Market Fresh Report Week Ending 23rd June

Mandarins are a versatile, tangy, fruit with a distinctive flavour. Sweet eating Imperial and Daisy mandarins are well priced.

Red Delicious apples are good eating and well priced. Also plentiful, Pink Lady, Jazz, Kanzi and Fuji apples.

There is a good supply of locally grown ruby-red rhubarb in store.

Quick to cook and easy to prepare, machine harvested green beans a good buy.

Decorative red speckled borlotti beans are in season. Shell the beans from their pod and cook in salted water. Pureed they make a tasty dip, combined with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Add cooked beans to pasta dishes and salads and raw beans to chunky style vegetable soups and beef casseroles.

Celery is a versatile vegetable that lends its unique flavour to winter soups, sauces, stir-fries and risottos.

Vibrant carrots are in abundance in winter. Carrots are delicious roasted, used in spicy or chunky veggie soups and curries or add grated carrot to rissoles and meatloaf for sweetness

Banana prices are plentiful this week.

Mildura grown Leng Navel oranges are sweet eating

Rich and creamy Hass avocados are in peak season during winter.

Broccoli is flourishing in the cooler weather.

Winter is a great time to enjoy the fabulous selection of potatoes; you will find varieties such as Dutch Cream, Nicola, Kipfler and Pink Eye in store.

Vibrant beetroot soup is so easy to make with fresh beetroot. The flavour is authentic and packed with goodness. Alternatively for a tasty salad, toss warm roasted beetroot with baby spinach leaves and crumbled goats cheese, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Queensland strawberries are extra flavoursome and smell divine. Simply wash and serve.

Enjoy the flavour of a sweet African Pride custard apple.

Field-grown tomatoes from Queensland a good buy this week. For a richer flavour roast tomatoes, cut in half, season and add a drizzle of olive oil. Toss cooked tomatoes into pasta dishes, soups and casseroles.

Winter is the ideal time to add woody herbs to meals. Their leaves infuse meals with an aromatic flavour. Try adding oregano, rosemary, sage and marjoram to soups, casseroles, roasts or roasted veggies.

Orange sweet potato also known as kumara makes a flavoursome low GI mash. Serve with grilled chicken, sausages or grilled chicken.

Serve shaved fennel in salads, add to curries or pan fry until just tender and serve with grilled fish.