Brisbane Market Report 238

Brisbane Produce Report – 20 November

  November 19, 2020  strump

Warm spring days are bringing a surge of fruit and vegetables to the Brisbane Produce Market this week.

We are seeing high-quality, well-priced fruit arriving from multiple regions, including Victorian strawberries, apricots and pears, sweet pawpaws from Far North Queensland, dragon fruit from Northern Territory, passionfruit from New South Wales as well as local pineapples, bananas and hass avocados.

Blueberries continue to impress with their quality while new season blackberries are also in stock, so enjoy them while you can.

The stone fruit season is ramping up with white and yellow varieties of nectarines and peaches increasing in supply along with plums. For an easy, ready to go dessert try seasonal tart with thinly sliced stone fruit of your choice enclosed in golden flaky pastry. Serve sugar-dusted tart along with a scoop of ice-cream and roasted nuts.

Apple varieties, including Red Delicious and Granny Smith, are excellent eating and in good supply. Cherries and lychees are looking beautiful however prices are variable.

We are in-between season for mangoes as we have come to an end of the Kensington Pride supplies from Northern Territory whereas R2E2 from Bowen and Honey Gold variety are available. There will be more Queensland mangoes available by next week.

Several veggies are fantastic buying this week including handpicked beans from Gympie, red and green capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, celery and zucchini.

Onions from Gatton and sweet potatoes from Bundaberg are abundant right now. Sweet potatoes never get enough credit. Not only they are a form of slow-releasing carbohydrates, but are also extremely high in Vitamin A, C and B6. Pair any main course with ultra-rich and creamy sweet potato mash. Add butter, grated ginger to boiled sweet potatoes and mash until smooth. Season to taste.

On the salad front, Victorian-grown fennel, spinach, rocket, watercress, kale, Iceberg and baby cos lettuce are having a great week. Also, look out for well-supplied spring winners such as eggplants, beetroot, mushrooms, leeks, spring onions and asparagus – all coming in great quality and value.

Carrots from Western Australia, Continental cucumbers and radishes are in plentiful supplies to accompany summer dips and crudité platters.

This week’s top pick is seedless watermelon. Look for fruit that feels heavy for its size and has a vibrant colour. Watermelon is a refreshing snack made up of 92% of water but soaked with nutrition. Store watermelons in the fridge once ripe. To test for ripeness, give it a tap, whole watermelons should sound hollow when tapped. Surprisingly versatile, watermelons are great performers in both sweet and savoury salads. For an ultimate refreshing spring salad, combine grilled watermelon chunks with prawns, olive oil, feta, mint and thinly sliced onions. Add salt to taste.

Brisbane Market Report