EASY GUIDE TO WHAT'S IN SEASON
This week as we prepare to celebrate our 10th birthday in Elwood, our produce of the week is organic Tuscan Kale from Vortex Vegies in Inverleigh, Victoria. Kale has become incredibly populra in recent years and you will find countless recipes suggesting lots of ways to enjoy the green, leafy vegetable. To prepare kale, use a sharp knife to cut along both sides of its ribs, removing the leaves as you go. Choose kale leaves that are perky. Keep refrigerated, sealed in plastic wrap.
FRUIT
Imperial Mandarins from Gayndah, Queensland are still fantastic to eat and great value.
After a very long summer of a shortage of local valencia oranges, new season navel oranges have started just in time to ward off the winter coughs and colds. Don't forget pineapples are also good for those suffering with colds.
Persimmons are in season now, and we have a great buy on organic ones, 99cents each.
We've got some great buys on organic pink lady apples. There are plenty of apples around at the moment and every apple is new season. Our William pears are also fantastic at the moment. These pears have a great flavour and ripen quickly. We also have Buerre Bosc pears. Local, seasonal pomegranates are also great at the moment, perfect to add to warming salads and savoury dishes alike.
New season Hass avocados are back and the price is coming down. Organic hass avocados are also cheaper this week, after last weeks extreme cost from the grower.
Local Thompson green seedless grapes are starting to get to the end of season, there is some grapes falling of the bunches, but they still taste great. The conventional and organic crimson grapes are still really sweet and firm.
Unfortunately due to the weather, our local fruit is dropping off in quality and supply including cantaloupes, strawberries and blueberries which are all in short supply.
Blueberries this week are still expensive but the eating quality is better and I've put them back instore.
May is always the hardest month to source strawberries, the local strawberries are not ripening (it's just to cold) and it's too early for Queensland strawberries. The price is extreme, but it should come down in June. Due to the cyclone in Queensland, and the subsequent rain in northern New South Wales, these lines will stay in short supply for the next few months. Unfortunately our tomatoes have also been affected by the weather, and there is very limited supply coming into the market.
VEGETABLES
- Kale
- Organic Broccoli
- Sweet Potato
- Organic Jerusalem Artichokes
- Potatoes
- Organic pickerling onions
- Garlic
- Pine mushrooms
Tuscan Kale is fabulous this week and a great price.
Wild foraged pine and slippery jacks mushrooms are in store.
We have new season Organic Jerusalem artichokes in store from Glenora Heritage growers.
Organic hand picked green beans have gone from plentiful to scarce in a week. We still have some and the taste is great, but the price is up
Peas, snowpeas and sugar snaps are in very short supply, as are swiss mushrooms.
On the salad front, most leafy veg are in shortish supply. Cauliflowers are slightly cheaper this week, but still pricey.
Our organic broccoli and broccolini are great at the moment. The price of organic broccoli is the same as conventional, so we are only stocking organic this weekend. Organic carrots have come down in price, and the quality is excellent - sweet, fresh and flavoursome.
Our potatoes are exceptional at the moment, and we are stocking a great range including washed, cocktail, desiree, dutch cream, kipfler, royal blue, sebago as well as organic kestrel. We have both organic and conventional sweet potatoes available and we are also stocking mini sweet potatoes which are perfect for roasting.
Our herb bunches continue to be fresh and abundant and this week, packed full of flavour but the bunches are smaller. We have purple garlic from Tasmania and also have organic garlic available.