BUYER'S GUIDE: Asian/Exotics - 3rd Apr-10th Apr
Market update on Asian and Exotic produce lines:
Asian Vegetables: Expensive
Thai Basil
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Asian Celery * Een Choy * Gai Choy * Ong Choy * Thai Eggplant * Water Spinach
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Kachay * Tamarind
Exotic Fruits: Short Supply
Rambutan * Tamarillo (red)
Exotic Fruits: Not Available
Asian Plum * Buddha Hands * Cumquats * Green Mangoes * Loquats * Lychee * Red Pomellos * Tamarillo (gold) * Tangelos
BUYER'S GUIDE: 3rd Apr-10th Apr
The Market is looking ok for Easter Week with just a few items still in recovery mode from the wet weather- these include Melons (quality and price) and Avocados, Cos & Iceberg Lettuce (price).
Fruit:
NB. Nectarines and Peaches are all but done, quality is below par and eating quality and shelf life is limited.
As for the rest of the tribe all good and in most cases pricing is lower. Strawberry quality is sound, just up in price which is the usual for this time of the year.
Apples, Pears Bananas, Figs, Grapes, Pineapples, Pomegranates & Quinces are all good buying.
New Season Mandarins are in, but we recommend holding off for another week as they are eating on the dryer side.
Vegetables:
Looking good for the week as well. Big list to chose from, Asparagus, Beans Green, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Celery, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Potatoes, Asian Veg etc etc.......
Tomatoes holding across the range but showing signs of the weather in terms of quality.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Fig Tray (NSW) * Grapes - green seedless (VIC) * Packham Pears - green (VIC) * Pawpaw - yellow (QLD) * Pineapple (QLD)
Vegetables:
Asparagus - medium (Imported) * Bean - green (QLD) * Brussel Sprouts (VIC) * Eggplant (NSW) * Sweet Potato - large (QLD)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Chestnuts (VIC)
Fruit:
Blood Oranges (Imported) * Papaya - green/cooking (QLD) * New Season Quince (QLD)
Vegetables:
Baby Asparagus (Imported) * Baby Endive Lettuce (QLD) * Habanero Chillies (NSW) * Horseradish (SA) * Jicama aka Water Yam (QLD) * Wild Pine Mushrooms (NSW)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply :
Bella Rossa Tomatoes
End of Season:
Nectarines * Peaches
Not Available:
Baby Gold Beetroot * Green Peas (fresh)
BUYER'S GUIDE: Asian/Exotics - 27th March - 2nd April
Market update on Asian and Exotic produce lines:
Asian Vegetables: Expensive
Thai Basil
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Een Choy - Gai Choy - Ong Choy - Thai Eggplant - Water Spinach
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Kachay - Tamarind
Exotic Fruits: Not Available
Asian Plum - Buddha Hands - Cumquats - Green Mangoes - Loquats - Lychee - Red Pomellos - Tamarillo (red/gold) - Tangelos
BUYER'S GUIDE: 27th March - 2nd April
The market is on hold mode this week except for a couple of items.
Fruit:
New Season Apples & Pears are still the best buys- good eating and well priced. Following are Bananas, Grapes, Rockmelons, Kiwifruit, Fuju Persimmons, Pineapples, Plums, Quinces, Seedless Watermelons & Strawberries. One to watch is Honeydew- quality not at its best and up in price.
Vegetables:
Quality has improved somewhat but still some signs of the effect from the wet. The pick for this week: Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, carrots, Cauliflowers, Chinese Cabbage, Corn, Eggplant, Fennel, Iceberg Lettuce, Mushrooms, Spuds, Sweet Potatoes & Pumpkins.
One’s to watch out for (price and quality) are Snow Peas, Red Capsicums, Cos lettuce & Gold Squash.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Bethonga Pineapples (QLD)
New Season Beurre Bosc Pears (NSW)
Fig Tray (NSW)
Rockmelon (NSW)
Strawberries - medium (VIC)
Vegetables:
Asparagus - medium (Imported)
Broccoli (VIC)
Peak Season Habanero Chilli (NSW)
Mushroom - No2 (NSW)
Sweet Potato - large (QLD)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Chestnuts (VIC)
Fruit:
Coconut -drinking (Imported)
Golden Delicious Apples (VIC)
New Season Quince (QLD)
Toffee Apple - red (NSW)
Vegetables:
Horseradish (SA)
Jicama - aka water yam (QLD)
Slippery Jacks (NSW)
Snake Beans (NSW)
Winter Melon (QLD)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Expensive:
Yellow Squash
End of Season:
Lychee
Not Available:
Green Mango
Purple Asparagus
Tuscan Cabbage
THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Q: What does Kohlrabi have to do with broccoli?
