“Springtime is tricky with fruit, because you’re getting rid of your winter citrus and the exotic summer stuff hasn’t started yet,” says owner and buyer Josh Flamminio at Sydney’s Galluzzo Fruiterers. But there are hints of what’s to come.
“Mangoes have already started from the Northern Territory. We’re selling two for $10 at the moment,” Flamminio says. “They’re a good size – you’re not getting itsy-bitsy ones.”
Once Queensland’s mango season begins, prices will come down further.
Berry good prices
Carmel Dawson, co-owner of Geelong Fresh Foods, says strawberry prices are already dropping. “We are selling large 500g punnets for only $3,” she says. “The quality is good and a real treat for our customers.”
Strawberry supply is coming from Queensland and Western Australia, and with the overlap in growing areas it’s driving down the price.
There are plenty of ways to make use of ample supply. If you really want to impress, try Helen Goh’s strawberry jelly panna cotta.
“Bread-and-butter” Imperial mandarins have finished, but late-season variety Afourers still have another four or five in season. They’re selling for about $4.5o a kilo in supermarkets.
Late-picking apples are around, but they’re not at their best as many crops are likely to have been kept in coolers since autumn.
At $1.50 apiece, Hass avocados should be on everyone’s menu in spring, Flamminio says, with supply coming from South Australia and Queensland.
Blueberries have been up and down – they’re currently about $5 a punnet – but they should be in abundance in two or three weeks.
The allure of summer stone fruit is still a while away, with cherries and lychees not expected until November.
Green beans are plentiful
Broccoli, spinach and cauliflower are all in season, with brussels sprouts still in good supply at about $9 a kilo.
“All leafy greens start to flourish [in spring],” Dawson says.
Cauliflower is as little as $2.50 a head. Whole roast a head of cauli to make Tony Tan’s char siu cauliflower with a Cantonese twist.
Broccoli is about $4.50 a kilo and just a month ago it was double the price per kilo – so now is the time to make Italian-style whole broccoli pasta. Its close relative broccolini is also as little as $2 a bunch.
Flamminio says the best of the greens are English spinach, celery and cavolo nero (also known as Tuscan cabbage).
Particularly plentiful in market, cavolo nero can be torn into Alice Zaslavsky’s blond minestrone for a warm lunch on cooler days, alongside potatoes and “beautiful” fennel, at $3.50 to $4 a bulb in supermarkets, says Flamminio.
Spring favourite asparagus is on its way. It is still about $4.50 to $5 a bunch, though set to come down in a few weeks.
Green beans – which have been expensive for a while – are now in a much better place for spring salads, at only about $6 a kilo. Try a French-inspired quick and easy red rice and green bean salad, with pomegranate molasses and sumac dressing.
“They’re very plentiful in the market at the moment,” Flamminio says.
Don’t truss the toms
There has been a lot of rain in Queensland, so cherry truss tomatoes are $12-13 a kilo, so they’re best avoided at the moment, Flamminio says.
But gourmet tomatoes and roma tomatoes are steady at about $5 a kilo and not likely to rise in price soon. Stuff them with rice, as in Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pomodoro-al-riso.
Buy:
Afourer mandarins
Beetroot
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Blood oranges
Cauliflower
Cavolo nero
Grapefruit
Green beans
Hass avocados
Lettuce
Mangoes
Red capsicum
Spinach
Strawberries
Watch:
Apples
Asparagus
Blueberries
Avoid:
Grapes – finished
Limes
Passionfruit
