Produce report: October 10

Tangelos have now arrived in store where they will stay until December. A hybrid, mostly grown in New Zealand around Gisborne, they are a cross between a tangerine and pomelo or grapefruit, and sometimes between a mandarin and grapefruit. They combine mandarin's easy peel with grapefruit's tartness and, with few pips but loads of juice, they make a refreshing lunchbox addition – just keep a wipe or a few tissues handy to mop up any spillages.

Tangelos are lovely in marmalade and their smooth skin lends itself beautifully to candied citrus for a rather grown up topping for lemon or orange cakes. Tangelos are a good source of vitamin C, so are perfect for that morning juice. Along with mandarins, navel oranges and lemons, they are good buying this week. (Unfortunately, it's a different story with limes which are pricey again.)

When buying tangelos, look for dark, almost red, skins which indicate ripeness and store them at room temperature for up to two weeks.

See Nadia Lim's gluten-free tangelo syrup cake. It's also dairy-free and has no added fat (unless you serve it with whipped cream, of course).

Other affordable fruit buys of the week include Tongan coconuts and local kiwifruit. Because it is cheese month we are eyeing the bounty to make Warren Elwin's kiwifruit butter (jam). It makes a pleasing addition to the cheeseboard and would be delicious in a toasted cheese sandwich.

Vegetable buys of the week include cabbage, asparagus, kale, crown pumpkin, shallots and cucumber.