Brisbane Market Report 220

Brisbane Produce Report – 10 July

  July 9, 2020  strump

With excellent growing conditions, the local fruit and vegetable season is in full swing and that means plenty of fresh produce for everyone at the Brisbane Produce Market this week.

In fruit, citrus continues to give us a joyful season with strong supplies of Mareeba-grown limes, lemons, tangelos, Victorian-grown honey murcott mandarins, navel oranges and Queensland-grown ruby red grapefruit. Other favourites include rockmelons from Gumlu, pawpaw from Murdoch, apples, pears and local pineapples.

Strawberries and raspberries are consistent performers in this cool weather. It is good to see blueberry supplies are picking up this week. To make the most of fresh berries this season, impress your family with a delicious French galette that is easy to make, light and can be made with a mix of your favourite berries.

Hass avocados from North Queensland and panama passionfruit from Lakeland are plentiful. To ensure the avocado is creamy and ripe on the inside, gently squeeze the top of the avocado stem to see if it is relatively soft, but still a tad firm. Avocados that are perfect for eating will be soft and yield to gentle pressure at the stem.

Most vegetables are great buying at the moment with plentiful supplies of local Queensland grown crispy carrots, capsicum, yellow beans, eggplants, radish, sweet potatoes, chillies, Brussels sprouts, and sugar snaps, snow and garden peas.

Vegetables belonging to the Brassica family such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi and kale are at their peak during the winter season. For those who are trying to get more vegetables into their diet, add plenty of nutrient-rich vegies to stir-fries, casseroles, vegetable hot-pots or simply add them to salads for a crunchy and delicious texture.

Victoria is also having a bumper season with classic winter vegies like artichokes, fennel, leeks and parsnips. Add them to soups and roasts along with shallots from North Queensland. Locally grown coriander and parsley are excellent buying right now, however, supplies of basil and mint are shorter as they have been impacted by the cold weather.

Looking for a new salad dressing recipe? With new season Aussie ginger from North Arm in the Sunshine Coast region in good supply, opt for sweet and salty sesame ginger dressing. Combine olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, fresh grated ginger, garlic and lemon juice in a bowl, whisk vigorously and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Drizzle a generous portion of the dressing over salads, Buddha bowls or steamed vegies. Don’t forget to add plenty of leafy greens such as rocket, spinach, lettuce, bok choy or watercress which are all plentiful.

Supplies of silverbeet, cucumber, corn, button squash, okra, mushrooms and broad beans are variable however tomatoes, onions, potatoes and pumpkins are in abundance.

This week’s top pick is vitamin and fibre-packed cauliflower from Lowood. Look for firm, tightly packed heads that are creamy white. Remove the outer leaves and store in the fridge for up to four days. Try the classic traditional cauliflower and cheese bake, individual soufflés or pan-fried cauliflower steak with cumin and parsley.

 

Brisbane Market Report