Ginger is back in season and citrus is creeping in …

What’s New at the Market this Week?

Ginger glorious ginger – that piquant spice that adds zing to sweet and savoury dishes and drinks across a wide range of cuisines. How I love a cup of fresh hot ginger tea with a dash of lemon and honey. The dried spice –  especially when in tea bags is not much better than water – but oh the aroma of fresh ginger!

Fresh ginger is available in two forms –  young and mature with pale, thin skin that requires no peeling and is very tender. It has a milder flavour and can be grated, chopped, or julienned with ease. The second form is mature ginger and this usually requires peeling.

When purchasing fresh ginger, look for firm, moist roots that feel heavy for their size and that is exactly what Summit Organics has right now. Definitely no peeling is required unless for aesthetic reasons.

When looking for inspiration for new ginger recipe ideas I was amused by the caption below. 

Not quite spicy, not quite sweet, ginger has a truly distinctive flavour that plays the same role as your wacky college friend: It livens up every party it goes to, but can also make every conversation about itself. Our favourite 53 ginger-based recipes strike just the right balance—and let ginger spice up the dish without overstaying its welcome.

The recipe link for this week and the recipe I have chosen to feature in this weeks newsletter (see the link to our newsletter below) in the recipe section is Carrot-Ginger Dressing as it is a perfect complement to avocados. 

The Coconut-Curry Braised Chicken Thighs recipe captured my interest too and the vegan Butternut Squash Soup. YUMMO! 

Here is the link to 53 Ginger Recipes on the same website for your absolute immersion and enjoyment of all cooking ideas ginger.  

Today it feels like a celebration of new season produce with large bulbs of juicy ginger – perfect for the cooler weather that is on the horizon and so too is the variety of citrus finding its way to the market – with each week a little more appearing as it begins the ripening process.

I always look forward to blood oranges but I know they have a long ripening process and they need a series of cold nights to develop their red pigment so I wait in eager anticipation. Interestingly some horticulturists state that oranges do not ripen so much as mature into an optimum eating state. They recommend that home growers examine the fruit’s stem and pick the fruit when the stem begins to dry. This ensures that the fruit does not soften and drop.

What’s GREAT at the Market Now?

As the weather cools down Bronwyn has brought back THE most popular market porridge bowl ever. When stallholders buy it week after week you know it is definitely delicious. Bron and Andrew use local market fruit so it varies from week to week and the poached fruit Bron prepares in advance is simply superb.