Rhubarb is in season and is the star ingredient in 12WBT’s Poached Rhubarb with Ginger & Yoghurt recipe.
Brr, winter has definitely hit in the southern states of Australia. The colder months tend to trigger cravings for hearty, hot meals packed with flavour. Luckily, what’s in season in fruit and vegetables right now is just what the doctor ordered! Get up to date on what’s fresh and stay in great health this winter.
Up in the warmer climes of the Northern Territory and Queensland, tons of veggies are ripening including broccoli from Toowoomba and beans from Mary Valley.
Tomatoes are fresh off the vine from Bowen. Darwin is still producing gorgeous Asian veggies – perfect for stir fries – and you can roast Brussel sprouts from South Australia and zucchini from WA.
Lovely citrus fruit is still abundant, and apples and pears aplenty as well as delicious rhubarb – perfect fruits to stew!
Rhubarb
12WBT dietitian Georgie Moore suggests taking a look at rhubarb this month. While a vegetable, rhubarb is fantastic in desserts or stewed for breakfast.
“Stew rhubarb with apples or pears with some added cloves, cinnamon or other spices and serve with a dollop of natural, low fat yoghurt. Add the cooked rhubarb to your cereal in winter for a tangy twist!” says Georgie.
Silverbeet
This is the spinach that Popeye used to eat to get those biceps bulging, says Georgie. “It’s quite old fashioned and, in recent times, has been replaced by more ‘sexy’ greens such as baby spinach and rocket.” But Popeye was right; silverbeet cannot be beat for its dazzling array of minerals. Spinach has high levels of magnesium, calcium, vitamin K, iron, potassium, vitamin A, folate (folic acid), zinc, copper, vitamin C, dietary fibre, and vitamin E. Vegetarians will definitely benefit from a hit of silverbeet.
Georgie says “Silverbeet can be added to pasta sauces to help bulk it up. Make sure you chop it up well and, unlike baby spinach, you want to allow it quite some time to ‘wilt’ in the pan. Silverbeet can also be used in curries. Finely chop the leaves and add them to a dry chickpea curry with plenty of amazing herbs and flavours,” she suggests.
Navel Oranges
Packed with vitamin C and in hot demand in cold weather, the humble orange can be used in more than just fresh juice and orange cakes, as Georgie points out. “It can be used as a major ingredient in marinades for meat and meat alternatives. Try roasting some of those delicious winter vegetables in a mixture of orange juice, balsamic vinegar and a little bit of brown sugar to add some extra flavour,” she suggests.
Ginger is also in season, so add it to a citrus juice if you feel a bit of a cold coming on.
Cauliflower
Another seasonal gem – cauliflower can be made into a delicious and nutritious soup. Georgie’s recipe: “Cook up a cauliflower with one medium potato in some stock. Add a good amount of cumin and dried coriander. Once it’s well cooked, allow the broth to cool a little and then blend and puree smooth.”
Fruit in Season in June/July
- Apples
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Custard apples
- Grapefruit
- Kiwifruit
- Lemons
- Mandarins
- Melons
- Nashi
- Oranges: Navel
- Passionfruit
- Pears
- Pomelo
- Quince
- Rhubarb
Vegetables in Season in June/July
- Beans
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Fennel
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Kohlrabi
- Leeks
- Olives
- Onions
- Parsnips
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Silverbeet
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Turnips
- Zucchini
Ask your greengrocer for their locally grown produce to make sure you’re getting the freshest – and least jet-lagged(!) – fruit and vegetables available.
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