If you purchase vegetables and fruits in places other than the main supermarkets in August, you’ll get lower prices. However, there is an added benefit: some grocers offer more exciting fresh produce.
Elliott Cafarella, who co-owns his family’s Melbourne fruit shop, Pompello, still remembers last year’s production that was flooded. However, he claims that this season, the winter sun has kept farmers content.
Cauliflower is one of the top buys at around $3.50 per head. Broccoli soared in price in the last year and is a close second with a cost of about $3 per kilogram in supermarkets. Romanesco is a brassica with a hypnotic fractal pattern and a nuttier flavor than broccoli, and it is worth looking into in August.
However, if you’re feeding a large crowd, the Cafarella recommends cabbage as “the most economical vegetable.”
“You can get a whole for $4.50 to $5, and a whole cabbage can be up to three kilos!”
In the supermarkets In supermarkets, round cabbage (also called drumhead cabbage) can be purchased at around $6 per head. The amount of cabbage available is endless, and you can use the leaves of Alice Zaslavksy’s one-pot cabbage “rolls,” finely shred them into Okonomiyaki, or cook them gently together with garlic, onions, and cream to make something known as “suspiciously delicious” cabbage.
Also abundant: cavolo nero. It’s the more dark, broodier cousin of kale. It cooks down to a luscious, velvety consistency in this vegan spelling of “risotto.”
Jordan Zammit, the owner of Oakville Harvest in the NSW Hawkesbury region, believes that the salad leaf will grow over the next few weeks due to warmer temperatures and longer daylight hours, which will join already abundant supplies of silverbeet.
However, Cafarella declares that it’s avocados that are returning with a vengeance.
“Avocados are coming from Queensland at the moment, and there is definitely a big supply – maybe you could call it a glut – which means price is low and quality is good,” He says.
Cafarella sells avocados at approximately $1. In supermarkets, they are available for around $1.50 each. Affordable avocados are a sign of only one factor: guacamole for everyone.
Radishes that are underrated
For a mere $2 per kilogram, Kent or jap pumpkins keep their soupy winter-time credentials, as do carrots, potatoes, and celery remain inexpensive and abundant.
When the topic is winter vegetables, radishes are a bit off the radar. “Radishes are strangely not a big seller,” Cafarella says. Cafarella. “They’re $3 a bunch, beautiful and fresh, and add a bit of zing to your salad.”
Nigel Slater’s recipe for radish, mint, and fennel salad or Anna Jones’s recipe with sumac, pomegranates, and radish are delicious additions to winter’s menu, or cook them in a pan with leaves and everything, and serve it with freekeh and labneh.
Are you looking for something simple and incredibly French? Simply cut smaller, whole radishes in butter, then sprinkle them with salt.
Spring onions, which are sometimes sold under the name shallots, are also priced at around $2.80 for a bunch at the supermarket. Are you having trouble using up the entire bunch? Meera Sodha’s Spring Onion Pancakes are the perfect solution for you.
John Samios, owner of Bellas Fruit Market in Brisbane, says that tomatoes are thriving in the unusually warm weather throughout the Eastern States. You can purchase them starting at $3.99 for a kilogram.
Samios also suggests zucchinis (about $4 for a kilogram) and capsicums. If you choose yellow, red, or green, they’re currently very affordable, at around $4.90 per Kilo.
Mandarin with a cult following.’
In the Mandarin lands, the imperial continues to enjoy its control over shoppers. However, Cafarella claims different varieties offer more flavor. “We always encourage people to think further afield,” Cafarella says.
If you look around, you can discover juicy mandarins, dandy mangos, delicate Satsumas, plump Afourers, and huge sumos. Then Cafarella sings Glory of the Golden Nugget, which is a Mandarin type that has “a cult following.”
“They’re simply delicious. They’re twice in size as imperials. They also have a lovely, firm texture. They’re also seeds-free.”
Blood oranges, a fruit that is later in the season, whicandripe longer when they are on the vine, are plentiful and around $5 per Kilo. Likewise, navel oranges are priced with prices ranging from $2 to $3 per Kilo.
With a price of around $5.99 per Kilo, the pink lady version will catch your eye. Jazz can cost some dollars more per kilogram. Don’t be deceived by their dimensions.
“We always tell people when you’re choosing apples, you’re generally better off to go for a smaller apple,” Cafarella says. Cafarella. “They’re much more likely to be crunchy, not floury.”
Keep an eye out to find a missile apple. They are coveted because of their crunch and sweetness, and the small size makes them perfect for the lunchbox of your school.
Queensland strawberries are currently in the midst of their season and are available at $4 or $5 per punnet at the supermarket. Beware of other berries, as the prices will remain high until frequent warmer weather provides an increase in supply.
And increase your plans for pineapple. Because of the reduction in production, “pineapples aren’t cheap right now,” Zammit says. Zammit. In the supermarkets, they cost approximately $6 each, which is more than the price that grocers are used to getting at this time during the time of year.
If you’re looking for something tropical, go for kiwifruit or passionfruit. Both are at a discount in the supermarkets at between $1 to $1.50 each. Pick four passion fruits, mix them with citrus zest, and pour over this spiced rice pudding with ginger. Please take advantage of kiwis that are fresh and unadulterated, or preserve their deliciousness with these tart kiwi jams.
Buy:
Apples
Asian greens
Avocados
Beetroot
Blood oranges
Broccoli
Cabbage
Capsicums
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cavolo nero
Celery
Kiwifruit
Mandarins
Oranges
Parsnips
Passionfruit
Pawpaw
Pears
Potato
Pumpkins
Radishes
Silverbeet
Strawberries
Spinach
Avoid:
Blueberries
Grapes
Mushrooms
Pineapples
In the spring, we’ll be able to:
Broad beans
Berries
Snow peas