28 August - 3 September 2017

FRUIT

Warmer weather signals the much-awaited arrival of tropical luscious mangoes. Make a quick mango salsa to serve with a curry by combining diced mango with chopped red chilli, lime juice and chopped coriander leaves. Kensington Pride is the most well-known and loved mango variety and it’s available from September until March. Fruit is now coming from Darwin. Mangoes are retailing at $2.50-$5 each.

Select rockmelon with a fragrant aroma and pronounced netting on the skin. Fruit should feel heavy for its size. Pick up a tasty rockmelon for $2-$4 each.

Select whole papaya with golden-yellow coloured skin. A fragrant aroma is a good indication of flavour. If cut, select fruit with bright-coloured, undamaged flesh. For Asian salads choose unripe and very firm, green papaya. Papaya is choice buy at $4-$6 a kilo.

Sweet strawberries are in abundance. Slice and serve strawberries on your favourite breakfast cereal with yoghurt, toss into fruit salad, make a healthy smoothie or use them for desserts. Strawberries are $1.50-$4 a punnet.

Make the most of plump, antioxidant rich blueberries while they’re in season. Make blueberry hotcakes (image Blueberry hotcakes with banana) Toss 125g blueberries through your favourite hotcake or pancake recipe. Dust with icing sugar and serve with sliced banana and extra blueberries. Loving the blueberries at $2.50-$4 a punnet.

With their rich raspberry-red succulent flesh and sweet flavour, blood oranges at $3-$5 a kilo are ideal.

Quick ideas for blood oranges

Use blood orange juice instead of lemon juice to add a refreshing touch to salad dressings.
Toss blood orange segments with rocket, shredded fennel and toasted pine nuts for an easy side salad.
Make a marinade for chicken and fish, using blood orange juice, olive oil and crushed garlic.

VEGETABLES

Succulent and flavoursome Victorian grown asparagus is great value at $2.50 -$3 a bunch, depending on spear size. Top cooked asparagus with grilled bacon, a poached egg and ground black pepper for breakfast, or try asparagus tossed through pasta with a hint of chilli.

Snap up globe artichokes in early spring. Once cooked, their tender delicious hearts are superb simply drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and served with prosciutto, tomato and bocconcini cheese. Select fresh deep green or purple artichokes with firm heads and tightly closed leaves. Artichokes should feel heavy for their size and are retailing $2-$2.50 stem.

With its delicious aniseed flavour and crisp texture, fennel adds vibrancy to spring salads. It has virtually no fat and few kilojoules, and refreshing raw or cooked. Fennel is reasonable priced at $1.50-$2.50 a head.

Crisp young and tender baby bok choy is a top buy at $1-$1.50 a bunch. Select bunches with crisp pale-cream stems and fresh-looking green leaves. For and easy family dinner steam bok choy or toss into a hot wok and cook until just tender.

Broccolini is a thrifty buy this week at $2-$3 a bunch, alternatively broccoli is $2-$4 a kilo. Add to pasta dishes, stir-fries or serve as a side veggie. Both Broccoli and Brocconlini are good for your immune system and support a heart and circulation health.

Tasty machine harvested Bowen grown green beans are a choice buy this week at $3-$5 a kilo. Whip up this Asparagus & green beans with chilli & cashews.

Large, field grown Bowen eggplants are plentiful and top value at $3-$4 a kilo. This delicious Japanese-style eggplant dish can be served as a side dish or accompanied with rice or soba noodles for a light meal. Miso & Chilli-Glazed Roasted Eggplant.

FLOWERS

Spring has sprung early and fresh cut flowers are plentiful and reasonable priced. Visit your local florist for something to decorate your home or office like ranunculus, daffodils, jonquils, blushing bride, anemone, posy gloriosa, pincushions, poppies , Queen Anne’s lace, tulips, hellebores, freesia, daphne, sweet william, sea holly, sunflowers, stock, sweet peas, violets, , protea, lavender, protea, kale, orchids, lilies, lisianthus, roses, forget me knots.

For more information, recipes and fresh stories visit Sydney Markets blog.

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, Retail Support Manager on tel 0438 725 453.

Published On 2017-08-28 00:30:00