Market Fresh Report Week Ending 25th October

Bananas offer good value and make a great portable snack. Overripe bananas can be frozen and used in banana bread or smoothies.

White and yellow-fleshed Australian grown peaches are now available at your local greengrocer

Brimming with healthy goodness, tropical-tasting papaya from Far North Queensland are well priced. A fragrant aroma is a good indication of good flavour

Be sure to snap up classic zucchinis For something different, slice and marinate in soy sauce, and grill at your next barbecue. Zucchinis can also be added to a stir fry, grated and baked in a cake or added them to a frittata.

Radishes crisp texture and mild mustard flavour adds a delicious burst of flavour and texture to spring salads.Choose from classic round and red, elongated red and white radishes or greengrocers also have bunches of mixed coloured radishes.

Broad beans are plentiful and well priced.

Luscious Northern Territory Kensington Pride and R2E2 mangoes are available and dropping in price.

Fragrant vivid red strawberries are heavenly eaten just on their own.

Fresh asparagus for Victoria has an exquisite flavour, is versatility and fast cooking time. Use asparagus in risottos, blanch and add to salads or toss through pasta dishes.

With its delicious aniseed flavour and crisp texture, fennel adds vibrancy to spring salads. It has virtually no fat and few kilojoules, and refreshing raw or cooked.

No that the salad season is upon us, select from crisp and crunchy iceberg lettuce, or long and flat-leafed Cos or Baby Cos lettuce.

Baby carrots also sold as Dutch carrots are sweet, juicy and a great buy.

The vivid purplish-blue colour of blueberries is an antioxidant known as anthocyanins, a naturally occurring plant chemical that makes blueberries so blue. Blueberries are a top buy this week.

Locally grown ruby red rhubarb with is tangy fleshy stems perfect to team up with Victorian strawberries

Globe artichokes are a stunning vegetable with a unique, sweet and subtle flavour. Boil trimmed globe artichokes until tender then, slice and combine with diced tomatoes, baby bocconcini, parsley, pepper and olive oil to serve with crusty bread.

Versatile green beans are an Australian favourite. This stringless bean only requires the stems to be trimmed before cooking. They are best cooked rapidly to retain their delicious crunch and vibrant colour.

Crisp, locally grown Lebanese cucumbers are plentiful and good value.

If pumpkin carving is on your list of things to do for Halloween this 31st October, then the good news is that Halloween pumpkins are now available at your local greengrocer but be quick as they sell out fast.