Best vegetable buys this week are brussels sprouts (so cute with those black ones sold in the packet along with the green), crown pumpkin, cabbage, carrotsand parsnips. Beetroot too is plentiful and certainly rings the changes now. Best fruit buys include avocados and citrus — navel oranges, mandarins and lemons.
The same old steamed veg can get pretty tiresome at this stage of the winter, so it’s herbs and spices to the rescue this week, helping to turn our buys into something even more appealing. Here are a few perfect partnerships for a little culinary creativity in your own kitchen.
Beetroot
Sweet yet earthy, beetroot likes these spices — cumin, allspice, cloves, caraway, star anise and ginger. It also likes fragrant, warm herbs. Partner with basil, mint, coriander, dill, ginger, fennel, sage, thyme, oregano and tarragon.
Serve up: Nadia Lim's beetroot, mint and yoghurt dip
Brussels sprouts
Keep these baby cabbages lively with caraway, nutmeg, mustard seeds, garlic, turmeric and cumin; and herbs: oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme (but maybe not all together).
Serve up: Viva's Cauliflower, brussels sprouts and citrus salad.
Cabbage
Fairly bland on its own, give this all-round good guy a lift and choose coriander, curry spices, ginger, nutmeg, juniper berries and allspice; and herbs: marjoram, mint, dill, fennel, parsley, thyme, dill, tarragon and thyme along with celery seed, garlic and chives.
Serve up: Dr Libby's Asian slaw
Carrots
Naturally sweet, they pair well with mild or strong flavours. Use spices like cumin, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, mace, nutmeg and paprika along with herbs: dill, fennel, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme tarragon and basil. Garlic too, of course.
Serve up: Aaron Brunet's carrot and caraway soup
Pumpkin
It likes warm and spicy flavours so that means more cumin, coriander, ginger, nutmeg, paprika, allspice, curry spices and cinnamon and herbs: basil, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley.
Serve up: Delaney Mes' favourite Thai red curry pumpkin soup (photographed at the top of the page) or Kyle Street's classic American pumpkin pie
Kumara
Like pumpkin, kumara loves warm and spicy flavours. Partner with allspice, nutmeg, sumac, cloves, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, paprika, thyme and sage.
Serve up: Delaney Mes' sweet potato salad