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the “beautiful rests on the foundations of the necessary” and nothing could be truer for the workhorses of the culinary world: root vegetables. Despite their functionality and crude appearance, root vegies are at the core of cuisines worldwide due to their flavour, affordability and nutritional value.
While Winter is the peak season for most root vegetables, Autumn sees early lines of root vegetables arriving at the markets- preparing us for the chilly months and comfort food to come. Here’s some of the more unusual or timely root vegetables to keep an eye out for this Autumn.
POTATOES:
While we have previously explored the most popular taters and their uses (see Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew post) here’s some strong Autumn varieties.
Burbank aka Idaho
When: All year, best Mar - Dec
How: The chip potato! Though also good for baking and roasting
Kennebec
When: All year, best Jan - Oct
How: Starchy so make great chips but also good mash, boiled, baked or fried
Pontiac:
When: Available all year but good buying at the moment
How: General purpose, though avoid frying. Density means longer cooking time but holds shape well and has minimal discolouration after cooking
Royal Blue:
When: All year, best Feb - Aug
How: All rounder- good cooking variety (roast, mash, chip, salad)
CELERIAC: aka Celery root
Availability: All year, best Mar – late Sept
Appearance: creamy brown solid tuber
Flesh: white
Flavour: rich texture & slightly smoky flavour - cross between celery and parsley
Selection: choose medium size roots that are firm, if the leaves are still attached look for healthy plump stalks
Preparation: Don’t wash until ready to use and peel tough outer layer. Think remoulade, soups, chips, or as a side (boiled, steamed, mashed). Raw they are often grated in salads (use lemon to stop discolouration once cut)
Nutritional value: good dietary fibre and Vitamin C
KOHLRABI: aka Turnip-rooted cabbage, Cabbage Turnip
Availability: early produce at markets now, best Jun - Aug
Appearance: swollen stem at the base of blue/green leaves, stem can be red/light green (white)
Flesh: pale green - creamy white and crispy
Flavour: slightly sweeter than broccoli stems or cabbage heart. White tends to be slightly softer and milder, while red is larger and has a stronger aroma and flavour
Selection: buy med size (larger = woodier). Look for crisp, good colour
Preparation: cut off base, trim stalks. To get the most value and nutrients, cook whole with skin on then peel after cooking. Otherwise, use much like a turnip- lovely raw in salads or roasted/sauted
Nutritional value: very high Vitamin C and potassium
LOTUS ROOT: aka renkon
Availability: Mar – Nov
Appearance: root (rhizome) with reddish brown skin
Flesh: slightly crunchy, white flesh with air holes running the length of the root
Flavour: sweet, crisp (maintains texture when cooked)
Selection: firm, plump and juicy with no soft spots. The darker the root the older it is
Preparation: Peel and go. Can be eaten raw like celery or carrot on a platter or in salads. When cooking it is recommended to blanch prior to cooking to avoid discolouration. Steam, stuff, caramalise, stew, candy or use in a curry or soup
Nutritional value: dietary fibre, Vitamin C, minerals- copper, iron, zinc, magnesium
HORSERADISH:
Availability: Mar - Nov
Appearance: white, tapered root
Flesh: white
Flavour: spicy, pungent nose burn- similar to wasabi or mustard (which are in the family)
Selection: avoid shrivelled or dry roots with soft or green spots
Preparation: fresh roots aren’t pungent but (similar to wasabi) the process of cutting, grating or grinding causes its cells to breakdown and undergo a chemical reaction. This reaction releases oils which provide the pungent aroma and taste. Once prepared, fresh horseradish should be used quickly or it will lose its potency (if left exposed it can also develop a bitter taste)
Nutritional value: antibacterial (good for colds) source of potassium, calcium and magnesium
PARSNIP:
Availability: All Year, best Mar - Oct
Appearance: taproot that looks like a white carrot
Flesh: creamy white
Flavour: sweet yet with a slightly nutty, peppery edge
Selection: pick small to medium size roots (large have a woody core) with a smooth, firm surface
Preparation: Best in dishes with prolonged cooking
Nutritional value: good source of potassium, dietary fibre, vitamin C and niacin
SWEET POTATO: aka kumera
Availability: All year, best May to July
Appearance: long, tapered root with smooth skin that can be white, orange, red or purple
Flesh: can be white, yellow, bright orange or purple.
