Brisbane Market Report 209

Brisbane Produce Report – 17 April

  April 17, 2020   strump

Cooler days in Queensland are providing favourable growing conditions for many fruits and vegetables at the Brisbane Produce Market this week.

A wide range of new season crunchy and juicy apples are available for your snacking needs. There are excellent supplies of shepard avocadoes with the hass variety from Queensland is just starting to appear. Other best buys this week include pears, ladyfinger bananas from northern NSW, red crimson grapes, plums and dragonfruit.

While strawberries are in between season and blueberries are scarce, we have good supply of bright red raspberries from Caboolture. Lemons, limes, imperial mandarins from Gayndah and local new season navel oranges from are available in great supply. Indulge yourself in baking some homemade orange muffins or lemon tarts sprinkled with roasted almond and butter. Seedless watermelons are eating well, and rockmelons are in good supply.

It is quince season! Closely related to the apple and pear, this yellow skin and golden fleshed fruit is great for creating jams and marmalades. Another exciting item in season is the chestnut. Unlike other nuts, they are low in fat and high in carbohydrates. They cannot be eaten raw and are best cooked, boiled or roasted. For a flavourful dinner cook chopped chestnuts with pork mince and noodles and finish up with a garnish of coriander, lemon zest and chilli oil.

The popularity of the custard apple has skyrocketed over recent year. Our favourite this week is the pink mammoth variety.  This exotic fruit has a sweet taste similar to that of a cooked pear and is the perfect afternoon snack. Once ripe the custard apple is best stored in the fridge. There are good supplies of pomegranates this week. Look for pomegranates that are heavier to ensure that the seed have the most juice. Its seeds can be used as dessert toppings, and its pulp can be pressed to make a juice. This juice can be used to make jellies, salad dressings, and syrups.

Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, spring onion, kale, rocket and silverbeet are good value buys this week. There are good supplies of Asian vegetables, carrots, wombok, eggplants, okra, leeks, fennel and Lebanese cucumbers. Both broccoli and cauliflower are eating well but priced at premium. Crunchy capsicum has started to come from North Queensland, expect supply to increase in coming weeks.

Now is the time to do some home cooking. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions and kent pumpkins are available and are the perfect base for soups, casseroles and home cooked meals. If you are looking to add versatile vegetables to your basket then zucchini should be one of them as they are in great supply and the quality is good.

This week’s top pick is kent pumpkins from the Lockyer Valley. Select a round shaped pumpkin with a mottled green, yellow skin and a golden flesh that gives a hollow sound when knocked. Said to resemble sweet potato in texture and taste, you can roast a Kent pumpkin with olive oil and toss it in your favourite salad or cook up a dessert in Thai style by hollowing it out, fill the cavity with duck egg and leave to cool to room temperature. Let the custard set in fridge and serve chill.

Brisbane Market Report

Posted by Brisbane Produce Market