20 - 26 May update Sydney Market that includes availability and price of seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers. Also includes recipe suggestions.
FRUITS:
Packed with vitamin C, easy to peel and super juicy, new season Imperial, Afourer and Satsuma mandarins are delicious eating and great value at $3-$6 a kilo.
There is a fabulous selection of eating apples at your local greengrocer for $3-$8 a kilo, depending on variety. But when it comes to cooking apples, Granny Smith is an Aussie favourite, with its gloss green skin and tart white flesh that sweetens on maturity. Granny Smith apples are $3-$6 a kilo. It is the perfect time to warm up with a scrumptious Granny Smith apple tart or discover 4 delicious ways to use apple pie filling.
Fragrant golden-skinned quince has a musky flavour, and there is something quite alluring about how their pale flesh transforms from a soft pink to a rich claret colour on long, slow poaching or roasting. Roasting quince with honey, maple syrup, olive oil, and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom brings out its natural sweetness and makes a tasty side dish for roasted meats. Discover the charm of quince this week for only $5-$7 a kilo.
Attractive ruby-coloured and antioxidant-rich pomegranates contain jewel-like seeds bursting with juice and flavour. Sprinkle the arils over various dishes, and use the juice for salad dressings or marinades. Pomegranates are delicious and served with lamb, duck and chicken dishes. Liven up salads, couscous, eggplant and hummus with a spoonful of pomegranate seeds. Depending on size and appearance, pomegranates are $3-$12 a kilo.
Firm Hass and Shepard avocados can take 2-5 days to fully ripen at room temperature. When they're ready to eat, the fruit will yield to gentle pressure at the stem end. A creamy avocado is the perfect topper for a baked jacket potato with nachos. Avocados are $1-$3 each, depending on size.
New-season ruby grapefruits are bursting with goodness, have a clean, pleasant, tangy flavour, and provide a healthy boost with vitamin C. The flesh colour can vary from pale pink to salmon red, and they are sweeter than their yellow-fleshed cousins. They are great value now at $4-$5 a kilo. Add grapefruit segments to a salad like this tasty pink grapefruit, rocket, and pinenut salad to serve with chicken.
Sweet persimmons (also sold as Fuyu, their variety name) are at their peak for quality and value this week. They are $4-$14 a kilo, depending on size.
VEGETABLES
Fennel's crisp texture and delicate aniseed flavour make it a delicious addition to casseroles. It is also a tasty addition to salads and soups; the fine fronds can be snipped and used to flavour or garnish chicken and fish dishes. Fennel bulbs cost $1.50-$2 a bulb. This braised fennel, lemon, and thyme chicken is a choice mid-week meal.
Quality handpicked beans from the hilly countryside of Gympie are currently available for $10-$16 a kilo, while thrifty machine-harvested green beans are currently from the level fields of Bowen and will retail for $4-$7 a kilo.
When the temperature drops, creamy vegetable soups come to the fore, and root vegetables like celeriac are perfect for making nourishing soups, like this leek, celeriac, and chicken soup. Celeriac has a mild celery flavour and is ideal for adding diced to casseroles, stews, or boiling and mash. It costs $5-$7 a head.
Cauliflower has health benefits for your bones, brain, gut, heart and immunity. With cauliflower prices easing to $3-$5 each, it's time to add a 'cauli' to your trolley. For many Australians, Mac' n 'cheese is a childhood favourite, so if tasty comfort food is on the menu this week grab a cauliflower and boost the flavour and nutritional value of your mac' n cheese.
Brussels sprouts are good value at $4-$7 a kilo. Try this easy Brussels sprouts, bok choy and chicken stir-fry recipe.
Crisp Iceberg lettuces cost $2.50-$4 a head. They're perfect for making lettuce cups to serve with San Choy Bau or Vietnamese chilli chicken salad.
Kumara, or orange sweet potato, is delicious and ideal for roasting or mashing. Roast chopped orange sweet potato with red onion wedges in olive oil flavoured with cumin and coriander for 30 minutes or until tender. Mashed kumara is a delicious and vibrant-coloured topping for a cottage pie. Serve with lamb or beef. Kumara is $3-$5 a kilo.
Leeks are a versatile ingredient adored for their soft, delicate, oniony flavour and lovely aroma. You can use them as a base for a stew or braise, like onions, or make them the hero in a homemade pie or soup. Leeks are $2-$3 each.
Take advantage of having chestnuts on hand, ready to enjoy. Now is the time to snap freeze-cooked chestnuts; roast a kilo or two before the season finishes. Cut a shallow cross through the flat side of each chestnut and roast on a tray at 200oC for 30 minutes; cool slightly that peel while still warm. Chestnuts are $6-$15 a kilo, depending on variety and size.
Delicately flavoured zucchini is a versatile, no-fuss vegetable that requires minimal preparation. This week supplies are coming from local Sydney growers, Queensland and Victoria. Choose firm zucchini with glossy skin. Store in the crisper in the fridge. Use with 3-4 days. Zucchini are $3-$6 a kilo, depending on size.
FLOWERS
Treat yourself to a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers. This week, your local florist has a fabulous selection, including glorious tulips, kale, stock, and pink ice protea. Also, in season stock: leuadrenrum, imported peony, sweet pea, Queen Anne's Lace, jonquils, delphinium, cotton bunches, lisianthus, chrysanthemums, David Austin roses, banksia, and calla lily.
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 2024-05-20 14:31:52
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