It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with a fantastic range of brightly coloured summer fruit and veggies bursting with flavour, all available at your local fruit and veg shop this week.
Does anything say ‘festive season’ more than Australian grown cherries? Currently in full bloom, the cherry season in Australia lasts only 100 days from November through to February, so grab a bag, fill a bowl and enjoy the deep red, glossy and plump cherries while you can.
There is an abundance of sweet and lush stone fruit, including apricots of all sizes and both yellow and white nectarines, peaches and plums from Victoria and South Australia.
The star of this summer’s picnic is the sweet and ultra-juicy Aussie mango. Choose from a selection of varieties such as the R2E2 (orange skin tinged with a red blush), the Kensington Pride (yellow to orange skin tinged with pink blush) and the Honey Gold (golden apricot-like skin with yellow to orange flesh) available at your local fruit shop.
Transport yourself to the tropics with locally grown watermelon and pineapples. Store uneaten pineapple pieces in an air-tight container in the fridge to keep them nice and fresh.
Excellent value fruit includes limes, pawpaw, strawberries, Cavendish bananas from Innisfail, Hass avocados from Mount Tambourine and sweet eating rockmelons from Bundaberg, whereas passionfruit, pears and blueberries are in short supply.
Look out for other seasonal treats including lychees, grapes, figs and pomegranates.
Most vegetables are well supplied this week including asparagus, spring onions, snow peas, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, eggplants and green beans. Asian vegetables, such as wombok and bok choy, are plentiful too; stir-fry them with oyster sauce and garlic or ginger for enhanced flavour.
Everyone loves crunchy veggies, especially when they are packed with micronutrients. Opt for red capsicum, refreshing cucumbers, carrots and crunchy celery for an impressive grazing platter as these veggies are in good supply.
Stock up on salad items such as Iceberg lettuce, onions, radish, baby spinach, mini Roma tomatoes as we’re seeing bumper supplies this week. Are you tired of eating salads? Switch things up with a wrap. Combine salad items with your choice of protein and dressing, and you’ve got yourself a nutritious wrap.
Adding flavour to your dinner has never been easier. Throw in herbs such as parsley, coriander and basil — all are in excellent supply.
This week’s hero is corn with great quality supplies currently arriving from Bowen. Look for corn in bright green husks with pale silks. Corn kernels should be round and plump with no sign of shrivelling. To cook, remove the husk and steam, boil, grill or barbecue. For a spicy side dish, chargrill corn and serve topped with lime juice, coriander, cumin and paprika.
– Produce report supplied by Brismark