David Stewart: Rain puts salad lines in short supply

Look out for beautiful locally grown passionfruit this week. Photo/File

The last few days have been extremely difficult with all green leafy salad lines being in very short supply.

The heavy rain two weeks ago and subsequent high temperatures and humidity have seen wastage occurring out in the gardens.

Baby spinach, mesclun salad mixes and most fancy lettuce varieties were the most affected.

Capsicums, cucumbers and tomatoes continue in good supply with attractive prices to match.

Good supplies of most green vegetables are selling well with Hawke's Bay green beans, Northland courgettes, Pukekohe broccoli, Palmerston North cauliflower and celery being the top sellers.

With abundant supplies of Waikato sweet corn, you will find good prices in the shop this week.

Ohakune carrots, Hawke's Bay green buttercup squash, Pukekohe brown onions and agria potatoes are the best buys in the hard lines and you can start to enjoy the new season Northland kumaras now that the price has come down a bit.

The Hawke's Bay apple season is progressing really well. This week you will find braeburn, fuji and royal gala apples in the shop and arriving later this week will be the good old fashioned ballarat cooking apple. Look out for beautiful locally grown passionfruit.

The summer stone fruit season has been exceptional this year with a good constant supply of quality fruit along with a lovely selection of new varieties available all season.

The Central Otago apricot season will finish by the end of this week with the Nevis and Southern Cross varieties the last to arrive from down South.

Remember to buy what is in season and on special.

- David Stewart is the owner of The Fresh Market Gate Pa and home delivery service mygreengrocer.co.nz