SYDNEY MARKETS FRESH FRUIT VEGETABLE & FLOWER REPORT
16 – 22 MAY 2022

FRUIT

Golden coloured quinces are in season and apart from the aromatic qualities’ quince are sensational poached or baked until tender. Quinces are $5-$7 a kilo.

Pears are a naturally sweet snack; they add sweetness and crunch to a salad, poached or roasted to make an easy dessert. Pears continue to ripen after harvesting; select firm, mature pears, and ripen at room temperature. Skin colour may not change with ripening. The fruit is ready to eat when it yields to gentle pressure at the stem end. Use firm pears for cooking. Beurre Bosc and Packham pears are $2.50-$4.50 a kilo, depending on variety and size.

For a crunchy snack, you can’t beat an Envy, Bravo, Ambrosia, Fuji, Kanzi, Jazzand Pink Lady apple. But when it comes to cooking, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples are our favourites for apple tarts, apple and pecan crumble, cakes, and old-fashioned baked apples. Apples are $3-$10 a kilo, depending on the variety and size.

Mandarins are full of juice and virtually seedless. Easy to peel Imperials are plentiful, and Daisy and Nova varieties have also started. Select fruit that feels heavy for its size. Mandarins are $2-$6 a kilo; current types include Imperial, Daisy and Afourer.

Scoop up a kiwifruit and enjoy this great source of vitamin C. Purchase firm kiwifruit and allow it to ripen at room temperature until slightly soft. Depending on size, green kiwifruits are $7-$10 a kilo.

It’s time to enjoy Candy melons, renowned for their sweetness and vibrant orange flesh. Candy melons have a texture like honeydew melon and are crisp and juicy. Look for golden rind Candy melons at your local greengrocer this week for $4-$6 each.

Refreshing pineapples are an excellent source of vitamin C and are low in kilojoules. Pineapples don’t ripen further after harvesting. Store in a cool place and refrigerate once cut. This week Topless pineapples are $2-$6 each, depending on size.

Vitamin-rich avocados are a tasty addition to autumn meals. Add diced avocado to pasta sauces, hamburgers, salads, or mash avocado with a bit of sweet chilli sauce and serve in a burrito with barbecued chicken. Whip up braised fennel & tomato with salmon. Avocados for a mid-week meal are $2-$3 each, depending on size.

VEGETABLES

Add chestnuts to your shopping list. Supplies and quality are excellent, and prices range from $6-$12 a kilo. Once cooked, their creamy-white flesh is similar in texture to a roast potato with a delicate, sweet, nutty flavour. Try chestnuts cooked and removed from their hard shell, then stir-fried or add to a casserole, meat stuffing, pasta dishes or puree for making cakes and desserts. Learn more: 11 scrumptious ways to make the most of chestnuts.

Fennel’s crisp texture and its delicate aniseed flavour are a delicious addition to casseroles. It is also a tasty addition to salads and soups; the delicate fronds can be snipped and used to flavour or garnish chicken and fish dishes. Fennel bulbs are $2-$2.50 a bulb. This braised fennel, lemon & thyme chicken is an easy mid-week meal.

Celeriacs smooth, creamy, white flesh has a delicate celery-like flavour. This versatile root vegetable is ideal for use in soups, casseroles, stir-fries, and salads, and it is delicious mashed with potato. Celeriac is $6-$8 ahead, depending on size. Pair grated celeriac with the sweetness of grated nashi and fold through a Dijon mustard-based dressing to accompany a crunchy schnitzel. Get recipe.

This super-nutritious kale provides your diet with beneficial antioxidants, vitamins, and iron. Toss the trimmed leaves into stir-fries, soups, and smoothies. Finely shred kale and sauté with garlic. Kale is a top buy at $3-$3.50 a bunch.

Ultra-healthy Gai Lum (Chinese broccoli) is perfect for stir-frying or steaming. Choose bunches with crisp, deep green leaves and firm stems. Gai Lum is a bargain at $3-$4 a bunch.

This week, eggplant is a good choice at $4-$8 a kilo, depending on quality. There are many ways to enjoy eggplant, roasted, grilled, barbecued or added to a curry. Layer cooked eggplant slices with a rich tomato passata and mozzarella cheese and baked until warm and bubbly.

Small-sized new potatoes (also known as cocktail potatoes) have a shiny creamy-yellow skin colour and moist white flesh. Expect to pay $3-$4 a kilo. Perfect for making this lemon, mint and feta potatoes.

Whole Jap pumpkins are a top buy at $1-$2 a kilo. Roasted Jap pumpkin with feta; cut 700g peeled Jap pumpkin into thick wedges and toss with ¼ cup olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place pumpkin in a single layer on a baking tray and roast at 200°C for 20 minutes or until tender, then sprinkle with 100g crumbled feta cheese and 2 tbs toasted pine nuts and serve.

One of the most popular and great value varieties, brown onions have an intense, sharp flavour when used raw but develop a delicious sweetness with cooking because the volatile oils convert to sugar. Use brown onions for casseroles, stocks, risotto, and soups. Versatile brown onions are great value at $2-$4 a kilo.

Carrots rank highly when it comes to their versatility, value, and flavour. Carrots are rich in vitamins and minerals and delicious cooked or raw. Try them roasted with garlic, grated orange rind and fresh thyme, mash carrots (just like potatoes) with a nob of butter and season salt and pepper, or microwave sliced carrots with a drizzle of maple syrup and orange juice. Small carrots are prepared in 1-kilo bags and sell for $2-$2.50 a kilo, while larger carrots are sold loose for $2.50-$3.50.