Spring Produce Report

Chef Daniel Wilson shares his seasonal produce report for Spring.

Fruit & Vegetables

As the weather begins to warm we see excellent quality (and great value!) late winter produce in the Market, as well as the beginning of the vibrant spring produce.

Blood oranges are in good supply and are top quality. They are perfect in a shaved fennel salad which is also at its best right now. The warmer weather is producing some beautiful asparagus. I love to cook asparagus on the BBQ. A good tip to stop it shriveling up and drying out is to blanch it in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, refreshing it in iced water, drying it up then cooking it on the BBQ with a bit of oil, salt and pepper. Other vibrant spring greens that are appearing in the Market are broad beans and globe artichokes.

Seafood

We are seeing some fantastic King George whiting from South Australia and John Dory from NZ. Try grilling these whole on the BBQ with lemon and herbs in the cavity or baking in the oven wrapped in foil. There is a lot of amazing quality large calamari from Lakes Entrance, and if you’re lucky you’ll find some stunning blue fin tuna too. While we all love to go for the much loved fish species such as snapper, tuna & salmon there are less popular varieties which are not only great value but delicious eating too. Why not give gurnard, bonito or leather jacket a go and do your bit for sustainability.

Meat

Now is the time of the year that spring lamb is at its best. Whether it is chops for the BBQ, racks to be pan roasted or a slow roasted shoulder you can’t go wrong with its delicate flavour. There are so many different options for sausages both in the Meat Hall and Dairy Produce Hall, so why not expand your knowledge and try something a little different.