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September/October
In Spring the Australian-grown asparagus season is well under way, so enjoy this
delicious vegetable until late January. Early supplies of green and purple come
from sunny Queensland and Mildura. Then the largest crop arrives from
Koo-wee-rup in Victoria. Asparagus is an excellent source of Vitamin C, dietary
fibre and supplies B-group vitamins. In September don't miss out on sensational
white asparagus as its season is short.
CHOOSING ASPARAGUS
Look for firm crisp asparagus with compact tips. Previously we needed to snap
off woody asparagus ends but improved growing and handling techniques ensure
washed, trimmed neat bundles. Before using, just trim 1-2 cm from the base of
each asparagus spear. Always check the end of spears to see they are dry, but
not dehydrated or moist and weeping.
GREEN ASPARAGUS
Is the most popular due to its bright colour, fibre-free tenderness and sweet
almost nutty flavour. Absolutely no need to peel the stalks before cooking. To
Cook No special equipment is required. Choose a wide saucepan and bring water to
the boil. Add asparagus and cook, uncovered for 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender
or steam if desired. (Time depends on thickness of spears). Drain, sprinkle with
salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with virgin olive oil plus
lemon juice, Balsamic or red wine vinegar. It's fantastic with shaved Parmesan
cheese.
* For salads - cook asparagus, drain then cover immediately with very cold water
to capture the glorious green colour. Quickly drain again and pat spears dry on
paper towel. Store in refrigerator, for up to one day.
To Microwave The Harris family always does it this way. Place 1 bunch of
asparagus in a clean plastic (freezer) bag, add 2-3 teaspoons butter or oil,
salt and pepper. Knot the bag loosely, flattening to remove air and microwave on
High for 2 minutes. To serve, simply cut bag open onto a plate, but take care as
the bag will release steam when opened.
To Stir-fry Cut asparagus into 2 cm diagonal lengths. Heat peanut oil in a wok
with a few drops of sesame oil, add asparagus, a sliced clove of garlic, sliced
fresh ginger and stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and stir-fry
another minute until crisp-tender. Asparagus is great stir-fried with snow peas,
sweet corn kernels, sliced button or shiitake mushrooms or bean sprouts.
To Barbecue or Roast Blanch asparagus for 1 minute, drain and roll in a little
olive oil. Barbecue or roast, turning occasionally until tender and lightly
coloured.
 WHITE ASPARAGUS
Europeans have a love affair with white asparagus, possibly because they've
enjoyed it with classic, kilojoule-laden Hollandaise sauce ! It's a favourite
with chefs due to its exquisite sweet flavour and fine silky texture.
Australian-grown is more tender than European, because our clever farmers employ
an innovative technique. Previously white asparagus was grown under mounds of
earth to prevent shoots from receiving sunlight and turning green. Now the
asparagus stays white above ground under the cover of a black plastic 'igloo'.
This 'greenhouse' effect prevents frosts too, which allows for earlier
harvesting. To Cook - It's necessary to first peel white asparagus stalks to
within 2 cm of the tip, with a vegetable peeler. Bring a wide pan of water to
the boil adding salt if desired. Add asparagus, return water to boil and cook
gently for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain and serve. It can also be steamed.
White should be fully cooked, but by no means limp. It's absolutely delicious
served simply, with melted butter or olive oil.
PURPLE (Violet) ASPARAGUS
It looks beautiful but unfortunately this hybrid asparagus loses its dramatic
colour when cooked. So, it's best thinly sliced and eaten raw in salads.
TO STORE ASPARAGUS
Use asparagus as soon as possible after purchase. White should be used on the
same day of buying. Green and purple can be wrapped in paper towels or a clean
tea-towel and stored in the refrigerator crisper for 2-3 days.
ASPARAGUS enjoys the company of...... olive oil, butter, lemon juice, red wine or Balsamic
vinegar, Dijon or seed mustard, yoghurt, Parmesan, goat's and gruyere cheese,
smoked salmon, prawns, fish, prosciutto or bacon, leg ham, ripe tomatoes,
lemons, oranges & blood oranges, eggs, pasta, risotto, noodles, potatoes,
mushrooms, chives, light soy sauce, fresh or pickled ginger, tarragon, blue
cheese, walnuts, almonds and pine nuts.
WHICH WINE to serve with Asparagus ? This is often a dilemma, as asparagus has a
natural sulphurous flavour. A grassy sauvignon blanc, a marsanne or verdelho
will generally be compatible. Happy, healthy shopping at Harris Farm ! Regards,
David Harris
Note - Back as far as 200 BC the Romans cultivated asparagus seed from wild
plants. Asparagus could well be the world's original fast 'finger food' as it
cooks in 2-3 minutes and originally was always eaten in the fingers.
Despite national drought conditions again this year, early season stone fruit
like mangoes, peaches and nectarines have arrived and promise to be as intensely
sweet as last season. While rock melons and watermelons are available all year
round, their flavour improves considerably when kissed by the sun's warm rays.
