What's good buying at your local New World this week? Buying fresh and seasonal is made easy with our produce report tips and info.
NEW IN: New season avocados are here! "There are great prices on our new season Avocados but it is the earliest part of the season. Look
forward to September when the season really ramps up!" says New World fresh expert Brigit Corson.
LOOK FOR: Fresh, peppery watercress. It makes a tasty, very nutritious addition to soups, winter salads and to much-loved chicken sandwiches. Watercress is sold year-round but is more prolific in cooler weather. The whole thing can be eaten although the bigger, tougher stalks are better in a soup or stock. Watercress is high in vitamin K for bone health and has loads of vitamins C and A. However, it is very perishable, so needs to be used soon after purchase or picking. When buying, look for very green leaves without any yellowing. Refrigerate in plastic bags.
Walnut, barbecue chicken, apple and watercress salad
Time to stock up on celery, another winter soup star (press the chopped cooked stalks through a sieve before pureeing so no one ends up with a stringy mouthful). At this time of year when basil has left the garden (although you will still find pots of the living herb at New World) try replacing it with green celery leaves to make a winter pesto.
It’s Independence Day on Thursday – a great excuse to make pumpkin pie for dessert. The price of local crown pumpkins and their great quality this year makes the very-American treat even more appealing. See bite.co.nz for recipes.
Carrots, cabbage, leeks and broccoli are very affordable buying. Grapefruit, lemons and green kiwifruit are good fruit picks now. It is peak tamarillo season. Grab them while you can. Look for yams to add variety to roast meals.
MOVING ON: The last of the New Zealand strawberries, raspberries and local yuzus have departed. USA-grown asparagus has finished – now the long wait for the local crop in spring. The chestnut and quince seasons are over too. "We've been flush with an extended season of leafy greens and brassicas, but as the weather cools and frosts set in (as they always do this time of year) you'll want to look to more wintery veg for your plate like carrots, potatoes and swedes" says Brigit.
