Salad vegetables popular with warmer weather

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 2

Salad vegetables popular with warmer weather

Warmer weather has created a greater demand for spring or salad vegetables and most are available in Christchurch shops. Courgettes have been available for the last fortnight, but this week prices dropped considerably. Imported from Tonga, they sold for a market price of $2.50 to $5 a kilogram. Courgettes are particularly versatile at this time of year when the weather can be changeable. It can be served hot or cold as a plain vegetable, stuffed, or used with other vegetables in casseroles or salads. Courgettes, also known as zucchini, were originally young ordinary marrows but in the last 10 years growers have developed new varieties which produce more courgettes at a faster rate.

The local season for courgettes is not expected to start for some weeks yet. Most other vegetables were plentiful at produce markets yesterday but some lines were dropping in availability as the demand for winter vegetables lessens.

Among those on the way out were brussels sprouts from Oamaru, which sold for $6 to $ll.BO a bag. Depending on the weather, they might be in for another two or three weeks yet. The weather was also responsible for bringing the price of cauliflower forward. It sold for $3 to $9 a bag. Drumhead cabbages varied in quality and quantity, at $4 to $ll a bag, and good supplies of yams fetched $1.50 to $3 a kilogram. Dargaville kumara fetched $22 to $3O a case, and leeks were to $7.50 a

case. Carrots, parsnips, parsley, radishes, spring onions, and green beans were also available.

The other vegetable lines included mushrooms at $8 to $11.50 a tray, and asparagus at $4.70 to $9 a kilogram. Lettuce met a good demand, fetching $6 to $l5 a case, as did cucumbers. Telegraphs sold for $1 to $1.50 each and shorts for $1 to $1.30 each.

Tongan capsicums were still plentiful and were of excellent quality. A fresh shipment this week supplemented supplies and brought prices down to $2.50 to $3 a kilogram. Potatoes were plentiful,

Ham Hardy fetching $3.50 to $4.50 a bag, and Rua, $4 to $5 a bag. New potatoes from Pukekohe were slightly cheaper this week as better weather meant increased supplies. They sold for $lB a bag.

Pumpkin was available at $lO to $2O a bag, and buttercups were $l4 to $l6 a bag. The availability of both these vegetables was expected to drop as the warmer months arrived. The citrus fruit season is flourishing and excellent lines of New Zealand fruit were available.

New Zealand oranges were still coming forward at $l2 to $lB a bushel, as

were goldfruit at $8 to $l2 a bushel. Tangelos were also plentiful and sold for $lO to $2O a bushel. Kiwifruit was still available and well priced at $5 a tray, or to $2O a bushel.

A new shipment of bananas arrived on Monday and after ripening were sent out to most Christchurch shops. They sold at a set retail price of $1.51. Today’s recipe Mushroom stuffed courgettes 5 medium-sized courgettes 2 to 3 rashers of bacon, chopped finely 1 cup finely diced onions 1 clove crushed garlic 450 g mushrooms, chopped % cup breadcrumbs % tsp basil 1 tbsp tomato puree Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper Method: Boil whole courgettes for about eight minutes or until crisp and tender. Drain and cool. Cook bacon until brown and drain on absorbent paper. Reserve about two tablespoons of bacon fat and cook the onions and garlic in it until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for five minutes, stirring often over a low to medium heat. Slice cooked courgettes lengthwise and scoop out the pulp to leave a firm shell. Mash pulp and add to mushrooms. Add the tomato puree, basil, salt and pepper, and a couple of shakes of Parmesan cheese. Stir in breadcrumbs for a medium-dry mixture. Stuff ; courgettes and sprinkle bacon on top. Arrange in a greased baking dish and bake for 15 minutes in a 205 deg. C oven. Serves 5-8.