BUYER'S GUIDE: 10/01/12-16/01/12
As your eyes at the markets, here’s this week’s seasonal update from our buyers:
Another good week ahead with supply and quality. No change in the range, plenty to choose from and well priced.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Black Seedless Grapes (QLD)
Blueberries - large (NSW)
Nectarine (VIC)
Paw Paw- Yellow (QLD)
Plum (NSW)
Vegetables:
Cauliflower (NSW)
Green Beans (QLD)
Sweet Corn (QLD/NSW)
Sweet Potato - Large (QLD)
Roma Tomato (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Cherries (TAS)
Fig Tray (NSW)
Long Melon (QLD)
Papaya - Green/Cooking (QLD)
New Season Paradise Cocktail Pears (VIC)
Sugar Plum (NSW)
Bamboo Shoot (QLD)
Eggplant - Seedless (NSW)
Mandarins - VIP (Imported)
Snake Beans (NSW)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply:
Baby Gold Beetroot
Heirloom Tomatoes
Not Available:
Asparagus - No2
Beurre Bosc Pear
Lotus Root
BUYER'S GUIDE: 20/12/11 - 28/12/11
As your eyes at the markets, here’s this week’s seasonal update from our buyers:
It is the season to be Merry and with the way our market is shaping up for the week all I can say is Ho Ho Ho and away we go!
Fruit:
No real shorts this week. A few quality issues, Strawberries being one but otherwise it's a buyers market. Quality is excellent, pricing is low and other than mandarins it is a Misère Ouverte! As per last week just Apples and Lemons holding in price and will lift as the weeks roll on.
Very good supply of Tropical Fruits from the Top End and Far North QLD: Longans, Lychees, Mangosteen, Rambutans and Ship Loads of Mangoes.
Also now in full swing Aussie Grapes, Red, Black & White all seedless, very sweet and crunchy.
Vegetables:
Slightly different story here. Broccoli and Caulies have come well down off last week's highs as have Green Beans, the quality and supply of Butter Beans is also back to normal.
Main items this week are Baby Corn, nil on market due to the heavy flooding in Thailand, White Asparagus limited due to imports and Green Asparagus doing its usual Xmas dance for this time of the year with supply coming from NZ, Peru and Aussie packers.
And oh yes Tomatoes being pushed by the market agents “they can't help themselves around this time of the year” pushing price which scared buyers into buying just in case the market Tomato agents are right.......for once! Roma Tomatoes are short and up in price. Otherwise plenty of colour and range to chose from.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Cherries- Van's (NSW)
Kiwifruit (Imported)
Lychee (QLD)
Mango- R2E2 (QLD)
Peach (NSW)
Vegetables:
Broccoli (VIC)
Cauliflower (VIC)
Chat (Sml) Potatoes (SA)
Sweetcorn (NSW)
Rhubarb (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
Chestnuts (VIC)
Edible Flowers (VIC/NSW)
Jerusalem Artichokes (QLD)
Longan (Imported)
Popcorn Sprouts (VIC)
Purple Congo Potato (SA)
Rambutan (QLD)
Donut Peaches (NSW)
Red Currant (SA)
Yellow Butter Beans (QLD)
NOT THIS WEEK:
End of Season:
Red Tamarillos
Poor Quality:
Broad Beans
Not Available:
Baby Corn
Horseradish
White Asparagus
GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES
Q: Which herb did Shakespeare say improved recollection?
A recent spell of bad weather in NSW has affected the quality of local herb crops, with varieties such as sage and oregano tending to blacken quickly. So, while we wait for the summer weather to catch up to the summer menu, why not let our delicious range of microgreens step up to the plate?!
