Blackberries and brussels sprouts top Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for July, according to produce experts. With wombok in abundance, it’s a good time to make kimchi, but spinach is going through a rough patch.
Winter Greens Abound
July is “pretty much the month of green,” says Matt Palise, director of Red Rich Fruits, a fresh produce wholesaler. Brussels sprouts and wombok lead the charge in best-value vegetables. Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne, notes that wombok is “probably the cheapest option in the cabbage family at the moment.” Michael Hsu, operational manager at Sydney’s Panetta Mercato, credits their low pricing to the warm winter in Victoria. Wombok is selling for $5 a piece at Panetta Mercato, $4.20 at the Happy Apple, $3 at Perth’s Spudshed and about $7 at supermarkets.
Kimchi Season and Sprout Recipes
If you have bountiful wombok and time, it’s kimchi-making season. Chef Jung Eun Chae’s recipe takes a minimum of two weeks to ferment, but once ready it keeps indefinitely. For something more immediate, try Ben Delvin’s wombok salad with a ginger-spiked cashew dressing. Brussels sprouts are good in quality and supply, says Gee. The Happy Apple sells them for $6 a kilo, while they’re $7.50 a kilo at Panetta Mercato and $7.90 a kilo in supermarkets. Alice Zaslavsky uses brussels sprouts in a buttery colcannon, which she describes as a “croquette without its coat.” For a sweeter take, Matt Preston caramelises them with fish sauce and lap cheong to create a “sticky party.”
Blackberries Take the Berry Crown
If you have berries on the brain, buy blackberries. We’re still between seasons for strawberries and raspberries, says Hsu, with the season in Western Australia and Victoria finishing up. Gee says the Queensland strawberry season has started, but “there’s not quite enough to really push through massive volumes.” Supermarket punnets of blackberries are $4; at the Happy Apple and Panetta Mercato they’re $6. The berries are the jammy crown to Yotam Ottolenghi’s cinnamon and lemon rice pudding, while Benjamina Ebuehi combines blackberries with sage in crumble bars that double as breakfast and a sweet treat.
Apples, Dekopon, and Papaya
If you’re particular about pommes, pick pink ladies. Not only did they score highly in an apples taste test, but harvesters have “just finished” picking, says Palise. “They’re fresh off the tree.” You’ll find them for $7.30 a kilo at the Happy Apple and about $5.90 a kilo in supermarkets. Gee and Hsu are excited about the dekopon, a citrus hybrid also sold as sumo mandarin, which Hsu describes as having a “big body” with a “small head.” They praise the seedless dekopon for their sweetness and ease in peeling. Expect to see them at the latter end of the month. In a tropical twist, Hsu says there are a lot of papayas coming out of Queensland. “They’re nearly half the price they’re normally at, which is very good value,” he says. Panetta Mercato sells them for $3 each, while they’re between $4.30 and $5.90 each at supermarkets. Serve the orange-fleshed fruit on top of Yotam Ottolenghi’s black rice pudding, or use an over-ripe papaya in Tom Hunt’s take on halwa.
Tomatoes and Other Winter Staples
Palise and Gee have noticed the warmer winter has encouraged tomato vines to thrive. “They are a particularly good buy,” says Gee. He’s selling small gourmet tomatoes for $3.70 per kilo. The roma variety are going for $6 a kilo at Spudshed, and round or gourmet tomatoes are between $4.90 and $6.50 a kilo at supermarkets. For a simple midweek winter meal, use them in Romy Gill’s Indian-style tomato curry and rice. Broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, pumpkin, zucchini – the “old faithfuls of winter” – are also in good supply, says Gee.
Spinach and Other Supply Issues
Palise says lately there have been challenges in growing spinach due to rainy weather. Gee says this is a similar story for basil, dill and tarragon, which are also going through a rough patch. Spring onion season is shifting from southern Australia to Queensland, which means supply is “a little bit tight at the moment,” says Gee. If you’re looking for blood oranges, you will need to wait a little longer. The first specimens will appear at the start of July, but with supply increasing through the month, says Gee. “They herald the arrival of the last lot of citrus fruit.”
Buy: Apples, Blackberries, Broccoli, Broccolini, Brussels sprouts, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Mandarins, Navel oranges, Papaya, Pears, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Sweet potatoes, Wombok cabbage, Zucchini. Watch: Lettuce, Strawberries. Avoid: Basil (supply issue), Blood oranges (too early), Dill (supply issue), Spinach (supply issue), Spring onions (change in production), Tarragon (supply issue).