Fabulous new season berries include popular blueberries and old-fashioned
mulberries.
MARVELLOUS MANGOES
Get ready for a bumper mango season as plantings in the Darwin in Northern
Territory are huge. First of season mangoes include Kensington Pride and the
sweet, TPPI variety. Torpedo-shaped and fibre-free, these mangoes are voted tops
by our Asian customers. By the October long-weekend mangoes will be plentiful
and you should be able to buy them by the tray or case to share with friends or
simply indulge. Soon we'll offer many easy and delicious ideas on mangoes.
GREEN MANGOES FOR COOKING
The slim Namdoc mangoes are the preferred cooking mango when they should be used
while green and hard to make fragrant Thai Chicken or Prawn Salads or wonderful
spicy Mango Chutney. However, both the green Namdoc and firm unripe Kensington
Pride Mangoes are suitable for Mango Chutney and ABC food broadcaster Barbara
Lowery has posted an easy recipe on our website www.harrisfarm.com.au. Set time
aside to make a batch of this superb chutney as it's fantastic served with
prawns, chicken, Chinese roast duck, ham, pork, corned beef, sausages or
curries.
PEACHES and NECTARINES
The delicate aroma of early season fruit is appealing, however these stone
fruits will improve in flavour every week from here on. We'll talk about them in
more detail next month.
MULBERRIES
First of the season Mulberries are arriving from Yeppoon in Queensland and this
old-fashioned, glossy, dark purple oval berry has a sweet-sour flavour, juicy
texture and is rich in Vitamin C. When purchasing any berry fruit, check the
underneath of the punnet to see that the berries are dry and not weeping.
Combine mulberries with Granny Smith apples in a fruit crumble, stir them
through our yoghurt or make spicy mulberry muffins to go with coffee. Just
remember not to tuck into mulberries when wearing white clothes !
 BLUEBERRIES
While obtainable all year round, blueberries are expensive out of peak season.
Now we have the first flush of the real blueberry season from excellent
plantings in Coffs Harbour. Blueberries keep well in a covered container in the
refrigerator for a few days. Add them to fruit salads, quick mix muffins and
cheesecakes. Sprinkle lightly with brown sugar, grill until they burst and
caramelise and serve warm with our yoghurt. Children love them in lunch boxes,
as an after-school snack or in raspberry or strawberry jellies.
ROCKMELONS
(also known as canteloupe) Melons are best in spring and summer with good
supplies coming from Kununurra W.A., the Northern Territory and Queensland. The
best melons will have a fragrant musky aroma, dark orange flesh and unrivalled
sweetness. Hotshots is a variety with a textured 'netted' skin while Eastern
Star has a similar skin looking striped in appearance. Always smell melons
before buying as aroma is the best indicator of ripeness. Store cut rockmelon in
the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Melons are so refreshing
served lightly chilled. For a quick and easy starter, wrap melon wedges in thin
slices of prosciutto. Serve alone, or place on a bed of rocket leaves and
drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. Add rockmelon to fruit salads or combine with
passionfuit or berries in season. For an easy dessert, top rockmelon wedges with
finely chopped ginger in syrup and decorate with fresh mint leaves.
WATERMELON
Watermelon was recorded as being eaten in Egypt as early as 4000 BC. It's the
most refreshing, easy-to-eat fruit on a warm day as the flesh contains about 90%
water. Watermelon also contains the valuable anti-oxidant lycopene. The most
common Red Tiger watermelon is a barrel-shaped striped melon with dark green
skin, deep red flesh and black seeds. Now seedless watermelons are becoming
popular, particularly for healthy, after-school snacks. So consumer-friendly
too, because they save us the tedious task of flicking out the seeds !
 GREY ZUCCHINI
- very Mediterranean Zucchini (also known as courgette) belongs to the squash
and marrow family. It needs little preparation, cooks quickly and is a
versatile, mild-tasting vegetable which appeals to children as well as adults.
Available all year round, the best supplies grown locally come in October and
November and a second crop appears in March. 'Grey' zucchini are really a pale
green colour, in contrast to so-called 'black' zucchini that range from bright
to dark green. However, it's the grey zucchini that are much prized by customers
from Mediterranean countries. Look for firm, glossy zucchini, free from
blemishes and store them in the crisper compartment of the refrigerator (7-10 °
C) in an airtight plastic bag for 2-3 days only. Just trim the ends of zucchini
and slice or chop for salads, soups, stir-fries and vegetable fritters. We like
to slice them thinly, stir-fry in a little oil and hot chilli and serve as a
side dish. Add cooked zucchini to omelettes, frittata, pasta and vegetable
dishes. They are also excellent stuffed and baked or cooked slowly in classic
French ratatouille.
Regards,
David Harris. © Harris Farm Markets P/L
Seasons’ Best information comes from our market visits, information provided
by interstate readers and especially, from Harris Farm Markets. |
