Make the best of in-season winter root vegetables thanks to produce buying tips for our friends at New World.
FRESH IN: Root vegetables come into their own as the weather cools. Swedes, parsnips, carrots, red-skinned kumara and affordable agria potatoes are plentiful now and calling out for the roasting pan.
You may find celeriac in markets too. If you spot this rather alarming looking but mild-flavoured relative of celery, choose smaller but heavy for their size roots, which will be more tender. The same goes for swedes and turnips. Like celeriac, all make great mash but young sweet roots can be eaten raw, thinly sliced, adding crunch to salads. Celeriac, of course, must be peeled first; swedes and turnips too in winter when their skins are tougher than those in early autumn. Brussels sprouts and cauliflowers are also good buying now.
Winter vegetable soup with carrots and parsnips
LOOK FOR: brightly coloured baby yams. A good source of vitamin A. "You could call them the most wintery of
veg as they're most popular when plentiful from June to September and great for winter-warming dishes. They will be arriving in New World stores over the next few weeks," says fresh expert Brigit Corson. You may spot yuzu on your travels over the next month. Tasting like a cross between
a grapefruit and mandarin, the Japanese citrus fruit (little juice, lots of seeds) is used in the very versatile ponzu – the dipping sauce/marinade/salad and cold noodle dressing.
MOVING ON: "Buttercup squash is coming to an end so focus on butternut and pumpkin for good buying roast veg" says Brigit. "Persimmons and nashi are still easy to find but sadly feijoa season has come to an end unless you're lucky enough to have a fruiting tree in your back yard!"
