What’s GREAT at the Market this week?
STRAWBERRIES are ripening quickly now so Sarah Montgomerry from Monty’s Strawberries assured me when we chatted last Wednesday, that there will be plenty this week. The weather has certainly been favourable for successful ripening and harvesting so strawberry season is officially on! A couple of weeks earlier than I forecast last week.
Cathryn Binstead from Platypus Point Farm stall has beautiful bunches of leucospermums and leucadenrons this week. The photo at the top of this blog shows just a few of the lucopsermums growing on her farm. Cathryn is taking a break from making delicious conserves (her three fruit marmalade is addictive) to concentrate on harvesting these delightful bright red flowers and creating bunches that are complemented with greenery from her farm.
PEAS – shelling peas and snow peas are in full season at Jumping Red Ant Farm stall and also at Everest Farm and some of the organic farm stalls too. Why not include lightly steamed sliced snow peas for a pleasant change this week and pop a few in school lunch boxes for a healthy snack.
I frequently marvel at the wonder of seasonal eating and this week I pondered on the perfect timing of an abundance of citrus. It is such an easy and perfect boost for our vitamin C levels and immune system, helping us to ward off the winter lurgy that sometimes catches us unaware. We all know that vitamin C contributes to our immune defence by supporting so many of our cellular functions and assists in the uptake of other nutrients including- as I have just discovered – iron.
What is more appealing than wandering into the yard to pick a mandarin or two, a lemon here and a lime there or alternatively, to pop into the market where they are freshly picked for your convenience and you get to know the farmer that grows them or their helpers.
Being winter we are less inclined to make salads but the winning combination of blood oranges and the freshness of fennel make the salad recipe that I’ve included this week, one to be enjoyed and shared. I’d love to know what you think of it when you try it.