🌿 October 12th - 25th | Seasonal Sydney Produce
Hi all,
This fortnight's box feels like Spring in full swing, with a hint of summer to come. We've got sweet corn, shelling peas, zucchini flowers and hand picked green beans, alongside plenty of staples to keep your cooking interesting over the fortnight. I don't usually start so early with mangos, but honestly I think I'm safe in saying we've enjoyed our time of apples and pears and are ready to move on! Stone fruit season is around the corner so there'll be plenty of variety to come.
Zucchini flowers are one of those ingredients that remind me just how fleeting and special seasonal produce can be. Packing them brought me so much joy this morning. You can absolutely stuff them with a beautiful herby ricotta, batter and deep fry them, but don't overthink it if you're short on time. They're equally good scattered over a pizza, folded through an omelette or added to a simple risotto or a pasta right at the end.Â
The shelling peas are excellent at the moment. Get into your Nonna era, pull up a stool and get some of your people to help! They rarely all make it into the pan in my house, as they're incredibly sweet straight from the pod. If you can resist eating them all while shelling, they're lovely stirred through pasta, risotto, a warm salad or some brekkie fritters.
We've also got some beautiful Reid avocados in the box, along with loose truss tomatoes, gem lettuce and broadleaf rocket. That's lunch sorted as far as I'm concerned.
The cauliflower this week is particularly good. Roasted until deeply caramelised, it makes a great side dish, but it's equally good as the centrepiece of a meal with a dollop of yoghurt, plenty of lemon and the oregano from your box.
On the fruit front, Afourer mandarins are still hanging around for a little longer. The Summerina mandarins I promised would be here are just not up to scratch, with the grower unfortunately having a difficult cropping season. I have it on good authority that there will be a new (much better) batch of Summerina mandarins arriving soon, so we wait until we get the best.
If you got the Seasonal Fruit Box, the blueberries are particularly good right now, and the 'Late Lane' oranges are the sweetest I've tasted.
Please note produce may vary slightly between Week 1 and Week 2 depending on what is freshest from our growers. We update this page as soon as we know what is being delivered.
Here’s what’s in your box this fortnight:
Week 1:
October 12th - 25thCocktail Mallee Rose Potatoes
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A couple of recipe ideas:
Pasta alla Norma
Dice the eggplant and roast or fry until deeply golden. Meanwhile, gently cook onion and garlic before adding chopped loose truss tomatoes and simmering until they break down into a rich sauce. Toss through your pasta with the eggplant (rigatoni, paccheri or any sturdy tubular pasta works best), a handful of chopped parsley and some black pepper. Finish with ricotta salata if you can find it, or parmesan or pecorino in a pinch.Â
Spring Pea and Corn Breakfast Fritters
Pod the shelling peas and blanch briefly. Cut the kernels from one of the corn cobs and mix with the peas, grated carrot, chopped parsley, eggs and enough self-raising flour to make a thick batter. Fry spoonfuls on a pan until golden and crisp. Serve with smashed Reid avocado, or make a salsa with avo and tomato, a squeeze of lemon and eggs if you like.
Chinese Broccoli, Broccolini and Mushroom Noodle Stir Fry
Slice the mushroom mix and stir fry in a hot wok until golden. Add garlic, ginger, broccolini and chopped Chinese broccoli stems, cooking until just tender. Toss through cooked noodles with your choice of sauce. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli bean sauce, even miso paste all work well. Finish with the leafy tops of the Chinese broccoli.
Roasted Cauliflower with Oregano, Lemon and Yoghurt
Trim away the excess leaves and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast the cauliflower whole until deeply caramelised. Spoon some labneh, herby yoghurt or a bean purée onto a plate and pop your whole roasted cauliflower on top. Finish with chopped oregano, lemon zest and olive oil. Simple and hard to beat. You could also experiment with different spices on top of the cauliflower before roasting. My favourites are curry spice, za'atar or sumac.
Warm Spring Grain Salad
Cook pearl barley, farro or freekeh according to packet instructions. While still warm, toss through blanched green beans, podded shelling peas, broadleaf rocket and plenty of chopped parsley. Dress with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Crumble over some feta if you have it on hand and finish with cracked black pepper. A lovely light lunch on its own, or served alongside grilled fish, chicken, or tempeh.
A quick note on storage:
-Zucchini flowers are delicate and best eaten within the first couple of days.
-Corn is sweetest when eaten sooner rather than later.
-Tomatoes are happiest at room temperature.
-Potatoes and onions should be kept in a cool, dark place, separated.
-Leafy greens, beans, broccolini and Chinese broccoli belong in the crisper drawer.
-Avocados and mangoes can ripen on the bench before moving to the fridge.
-Kohlrabi keeps remarkably well and will happily sit in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Hope you enjoy this fortnight’s selection.
Kim x
See last fortnight’s box → here
See all seasonal boxes → here