June 27 In Season at the Market

Buying and eating in season produce is good for your nutrition and helps the economy, our seasonal updates are here to lend a hand.

Let us inspire you with just a few of the fresh, locally grown produce now in season at the South Australia Produce Market that you will find at your local fruit and veg store.

Tangelos

The latest citrus fruit to land inside the market are Tangelos! This variety were created through the cross pollination of a tangerine and a pomelo (an ancestral variety of Grapefruit). Their flavour is tart and sweet, with medium acidity. They’re also a great variety to pop inside your kids’ lunch boxes due to their extremely easy to remove peel and minimal seeds. Apart from eating them fresh, they’re excellent for using in salads and desserts and make great tasting sauces and juices.

Leeks

While we may have recently surpassed the winter solstice, it’s still very much soup season. So, what better ingredient to include in your next slow-cooked soup than Leeks? These guys will go well in pretty much any winter-warmer dish. Their mild, slight onion-flavour makes them versatile and palatable with a range of different flavours. Their long list of health benefits is another reason why you shouldn’t hesitate to pop them in your basket this week. They’re a great source of vitamin K, B6, C, E and A, magnesium, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Buddha Hand

Yep, you read that right! This week we see the slightly spooky looking Buddha Hand fruit come into season. If you haven’t heard of this interesting variety before, we don’t blame you! Buddha Hand is a citron fruit that has the appearance of a distorted lemon, with long finger looking carpels hanging down (think lemon-coloured calamari). Lacking in juicy flesh, Buddha Hand is usually used for the zest and peel. It also has an incredible, strong lavender-citrus fragrance. It’s mostly used for salad dressings, marinades, baked goods, and drinks.

Red Potatoes

Looking to add a pop of colour to your next vegetarian dish? Consider Red Potatoes! This variety is great for including in potato salads, soups or stews – but can also be used for baking and mashing. Red potatoes have a smooth red skin with a waxy, creamy flesh. Their flavour is subtly sweet, with medium sugar content. Red potatoes absorb accompanying flavours especially well and are great in combination with flavours like lemon, garlic, parmesan cheese, rosemary and basil. They also contain a great amount of vitamin C, fibre, and iron.

Hass Avocados

Many of you will be thrilled to hear that Hass Avocado’s are back in season. For the time being they’ll be coming from interstate, but this season Hass Avocados are in great supply, so there’s plenty to go around. What makes this variety such a crowd favourite (apart from being the most common variety) is their beloved creamy texture with a mild, nutty flavour. Their versatility makes them great for both sweet and savoury dishes. If you’re trying to sneak in some more nutrition into your kids diet, try this ‘A Better Choice’ Avocado Chocolate mousse recipe, they won’t know the difference!

You’ll find the best produce inside your local independent fruit & veg stores. Locate your closest store here. And don’t forget to check out Pick a Local, Pick SA Facebook page or the latest news from your local fresh produce experts.