Brisbane Market Report 135

Lychees are making news with the first trays of the season arriving and two trays went under the hammer to raise money for the MND & Me Foundation.

More than $11,000 was raised thanks to the winning bid from Mark Clarke of Favco, which was matched by wholesalers, Debbie and John Trimboli, of Romeo’s Marketing (Qld).

We all love to eat lychees just as they ar. However, there are so many other dishes that can be made with lychees such as lychee slushies, adding them to salads, using them in curries and accompanying chicken and fish dishes.

Berries, stone fruit, melons, mangoes, and pineapples are all bringing colour, value, and flavour to the Brisbane Produce Market this week.  Blueberries are in abundant supply from Queensland and New South Wales, but the wet weather of the past few weeks has softened the fruit. Toowoomba-grown raspberries and Victorian strawberries are both in stock, and we’re expecting prices to decrease in the coming weeks.

Stanthorpe-grown apricots are in stock for the next eight weeks, and we have good supplies of nectarines and peaches from Kumbia, Childers, and Traprock — look for both white and yellow varieties.

Filling lunch boxes? Watermelons and pineapples are two of our top picks, along with Northern Territory mangoes (the Queensland mango season kicks off soon).

Pears, pawpaw, and lemons are also well-priced.

Supplies of bananas are still tight due to a long, dry winter. Try Lady Fingers for a great alternative, especially for baking and desserts as they don’t go brown when cut. For the sweetest flavour, ripen them at room temperature until almost black.

In vegies, the market is well supplied with broccolini, cabbage, iceberg lettuce and mesclun, cucumbers, radishes, rocket, rhubarb, spinach, silverbeet, and zucchini.

Bowen, in Far North Queensland, is producing sweet baby capsicums at the moment (fantastic on the barbecue), as well as great value corn, green beans, and cauliflower.

Elsewhere in the state, Sunshine Coast ginger is one of our favourite ingredients at the moment — use it in everything from stir-fries to baking and preserves.

Yellow squash from Ayr is in good supply, as is local sweet potato, and cherry tomatoes from Welcome Creek.

This week’s top pick is pumpkin, which will be decorating homes and spooking children in the lead-up to Halloween.

Keep an eye out for the new Orange Glow pumpkin from Lakelands in far north Queensland, considered a superfood pumpkin because it’s low GI and contains eight times more beta-carotene (Vitamin A) than other varieties. Orange Glow pumpkins have a similar flavour to Butternut and their skin is edible, so no need to peel. We recommend roasting it for salads, wedges, and soups — sprinkle with cinnamon or cumin, sea salt, and olive oil for extra flavour.

You can buy the best of what the season has to offer at your nearest Your Local Fruit Shop. Go to www.yourlocalfruitshop.com.au to locate your closest store. Check out the Your Local Fruit Shop Facebook page for the latest news from your local fresh produce experts at https://www.facebook.com/yourlocalfruitshop

Brisbane Produce Market