Brisbane Market Report 219

Brisbane Produce Report – 3 July

  July 3, 2020  strump

With a combination of cool temperatures and shorter days, now is the time to be cooking up those classic winter recipes with a variety of fresh produce arriving at the Brisbane Produce Market this week.

New-season apples and pears continue to be excellent quality. We cannot go past delicious cinnamon baked pears. Bake corella pears with cinnamon and maple syrup and top it with nuts, seeds and yoghurt or a muesli of your choice.

Blueberries from New South Wales are starting to return to the shelves. Local supplies of strawberries are increasing in volume. Raspberry supplies have decreased but they are still eating beautifully. Kiwifruit are in the peak of their season, particularly the gold variety that has a sweeter flavour.

Snack on pineapple, watermelon, rockmelon or pawpaw as they’re arriving in good quality. Custard apples are almost nearing the end of the season and banana supplies are tightening. Oranges from Gayndah, grapefruit from Western Australia, and lemons, limes and mandarins from South Australia are leading the way in citrus. Aside from their fresh flavour and bright appearance, citrus fruits are a great addition to your Winter diet. They are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

An exotic variety of navel oranges called cara cara has just arrived in the market. This premium pink-fleshed orange is seedless, with low acidity and is very well known for its sweetness and depth of flavour. The cara cara is perfect for salads and desserts as the vibrant colour adds a new dimension.

In vegetables, local producers are delivering plenty of varieties this week including parsnips, celeriac, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, onions, shallots, Brussels sprouts and Aussie ginger.

Best buys this week for both price and quality include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower from Gatton, carrot, celery, chillies from Bundaberg, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms. Red capsicums are the pick of the peppers at the moment, while all varieties of peas – garden, sugar snap and snow are great value. Keep an eye out for beetroot this week that is coming from Boonah – it is delicious roasted or used in dips, soups and vegetable salads. In low supplies are kohlrabi, rhubarb, okra and cucumber.

This week’s top pick is lobok, also known as the white radish or daikon, which is in season throughout winter. Grown in Queensland, the lobok looks a bit like a large white carrot. Look for a firm vegetable that is heavy for its size and store it for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Lobok has a mild, sweet flavour that works well in Japanese and Korean dishes, pickles, salads, soups and stews. For a zesty coleslaw, combine julienned lobok with shallots, coriander and sesame oil.

Brisbane Market Report

Posted by Brisbane Produce Market