PACKED TO THE GILLS
Q: What is the largest living organism in the world?
A key sign that local mushrooms are at their peak season, is the arrival of the wild mushrooms at the markets. Mushrooms traditionally flourish following the onset of Autumn rains in Australia and after a wet summer in NSW they are already at the markets and great eating.
AGARICUS BISPORUS:
The most common mushroom variety in Oz, Agaricus mushrooms are commonly sold by developmental stage rather than variety and are available all year round.
BUTTON (aka Champignon):
Youngest stage, it is tightly closed at stem, very firm and has a mild flavour which intensifies with cooking. Picked for stage of development, not size and can outsize cups
Best Use: Firm and hold shape well when cooked, great fresh in salads
CUP:
Most versatile, slightly open at stem to show a little gill, rich flavour and colour
Best use: Very versatile, stuff, slice, dice into soups, casseroles and sauces
FLAT:
Mature mushroom with flat cup and highly visible gills. These have a more intense flavour, meaty texture and rich colour
Best use: Best cooked. Think tempura, tapenades and roasting
There are two strains of Agaricus Bisporus commonly available:
WHITE:
Preferred by supermarkets. White mushrooms are a mutant strain (identified in 1926) that gained popularity due to their clean, fresh look and light mushroom flavour
SWISS BROWN (aka Honey Brown, Roman Brown, Italian Brown, Crimini):
PORTABELLA: aka Portobello, Portabello
The Portabella is a ‘Swiss Brown’ that has matured to the ‘flat’ stage of development. They are large, meaty, earthy and a fantastic substitute for meat on the BBQ
Best use: Grill, roast, BBQ
WILD PINE MUSHROOMS: aka Saffron Milk Caps, Orange Fly Caps
A fleeting Autumn crop, fresh Wild Pine Mushrooms are highly valued by food lovers. Locally produced in pine plantations, these are identifiable by their saffron-light brown cap, gills and short stem. They have a firm texture and a lovely spicy, nut flavour. Be sure to remove stems before use
Best use: When young and tender they are great in fresh pasta and omelettes. As they get older they get tougher, and are best suited to slow cooking in sauces and casseroles
SLIPPERY JACKS:
A late Autumn crop the Slippery Jack is hard to come by but valued for their delicate texture and strong flavour. They have a chestnut-brown cap characterised by its slimy wet appearance and a yellow spongy underside. It is best to peel Slippery Jacks as the slimy cap can cause gastric upset
Best use: Cooked when very fresh. Good for soups, frying or stewing
To get the most of the mushroom season we can only hope the rain eases. For while mushrooms need a good rain to get going, excessive rain can affect quality and in the case of wild varieties prevent access to crops and therefore limit supply.
A: It’s not the blue whale, but rather a Honey Mushroom colony that covers a staggering 8.9km² area of Malheur National Forest in Oregon, USA. Proven to be the same organism through DNA testing, the colony is believed to be over 2,400 years old and still growing. The organism is a parasitic fungus that grows on tree roots and spreads via shoestring like tendrils, it is identifiable by its yellow capped mushrooms and the swathe of dead trees it leaves in its wake.
SPECIAL MARKET UPDATE
With flood warnings across major growing regions in NSW and storms predicted to hit QLD over the next few days, the markets are beginning to see quality issues. Demand is currently steady, however as supply tightens we can expect prices to increase.
Beans- Borlotti in particular are currently very thin on the ground, QLD storms could see shortages in other varieties
Herbs- bunch lines heavily affected by the rain, very short shelf life (buy as needed)- alternatively consider micro-herbs. Grown in greenhouses these are good quality, have a longer shelf life and are in good supply (if not quite as rich in colour due to lower light)
Melon Lines- short supply, pricy
Berries – in particular strawberries are poor quality with short shelf life- figs are fabulous eating at the moment and could be a good substitute
Tomatoes – good quality produce from NSW and VIC is scarce, prices will reflect short supply
Zucchini Flowers- Very limited, not a recommended buy
Potential issues with: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchini
We can expect more of the same supply/price issues over the coming month and will do our best to notify you in advance of shortages and best substitutes.
BUYER'S GUIDE: Asian/Exotics - 6th Mar - 12th Mar
With the rain impacting local ground grown crops i.e. asian leaf lines at the moment, here is our buyer's guide to what's missing or rare at the markets.
Asian Vegetables: Short Supply
Gai Choy
Asian Vegetables: Not Available
Jicama - Kachay - Lotus Root - Tamarind - Water Spinach - White Radish
Exotic Fruits: Not Available
Asian Plum - Cumquats - Guava - JuJu Fruit - Kiwifruit (gold) - Loquats - Tamarillo (red) - Tamarillo (gold) - Tangelos
BUYER'S GUIDE: 6th Mar - 12th Mar
As your eyes at the markets, here’s this week’s seasonal update from our buyers:
The wet weather has finally hit home. While demand is the same, quality is the big issue. In particular, poor quality and supply of local ground grown crops has pushed market prices higher. As in the past few weeks, it is 90% against the vegetables.
Fruit:
All good across the range. New Season Avocados are in full swing as is Kiwifruit and a good supply of tropicals from QLD.
Stonefruits are just about on their last legs, with most now well past their prime. New season apples and grapes in good supply.
Only berries and the melon range showing signs of the weather- quality, supply and price are the things to watch here.
