Green vegetables cheap and plentiful

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 2

Green vegetables cheap and plentiful

All lines of green vegetables were plentiful at th’e Christchurch produce markets this week. Good supplies of cabbages, cauliflowers, and brussels sprouts brought the prices • down from those of last week. The continued fine weather, and lack of frosts, have meant that crops have lasted longer than usual and more have reached the market. The warm weather has also meant a reduced demand. for these winter vegetables and, prices have dropped accordingly. Drumhead cabbages ranged from $1.60 to $4.80 a bag. The cheapest drumheads last week fetched growers $3 a bag. Red cabbages were also down in price to $3 to $4.50 a bag, and savoy cabbages were selling at $2.40 to $3.

Cauliflowers arriving on the markets were of excellent quality and fetched $1.50 to $4.50 a bag. Oamaru and local brussels sprouts made $2 to $6 a bag and 50c to 80c a kilogram. : y Ample supplies of spinach, spring onions, parsley, silverbeet, and celery completed the range of green vegetables available. Celery was of good quality for both locally grown and Nelson produce. Buyers paid to $6 a case for the top-quality vegetables. Nelson and Oamaru let-

tuces were also plentiful.‘The size of the lettuces varied, most being smaller than earlier in the year. Prices ranged from $2.50 to $5 a case. Stocks of pumpkins - crown, butternut and buttercup — and potatoes - Ham Hardy, Rua, and Chippewa — were able to cope with demand. Red King potatoes from Outram and Invercargill were also selling, well at $2.30 for a 10kg sack. Kumara and yams were also adequately supplied with

kumara from Dargaville and Motueka and yams from Ashburton. The Dargaville kumara were slightly more expensive at $2O a carton. Motueka produce sold for up to $l7. Buyers paid $lO for a half-case of yams. Capsicum, cucumbers, leeks, and carrots were also available, as were tomatoes and mushrooms. North. Island tomatoes fetched $l2 to $l4 a 7kg case while locally grown varieties made up to $8 for a 4.5 kg carton. Courgettes were the excep-

tion in the vegetable section, being scarce and to $4 a kilogram. Grapes are scarce, with the produce at the markets mainly coming from glasshouse growers in the North Island rather than local growers. Those that were at the Lichfield Street markets were quickly snapped up by retailers willing to pay $lO a kilogram. The fruit was of excellent quality.

This week’s recipe RED CABBAGE WITH APPLES 2 onions 75 gms butter 2 cooking apples 1 tbsp white vinegar Vi cup water 1, small red cabbage salt and pepper Method: Finely chop the onions and saute in the hot butter in a large saucepan. Wash and finely shred the cabbage, discarding any heavy stems. Add this to the saucepan, turning it over once or, twice. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar and .add the water. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Peel, core, and chop the apples. Add these, stirring well and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes. Serves 6.