in cold climates, when plants are forced to grow slowly, clinging to nutrients in the soil for survival. The result: densely packed heads with very little choke.

Naturally, as the seasons shift, we now reach the final few weeks of Paola’s Spiky Artichokes, known locally as 'Carciofo Spinoso di Albenga', which remain tender as ever.

As the name suggests, these are cultivated in their native growing region of Albenga with clay soils that delay ripening as well as sand and limestone that reduce the size of the plants, expect artichokes that are smaller than the earlier Sardinian crops, but that carry a much more powerful flavour.

Paola grows Spiky Artichokes with minimum intervention and invests hugely in the health of her soil and plants. Where most growers would cultivate in the same field year on year, Paola moves her artichokes into a new field every season. Cutting back the foliage, she’ll pull up the plant’s crown and remove any remaining tubers before replanting. Not only does this reinvigorate the root systems but it gives the soil time to rest and regenerate between plantings.