Brisbane Market Report 119

With the cooler weather comes our appetite for comfort food, so we’re savouring many of our childhood favourites at the Brisbane Produce Market this week.

Apples and pears are in-season and calling out for a crumble topping: Fuji and Pink Lady varieties are the best buys, along with Packham and Josephine pears. Don’t be put off by the Packham if it’s not changing colour, as it remains green even when it’s ripe.

Many Queenslanders grew up with a custard apple tree in their backyard, and this unusual fruit (which is actually nothing like an apple) is plentiful at the moment. Scoop out the soft flesh inside the fruit and use in desserts, or mix with yogurt and muesli.

Freshly squeezed orange juice is a treat at any time of the year, but the abundance of top-quality Navel oranges from New South Wales and Victoria right now is unbeatable.

In other citrus, North Queensland-grown limes are in good supply, and the lemon season is shifting from Queensland to the southern states.

Also look out for Hickson mandarins, a larger-size variety that is good buying.

Local strawberries and Hass avocados continue to be bestsellers, and for breakfast we can’t go past a local grapefruit or rockmelon.

For family roasts this week, we recommend sweet potato, Kipfler potatoes, Butternut and Kent pumpkin, carrots, and local cauliflower — all offer fantastic value. Or go green with Gympie-grown beans, local broccoli, rainbow chard, and silverbeet.

Nourishing soups are one of our winter favourites and classic ingredients like leek, turnip and zucchini are all plentiful. Spice up your dinner plate with the excellent Asian vegetables currently in the market (think boy choy and Chinese broccoli), herbs, and Bundaberg and Gatton-grown snow peas and sugar snap peas.

This week’s top pick is the choko, an old-fashioned and often maligned vegetable that is making a comeback. Originally from South America, where it is called a chayote, the choko is also popular in Vietnamese cuisine. Look for small, shiny chokos without any black spots and store in the crisper before peeling. Stir-fry thinly sliced choko with beef marinated in fish sauce, sugar, and pepper. Add diced choko to chutneys, relishes, and pickles, or let it soak up spicy flavours in curries with coconut milk.

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