Harvest ensures a good supply

Press, 6 February 1986, Page 18

Harvest ensures a good supply

Vegetables fresh from summer harvesting were plentiful at the Christchurch produce markets this week. Corn was available in increased quantities and at up to $l2 a case was cheaper than last week. Courgettes and scallopini were plentiful, with the latter at up to $9 a small case. Scallopini are delicious when diced up and cooked quickly in herb or garlic-flavoured butter. Good quality crunchy celery was very cheap this week, priced from $1 to $8 a case. Salad vegetables were in good supply. Cabbages sold at up to $3.50 a bag, tomatoes were adequately supplied and carrots were $l5 to $17.50 a bag. Lettuces were scarcer than last week (when oversupplied) and sold at between $3.50 and $5 a case. All varieties of beans — butter, green and runner — were plentiful, fetching between $2 to $l3 a case. Spinach was another good buy at between $3 and $7 a case. Marrow prices slipped

with more courgettes available, selling from $1.50 to $2.50 a bag. New season’s leeks appeared this week, selling at up to $9 a half-case. Brussels sprouts were up to $lB a small bag, and swedes cost up to $l2 a bag. Good quality red squash pumpkins were available at up to $l2 a bag. Dargaville kumaras were still dear, at up to $5O a case.

Stonefruit still dominated the fruit floor, with the juicy Moorpark dessert apricots in the full flush of their season. Prices ranged from $6 to $l4 a case, cheap enough for bottling and jam. Peaches were plentiful, with Glowhaven and Redhaven looking nice for eating. Freestone varieties (also good for bottling) were cheap at around $6 a case.

Sweet eating Billington plums and the big black Purple King plums were available. Purple Kings, a dessert plum, sold at up to $33 a case but other varieties were cheaper at between $2 to $l7 a case.

Greengages dropped a lot in ‘price from last week, selling at a more reasonable $6 to $l6 a case.

Bananas were in short supply this week, because a shipment was delayed. More Equadorean bananas are expected next week. Strawberries were the cheapest of the berry fruit, at up to $l4 a tray. Some blueberries were available, but raspberries have just about finished. Lemons have been

scarce and were consequently dear. Villa Franca lemons sold at up to $39 a case. Equadorean limes were available at up to $lB a case. Australian Cardinal grapes were excellent quality, big and juicy looking. Watermelons from Motueka and the North Island sold at around $1 a kilogram, and avocados were well supplied. A small consignment of American red delicious apples also arrived this week. These are probably the last that will be available. Today's recipes WALDORF SALAD 2 eating apples 2 oranges 2 cups diced celery 50 grams chopped walnuts cream dressing (recipe follows) Method: Chop apples (leaving skin on), peel and chop oranges. Mix with celery and walnuts, pour over the dressing and chill until ready to serve. CREAM DRESSING 1 cup cream 1 tb sugar 1 tb lemon juice 1 tsp dry mustard powder salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Method: Mix all ingredients together until cream thickens to dressing consistency. When serving the salad, sprinkle a little paprika over each portion. Arranging it in lettuce cups is an attractive (an edible) alternative to bowls.