Simon George & Sons sources our microgreens from Flowerdale Sprout Farm in Victoria as they produce top quality plants that are consistent in size, flavour and presentation all year round. Microgreens are herbs (or brassicas) that are harvested when the first adult leaves begin to appear. Picking at this immature stage has two benefits. Firstly, the natural oils in the plant are still highly concentrated resulting in a more intense, less bitter/woody flavour than the mature herb. Secondly, the plants are beautifully presented with small leaves, buds and delicate stalks that make them suitable for even the finest gourmet presentation. Also with over 40 varieties currently available, chefs are able to blend different herbs to create signature dishes full of vibrant colour and authentic flavour.
TOP SELLERS
GREEN BASIL:
Flavour: Intense, clean clove flavour and fragrance
Best use: Italian- fresh or added late in the cooking process
Background: One of the most popular herbs in the world, Basil is synonymous with Italian cuisine (though in actuality it originated in far east Asia across India, Pakistan and Thailand)
CHARD: aka Bull’s Blood
Flavour: Beety, earthy flavour
Best use: Fresh in salads
Background: Considered to be one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world, as a microgreen it offers exciting colours and delicate earthy undertone to a variety of dishes
CORIANDER LEAVES: aka Cilantro/Chinese Parsley
Flavour: Intense and distinct spicy flavour, (touch of anise and pepper)
Best use: Asian or South American cuisine- garnish on curries or chillies- fresh in salads, sushi, rice-paper rolls
Background: A member of the carrot family, Coriander is native to Southern Europe and the Middle East. The leaves are often referred to as Cilantro while Coriander is the names for the seeds.
RED SHISO: aka Purple Mint, Japanese basil or Wild Coelus
Flavour: Sweet and spicy
Best use: Fresh in salads, soup or as a garnish.
Background: Shiso is the Japanese name for this plant which was traditionally used to dye pickled ume or mix with ume paste in sushi
WATERCRESS:
Flavour: Nutty, peppery flavour
Best use: Salads, sandwiches garnish
Background: Only raw broccoli (yum) has more vitamin C and magnesium than watercress gram for gram
INSPIRATION FROM OUTSIDE THE BOX (PUNNET):
Carrot: Boast a delicate carrot flavour, perfect for salads or garnish
Chives: A fantastic way of adding that onion flavour to a dish without the pungency. Boasts a strong, slightly sweet flavour
Dandelion: Far from the Dandelion & Burdock of yesteryear, these wide flat leaves can be used as an alternative to rocket as they have a slight peppery finish
Lemon Balm: These beautiful furry, serrated leaves deliver a citrus aroma and flavour that is perfect for desserts or beverages (cocktails)
Mache: Also called Cornsalad, Mache has sweet, nutty leaves that are velvety and bright and therefore perfect as a garnish
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Borage Cress- perfect for adding that cucumber edge to a G&T
Shallot Cress- mix with grassy Australian olive oil to add a nutty, onion flavour to a salad
Melon Cress- a great option for desserts, this as a definite rockmelon flavour perfect for use in sorbets or a garnish
The Flowerdale microgreens stocked by Simon George & Sons are supplied in ‘Living Open Pots’, which offer good shelf life and convenience of use. The plant sits in a composted bark mix with nutrients essential to its growth delivered in a liquid form during the watering process. Being soil free you can just snip them out of the pot using scissors and give them a gentle wash prior to use. Its best to store the pots out of the fridge (somewhere cool) and use within five days. Once cut, store in a sealed container in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to two weeks.
For more information on our microgreen range please contact Simon George & Sons.
A: Can’t remember? Then you need some rosemary! Long before Red Bull gave you wings, the Ancient Greeks and Romans wore garlands of rosemary to help improve their memory and revive the spirits. To this day it is still worn as a symbol of remembrance.
AUSTRALIAN GARLIC
Q: How do I get that rich, pungent garlic flavour?
The first boxes of Australian Garlic are appearing at the Sydney Markets and though the season wont be in full swing for another 3-4 weeks, it is a welcome sight for chefs and foodies.
