27 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2023
FRUIT
Make the most of autumn plums. Plums are delicious stewed. Combine sliced plums with granny smith apples, sweeten with a bit of sugar, top with a crumble mixture or serve cold with honey yoghurt. The main varieties are Tegan Blue, October Sun, September Candy, Black Majesty, and Queen Garnet. Plums are $3-$15 a kilo, depending on the variety and size.
Rockmelons, fondly called "Rockies", take 10-12 weeks to grow from planting to fully ripe fruit. Harvesting of Riverian rockmelons is now in full swing, and the fruit is sweet and juicy, so grab a "rockie" this week for $2-$5 each. Wash melons before cutting; store fruit covered in the refrigerator once cut.
New-season Aussie pomegranates are beautiful, delicious and antioxidant-rich. Add colour and sweetness to an autumn salad with a generous sprinkle of pomegranates arils; they team delicious with oranges, rocket, feta, rice, lentils, beetroot, quinoa, rhubarb, pears and lamb. Serve pomegranates with panna cotta, yoghurt or spatter arils over salads. Depending on size, pomegranates are $1.50-$10 each.
Varying in skin colour from apricot to a rich reddish-orange, honey-sweet, firm and crunchy, Queensland-grown, sweet persimmons are in season at your local greengrocer. Some varieties are sold by their varietal name Fuyu; this variety of persimmon is non-astringent, which means they are picked ripe and ready to eat; depending on size, they are $2 to $4 each, depending on the quality and size.
Australians love their apples, with 89% of Australian households purchasing apples, buying an average of 890 g each shopping trip. New-season apples include Royal Gala, Kanzi, Red Delicious, Redlove, Mi, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties. Apples are $4-$10 a kilo, depending on the size and variety.
Fibre-rich pears are a family favourite. Naturally tasty, economical and versatile pears make elegant and quick desserts or add a sweet flavour and crisp texture to a salad. Select from Williams, Packham and Beurre Bosc and Corella pears are in season and selling for $3-$7 a kilo, depending on size and variety. Try this tempting dessert pear, date & chocolate crumble.
Luscious figs are a seasonal treat; their delicate texture and attractive pink flesh are ideal for sweet and savoury dishes. Try our fig, rocket, prosciutto and feta pizza. Figs are retailing at 50¢-$3 each, depending on size and quality.
This week's best buy-in tomatoes are bite-sized cherry tomatoes that are naturally sweet. Add them to salad, toss through pasta or halve and use them to decorate your homemade pizza. Cherry tomatoes are $2.50-$3 a punnet.
The firm flesh of a Shepard avocado doesn't brown on cutting, making them a delicious and attractive addition to salads or sliced or mashed on toast. Shepard avocados have a nutty flavour and buttery texture. Depending on size, your local greengrocer will have avocados for $2-$4 each.
Queensland lemons are juicy with a tangy sweetness. This week, a good supply of small lemons is available for $2-$3 a kilo, with larger fruits around $5-$6 a kilo. Stock up for Easter; lemons are perfect for serving with seafood and for festive desserts like this lemon tart with berries.
Pink Guava and custard apple season have also started.
VEGETABLES
Cauliflower is high in fibre, vitamins C and K, and folate, making it a great addition to a healthy diet. Cauliflower is a popular autumn vegetable used in various dishes such as soups, stews, and curries, roasted and dressed in a cheesy sauce. Pop a "cauli" in the trolley this week for $3-$4 each.
Pop a bulb or two of fennel in your shopping basket this week. Thinly slice fennel and lightly braise in olive oil to serve with seafood or lamb. Fennel slice fennel is delicious, teamed with parmesan cheese, avocado or oranges segments. Fennel is $1.50-$2 a bulb. SAVE THIS RECIPE for Easter braised fennel & tomato with salmon.
Wombok, or Chinese cabbage, is a top buy this week. This versatile, leafy green is perfect for shredding and adding stir-fries or rice noodle dishes. Chinese cabbage is $3-$6 ahead.
Chestnut season has started. Fresh chestnuts are a taste sensation. While most nuts contain 50% fat, chestnuts contain 2.7%. TO ROAST CHESTNUTS, cut a cross in the outer shell, place chestnuts in a tray, and cook at 200o oven for 15-20 minutes or until the shell splits. Large-quality chestnuts are $6-$15 a kilo. Add chestnuts to salads; toss with steamed beans, Brussels sprouts or broccolini, and jazz up a san choy bow with chopped cooked chestnuts for added texture, flavour and nutritional value.
Autumn is the peak time for quality eggplants. Choose an eggplant that is firm and heavy for its size, with a taut glossy, deeply coloured skin and a fresh green stem. Store eggplants in a refrigerator for up to 1 week, but handle them carefully as they bruise easily. Eggplants are selling for $3-$7 a kilo. SAVE THIS delicious Japanese-style eggplant dish, miso & chilli-glazed roasted eggplant.
Harvesting of green olives is underway. So now is the time to start preserving. Small-sized olives will retail for around $25 for a 5-kilo box, while the extra-large Kalamata olives are $30-$40 for 5 kilos.
Firm, bright green heads of broccoli are good value at $4-$5 a kilo. Broccoli offers exceptional value as a rich source of folate and valuable antioxidants.
Broccoli Rappa is not broccoli; this leafy, cruciferous vegetable is closely related to the turnip. Sold in bunches, its delicious bitter stems, leaves, and nutty, broccoli-like buds are all edible. This Italian favourite is 100% edible, easy to cook, and popular served sautéed, braised, and roasted in Italian dishes. Grab a bunch for $3-$4 this week.
Immune-boosting kumara (orange sweet potato) is packed with vitamins and fibre. Delicious roasted, chopped orange sweet potato (kumara) with red onion wedges in olive oil flavoured with cumin and coriander for 30 minutes or until tender. Kumara is $2-$4 a kilo.
FLOWERS
Autumn flowers are top quality. Visit your local florist and pick up a bunch of dahlias, gladioli, Veronica, Pink ice protea, Billy button, pineapple lily, Siam tulips, sunflowers, tulips, chrysanthemums, hanging amaranth, lisianthus, flamingo celosia, oriental lilies, sedum, Leucadendron, beehive ginger, sunflowers, local roses, tulips, hydrangea, hanging amaranth, smoke bush, tiger lily, banksia, Easter daisies, carnations, gerberas, bouvardia or tuberoses.
Prices quoted in this report are only relevant for the week of the report. All prices are estimates only as prices vary depending on variety, size and quality of produce and the trading area. For further information, please contact Sue Dodd, Marketing Consultant on 0438725453.
Published On 2023-03-27 16:24:58
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