Spoil your mum this Mother’s Day by cooking her a delicious home-cooked meal featuring fresh fruit and vegetables arriving at your local fruit and veg shop this week.
Surprise her with a bunch of fresh flowers and a yummy breakfast in bed – apples are at their peak and there are plenty of varieties, an apple and cinnamon scroll would surely make you the apple of her eye!
If she prefers a savoury brekkie, you can’t go wrong with a classic avocado on toast. Shepard avocados from the Sunshine Coast are in generous supply, and for a side of something sweet, Queensland-grown pineapple and rockmelons are in moderate supply.
In addition to providing a dose of vitamin C to the body, cheerily coloured citrus fruits bring brightness and flavour to your dishes. Make the most of sweet-eating Imperial mandarins from Gayndah, Aussie navel oranges and versatile lemons and limes from Mundubbera.
Pinks Mammoth custard apples continue their good run in terms of quality and volume. A star in Mediterranean cuisine, gorgeous red pomegranates from Victoria are also in good supply. Celebrate Mother’s Day with a glass of Pomegranate Prosecco Pop – just add some freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and some leftover arils to Prosecco, garnish with rosemary, and enjoy!
Raspberries are in good supply, while strawberries are emerging from the Sunshine Coast – supply is forecast to increase in the coming weeks. Grab a bunch of grapes while you can as there are only a few weeks left in the season. Other in-season fruit to add to your shopping basket this week includes Corella or Packham pears, bananas, persimmons, and plums.
We’re noticing an excellent supply of vegetables this week including local celery, white radish, Asian greens, gold sweet potatoes, machine-picked green beans, cauliflower from Lockyer Valley, and butternut from Nericon, New South Wales.
Fennel from Victoria is also plentiful at the moment – look for firm bulbs with feathery leaves and use raw in salads with ingredients like lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mint, and feta.
The cooler weather has left us craving comfort food, and with well-supplied leeks and peas from Bundaberg, why not warm your soul with a creamy mushroom, leek and pea risotto?
Eggplants are in their prime and an autumn favourite – stuff, grill, bake, or mash into a dip; they’re incredibly satisfying in every way. Also in ample supply is the humble carrot, and shallots from Tasmania, capsicum and zucchini from Bundaberg, broccoli from Lowood, red chillies, and coriander – chop the veggies and throw them in a laksa soup or stir fry, take your pick!
This week’s top pick is nutrient-loaded Brussels sprouts from Victoria. Brussels sprouts are one of those veggies that you either love or hate, and we love it! For a quick side dish, roast them with chilli garlic oil until crisp and golden, which will leave a sweet and spicy caramelised flavour. Look for smaller-sized, firm sprouts with tightly packed leaves and vibrant, green colour.
– Produce report supplied by Brismark