'On market days the squares are piled high with garlic and onions and every sort of vegetable and fruit.  The people shout, throw things, scuffle, laugh and sing all day long.' 
                                                                        — literary genius J.W. Goethe, in his Italian Journey (1786-88). 

Buying fresh produce when it is in plentiful supply and in season ensures quality and value. Take a fresh look at seasonal produce with the Sydney Markets Limited.  Discover new recipes and learn about the best buys for each season. Let's see what good things go into the Australian market basket during September, October, November:

Buying fresh produce when it is in plentiful supply and in season ensures quality and value. The lists below, which I've compiled with the guide of Sydney Markets Limited, indicate produce that offers the best buys during December to February in Australia.

Buying fresh produce when it is in plentiful supply and in season ensures quality and value. The lists below, which I've compiled with advice from Sydney Markets Limited, indicates produce that offers the best buys during June to August in Australia. Shop at your local greengrocer, farmers market or independent supermarket and support our farmers!

Buying fresh produce when it is in plentiful supply and in season ensures quality and value. The lists below, which I've compiled with advice from Sydney Markets Limited, indicates produce that offers the best buys during March to May in Australia. 

Mushrooms go into the market basket all year round and there is a brilliant assortment available from Dr Noel Arrold at his Li Sun stall at the Capital Region Farmer's Market every weekend. Mushrooms at the ready, some thin slices of beef eye fillet, garlic, Buderim Ginger baby stem ginger, Sesame Oil, light Tamari Sauce and some of our home grown broccolini, I prepared a quick, delicious and nutritious wok tossed meal. No recipe is needed for this one, just fresh ingredients and a searing hot wok.

Watch this space for more on Dr Noel Arnold and his wonderful Li Sun mushrooms, and mushrooms generally,  in a future Good Things post.

In June, I'm taking part in the Go Orange challenge.  Will you join me?  It's simple...  just eat one whole orange every day for ten days.  Enjoy the health benefits and share your experiences on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by using the hash tag #GoOrange.  Oranges are also great used in a range of sweet and savoury recipes.

For the month of June, eat an Aussie Apple a day for better bowel health and just by signing up to the Challenge, Aussie Apples will make a donation on your behalf to Bowel Cancer Australia.   Bowel cancer is Australia's second biggest cancer killer.  My own father had bowel cancer at one stage in his life, and my Peter's father died as the result of complications from the illness.  

When it comes to passionfruit, many cooks consider this tropical fruit as a summertime-only treat.  In fact, passionfruit is available all year round in Australia, and did you know that there are two 'flushes' of availability?  One in the warmer months between December and February, and the second in the depths of winter from June to July.  So the time is ripe to stock up the fruit bowl and enjoy the exquisite flavour of passionfruit in sweet or savoury dishes.  Try my recipes for passionfruit souffles, passionfruit and raspberry chinchillas, passionfruit and apple witches' froth, or nougat passionfruit sponge.  Watch my recipes page for my take on Maggie Beer's passionfruit butter (coming soon).  Make some passionfruit relish and serve it with pulled pork sliders, a la Sammy and Bella from MKR.  Or freeze the pulp for later use.  For more information and a feast of recipes, visit the Passionfruit Australia web site. 

I was delighted to see Terry and Christine Peel's Featherdale Chestnuts stall at the Capital Region Farmer's Markets last weekend.  The Peels visit the markets from Batlow, NSW, selling chestnuts grown on 25 year old trees on their property. 

Chestnuts Australia Inc. are working actively to promote the Australian chestnut season and better educate consumers on how to cook chestnuts.  Although chestnuts are thought of as European produce, Australia has a booming chestnut industry, producing approximately 1,200 tonnes a year, the majority of which comes from North East Victoria.  For more information about chestnuts and how to cook with them, visit the Chestnuts Australia Inc. recipe pages.