"ideas on the freshest produce this season coupled with gourmet recipes for the freshest produce in town
What's fresh?
Figs
Make the most of luscious figs; they are ideal to use in sweet or savoury dishes. Figs are perishable and are best enjoyed within 3 days of purchasing.
Flavoursome Williams’ pears are a top buy. Remember that pears continue to ripen after harvesting, so select firm, mature pears, and ripen at room temperature. If poaching or roasting pears, use firm pears for the best result.
Juicy Australian grown table grapes are glorious right now, and the range varies in colour and sweetness. Add firm, crisp and bursting with natural sweetness grapes to salads, serve them as a healthy snack or try roasting grapes and serve with a creamy blue cheese or soft brie. With a wide selection of varieties currently available
The juiciest of stone fruits, smooth-skinned plums come in many different varieties, some sweet and others slightly tart. Plums are delightful stewed, poached, baked, or sliced into a salad
Custard apple season has started. Wickedly creamy with a sweet flavour, custard apples are delicious for breakfast served with vanilla yoghurt, passionfruit, and toasted coconut.
Smooth and creamy with a nutty-flavour Shepard avocado are a top buy. Avocados contain ‘good’ unsaturated fat and are the richest source of vitamin E of all fruits and vegetables
Get your day off to a happy and healthy start with bananas. Bananas are good source of the amino acid tryptophan; required by the body to create serotonin – often referred to as the ‘happy chemical’ as it contributes to happiness and mental well-being. Versatile and nutritious bananas are good value
It is a great week for making the most of eggplant, with a superb range of sizes, colours,and shapes currently available. Select from the raw white eggplant, mauve, stripped and traditional glossy black skinned varieties
Good old-fashioned cauliflower is nutritional choice.For something, a little different, serve up a whole roast cauliflower. Roasting cauliflower elevates its delicious flavour and when you add a few spices, you create a tasty masterpiece
Baby carrots, also known as Dutch carrots, are sweet and tender. They are sold in bunches with their leafy tops still attached, baby carrots are delicious and require little preparation other than a quick wash and a quick cook-no need to peel them
Have you tried fresh pistachio nuts? There are good supplies of fresh pistachio nuts from Alstonville and Mildura now in season. Moist and chewy fresh pistachio nuts make a healthy snack. They can also be baked or used in baked goodies such as biscotti or pistachio nut bread
Crisp radishes add a mustardy–peppery kick to autumn salads. Packed with roughage and fibre, radishes are also good for your gut health and digestion. Serve with sliced, halved, diced, or cut onto wedges
Zucchini can be stir-fried, blanched, hollowed out and stuffed, baked, fried, barbecued,or stewed, and taste great combined with goats' cheese or fresh herbs. Serve zucchini in curries, vegetable bakes, use them as a spaghetti alternative, or grate and add to mincemeat dishes to boost the nutritional value
