Brisbane Produce Report

Brisbane Produce Report – 8 December 2023

It’s shaping up to be quite a fruity summer, with seasonal summer stone fruit, melons and tropical delights making their way through the Brisbane Markets in abundance. Combine this with affordable vegetable lines, all available at your local fruit and veg shop, and you’re in for a summer of delicious healthy eating.

Our pick of the week this week is Yellow Nectarines, which are great value coming from Stanthorpe and Victoria. Packed with flavour and full of health benefits, Nectarines are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Eat them on their own for a delicious snack, or indulge in these White Poached Nectarines with Sweetened Mint Cream and Toasted Hazelnuts.

In fact, all Stanthorpe and Victorian grown stone fruit are fantastic eating at the moment, especially White Nectarines, Peaches and Plums. Enjoy this twist on a traditional Italian appetiser with this Plum and Peach Bruschetta.

While some varieties of Mangoes have been a little short this year, R2E2 varieties are in good supply. Developed and grown in North Queensland, this variety was developed to have an incredible sweet flavour with great flesh to seed ratio, ensuring you get more to eat per fruit. Cut up and eat as is, or try this sweet, creamy Chickpea Mango Curry recipe.

There’s currently an overlap of growing regions for Candy Melons, Rockmelon and Honeydew, with North Queensland and Bundaberg sending these Melons to the Brisbane Markets. Both regions are producing wonderfully sweet, fruity flavours that are fantastic eating. For a fresh, cool, summer drink, try this Rockmelon Frosé and have a play with substituting different melons to make different variations.

Bundaberg grown Watermelon is great value this week, juicy and delicious. Because Watermelons are 92% water, and also packed with vitamins C, A, B1, B5 and more, they’re a healthy snack to help keep kids hydrated on hot summer days. For a really refreshing treat, serve up this Watermelon Lemonade.

Papaya is a great price as there is an abundance of this tropical fruit coming from North Queensland. Not just great eating, Papaya is high in fibre, folic acid and vitamins A, C and E. If you’re not familiar with this fruit, the sweet flavour is often described as a cross between Cantaloupe and Mango. Enjoy the fruit cut up and eaten as-is, or try your hand at this delicious Papaya Relish.

Victorian and Gatton grown Broccoli remains affordably priced. It may seem like a winter vegetable, but Broccoli is versatile enough to cross the seasons. Just try this Roast Broccoli Salad with Spicy Tahini Dressing.

Speaking of spicy, you’ll also find Bundaberg grown Chilli in good supply at your local fruit and veg shop. Bring together the flavours of summer and try these Sticky Miso and Chilli Grilled Mangoes.

There are some great tasting Green Capsicum coming out of Stanthorpe this week. Take advantage of the great prices and long list of health benefits by adding cut up capsicum to your salads for a bit of a peppery flavour, or make your own Capsicum Pesto to use as a dip, on sandwiches or even as a pasta sauce.

For a crunchy, summery snack, don’t forget to pick up some Continental Cucumber coming in from Gatton this week. Perfect for making sandwiches or adding to salads, Cucumbers are great for your health as they’re rich in nutrients and antioxidants. But they can also be fun, especially if you add them to cocktails like this Cucumber and Lychee Sour.

You’ll find plenty of Victorian grown Zucchini at great prices in your local fruit and veg shop. Perfect thrown on the barbecue, added to salads, muffins or enjoyed in a green juice, Zucchini is a wonderful summer option. Try this Caramelised Zucchini, Olive and Lentil Salad.

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