May 2007
Market Finds - May 2007
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persimmons... |
 Leading into winter sees some wonderful produce emerging into the marketplace; lots in the way of citrus fruit, limes, oranges and mandarins. I have developed a bit of an infatuation for persimmons or Fuji fruit in particular. Generally this is a fruit that you either love or hate, and I thought I came in the hate category until in a moment of market induced weakness I gave them another crack. Persimmons are generally eaten soft, where as Fuji fruit a non-astringent variety is eaten while it is still firm. The flavour is less intense, but I love the freshness and the crunch that they have – I even found myself eating one for breakfast this morning and they keep finding their way into my salads lately. I have come across them at most markets, especially the Noosa Farmers’ Market. |
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giant garlic... |
 If you do go to the Noosa Farmers Market look out for the Giant Australian Garlic grown by Super Natural Organics. Apart from being organic they are quite a novelty, huge for starters! Super Natural Organics grow a few different garlics but I found the giant one quite interesting. It is amazing roasted and can be used in the same way that ordinary garlic is. It isn’t as pungent, probably not a bad thing, but the flavour is pretty much the same, as is the garlic breath, fortunately the Farmers Markets also have stalls that sell fresh mint. I have come across a couple of stalls selling asparagus as well. My dad used to grow asparagus and I can tell you that it is a very time consuming chore so it is fabulous to know there are a few dedicated local producers putting their energy into this laborious vegetable. The bonus is that it is very sweet. Asparagus, not lovingly grown can tend t be a little stringy, but not these, they are just beautiful. My mum used to blanche them with some boiling water and then marinate them in a vinaigrette while they were still warm. It is delicious. |
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verjuice... |
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exotic mushrooms... |
I hope you are all scouring the markets such as I do. The bonus is that you often get to speak with the growers and discover tips and treats to take home as well. Every week I learn something new - just need to remember to write them down so I can share them all when I do the newsletters. 'Til next time. |
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I discovered last week that we have a local producer making Verjiuce and I got quite excited. For those who haven’t heard Maggie Beer singing the praises of verjuice, it is the juice of unripe grapes. It is a bit like vinegar without the bite, or lemon juice without the tartness. It can be used in place of either in salad dressing, vinaigrettes and marinades. The Eumundi Winery is the creator of this wonderful product and I urge you to have an experiment with verjuice as it is a truly versatile addition to the pantry. 
My last discover that I feel compelled to share is Jay Arrold’s Exotic Mushrooms. I must firstly point out that these are not grown on the Sunshine Coast, so I am breaking with Local Harvest traditional in mentioning these, however, they are produced in NSW and Jay’s uncle is infact the only grower of most of the varieties in Australia. Jay’s uncle grows king, white, pink and yellow oyster mushrooms, enoki, chestnut, wood ear, shiitake, shemeji, porcini and wild saffron mushrooms when in season. I have a real weakness for these mushrooms and they are extremely, if not impossible to find as fresh as these.