9 - 15 JANUARY 2023

FRUIT

Fruit Enjoy plump and delicious late-season cherries. Most cherries are now coming from Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia and Orange in NSW and are of excellent quality and priced at $10-$35 a kilo, depending on variety and size.

For a tropical, sweet summer sensation, pick up a bag of tropical Queensland-grown lychees. They are easy to peel and super juicy. Depending on the variety, lychees are $12-$40 a kilo. Discover seven delicious ways to enjoy lychees.

Bursting with summery sweetness and juice, yellow and white-fleshed peaches and nectarines stand out. Fruit comes from orchards in Victoria and South Australia; expect to pay $3-$8 a kilo, depending on variety and size.

Sensational summer berries are plentiful. Blueberries at $2-$6 a punnet (including Jumbo-size), raspberries are $3-$6 a punnet, Victorian strawberries are $1.50- $4 a punnet, and blackberries are $3-$6 a punnet. Mix a bowl and serve with muesli and pancakes, or fold through cream to make a yummy berry fool.

Tropical tasty red-fleshed papaya is a luscious fruit; enjoy some this week for only $3-$6 a kilo. To make the flavour pop, drizzle with fresh lime juice.

Grab a bunch of flavoursome crisp Australian-grown grapes. Select from white, red and black seedless varieties; traditional varieties are $10-$20 a kilo, and newer premium varieties like Sapphire and Sweet Celebration are up to $30 a kilo. Try roasting grapes and adding a bunch to a cheese board, or add grapes to a salad.

Top-quality mangoes from Mareeba are plentiful. Select from three varieties, Kensington Pride, Calypso and R2E2, with prices ranging from $ 2-$4 each.

Summer is the peak time for richly flavoured tomatoes. With such a wide variety now available, it’s the perfect time to enjoy a range of tomatoes with different shapes, colours, textures and flavours. Your local greengrocer will have the best range and quality tomatoes this week; I recommend the multi-coloured Medley tomatoes, tasty Truss, and bite-size cherry and grape tomatoes. Depending on your choice, tomatoes will start at $2 a punnet to $5 per kilo.

Juicy and plump with a sweet-tangy flavour, early plums varieties are of good quality and a choice buy at $4-$12 a kilo.

VEGETABLES

Vegetables Low kilojoule, colourful and flavour-packed salads are essential at this time of year, especially if you have made a New Year’s resolution to eat healthier. Salads should never be boring, so make sure there is lots of texture, and a fabulous homemade dressing will take your salad to a new level.

Start with a fresh Sydney-grown Cos lettuce at $1.50-$2.50 ahead. And drizzle with one of our three BEST HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING.

Lemon & coriander tahini dressing
Chilli, ginger & lime dressing
Minted green yoghurt dressing

Eggplants are at their best value from late summer to early autumn as Sydney growers harvest quality crops. Select smooth eggplant with a firm, satin-like, glossy skin, which feels heavy for its size. Eggplants are good value at $4-$6 a kilo. There are numerous ways to enjoy eggplant, roasted, grilled, barbecued or baked.

Asian greens are top quality and value this week. For maximum flavour and freshness, buy Asian greens regularly and cook them only until just tender. Asian greens are $1.50-$2 a bunch.

Versatile zucchinis are a top buy for $3-$6 a kilo. Barbecue, char-grill, or grate raw and add to cooked pasta like this zucchini, tomato & basil spaghetti with ricotta. Zucchini is also a tasty addition to a cake batter, adding extra nutritional value, moisture, and a delicate flavour.

Aromatic basil is at its tastiest in summer. Take advantage of the excellent value and quality, and team basil with tomato-based dishes, blend a batch of homemade pesto to enjoy with fresh pasta or tear leaves and add to salads and dressings. Basil is $3-$4 a bunch.

One of the best-flavoured avocados you will ever taste is the creamy, full-flavoured Reed avocado. Smooth-skinned Reed avocados from Renmark in South Australia are only available until the end of February and sell for $3-$4 each.

Summer radishes add a pleasant peppery flavour to salads and crudités. Newer radish varieties include the watermelon radish, French radish and multi-coloured mixed bunches. Fabulous for making salads colourful and exciting. Radishes are available for $2-$3 a bunch.

Rich in vitamins A and C, orange sweet potato makes a delicious potato salad and is ideal for making wedges. At $2-$4 a kilo, they are good value.

Crisp bunches of summer Victorian-grown celery are a good buy at $3-$4.

Snake beans are good value at $2-$3 a bunch. Snake beans have a taste and texture similar to green beans; however, they are around 30 cm in length and slightly flexible. To prepare, cut beans crossways into lengths, microwave, boil, steam or stir-fry.

FLOWERS

Flowers Bright your home or office desk with flowering gum, sunflowers, hydrangea, lisianthius, zinnia, dahlias, celosia, pineapple lilies, bouvardia, tuberose, zinnia, oriental lilies or water lilies, amaranthus, lupins, lotus pods and a super range of greenery. Trim the stems and refresh the water every 2 days to obtain the maximum vase life.

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 2023-01-09 13:03:00