SPRING’S BOUNTY
Q: Why is Australian white asparagus priced significantly higher than green?
The end of August is always a period of transition for food lovers, however this year seems especially tough- cold weather along the Eastern Seaboard is slowing supply and hiking up prices on a long list of produce items, ironically just in time for the start of the busy season and there is absolutely nothing on TV that comes close to filling the void left by the Olympics. To put the Spring back in your step and assist with menu planning for the next few months, here are our produce highlights for the coming season. We have included some nutritional information as there’s nothing like feeling good about what you’re eating to make it taste even better on the palate.
SPRING FLAVOURS:
ASPARAGUS:
The arrival of the Australian Asparagus season is getting closer with quality spears predicted to arrive at the markets for the first week of September. In particular the arrival of the sweet, tender, home-grown white asparagus is much anticipated due to its premium quality, texture and gourmet aesthetic.
Supply: Early crops from QLD, main crop from VIC
Green Asparagus: all year, Australian produce best Sept- Dec
Baby Green Asparagus: all year, best Sept- Dec
Purple Asparagus: Oct- Dec
White Asparagus: Sept – Jan
Feel Good Factor: excellent source of Vitamin C & E, dietary fibre, folate and potassium
Inspiration: Confit of Suffolk lamb loin, fresh milk curd, asparagus, spring onions, broad beans, young leeks, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, quinoa, pea flowers, nasturtiums – Peter Gilmore via Lifestyle Food
AUSTRALIAN GARLIC:
Australian Garlic is world’s apart from the imported product available throughout the year and its season is something I have come to get excited about and support every year by paying a premium price for a premium product. For a more comprehensive overview of the garlic varieties currently grown in Australia, their seasonality and characteristics, click here.
Supply: Main growing regions are SA, VIC ,NSW with some early crops from QLD
Australian Garlic Season: October - May
Spring Garlic: available October
Green Garlic: available November
Feel Good Factor: natural antibiotic, also assists in management of blood pressure & cholesterol
Inspiration: Tamworth pork terrine, roast garlic purée, deep fried egg and artichoke – Kevin Mangeolles via Great British Chefs
MANGOES:
Early Northern Territory mangoes are already arriving at the markets and while they are not yet great eating, it is a sign of the luscious, warm weather and tropical flavours to come. Sydney Markets will be holding its annual mango auction on September 5th heralding the official opening of the mango season, last year the auction raised $30,000 ($2,500/mango) for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Westmead Children's Hospital. For more information on mango varieties and Australian seasons click here
Supply: NT opens the season (peaking around October), before main producer QLD enters the market around November
Feel Good Factor: very high in Vit C and A. Rich source of beta-carotene, fibre and potassium
Inspiration: Mango salsa and coconut heart salad recipe- Peter Kuravita via SBS Food
SHISO LEAF: aka Perillo
Shiso Leaf is available in red and green varieties, the red (with its anise and subtle mint flavour) is the most popular in Australia and is used widely in Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine (where traditionally the leaves were used to dye pickled ume or were mixed with ume paste in sushi). While available pretty much all year, Shiso is at its best Nov – Mar
Supply: SG&S predominantly sources our Shiso from local NSW producers
Feel Good Factor: high in calcium, iron and potassium, rich in fiber, very high in Vit A and C. Believed to have anti-inflammatory properties
Inspiration: Duck yakitori with pumpkin, shiso and daikon salad and plum dipping sauce – via Gourmet Traveller
PEPINO: aka Sweet Pepino, Melon Pear
Spring is undeniably the start of the mango and stonefruit season but if you’re looking for something different why not try the pepino. With its distinctive purple stripes, yellow flesh and a juicy flavour reminiscent of melon, banana and pear (depending on who you ask)– it is perfect for spicing up the breakfast menu or adding a twist to sweet and savoury spring salads.
Supply: QLD produces fruit in Spring and Autumn
Feel Good Factor: good source offibre, Vitamin A, B and C
Inspiration: Wild Mexican Shrimp Escabeche with Pepino Melon, Popped Corn, Jicama Salsa - Bernard Guillas via Restaurant Hospitality
Yam Oka: aka NZ Yam, Oka Yam, Oca
Originally from South America, these sweet tubers offer a wonderful alternative to winter root vegetable lines with their smaller size, tangy, nut flavour and silky texture. Eat with the skin on to get maximum nutritional value, the skin is thin and edible and ensures the yam holds shape when cooked.
Supply: coming from QLD, best in July (season runs for 6-8 weeks)
Feel Good Factor: good source offibre, Vitamin A, B and C
Inspiration: Yam, kumara and pumpkin coconut curry
Other items of note for Spring: As the weather warms, the markets will start to come alive with tropical fruits and a wider range of vegetables. Other items to watch out for this Spring include stonefruit (Oct/Nov), berries, chillies, sweetcorn, radishes, edible flowers, watercress and okra.
A: There are two reasons. Firstly, the Australian white asparagus season is brief and given its popularity among food-service professionals (and increasingly with home cooks) demand tends to outstrip supply. The second reason is production costs. To achieve its colour, white asparagus is grown in the dark, preventing sunlight from turning the shoots green. Traditionally this was achieved by keeping the asparagus crown submerged beneath a mound of dirt and using specialised equipment to blind harvest– which led to reduced yields as it was difficult to perform without damaging the crop. Many Australian farmers now employ an innovative system that sees white asparagus grown beneath black polyhouses- essentially a large dark greenhouse, a huge step forward, this farming method achieves wonderful colour, flavour and allows for simpler harvesting practices.
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.