\u201cIt\u2019s peak asparagus season,\u201d says Graham Gee, senior buyer at the Happy Apple in Melbourne. When it comes in, and conditions are favourable, \u201cit just bolts\u201d through the soil, he says.<\/p>\n
At the Happy Apple, bunches of asparagus are selling for $2 and at the supermarkets they\u2019re between $1.50-$2.50 each.<\/p>\n
Land an easy win for lunch and use the stalks in Joo Won\u2019s pajeon<\/a> \u2013 Korean savoury pancake \u2013 which can be made in under half an hour. To extend your asparagus supply, try Kenji Morimoto\u2019s asparagus kimchi<\/a> \u2013 the fermentation process will take three to five days.<\/p>\n Joo Won\u2019s asparagus and zucchini pajeon with soy-vinegar dip. Photograph: Matthew Hague\/The Guardian. Food and prop styling: Lucy Turnbull<\/p>\n The year of the cabbage<\/a> is going strong. And this month large drumhead, or green, cabbages are filling shelves, says Elijah Etri, manager at Skippy\u2019s Fresh Frootz in east Queensland \u2013 they have full outer leaves and \u201creally big\u201d heads. Michael Hsu, the operational manager at Sydney\u2019s Panetta Mercato, describes them as being denser and harder compared to the savoy or sugarloaf cabbages.<\/p>\n Hsu is selling large drumhead cabbages for $2 and at Skippy\u2019s, they\u2019re going for $1. At Perth\u2019s Spudshed, they\u2019re $2.50 each.<\/p>\n Alice Zaslavsky\u2019s unrolled cabbage rolls. Photograph: Eugene Hyland\/The Guardian<\/p>\n If you\u2019re struggling to use a whole head, Alice Zaslavsky\u2019s one-pot cabbage \u201crolls\u201d<\/a> will use up about a quarter of the cabbage \u2013 and she has tips for other ways to cook with it. You could also follow her lead and char the wedges, then drench them in a satay butter sauce<\/a>.<\/p>\n Seeing red<\/p>\n Beetroots are in season and are growing pretty well, says Gee. \u201cThe quality\u2019s been quite good \u2026 and they\u2019re nicely firm.\u201d They\u2019re going for $4.99 a kilo at the Happy Apple, Panetta Mercato and Spudshed.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need 1kg for Matt and Lentil Purbrick\u2019s millet pilaf<\/a>, which uses the whole beet \u2013 leaves, stems and all.<\/p>\n Matt and Lentil Purbrick\u2019s millet and beetroot pilaf recipe. Photograph: Shantanu Starick\/Pan Macmillan<\/p>\n Spring also brings sweet and crunchy greens, like snow peas. Gee says while the quality has been good, prices are still quite high, around $15 a kilo. But as the month progresses, he says supply will pick up and prices will drop: \u201cYou\u2019ll be looking at half the price or better.\u201d<\/p>\n A 1kg bag of snow peas is going for $4 at Skippy\u2019s, who sell at wholesale prices; and is around $26 at the supermarkets.<\/p>\n Yotam Ottolenghi\u2019s vignole with orzo. Photograph: Louise Hagger\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Alice Zaslavsky\u2019s tip for stir-frying is to blanch the veg first before throwing them in a hot wok \u2013 as she does in this recipe that pairs snow peas with tempeh \u201cmince\u201d and chilli oil<\/a>. For another light and speedy meal, Yotam Ottolenghi simmers snow peas, asparagus and sugar snap peas for a vignole \u2013 a Roman vegetable stew \u2013 with orzo and lemon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pining for pineapple<\/p>\n After a \u201creally rough\u201d season, pineapples are finally having their moment in the sun, according to Etri \u2013 the warmer weather speeds up their growth. To pick a ripe topless pineapple, Hsu says to look for yellow in between the green grooves on the skin. Topless pineapples are selling for $1.99 a piece at Skippy\u2019s. At supermarkets they\u2019re between $4.90 and $5.90 each.<\/p>\n Benjamina Ebuehi pairs syrupy roasted pineapple with a crunchy coconut brittle<\/a>. For a savoury option, make Meera Sodha\u2019s vegan Thai-style fried rice<\/a> \u2013 bonus points for serving the rice in a hollowed-out pineapple half.<\/p>\n Benjamina Ebuehi\u2019s pineapple coconut brittle. Photograph: Laura Edwards\/The Guardian. Food styling: Benjamina Ebuehi. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food styling assistant: Lara Cook<\/p>\n Hsu says that while all the \u201cboring\u201d fruits are doing well \u2013 pears, apples and navel oranges \u2013 there\u2019s excitement to look forward to as the month progresses. Etri says we\u2019re coming into stone fruit season, and at the end of the month the Queensland season for mangoes will begin.<\/p>\n Australian grape season has also started, says Gee. While they\u2019re quite expensive at the moment, around $15 a kilo, he says it won\u2019t take long for supply to pick up. He says to keep an eye out for the sweet globe variety, which are a sweet and crisp seedless white grape.<\/p>\n A bounty of brassicas<\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of brassicas coming out of Victoria, with cauliflower and broccoli in \u201cgood quality and good supply\u201d, according to Gee. Hsu agrees: \u201cThere\u2019s just a lot of them at the moment.\u201d The Happy Apple is selling broccoli between $3 and $5 a kilo, while they\u2019re around $4.50 at the supermarkets. Whole cauliflower is $5 at Panetta Mercato and $3.50-$4 at the supermarkets.<\/p>\n Rukmini Iyer\u2019s one-tin roast cauliflower, paneer and chickpea curry. Photograph: Matthew Hague\/The Guardian. Food styling: El Kemp. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food styling assistant: \u00c1ine Pretty-McGrath.<\/p>\n For the last of the chilly nights, top Thomasina Miers\u2019 white bean puttanesca<\/a> with roasted broccoli. Rukmini Iyer\u2019s easy one-pan cauliflower and paneer curry<\/a> is also a great way to up your brassica intake.<\/p>\n \u201cAny Asian vegetables are great for value,\u201d says Hsu. Bok choy and gai lan are in good supply, thanks to the warmer weather.<\/p>\n At Panetta Mercato, $2 buys you three bunches of baby bok choy, and gai lan is $4 for two bunches. The Happy Apple is selling packs of two or three bunches for $3, depending on the size.<\/p>\n Yotam Ottolenghi\u2019s charred bok choy with sambal tofu and quick pickled cucumbers. Photograph: Louise Hagger\/The Guardian<\/p>\n