As the long weekend approaches and we step into May, we are starting to feel the cooler mornings and shorter days. It is the perfect time to embrace the season, and use fresh, seasonal produce in the kitchen to make hearty and comforting home cooked meals. So, make A better choice! and shop at your local, independent fruit and veg store for a range of fresh, quality, and seasonal produce.
This week’s pick of the week is Wombok, from Gatton, which is in abundance and great value. Wombok is variety of Chinese Cabbage, with the perfect flavour balance of sweet, juicy, and slightly peppery. Wombok is great for your immune system as it is packed with vitamins A and C, making it a great vegetable choice to keep in mind for winter soups, casseroles, dumplings, or even shredded into a coleslaw. When storing your Wombok, ensure to store it in a plastic bag in the fridge where it can last for up to two weeks. Other Cabbage varieties also of great value this week, are Brussel Spouts, and Sugarloaf.
Bright green and crunchy, Iceberg Lettuce, also from Gatton is in great supply as well this week. Known for its crisp texture, refreshing taste, and satisfying crunch, Iceberg Lettuce is a sandwich filler and salad staple. A great source of vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, folate, and high in water content, Iceberg Lettuce is a healthy and affordable vegetable suitable for any budget.
Be sure to add Sweet Corn from Stanthorpe to your grocery list this week. Corn’s natural sweetness makes it an ideal ingredient for salads and salsas, and in the cooler months a nice comforter in soups or grilled on the barbeque. Keep this Avocado, Corn and Tomato Omelette recipe to enjoy for breakfast this long weekend. When choosing Corn, select one with a fresh husk, or plump, shiny kernels —this ensures a sweet flavour and satisfying crunch.
Also bright yellow and delicious, Lady Finger Banans from North Queensland and Northern New South Wales are plentiful this week and their quality is outstanding. Known for their high potassium content, Bananas are a lunchbox staple, on the go snack, and ideal for a simple breakfast smoothie.
Southeast Queensland and Victoria continue to supply the Brisbane Markets with Persimmons. These orange, heart-shaped fruits are not only nutritious, but delicious. A selecting tip for choosing Persimmons: choose a fruit that is firm and free from bruises, and is a deep, vibrant orange in colour. If you are a sweet tooth, give this simple Persimmon with honeyed yoghurt recipe a try for a morning tea or healthy dessert.
Remember to shop at your local, independent fruit and vegetable store displaying the A better choice! logo for your chance to win over the next four weeks as part of the Shop and Win campaign. All A better choice! stores source their fruit and vegetables through the Brisbane Markets, Queensland’s Heart of Fresh Produce. To find your nearest participating store, visit abetterchoice.com.au.
About Brisbane Markets
As Queensland’s only central fruit and vegetable market, the Brisbane Markets is the state’s most important centre for the marketing and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables. It records an annual trade of over 700 million kilograms of produce valued at more than $2 billion.
An important economic and employment hub, more than 4,500 people work or do business at the markets each day through over 170 businesses. This includes over 45 wholesalers who receive fresh produce from over 7,000 growers and trade five days a week to more than 800 registered buyers.
About Brisbane Markets Limited
Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) is the owner of the Brisbane Markets site and is responsible for its ongoing management and development.
BML provides infrastructure and services to facilitate the marketing of fresh food, flowers and other ancillary products for fruit, vegetable and flower wholesalers, retailers, provedores, secondary wholesalers, food processors, transporters, exporters, industry organisations and market support businesses.
More information can be found on our website: www.brisbanemarkets.com.au.
About A better choice!
The A better choice! retailers are hardworking local family business owners, who are passionate about fruit and vegetables, they are our experts in their field and provide excellent customer service… with a smile.
Here’s the thing: no one can match A better choice! fruit and vegetable retailers for FRESH! Every morning, they hand pick a diverse selection of high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables from the Brisbane Markets, sourced from thousands of Australian farms.
Make your first choice A better choice! with local retailers throughout Southeast Queensland including Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Tweed Heads. Please click on the link to find your local fruit retailer www.abetterchoice.com.au/store-locator/ . By shopping at your local fruit and veg shop, you are making A better choice!
About Brismark
Brismark is a member organisation which represents and serves the needs of the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry – in particular, the primary wholesalers that operate out of the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea. Brismark provides industry representation, and a range of financial and business services to support the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry and their associated businesses and actively contributes to strengthen the Central Market system. Brismark also oversees the A better choice! retailer program in Queensland.
