"ideas on the freshest produce this season coupled with gourmet recipes for the freshest produce in town
What's fresh?
Mangoes
Sweet and juicy mangoes are plentiful this season and very reasonably priced. Choose firm mangoes with a sweet tropical fragrance, and allow them to ripen at room temperature until the fruit yields to gentle pressure around the stem.
Glorious berries are a seasonal delight. It’s a fabulous time to enjoy raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and red currants. Buy to use, not store, as they are highly perishable, especially with current weather conditions. Why not whip up a delectable summer berry pudding? It's easy to make, festive, and perfect as a make-ahead Christmas dessert.
White and yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines are getting sweeter by the day, with fruit sourced from orchards across Victoria, NSW, and South Australia. Peaches and nectarines purchased by the trays are a good idea for better value and longer freshness, as the fruit is handled less.
Bursting with juiciness and natural sweetness, fresh lychees are a true summer delight! Store lychees in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator to keep them at their best. Pair lychees with juicy mangoes and fragrant mint for a simple and refreshing dessert—pure summer perfection!
Glossy, plump cherries are a true Australian summer favourite. With a wide variety of cherries from regions like Young, Orange, South Australia, and Victoria, there’s a perfect size, price, and flavour to suit every preference. Enjoy their natural sweetness, craft a cherry tiramisu trifle, roast them for a delightful pairing with turkey or ham or add to salads.
Crisp and refreshing, seedless grapes in green, red, and black varieties are the perfect addition to salads or cheese boards, adding flavour and texture.
Sweet, juicy, and ready to enjoy, watermelon is a quintessential summer treat. Choose a vibrant pink-fleshed cut watermelon or a whole one to create a refreshing dessert of chilled wedges paired with Turkish delight and fresh mint
New-season blood plums offer fabulous quality and deep red hues that promise a rich, sweet flavour. Enjoy them freshly sliced into desserts, or use them to make jam for a delightful taste of summer. These vibrant plums are a perfect addition to your seasonal fruit selection.
Summer is the ideal season for enjoying richly flavoured tomatoes. With an incredible variety now in abundance, it’s the perfect time to savour the diverse shapes, colours, textures, and flavours they offer. Visit your local greengrocer for the freshest and highest quality selection, including vibrant Medley tomatoes, sweet Truss, bite-sized cherry and grape tomatoes, and soft, flavourful heirloom varieties.
For festive salads, choose soft-leaf lettuce varieties like Red Oak Leaf, Mignonette, Butter, or Red Coral. Larger options like Cos or Iceberg lettuce are also great for entertaining.
Tender, juicy, and refreshing Lebanese cucumbers are a must for this time of year. Telegraph cucumbers are will last longer if you're not using them in one meal, and baby cucumbers or qakes are great with dips for starters. Keep crunchy cucumbers on hand for quick and easy party nibbles. Simply slice them and top them with smoked salmon, crème fraîche, a sprig of dill, and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper for a delicious treat.
Golden-fleshed Jap pumpkins from Queensland are a Christmas favourite. Perfect for adding roasted, diced pumpkin to salads or baking a whole stuffed pumpkin for a festive dish
Desiree, Pontiac, Brushed, Kipfler, and Dutch Cream potatoes are all available at your local greengrocer and are perfect for roasting or making a delicious potato salad.
Enhance your festive cooking with the vibrant flavours of fresh herbs. Sprinkle fresh thyme sprigs over roasted vegetables, or add sage and parsley to meat stuffings for an extra flavour boost. Serve basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, sliced heirloom tomatoes, and black olives as a delicious side dish.
Don’t forget to grab some carrots for Santa’s reindeer! They’re also perfect for roasting and adding to summery salads. Roasted carrots bring out a naturally sweet flavour, especially when paired with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
Summer is the time to enjoy eggplants. Great for soaking up flavours, eggplant is delicious roasted, grilled, barbecued or baked. Add eggplant to your festive salads.