Vegetables:
A much different story here. Some of the main lines are still ok (just up slightly in price) but the local NSW crops, Tomatoes, Asian Vegs, Herbs, Baby Veg etc have been hit hard in both quality and price.
There are only a few items on the short list (as we bring supply in from further afield) but we will see no real change until we get a clear run of dry weather. Still supplies are holding but pending the weather, quality will be the main issue.
BEST BUYS:
Fruit:
Delicious Apples - medium (NSW)
Red Grapes - seedless (VIC)
Mango - Kett's (QLD)
Passionfruit (QLD)
Plum (NSW)
Vegetables:
Broccoli (VIC)
Butternut Pumpkin (NSW)
Chinese Wombok (QLD)
Desiree Potato- large (SA)
Sweetcorn (NSW)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT:
Fruit:
Drinking coconut (Imported)
Fuji Fruit (QLD)
Kiwiberries (NZ)
Pomello (Imported)
New Season Quince (QLD)
Vegetables:
New Season Chestnuts (VIC)
Heirloom Tomatoes (NSW)
Tuscan Cabbage (NSW)
Wild Pine Mushrooms (NSW)
Winter Melon (QLD)
NOT THIS WEEK:
Short Supply:
Borlotti Beans
Not Available:
Baby Gold Beetroot
Baby White Carrot
Bella Rossa Tomatoes
Blood Orange
AUTUMN HARVEST
Q: How long is the rain likely to last?
Summer is officially gone and with it go the luscious stonefruits, berries and tomatoes that characterise Sydney’s summer menus. So what can we expect from Autumn 2012?
Sydney’s tropical (read: rainy) summer has taken its toll on local produce (especially ground grown crops- herbs, asian vegetables, tomatoes) however consistent supply from interstate has managed to keep the markets relatively stable. Unfortunately, we are now starting to see poor weather impact interstate products and if the rain continues we can expect to see quality and price issues across the board.
On a positive note all this wet weather has brought the elusive Pine Mushrooms to the markets early, not to mention apple, pears, exotic fruits , cabbage lines and root veg are all looking relatively consistent and are good eating.
AUTUMN FLAVOURS:
APPLES/PEARS/QUINCE:
New season apples, pears and quince are abundant in Autumn with almost all varieties of apple and pear available over the course of the season.
Supply: Expected to be consistent bar a significant storms or hail in the growing regions
Inspiration: Vogue Entertaining + Travel’s Spiced Quince and Pears with baked custard
BEANS:
Beans are a staple of Autumn, with Borlotti, Butter, French, Green, Roman and Snake making an appearance.
Supply: With the rains in QLD/Nth QLD this week the market for beans has turned dramatically with supply very tight and price jumping significantly. With supply directly influenced by the weather we hope to see supply and price improve as the weather clears.
Inspiration: Teage Ezard’s Barbecued ox tongue with southern gold potatoes, snake beans and sticky mustard dressing recipe
CABBAGE:
Hitting the markets earlier than usual, cabbage lines – chinese wombok, red cabbage, Tuscan cabbage – fill the gap left by the slowing lettuce lines.
Supply: Hardier than other ground grown crops, supply should remain consistent. However excessive rain or flooding may cause splitting and as a result supply issues
Inspiration: Jacques Reymond’s Spatchcock & Buttered Cabbage with verjus
EXOTIC FRUITS:
Filling the void of the lush mangoes and berries come the passionfruit, custard apples, breadfruit, persimmon, guava and pomegranates & tamarillos
Supply: Some issues with guava supply at the moment but otherwise looking steady for the season ahead
Inspiration: Kim Woodward’s Butter roasted halibut, lobster salad, coriander pasta and passion fruit sauce
NUTS:
Autumn also sees the return of the fresh nuts- with Australian grown pistachios (NOW), almonds (Feb-Mar), Hazelnuts (Feb-Apr), Peanuts (Feb-June) and Chestnuts (Apr- Jul) on the scene!
Supply: When they hit the markets, they hit in force- though they finish all too quickly
Inspiration: Peter Gilmore’s Caramelised Vanilla Brioche French toast
PUMPKIN:
I recently read a quote that said there were four seasons, Spring, Summer, Pumpkin and Winter. With all lines including Butternut on offer in Autumn, who can blame them.
Supply: Sourced locally, pumpkins are traditionally abundant and great eating for the whole season
Inspiration: Rick Stein’s Pumpkin ravioli with sage butter
ROOT VEG:
Autumn sees the root veg come into their own with sweet potatoes, horseradish, turnip, parsnip and spud varieties (Royal Blue, Ruby Lou, Pontiac, Desiree, Burbank, Purple Congo) all coming into their own.
Supply: While supply should remain consistent, root veg are susceptible to splitting and rot with too much rain – so lets hope for some clear skies.
Inspiration: Bar H’s Sashimi of striped trumpeter with mushrooms and ginger, horseradish and soy dressing
More produce highlights for Autumn: Pine Mushrooms, Celeriac, Fennel, Leeks, Spinach and Silverbeet
A: Unfortunately it may last a while yet. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a wetter autumn than average for NSW and SA and a slightly drier season for VIC and TAS. There is a silver lining however, with the BOM describing their outlook model as having ‘low skill over South East NSW’ at this time of year! So you never know, blue skies could be just around the corner.