Marketfresh Report - Week Ending March 4th May

Look out for specials on delicious autumn raspberries, freshly picked from Victoria and Tasmania. Pair them with new-season apples to create the perfect crumble, cake, or muffin, or top your favourite breakfast cereal with a sprinkle of raspberries for a burst of flavour

Lemons bring vibrant flavour and a refreshing citrus punch to any dish. Perfect for brightening up your cooking, squeezing over fresh salads, seafood, or noodles, or adding a zesty twist to your drinks, lemons are incredibly versatile and packed with vitamin C.

Queensland and Victorian-grown strawberries are bursting with sweetness right now, thanks to the mild autumn weather. Known for their rich red colour and juicy, fragrant flavour

Snap up late-season grapes — you’ll still find green, red, and black-skinned varieties available. Juicy, flavour-packed grapes are perfect for snacking or adding to fruit salads. For a unique twist, try roasting grapes to intensify their natural sweetness. Simply toss them with a little olive oil and seasoning, roast until they burst, and add them to cooled to salads for a deliciously rich flavour that pairs beautifully with cheese or roasted meats.

Leeks are in season and bringing a delicious mild, sweet onion flavour to winter cooking. Perfect for soups, pies, and slow-cooked dishes, fresh leeks add a beautiful depth of flavour without overpowering your meals. Choose leeks with crisp white stems and bright green tops.

Chestnuts are in season and bringing their unique, sweet, nutty flavour to autumn cooking. Unlike other nuts, chestnuts are low in fat and become soft and creamy when roasted or boiled — perfect for soups, stuffing, baking, or simply enjoying warm on a cool day. Look for firm, glossy chestnuts at your local greengrocer now — fresh is key for the best flavour and texture!

Carrots are packed with vitamins and minerals and are delicious both cooked or raw. Try them roasted with garlic, grated orange rind, and fresh thyme, or mash them just like potatoes with a knob of butter, salt, and pepper. For a sweet twist, microwave sliced carrots with a drizzle of maple syrup and orange juice. Small carrots are available in pre-packed 1-kilo bags

Pears are in peak season and tasting sensational! Right now, you’ll find beautiful varieties like Packham, Beurre Bosc, and red skinned Piqa Boo and Corella — each offering their own unique flavour and texture. Whether you love them crisp and refreshing or soft and buttery, fresh pears are perfect for snacking, baking, poaching or adding to salads.

Quince is a fragrant, seasonal delight that’s perfect for slow-cooked dishes, jams, or poaching. With its hard, tart flesh, quince needs a little love to bring out its natural sweetness, but when cooked, it transforms into a soft, aromatic fruit with a wonderful depth of flavour.

Sweet, succulent, and full of rich autumn flavour — persimmons are in season and ready to enjoy from your local greengrocer! If you haven't tasted one yet, you’re in for something special. When fully ripe, persimmons offer a luscious honeyed sweetness with a hint of warm spice — like a blend of mango and apricot, but with their own unique twist. Their silky, jelly-like texture makes them perfect for scooping straight from the skin and savouring every spoonful.

Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, broccoli is a versatile vegetable that's delicious steamed, stir-fried, roasted or even raw in salads. Look for tight, dark green heads at your local greengrocer this week – it’s in season and perfect for quick, healthy meals!

Kumara (orange sweet potato) offers a naturally sweet, delicious flavour that elevates any dish. Roasted to crispy perfection, mashed with a touch of butter, or added to curries and soups, kumara brings warmth and depth to your meals. With its vibrant colour and nutritional benefits, it’s an essential ingredient for your autumn cooking.

Fennel’s mild aniseed flavour is versatile, whether eaten raw or cooked. For a fresh salad, slice it thinly, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and toss in some citrus for a vibrant combo. You can also slice or dice the bulbs to braise and add to casseroles, roast the wedges for a caramelised treat, or finely dice to enhance hearty vegetable soups.

If you love olives, now is the perfect time to try pickling your own. While the process may take a little time, it’s incredibly rewarding to preserve your olives and flavour them with herbs, spices, or garlic to suit your taste. Grab a 5-kilo box of green or black Kalamata olives this week

Custard apples are in season and offering their deliciously sweet, creamy texture that’s perfect for dessert lovers. With a unique, tropical flavour that’s a cross between a banana and vanilla, custard apples are great for eating fresh or blending into smoothies and desserts.

Imperial mandarins are bright, easy-to-peel skin with a juicy, tangy flavour are perfect for snacking. These mandarins are known for their natural sweetness, making them a favourite for lunchboxes, fruit salads, or simply enjoying on their own. Fresh, in-season mandarins from your local greengrocer are bursting with flavour and packed with vitamin C.

Hass avocados have started and are fantastic value. Ripen in the fruit bowl until the skin turns from green to black and its yield to gentle pressure at the stem end. Once ripe, refrigerate to maintain freshness.

Swedes are a hearty cool weather favourite. With their sweet, earthy flavour, swedes are perfect for roasting, mashing, adding to soups or mixing into hearty casseroles. Buying them fresh and in season means you’ll get that rich, buttery texture and full flavour. Pick up a firm, heavy swede from your local greengrocer this week and add some real comfort to your meals!

Cauliflowers are a good buy. With their tight, creamy-white heads and sweet, nutty flavour, it’s a true kitchen all-rounder — perfect for roasting, air-frying, steaming, stir-frying or even blitzing into cauliflower rice. Fresh, cauliflower has a beautiful natural sweetness and holds its texture better in cooking. Pick one up from your local greengrocer this week

Brussels sprouts are in season, packed with healthy goodness, and offering superb quality at a great value