Locally grown asparagus are just starting, they will definitely drop in price once the weather heats up a bit more.

Medjool dates in 250g are available again; the strawberry and blueberry show continues to roll on, strawberries from Queensland, blueberries from Northern NSW.

Mushrooms are still in short supply, that’s why I have reduced the portion size to 200g rather than 250g.

The 200g punnets are a bigger mushroom, and seem to be easier to source at the moment.

We are not taking any time off over the school holidays, it will be deliveries as usual.

Take care,

Michael

 

Growing conditions for strawberries are very favourable up north, so I’ll have them next week, for the first time in a long time.

Please take into account, that by the time they are picked, packed and transported from interstate, the shelf life is not going to be as long as locally grown strawberries, which are not available yet.

Asparagus are not far away; Brussels Sprouts have nearly finished.

Blueberries are available again, I thought last week’s were the best batch we have had so far.

Just a short update this week.

Cheers,

Michael

 

The blueberry season up north is starting to ramp up, the weather has settled down, and the quality of blueberries has improved greatly.

I used a new supplier late last week, and I was very pleased with the quality.

Broccoli is a winter vegetable, and is currently in season, the quality is good, as is the price.

My favourite all time soup, is Chicken & Pearl Barley Soup.

It contains Pearl Barley, which I have added to our legume selection for this coming week.

This is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 large onions

1/2 to a whole celery

8 to 10 small to medium chicken legs

A bunch of parsley, salt and pepper to taste

1 cup pearl barley (or a bit more)

Chicken stock

Method:

Saute the two large onions, then add the chopped celery, salt and pepper in a large soup pot.

Lightly pan fry the chicken legs in oil with salt and pepper. Remove chicken from pan, and remove the skin.

Cook the pearl barley in a separate small pot with water for about 20 minutes (or until soft), then strain the pearl barley.

Add the chicken legs, chopped parsley and cooked pearl barley (1 to 1.5 cups) to the large soup pot which contains the sauted onions and celery.

Fill the pot up with water and chicken stock, bring to the boil, and simmer for 90 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the chicken legs and debone, adding the chicken meat back in the pot (also discard the grizzle from bones and give to pets)

* MAKE SURE you REMOVE the long thin chicken bone that runs parallel to the leg (so if you used 10 chicken legs, make sure to count the ten sharp bones)

Add extra parsley, celery and pepper to taste.

Sounds a bit involved, but well worth the trouble

Have a good week.

Cheers,

Michael

Sweet Corn grown in Queensland (too cold down here) is back on the menu this coming week.

Red Kidney Beans is added to our legume selection which consists of: red lentils, green lentils, borlotti beans and a soup mix.

Blueberries are available again, taste is very good, shelf life is a few days (they will probably last longer). They have had a lot of rain in Northern NSW, and blueberries don’t like being picked in the rain.

Iceberg lettuce are also coming from up north (again too cold down here), they are not that big, but are quite dense.

I always try and buy as much local produce as I can, but during the colder months things like zucchinis, beans, corn, eggplant, capsicum and iceberg lettuce are grown up north.

Have a good week.

Cheers,

Michael

 

The blueberries were a hit last week, just spoke to my supplier, more are coming down from Northern New South Wales this weekend, so I will be able to offer them again this coming week.

I wasn’t 100% happy with the shelf life of the blueberries last week, they do need to be eaten quickly, but the flavour is very good (they are not sour).

A further six new products this coming week:

• Pretzels and Rice Crackers in 500g bags will be available, these are the Nature’s Delight brand (same as the cashews, almonds & raw unsalted nut mix)
• Four different legumes in 500g bags: Red Lentils, Green Lentils, Borlotti Beans and a Soup Mix (Red Kidney Beans to come)

Last week we introduced Chocolate Fudge Brownies and a Soy Snack Mix (with cashews), both proved very popular.

A mild Salsa that goes well with the Corn Chips is also back on the online store.

All the best to everyone

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

Finally some berries!

Just spoke to my blueberry supplier, there seems to be quite a few coming into the Market next week, so I’m able to offer them for $3.89 per punnet; 2 for $7.49; 3 for $10.98.

Also offering two new snack products; Chocolate Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free, no artificial colours or flavours), and a Cashew, Multigrain & Soy Snack Mix (300g).

As a general rule, we very rarely substitute products, last week you may have received plain banana bread instead of one of the flavoured banana breads (Pear & Raspberry or the Blueberry & Banana), my supplier didn’t have any of the flavoured ones, so I thought it better to substitute with the plain banana bread rather than missing out completely.

As there is no Australian garlic at the moment, we are supplying imported garlic from Mexico. A number of customers have mentioned that the garlic looks fine, but is mouldy inside (not all garlic, just random ones). If you have received mouldy garlic, please let me know, and I’ll place a credit on your account.

My zucchini, beans, eggplant and capsicum supplier has warned me that prices for these products are on the rise (they are all coming from Queensland, and they have been having cold overnight temperatures), best to stick with the local veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, celery, leeks, cabbage and buk choy. Spring onions will also be expensive (and small) for the next four weeks.

We are experiencing an increased demand for our service, there were times last week when I closed off the online store to new customers.

A number of customers have contacted me, asking whether we are taking on new customers. The online store is currently open to new customers as of 1pm Saturday 8th August, but that can change quickly.

If you have friends, family and neighbours that can’t sign up because the online store is closed, best that they send an email to: service@mickybooth.com.au along with their name, address and mobile number, and we will do our best to provide them with a delivery (or place them on a waiting list).

All the best to everyone.

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

 

 

The Summer Snow Apple juice we sell comes in two varieties: Pink Lady, and Apple and Ginger.

The 100% Australian made juices are made from real fruit – no concentrates, no preservatives, no added colours or flavours and nothing artificial.

Both flavours are available in either a 2 litre, or 350 ml plastic bottle.

As far as the Wholesale Market is concerned, it’s business as usual.

Best of the local green vegetables are broccoli, broccolini, baby spinach, silverbeet and kale. Snow peas, sugar snaps, corn and iceberg lettuce are in shorter supply than normal.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

This week’s new product is Aussie grown organic prunes.

No sulphites, no additives, gluten free. Please note, they are unpitted (the stone hasn’t been removed).

There are no iceberg lettuces at the moment, as they are very expensive. Baby Cos and Salad Mix are better options for salad making.

Most of the green veggies at the moment are grown locally (either in Werribee, or near Clyde in Melbourne’s outer south east).

I received a comment from a customer saying the walnuts last week were the best she has ever eaten. They are from Shepparton, and should be around for another couple of months.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

 

The Imperial Mandarin season has come to an end, replaced by the Afoura variety.

The Afoura are seedless, but sometimes at the start of the season there may be a few pips. They’re hardly ever dry like the imperials, much more consistently juicier!

Garlic has finally come down in price, still imported, but a whole lot cheaper. Ginger is still expensive, as demand for it is very high at the moment.

As a quick aside, if further restrictions are imposed, I can assure you that we will definitely continue to deliver, no need to be concerned about fruit, vegetable, honey, egg and juice supply.

Have a good week!

Cheers,

Michael