Flavour: sweet - orange varieties are sweetest due to a higher sugar content
Selection: bright, uniform skin that is clean and smooth with no cracks or bruises
Preparation: can peel or scrub the skin. The options are endless, they can transform into everything from a scone to a chip- while also good raw in salads or coleslaw
Nutritional value: Orange varieties are best for Vitamin C, beta-carotene and dietary fibre, though all are fat free with good Vitamin C, A
TARO
Selection: choose hard, firm tubers heavy for their size
Preparation: use much like you would a potato - bake, roast, chip, fry or boil or chop into soups, curries, casseroles or stews
White:
Availability: May – Jan
Appearance: small- medium tubers with brown to purple/brown skin
Flesh: white
Flavour: somewhere between a potato and a chestnut
Pink: aka Samoan Taro
Availability: Jul - Aug
Appearance: small- medium tubers with brown to purple/brown skin
Flesh: white
Flavour: slightly nutty
Yellow: aka Dasheen
Availability: Jul - Aug
Appearance: large, long tubers with a yellow skin (avoid any with pink skin as this indicates damage)
Flesh: pale yellow
Flavour: nutty, slightly sweet, dryer texture- preferred variety for Polynesian cooking
Japanese: aka Sweet White, Mini Taro
Availability: Jun - Aug
Appearance: mini tubers that grow off the main tuber
Flesh: white
Flavour: sweet, moist – preferred for Asian/Japanese cuisine
JICAMA: aka Yam Bean, Mexican water chestnut
Availability: Jun - Dec
Appearance: tan coloured tuber
Flesh: white and crunchy
Flavour: crisp and sweet (cross between an apple and a potato)- high water content
Selection: medium size, firm with dry roots
Preparation: Use like apple or pear in salads (grated/chopped) as it won’t discolour. Can be used like a water chestnut in Asian dishes or chopped into stews or soups.
Nutritional value: very good source of Potassium, dietary fibre and Vitamin C
A: Believe it or not, they are related. They both belong to the species Brassica Oleracea, which also lays claim to Brussels Sprouts, Chinese Broccoli, Broccoflower, Collard Greens, Cauliflower, Cabbage and Kale. All deriving from Wild Cabbage, these strikingly different vegetables (in both appearance and flavour) have been deliberately shaped into their current forms through thousands of years of careful cultivation by humans.
BUYER'S GUIDE: Asian/Exotics - 20th March - 26th March
With the rain impacting local ground grown crops i.e. asian leaf lines at the moment, here is our buyer's guide to what's missing or rare at the markets.
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Een Choy - Gai Choy - Ong Choy - Water Spinach
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Jicama - Kachay - Tamarind
Exotic Fruits: Not Available
Asian Plum - Cumquats - Green Mangoes - Loquats - Lychee - Red Pomellos - Tamarillo (red/gold) - Tangelos
BUYER'S GUIDE: 20th March - 26th March
Fruit:
New Season Apples and Pears are in full swing, excellent quality, great eating and priced extremely well. Also holding well are Bananas, Dragonfruit, Figs, Grapes, Lemons & Limes, Passionfruit, Persimmons & Fuyu, Pineapples, Pomegranates, Quinces and Rockmelons.
Ones to keep an eye on are, Berries, Watermelons, Honeydews, Papaw and Stonefruit as the season is coming to a end, some late season Plums varieties still good buying and eating well.
Vegetables:
Clear sailing on Asparagus, Carrots, Capsicums Green, Leeks, Mushrooms, Sweet Corn, All Spuds (Sweet Potatoes included) Zucchini, Onions and Pumpkins.
The rest of the lines holding quality, up slightly in price but still in the buying range. Iceberg & Cos lettuce, Cauliflowers and Tomatoes one to watch re quality and price and as are some Asian leaf lines suffering from the heavy rains.