Garlic was introduced to Australia by early European migrants and in the 70s and 80s the local industry was growing steadily. This changed in the 1990s when cheap Chinese garlic begin to flood the Australian market and despite its smaller size and significantly lower quality, it hamstringed local farmers who couldn’t compete on price. Nowadays, local product accounts for only 10-20% of the garlic consumed in Australia, a very small piece of a big garlicky pie, with Australians putting away approximately 3,500 tonnes of fresh garlic each year.
Recently there has been a renewed interest in sourcing locally grown garlic due to its freshness and fuller flavour. To allow for import, garlic produced overseas is treated with various chemical pesticides and growth retardants. Between these treatments and the time it takes to reach our shores, imported garlic tends to have a less intense flavour and spongy texture.
The Australian garlic season runs from October to May with the main growing regions being SA, VIC ,NSW with some early crops from QLD.
There are a number of white, pink and purple garlic varieties available which can be grouped into either the hard or soft necked categories. Soft necked varieties are stalkless with large bulbs. The most common varieties, their flavour ranges from very mild to very hot and lack the subtle but more complex flavors of the hardneck varieties. Hard-necked varieties have a hard stalk, are smaller than soft-necked varieties and have fewer but larger cloves that are easier to peel.
There is a lot of confusion in the market over the names of garlic varieties being produced in Australia, but here are some of the more widely recognizable varieties.
Printanor:
When: Mid Season
What: Soft neck originally from France, this is now one of the most popular varieties in Australia and NZ. Medium to large, it is white with 15-20 cloves per bulb. Stores well and has a rich flavour
Australian White:
When: Mid Season
What: Californian type, large white bulb and cloves- selected in SA
California Late:
When: Late Season
What: Soft neck variety from cooler states- stores well. Dark pink skin with large bulb and lots of small cloves
Italian White:
When: Mid Season
What: Older soft neck variety that is medium to large and white-cream. It stores well and has 10-20 cloves
Italian Pink:
When: Early season
What: Medium sized hard-neck variety with thin pink-purple skin. Stores well.
Elephant/Russian Garlic:
When: Mid-Late Season
What: Not a true garlic, this is closer to a leek and has a mild flavour. It has a large solid bulb and can be baked/roasted and included in a dish whole.
Mouliner:
When:Mid Season
What: Large white bulbs that are quite symmetrical, many predict this will soon be nipping at the heels of Printanor
Glenlarge:
When: Early Season
What: Hard necked QLD selection with well-formed white bulbs that have a slight purple tinge. 6-12 cloves per bulb.
TRENDS TO WATCH:
Spring Garlic: (Available October)
Flavour: Mild garlic taste
Use: Entire plant. Just trim root ends and the tough parts of the green leaves.
Background: Harvested before the bulb is formed. Look for specimens with fresh green tops (no dried ends or soggy leaves).
Green Garlic: (Available November)
Flavour: Mild- stronger than green onion but milder than mature garlic
Use: Entire bulb- skin and all. Just trim root ends and the tough parts of the green leaves.
Background: Green garlic is pulled prematurely when the stalk is fully green and the bulb has only a hint of cloves.
Garlic Shoots:
Flavour: Mild garlic flavour, less pungent.
Use: Edible part is the stem, used in stir fries, soups or as a garnish
Background: Usually imported into Australia. These should be 10-20cm long and have no sign of bulb swelling
A: The key to a rich garlic flavour is freshness. Similarly to wasabi, the flavour and aroma of garlic is caused by the chemical reaction that takes place when its cells are broken down. This flavour is at its most intense shortly after the reaction takes place, therefore it is best not to prepare garlic too far in advance.
Different methods of cooking also influence the flavour of garlic. To achieve an intense garlic taste, the maximum amount of oil needs to be released; therefore pressing, crushing and mincing are the best means of preparation to get this result. Meanwhile, chopping is good for stir fries and slicing is good for bringing that light garlic flavour to your dish.