FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY
Q: Are seasonal guides redundant now that many produce lines are available year round?
Despite all evidence to the contrary, February is the last month of Summer and soon the hot, sunny days (we were supposed to have) will begin to give way to cooler Autumn months. Inevitably, the changing of the seasons brings new fashion and food trends, which for chef’s means a revamp of the menu.
So, to help ease the burden of menu planning we thought we would literally give you four seasons in one day and attach our new SG&S seasonal charts to this week’s bulletin. These charts serve as a quick reference guide to the fruit & veges you can expect to see in the markets each month.
These charts are also hosted on the Season’s Best section of our blog, however for those who want something more permanent to keep in their kitchen, contact SG&S and we will issue you with a laminated poster version which covers the full year.
Seasonal supply does vary, with individual lines arriving at the market early, late or in fits and starts due to unexpected weather conditions. So, keep an eye on our weekly buyer’s guide. Posted on our blog each Tuesday, these guides outline the week’s best buys, new season stock and any notable gaps in supply. To receive these updates directly, click on the follow button on the blog homepage and enter your email address.
Happy planning!
A: In short, no! We may not live by the Cordoba Calendar anymore (Google that when your bored!) but knowing your seasonal produce is the best way to serve up a cost-effective and reliable menu- rain, hail or shine. Not only will the fruit and veg you use be abundant and therefore cheaper, it will also be more nutritional and taste better, having been harvested at its peak and spared from travelling long distances.
BUYER'S GUIDE: 31st Jan 2012 - 6th Feb 2012
As your eyes at the markets, here’s this week’s seasonal update from our buyers:
Good supplies all round this week. There has been some quality issues due to the rain, but still plenty to chose from.
Fruit:
The weather has hit Strawberries hard this week. Nectarines and Peaches have also seen a slight kick up in price.
New Season Apples are now in. Melons are good quality, good eating and well priced.
If you're looking for something different try Green Cooking Mangos, Lychees, Rambo’s, Starfruit and USA Navels...Very Sweet!
Vegetables:
Some ups and downs this week. in terms of supply and price
Price of Asparagus is back down with some Summer crop from VIC hitting the market. Broccoli and lettuce are also down, while Caulies and Celery are up just a touch.
All in all clear sailing for the week ahead
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Apricot (TAS)
Black Seedless Grapes (VIC)
Fig Tray (NSW)
Navel Oranges (USA-Imported) - very sweet!!
New Season Royal Gala apples (NSW)
Vegetables:
Capsicum - red (QLD)
Eggplant (NSW)
Snow Peas (NSW)
Sweet Corn (NSW) - honey sweet!!
Zucchini - green (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Baby/Young Ginger (QLD)
New Season Beurre Bosc Pears (VIC)
New Season Birdseye Chillies- red (NSW)
Bitter Melon/Gourd (QLD)
Dragon Fruit (QLD)
Kaffir Lime Leaves (QLD)
Papaya - green/cooking (QLD)
Rambutan (QLD)
Royal Blue Potatoes (SA)
Salsify- black (SA)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply:
Heirloom tomatoes
Not Available:
Baby Leeks
Globe Artichokes
Mangosteen
Purple Asparagus
BUYER'S GUIDE: 24/01/12-30/01/12
As your eyes at the markets, here’s this week’s seasonal update from our buyers:
Some movement in the market across both fruit and vegetables. The major factors being weather and some items coming to the end of their season.
Fruit:
New season apples are just starting to appear from QLD.
Plenty of stonefruit with the introduction or cherries and apricots from Tassie. Seedless grapes are in good supply, sweet and excellent quality. Citrus is a mixed bag.
Mangoes are still in good supply but by half, which has pushed the price up. Pineapples & strawberries are up in price due to the weather. There are plenty of rockmelons, honeydews, watermelons (long and seedless), which are all good buying.
Vegetables:
Only a few lines have kicked in this week: iceberg, broccoli and asparagus. Everything else is either the same or down on last week. Plenty of colour and lines to chose from.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Fig Tray (NSW)
Green Seedless Grapes (VIC)
Lychee (QLD)
Peach (NSW)
Red Papaya (QLD)
Vegetables:
Chat (Sml) Potatoes (SA)
Green Zucchini (NSW)
Eggplant (NSW)
Shiitaki Mushrooms (IMP)
Snake Beans (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Apricot (TAS)
New Season Baby (Young) Ginger (QLD)
New Season Beurre Bosc Pears (VIC)
Cherries (TAS)
French Truffles - Extra Class (IMP)
Golden Queen Peaches (VIC)
Green Jalapeno Chillies (QLD)
New Season Pomello (QLD)
Prickly Pear (NSW)
Royal Blue Potatoes (SA)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply:
Baby Gold Beetroot
Heirloom Tomatoes
Not Available:
Asparagus - No 2
Baby Leek
Lotus Root
FRESH FRENCH TRUFFLES ARE HERE!
It's that time of year again! Fresh, aromatic French Truffles have once again reached our shores.
The first delivery arrives on site at SG&S Sydney today... place your orders now! There's no perfume quite like it!
Bon Appétit!!
GONG XI FA CAI- Enter the Year of the Dragon
Fresh Asian products are in good supply this week for Chinese New Year.
We anticipate a drop in supply and push in price after this weekend (for about a week) while the Spring Festival Celebrations take place. These will return to normal by the following week.
Asian Vegetables: Good Supply
Asian Celery - Banana Buds/Bell - Baby Bok Choi - Baby Choi Sum - Betel Leaves - Bitter Melon - Bok Choi - Chinese Broccoli - Chinese Cabbage - Choi Sum - Drinking Coconut - Dry Coconut - Flat Leaf Coriander - Gai Choy - Galangal - Garlic Chives - Garlic Shoots - Green Mangoes - Hairy Melon - Kaffir Lime Leaf - Kaffir Limes - Lemongrass - Long Melon - Luffas - Okra - Ong Choy - Pandan Leaf - Pea Eggplant - Pomelos - Red Eschallots - Shiso Leaf - Sin Que - Snake Beans - Sugar Cane - Taro Root - Thai Basil - Thai Eggplant - Tumeric - Vietnamese Mint - White Radish - Winter Melon
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Jicama - Kachay - Water Spinach
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Asian Plum - Een Choy - JuJu Fruit - Lotus Root - Red Pomelos - Tamarind
Exotic Fruit: Good Supply
Dragonfruit - Figs - Gold Kiwifruit - Kiwifruit - Longan - Lychee - Mango - Mangosteen - Pomegranate - Rambutan - Red Papaya - Star Fruit - Tangellos - Yellow Pawpaw
Exotic Fruit: Not Available
Buddha Hands - Cumquats - Custard Apple - Fuji Fruit - Guava - Loquats - Persimmon - Star Apple - Gold Tamarillos - Red Tamarillos
Enjoy!!
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.