nuts

AUTUMN HARVEST

Q: How long is the rain likely to last?  

Summer is officially gone and with it go the luscious stonefruits, berries and tomatoes that characterise Sydney’s summer menus. So what can we expect from Autumn 2012?

Sydney’s tropical (read: rainy) summer has taken its toll on local produce (especially ground grown crops- herbs, asian vegetables, tomatoes) however consistent supply from interstate has managed to keep the markets relatively stable. Unfortunately, we are now starting to see poor weather impact interstate products and if the rain continues we can expect to see quality and price issues across the board.

On a positive note all this wet weather has brought the elusive Pine Mushrooms to the markets early,  not to mention apple, pears, exotic fruits , cabbage lines and root veg are all looking relatively consistent and are good eating.

AUTUMN FLAVOURS:

APPLES/PEARS/QUINCE:
New season apples, pears and quince are abundant in Autumn with almost all varieties of apple and pear available over the course of the season.

Supply: Expected to be consistent bar a significant storms or hail in the growing regions

Inspiration: Vogue Entertaining + Travel’s Spiced Quince and Pears with baked custard

BEANS:

Beans are a staple of Autumn, with Borlotti, Butter, French, Green, Roman and Snake making an appearance.

Supply: With the rains in QLD/Nth QLD this week the market for beans has turned dramatically with supply very tight and price jumping significantly. With supply directly influenced by the weather we hope to see supply and price improve as the weather clears.

Inspiration: Teage Ezard’s Barbecued ox tongue with southern gold potatoes, snake beans and sticky mustard dressing recipe

CABBAGE:

Hitting the markets earlier than usual, cabbage lines – chinese wombok, red cabbage, Tuscan cabbage – fill the gap left by the slowing lettuce lines.

Supply: Hardier than other ground grown crops, supply should remain consistent. However excessive rain or flooding may cause splitting and as a result supply issues

Inspiration: Jacques Reymond’s Spatchcock & Buttered Cabbage with verjus

EXOTIC FRUITS:

Filling the void of the lush mangoes and berries come the passionfruit, custard apples, breadfruit, persimmon, guava and pomegranates & tamarillos

Supply: Some issues with guava supply at the moment but otherwise looking steady for the season ahead

Inspiration: Kim Woodward’s Butter roasted halibut, lobster salad, coriander pasta and passion fruit sauce

NUTS:

Autumn also sees the return of the fresh nuts- with Australian grown pistachios (NOW), almonds (Feb-Mar), Hazelnuts (Feb-Apr), Peanuts (Feb-June) and Chestnuts (Apr- Jul) on the scene!

Supply: When they hit the markets, they hit in force- though they finish all too quickly

Inspiration: Peter Gilmore’s Caramelised Vanilla Brioche French toast

PUMPKIN:

I recently read a quote that said there were four seasons, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin and Winter. With all lines including Butternut on offer in Autumn, who can blame them.

Supply: Sourced locally, pumpkins are traditionally abundant and great eating for the whole season

Inspiration: Rick Stein’s Pumpkin ravioli with sage butter

ROOT VEG:

Autumn sees the root veg come into their own with sweet potatoes, horseradish, turnip, parsnip and spud varieties (Royal Blue, Ruby Lou, Pontiac, Desiree, Burbank, Purple Congo) all coming into their own.

Supply: While supply should remain consistent, root veg are susceptible to splitting and rot with too much rain – so lets hope for some clear skies.

Inspiration: Bar H’s Sashimi of striped trumpeter with mushrooms and ginger, horseradish and soy dressing

More produce highlights for Autumn: Pine Mushrooms, Celeriac, Fennel, Leeks, Spinach and Silverbeet

A: Unfortunately it may last a while yet. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a wetter autumn than average for NSW and SA and a slightly drier season for VIC and TAS. There is a silver lining however, with the BOM describing their outlook model as having ‘low skill over South East NSW’ at this time of year! So you never know, blue skies could be just around the corner.

by sgs_media