What Fresh Produce is in Season for Spring?
The arrival of September and the humid temperatures means just one thing, winter is over! Hurrah for spring and that means it’s time to incorporate new season fruit and vegetables into your family menu.
There’s nothing like fresh spring Australian grown fruit and vegetable to bring colour and flavour to your nightly meals, especially after a winter of comfort meals like starchy soups, breads and meaty casseroles.
In-season fruit and vegetables are often cheaper, so it’s a good way to keep the family grocery bill down. So, what is fresh and at its best at the moment? Keep reading to find out what fruit and veg we’re loving and some fun ways to incorporate them into your family’s diet.
Seasonal Spring Fruits
Spring is one of our favourite seasons because of the variety of delicious fruits that can be incorporated into school lunchboxes, salads, and smoothies.
If you love berries and citrus fruits such as lemon, limes, oranges and mandarins, this is the perfect time to eat your fill. They are ready to go, simply wash and eat (or peel if they come with their own environmentally-friendly packaging).
As we get closer to Christmas, usually the end of November-ish, family favourites like fresh cherries (yum!), mangoes (the food of the gods), passionfruit and melons come into season.
One of our favourite recipes for Spring Fruit Rolls, they look beautiful and they are so simple to make. You simply dice up your favourite spring fruits and roll them in rice paper rolls. You can use shaped cookie cuts to make different shapes, or if you’re short on time, you can just fill and roll. To eat, team with a berry coulis, or passionfruit dipping sauce.
Seasonal Spring Vegetables
With new season spring vegetables you can incorporate all colours of the rainbow on your plate such as beets (fresh beets that haven’t been canned have a rich, vibrant, earthy flavour), carrots, pumpkin and Asian greens like bok choy are the perfect complement to stir fries.
With cauliflower in season, it makes a great healthy alternative to white rice. Cauliflower also makes a great pizza base (Honestly, it’s really delicious), which is a great idea for those cooler spring nights.
All you need to do is chop up one head of cauliflower and throw it in the food processor and pulse until it’s finely ground. Zap it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes, then drain off as much water as possible using a tea towel or dabbing with a paper towel. Add 2 large eggs, around ½ cup of Mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan (around 2 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon of Italian season, salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a baking tin and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Then here’s where the magic is created, you can add your favourite pizza ingredients.
What spring fruit and vegetables are you eager to try this week. Call into your local Earth Markets store—Robina, Logan, Elanora and Burleigh Heads—or download our app and order your fruit and vegetables directly to your door.