Fresh food club - What's in season?

New-season grapes from the Sunraysia area are crunchy and flavoursome and a fabulous buy this week. Loaded with natural sugar, grape varieties in season include Flame seedless, Sultana, Ralli, Menindee seedless and Red Globe.

Yellow and white-fleshed peaches and nectarines are still delicious eating, their natural sweetness and juiciness making them an irresistible choice for a healthy snacking or quick dessert. The popular yellow-skinned, Golden Queen peach is a popular choice for preserving or poaching at this time of year

Snap up the last of the season’s flavoursome and top-quality cherries

For value, convenience, and versatility, you can’t beat creamy Innisfail grown bananas

Passionfruit are plentiful and good value too. One passionfruit yields approximately two tablespoons of pulp and juice.

Plums are plentiful. Attractively coloured and rich in flavour select from blood plums or yellow flesh varieties. There are about a dozen different varieties now available. Select from plums of varying shapes; skin and flesh colour and flavours range from honey-sweet to sweet and tangy.

For a sweet summer sensation, pick up a bag of juicy lychees. They’re easy to peel and are the best value at this time of the year.

Mangoes are still plentiful. Choose from honeygold, Kensington Pride, R2E2 and Calypso.

Late summer to early autumn is the best time to make the most of figs. Ripen figs at room temperature, store fully ripe figs in the refrigerator, and use them within 1-2days. Serve fresh figs at room temperature, poach gently in honey and orange juice, half, and grill, or toss figs into a honeyed walnut & blue cheese salad, or add to a pizza topping with feta cheese.

Flavoursome Reed avocados are a seasonal favourite, and they have an extra creamy flesh with a superior nutty flavour.

Snake beans continue to be a great buy. Snake beans are delicious stir-fried with garlic, ginger, tomatoes, or fresh herbs.

Zucchinis are well priced at this time of years. Add grated zucchini to cakes, pasta sauces and meatloaf or thinly slice lengthwise and add to a salad. Barbecued zucchini adds a lovely taste and texture to salads

Glossy skinned eggplants are a good source of dietary fibre. They also provide vitamin B6, which plays a role in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body. Eggplants purple skin is a rich source of antioxidants. Bake, grill, or barbecue eggplant to preserve its low-fat content rather than frying it.

In abundance in summer, fragrant basil teams well with ripe tomatoes, fresh cheese like bocconcini or ricotta and pasta. Choose vibrant basil with firm leaves and a distinct fresh aroma.

Make your Australian Day barbecue healthier and tastier by adding a few mushrooms to the grill. Sizzle up some large Jumbo flats or thread button mushrooms and halloumi cheese on skewers and cook until warmed through.

Green onions, also known as shallots have a mild onion flavour and are ideal for enjoying raw in salads or served green onions cooked in egg-based dishes like frittata or omelettes.

Toss together a classic Caesar salad with baby Cos lettuce. Cos lettuce has a lovely crunch stem that adds great texture to this salad.

Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetable you can eat and prices have eased.