Food & drink
3 seasonal foods in Malta this autumn (and what to make with them!)
There’s nothing as sweet as seasonal produce.

Kristina Cassar Dowling

Eating seasonal produce is the best and healthiest way to sustain a nutritional diet. The way we eat controls the way we live our life, and the healthier our food choices, the more productive our day will be! Here are a few items to add to your shopping list this month.

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Citrus

Grapefruit, lemons, mandarins and oranges - Maltese produce at its best and pretty darn tasty. The citrus produced in Malta is full of flavour; sometimes sweet and sometimes a little tart to the taste. Citrus is packed with Vitamin C which helps fight the common cold, making your flu-like symptoms shy away a little faster. Vitamin C also keeps you hydrated and helps you absorb other vitamins and minerals, so this could explain its flu fighting qualities!

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Why not go back to basics with this one? Squeeze a couple of oranges in the morning, drink through a reusable straw to protect your teeth, and pop a mandarin into your bag for a mid morning snack. Grapefruits are also super breakfast choices, and lemons go with everything!

Jerusalem artichokes

These guys are unbelievably good. They’re sweet and have a funky texture, they’ve even got that irony feel you get with spinach and other green leafy veg - though Jerusalem artichokes are not leafy in the slightest, they’re root vegetables with quite the heritage. They’re travelled from the States and headed to Europe, and their deceiving name in no way links them to globe artichokes - these root vegetables are a species of sunflower bulbs that highly resemble ginger root.

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You can choose to peel JAs or leave the skin on; we all know the nutrition is just below the first layer. Jerusalem artichokes can take the place of potatoes in your kitchen - you can boil them and add olive oil, garlic, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper. Roast them with your desired seasoning, mash them up to create a puree or even slice them as thin as you can and add them to a raw salad. All equally delicious.

Eggplant

A vegetarian staple and sometimes an absolute life saver. The aubergine is a funny seeded vegetable, which is botanically seen as a berry of sorts. There are many different varieties that each carry a strangely different flavour. The Maltese grown variety is similar to the Italian eggplant which has a long body, with a bigger bottom and longer neck. Graffiti aubergine, Thai and White also find their way to our shores.

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Eggplant is so versatile, but the perfect dish for this gloomy weather is definitely a comforting parmigiana. Slice your aubergine into rounds; not too thin but to too thick, salt each slice and wrap in a clean dish cloth - this drains out all the excess water. Next, sautée on each side for about 3-5 minutes in olive oil and garlic. Place one layer in a lined dish and start building your parmigiana. Try mozzarella, a herby red sauce and possibly a breadcrumb dusting if you want to elevate it a little.

There you have it - three super foods to keep your kitchen and dining table seasonal!


Kristina Cassar Dowling
Written by
Kristina Cassar Dowling
A local writer in love with the Maltese islands, Kristina is a hunter for all things cultural both in Malta and outside its shores. A curious foodie, music fanatic, art lover and keen traveller with an open mind and a passion for writing.

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