Market Finds
Market Finds
nectarines... |
Of course we have an abundance of strawberries at the moment which I have covered in previous newsletters so I might turn everyone’s attention to the beautifully fragrant peaches and nectarines that are currently in season. There are not really any local growers to speak of, but there are some growers from a little further south that have been frequenting the markets, so that is still relatively local. |
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purple potatoes... |
The flesh is a vivid purple or blue colour, the purple ones are almost a little marbled and they are truly beautiful. They do loose a little of their vibrancy through the cooking process, but if you boil them with their skins on they retain their colour a little more as opposed to peeling them first. There is a fabulous recipe in my latest book which really utilises the novelty factor of this vegetable. Purple mash is a little eerie, but tastes great and I love the use of them in combination with white potatoes in a potato bake. They can be cooked in the same way as any other potato. The first time I bought them, they were served mashed with sausages (bangers and purple mash??) and it reminded me of the Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham. My partner ate his mash with some trepidation, but I noticed there were no scraps left on his plate so they must have got the thumbs up even if he was loathe to admit it! |
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zucchini flowers... |
 With zucchinis growing abundantly this time of year, there have also been a lot of zucchini flowers available at the markets and at some fruit and vegetable stores. The flowers are rather delicate, but delicious stuffed with one of the local goats cheeses, or try the Maleny Cheese’s gorgonzola dolce and either pan fry them in a little butter or deep fry them in a light tempura batter. |
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asparagus... |
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gingerbread house... |
Apart from Buderim Cookie Company’s wonderful Gingerbread House, another wonderful Christmas goodie is The Eumundi Food Company’s Christmas Pudding, one of the most delicious puddings that I have ever tasted which I have seen for sale at numerous fine food stores around the coast as well as the markets. And also look out for Cedar Creek Farm’s Christmas Cake with a native food twist it is chock full of whole macadamias, glace native limes, pineapple, pawpaw, cranberries, raisins, sultanas, dates, ginger, wattleseed, lemon myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, local bush honey and lashings of rum and brandy. There are so many wonderful new products to be found every week, each season bringing with it something worth exploring; new flavours, new varieties, there is lots of fun to be had. I might take this opportunity to wish all of you a wonderful and safe foodie filled Christmas. |
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The last few months have been a market smorgasbord for me, working on a book that is exclusively about the farmers’ market leaves no room for excuses as to why not to try something. In Queensland we are lucky from the perspective that our seasons are not as rigid as in the southern states, so what is out of season for them can be pretty much in season for us most of the year.
One of my favourite market finds at the moment are purple potatoes – I am absolutely fascinated by them. I only came across them for the first time just recently and they have really caught my attention. ‘Purple’ or ‘blue sapphire’ potatoes are grown by Spunky Spuds, again they are from a little further south (Springbrook) but are sold at the Noosa Farmers’ Market. 
One of my favourite asparagus growers at the moment is Newman’s Asparagus. They have a stall at both the Noosa and Big Pineapple Farmers’ Markets with the most tender asparagus. The grower seems to take so much pride in his product it is just a joy purchasing it, of course the bonus is even greater once I arrive home and get to eat them. My mother used to blanch them ever so lightly (20 second max) in simmering water and then allow them to marinate in an equal mix of vinegar, olive oil and water, with some seasoning and finely diced onion. She would pop the asparagus in the marinade while it was still warm and would allow it to sit until it was cold. I remember as a child absolutely hating this dish, but funnily enough it has become one of my favourite ways of preparing fresh asparagus. It is odd how your tastes can change, I often wonder if it is more the memories associated with those thoughts that makes the difference (though the same can’t be said for that brewed up mush of spinach that she used to serve up – don’t think I will ever miss that one!!).
Galeru has been making a delicious Raincherry Paste. Raincherries are the berry from an Australian native, the Syzygium fibrosum and the paste is delicious served with cheese. Some of you may be familiar with Maggie Beer’s Quince Paste, and it is similar, yet unique with its own quite spicy flavour. It is available at the markets as well as selected delicatessens.