Spring has Sprung at the Village Market
The days are getting warmer, the BBQ is being dusted off and antihistamine sales are going through the roof. Yes, spring is well and truly in the air and with it comes a new season of delicious Victorian produce to enjoy.
If there’s one vegetable that’s synonymous with the arrival of spring its asparagus. Coming from just 70 kilometres away in Koo Wee Rup, it’s as fresh as you can get and makes a perfect side dish for grilled spring lamb chops. Have a bunch with those thin, delicate spears? Instead of inevitably overcooking, chop them up and add raw to salads to add a sweet, juicy crunch.
The once maligned brussels sprouts is also back and ready to pan fried with bacon or popped into everyone’s favourite new appliance, the air fryer. Though as delicious as brussels sprouts are, we think it’s time for another overboiled veggie to have its time in the limelight – the broad bean. Buy some young, smaller pods, cover in olive oil and salt and put on the barque to soften and char. Pop on a platter, grate over lots of parmesan and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Cooked like this you can eat the whole pods and they make the perfect appetiser to eat with a glass of pet nat.
Local strawberries grown in the Yarra Valley will start to hit the shelves in October and mandarins and grapefruit from Mildura will tide us over the summer fruit season hits (we can’t wait!). But as we all know, Melbourne’s spring is nothing if not unpredictable, so for those inevitable cold nights, nothing beats a rhubarb crumble. Bake these ruby spears with some sugar, orange juice and if you’re feeling fancy, a vanilla pod and a few start anise until tender. Topped with your favourite crumble mix, it’s the perfect comfort food.
Also in season: beetroot, berries, broad beans, broccoli, capsicums, carrot, cauliflower, chillies, cucumbers, grapefruits, leeks, lemons, lettuce, limes, mandarins (imperial), onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, potatoes, rhubarb, silverbeet, snow peas, spinach, spring onion, squash, strawberries, zucchini.