Your guide to what’s in season right now
Don’t let the cold weather get you down. Make the most of the Market’s winter produce by stocking up on a huge selection of tasty fruit and vegetables. Slurp up hearty cauliflower soup, sink your teeth into a warm rhubarb and apple crumble or treat yourself to a gourmet pasta with truffle. From brekkie to main meals and whatever falls in the middle, our fruit and veg traders have all your winter produce sorted.
Truffle
Truffle is perhaps one of the most gourmet ingredients you’ll find during the winter months. Not only is it extremely delicious and rich in flavour but it’s also incredibly versatile too. We love shaving fresh black winter truffle over butter or oil-based pastas to really drive the flavour home, but truffle is equally as delicious shaved over freshly-baked bread and top-quality butter. Here’s a tip: store your truffle in a carton with eggs – the flavor will permeate through the shell, giving the egg a delicious truffle flavour that’s perfect for an indulgent weekend brekkie with the family. You can pick up fresh black truffle from Damian Pike Mushroom Specialist.
Custard Apple
Custard apples are sweet, juicy and the perfect alternative to regular apples depending on what you’re preparing. Just scoop out the flesh, get rid of the seeds, and add to anything from fruit salads to muesli to yoghurt or even just enjoy as is. We like our custard apples pureed into a smoothie with honey and milk, but it’s also great as a savoury option and enjoyed as a sauce served alongside chicken, pork or fish.
Cauliflower
Quite often overlooked, the cauliflower has many uses. No longer just another vegie to roast, this humble winter ingredient can be made into pizza bases, rice dishes, breads, fritters, soups – it’s basically a substitute for any carb! Plus, it’s low in calories and a great source of vitamins and fiber. Need some inspo? Check out this delicious recipe for cauliflower cheese bake.
Brussels Sprouts
Don’t screw up your nose. If your last experience with Brussels sprouts was in primary school when your mum made you eat them, it’s definitely time to try them again! We recommend roasting them with garlic and olive oil for a delicious accompaniment to a roast. Just wait till the sprouts are browned nicely so you get a nice, crispy exterior. You can also pan-fry your sprouts with some butter for a richer, more decadent flavour, or coat them in Parmesan bread crumbs before baking them in the oven. Check out our recipe for pan-roasted Brussels sprouts with walnuts here.
Rhubarb
The sweet but ever-so-tart rhubarb certainly does the rounds during the colder months and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. With starring roles in ‘apple and rhubarb crumble’ and ‘classic rhubarb pie’, it definitely lends itself to a tasty winter dessert lineup, but that’s not all. In fact, you’ll also find that rhubarb makes a fantastic accompaniment to savoury dishes as a sauce, chutney or compote. Check out some great rhubarb recipes for inspiration here.