The overall view of the markets is still positive as supply and demand is balanced- looking ahead Tomatoes and the leaf lines are the one to watch.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
New Season Apples- Red Delicious (VIC)
Beurre Bosc Pears (VIC)
Grapes - red seedless (VIC)
Rambutan (QLD)
Strawberries - medium (VIC)
Vegetables:
Brussel Sprouts (SA)
Fennel Bulb - large (VIC)
Spanish Onion - red (SA)
Sweet Potato - large (QLD)
Zucchini - green (ACT)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
New Season Chestnuts (VIC)
Fruit:
Blood Oranges (Imp- USA)
Guava - cooking (QLD)
Pomello (QLD)
New Season Quince (QLD)
Vegetables:
Horseradish (SA)
Kohlrabi bunch (NSW)
Lotus Root (QLD)
Pontiac Potato (SA)
Wild Pine Mushrooms (NSW)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Poor Quality:
Blueberries
End of Season:
Lychees
Not Available:
Green Mangoes
Purple Asparagus
Tuscan Cabbage
BUYER'S GUIDE: 13th March - 19th March
Wet weather is still causing major issues with quality and supply. Again it is mainly with the vegetables and the ground grown crops.
Fruit:
Berries and Melons are the most affected- supply and quality. Apples and Pears- no problems, Citrus- just holding up, Grapes- yes and no depending on the growing area. Exotics- some signs of weather, but still ok.
Stonefruit on their last legs, Apricots all O V E R. Late season mangoes now in full swing and should be completed by months end.
Vegetables:
Same as last week. Asian veg’s, Herbs & Mixed Salad faring badly, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Beans & Green Peas also feeling the pinch.
Tomatoes have come back in price due to low demand and poor quality.
All issues are due to the wet weather and with current forecasts we could see the market staying on this course well into next month.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Cavendish Bananas (QLD)
Fig Tray (NSW)
Oranges- juicing No2 (NSW)
Packham Pears (VIC)
Passionfruit (QLD)
Vegetables:
Asparagus- medium (Imported)
Carrots- med/lge (QLD)
Iceberg Lettuce (VIC)
Sweet Potato - large (QLD)
Truss tomatoes (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
Fruit:
Banana Leaves (QLD)
Blood Orange (Imp- USA)
Dragonfruit (QLD)
Fuji Apples (VIC)
Kiwifruit - gold (QLD)
Longan (QLD)
New Season Quince (QLD)
Vegetables:
New Season Chestnuts (VIC)
Heirloom Tomatoes (NSW)
Wild Pine Mushrooms (NSW)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply:
Borlotti Beans
Edible Flowers
Not Available:
Apricot - End of Season
Green Mangoes
Purple Asparagus
SPECIAL MARKET UPDATE
With flood warnings across major growing regions in NSW and storms predicted to hit QLD over the next few days, the markets are beginning to see quality issues. Demand is currently steady, however as supply tightens we can expect prices to increase.
Beans- Borlotti in particular are currently very thin on the ground, QLD storms could see shortages in other varieties
Herbs- bunch lines heavily affected by the rain, very short shelf life (buy as needed)- alternatively consider micro-herbs. Grown in greenhouses these are good quality, have a longer shelf life and are in good supply (if not quite as rich in colour due to lower light)
Melon Lines- short supply, pricy
Berries – in particular strawberries are poor quality with short shelf life- figs are fabulous eating at the moment and could be a good substitute
Tomatoes – good quality produce from NSW and VIC is scarce, prices will reflect short supply
Zucchini Flowers- Very limited, not a recommended buy
Potential issues with: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchini
We can expect more of the same supply/price issues over the coming month and will do our best to notify you in advance of shortages and best substitutes.
BUYER'S GUIDE: Asian/Exotics - 6th Mar - 12th Mar
With the rain impacting local ground grown crops i.e. asian leaf lines at the moment, here is our buyer's guide to what's missing or rare at the markets.
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Gai Choy
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Jicama - Kachay - Lotus Root - Tamarind - Water Spinach - White Radish
Exotic Fruits: Not Available
Asian Plum - Cumquats - Guava - JuJu Fruit - Kiwifruit (gold) - Loquats - Tamarillo (red) - Tamarillo (gold) - Tangelos