Wet weather has little effect on produce supplies

Press, 21 May 1987, Page 12

Wet weather has little effect on produce supplies

Wet weather had little effect on supplies of fruit and vegetables this week. Christchurch markets reported that they had ample supplies of all produce. Braeburn apples arrived on the market. These sold for $18.70 a 15kg crate. Also new were snake beans. These are long, curved, thin beans, which should be cooked for just a little longer than ordinary beans. They were sold in bundles for $2.80. Snow peas were available, and a good sample went for $6 a kilogram. Snow peas can be eaten raw, tossed in butter, or added to stir-frys and soups. Tiny Lebanese cucumbers were another novelty. About the size of gherkins, these are sweet, tender, and seedless. They can be eaten raw, or added to stir-frys. Although many were sold to restaurants, some will be available at supermarkets. Root vegetables were all in plentiful supply. Swedes sold at $6 to $7 a 20kg ba, kumaras at $2O to $22 a 19kg carton, carrots at $4 to $7.50 a 20kg bag, and pumpkins at $6 to $7.50 a 30kg bag. Cauliflowers were in particularly good supply, said Macfarlane and Growers, Ltd.

Consumers should take advantage of supplies before the cold weather hit. Prices, for cauliflowers ranged from $1.60 to $4 for a bag of eight. The manager of Market Gardeners, Ltd, Mr Ron Bainbridge, said Christchurch supplies of courgettes and cucumbers were dwindling, but these were being supplemented by Australian supplies.

Kiwifruit was still one of the best buys, fetching between 25 cents and 50 cents a kilogram. Mandarin supplies have been increasing. Two varieties were available, the easily peeled satsuma, and the clementine. The feijoa season is coming to t an end. This year’s fruit has been a particuarly tasty new variety, larger and sweeter than before. It has fetched between $1 and $1.60 a kilogram. New Zealand oranges fetched $1.20 to $1.50 a kilogram. Persimmons were in good supply, going for $2O to $25 a tray.

phila, is misty blue and is mostly used as a background flower. Today’s recipes SWEET AND SOUR PERSIMMON SALAD Serves four 2 sliced persinmons 1 sliced lemtn % cup sugar syrup 4 tblsp Graid Marnier 2 tblsp oratige zest 2 sliced lines 2 sliced mtndarins Methoi: Arrange peeled and sliced persimmons, limes, lemons and mandarins on a plate. Bring thesugar syrup and Grand Marnier to a gentle boil. Add the orange zest. Chill this syrup. When ice cold, pair syrup over the salad. FRIED CAULIFLOWER Us? tender crisp cauliflowtf florets. Di) each piece into beaten egg, then into bre.-dcrumbs and fry in hot' oil until golden. Spinkle with paprika. fry an onion sauce or a<fl a little curry powder oi grated orange rind to tte basic white sauce or erve with sour cream. Cauliflower pickles are delicious, winter or sumrmer.

There are fewer of the hass variety of avocados about but increasing numbers of the reed variety. Avocados fetched $23 to $26 a tray. Flowers A new flower available this week was caspia, a small variety of the statice. It looks like gypso-