"ideas on the freshest produce this season coupled with gourmet recipes for the freshest produce in town
What's fresh?
Strawberries
It's peak time to enjoy sweet eating strawberries at great prices. Recent spiteful incidents have been extremely disheartening and troubling for growers, wholesalers and greengrocers. Do please continue to support our strawberry growers and for the time being, cut your strawberries before eating.
Spring pineapples are sweet eating. Enjoy them in a fruit salad; add them to a Thai style curry, a sweet and sour dish, or team with spring fruits for a vitamin rich dessert salad.
Brimming with healthy goodness, tropical-tasting papaya from the Mossman area of Far North Queensland is a bargain this week. A fragrant aroma is a good indication of good flavour. If cut, select fruit with bright-coloured, undamaged flesh
Fresh, luscious Victorian asparagus is top value and premium quality right now. Thick or thin spears are equally as tender, but it makes sense to buy the same thickness as they will take the same time to cook.
Flavoursome broad beans are still available. Remove bean from the pod, shell a second time then simmer in boiling water until just tender. Broad beans team superbly with chicken, lamb, mushrooms, feta, mint, potatoes and artichokes.
Watercress has a distinct peppery flavour and is an excellence source of vitamin C. Add watercress to salads; serve with roast beef, tomatoes or with grilled or barbecued salmon fillets.
Crisp textured with a mild aniseed flavour fresh fennel is a Mediterranean vegetable that teams superbly with citrus, tomatoes, potatoes, seafood, lamb and chicken. Delicious served raw or cooked.
