I usually take the first week of the school holidays off, but not this coming school holidays.

Delivering as usual this week, and over the school holidays.

The frosty mornings are not a strawberries best friend.

Early last week we had difficulties getting small strawberries as the frost had destroyed them (they are still grown in the Yarra Valley).

Brussel Sprouts are grown in Cranbourne, and they like a good frost!

Roast them, fry them, steam them the options are endless.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

P.S. Medium salsa is back in stock

 

 

I’ve been up the bush most of the week attending to some family matters, back into fruit and veggie mode this week.

Premium strawberries are now from Queensland, the small ones are still locally grown in the Yarra Valley.

Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts are very good value at the moment.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

“Natures Delight” Mild and Medium Salsa is now available to compliment the “Bean to Rome” Gluten Free corn chips.

An extra virgin olive oil from olives grown on the Mornington Peninsula has also been added.

For those of you that like the baby (chat) potatoes, they are now available in 1kg bags and 5kg bags.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

Still waiting for the Queensland strawberries to start, but a local Victoria strawberry grower is still picking large ones, so this week there is a choice between the larger ones and the smaller ones.

I think the small local ones are a better bet, as the are cheaper, and reasonably sweet.

Kiwi fruit is a good fruit option at the moment, plenty of vitamin C in those little things to ward off the winter nasties.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

All of the apples now are “New Season”, including the Pink Lady variety, which is one of the last apples to be picked each season.

One reason why they are popular, is they stay crisp the longest. The sweeter the apple, the quicker they get “flowery” after picking. The Pink Lady variety is a sharper apple (contains less sugar) so that’s why they stay crisp.

If you’d like to know more about apple storage, check this old ABC story out:

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

 

 

It’s proven the test of time, I post it once a year.

If you haven’t made this soup, you are missing out on something special.

Not just a soup, it’s a meal.

Time for my annual favourite soup recipe, the famous “Chicken and Pearl Barley Soup Recipe”.

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 great week!

Cheers,

Michael

The smooth skin avocado variety “Shepard” are now available. They are a little cheaper than the “Hass” variety, and definitely have a different texture to the more popular “Hass”. I quite like them for a change, particularly on toast with vegemite.

We’ve also introduced 500g portions of “Yellow Squash”. It’s a zucchini substitute that offers a bit of colour to the dinner plate.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

Just another reminder that there will be no deliveries this Thursday 25th April (Anzac Day).

Wednesday deliveries as usual, regular Thursday customers in the following postcodes can order Monday night for a Wednesday delivery:

3109, 3111, 3114, 3131, 3132, 3133, 3134 and 3135 and usually get a Thursday delivery, I can deliver to you on the Wednesday.

There won’t be any deliveries for postcodes 3101, 3103, 3105, 3107, 3108, 3122, 3123, 3127, 3128, 3129 and 3130 this coming week.

Have a great week,

Michael

Lots of new season vegetables to choose from this week.

Brussels Sprouts are back in season, as are Artichokes, Parsnips and Celeriac (they are very large).

Not much change to the fruit selection, still waiting for the local Navel oranges to arrive (it’s usually in May).

Strawberries are in very short supply, and only the small ones.

Deliveries as usual this week, but the following week we are only delivering on Wednesday 24th April, as the Thursday is Anzac Day.

If you live in postcodes 3111, 3131, 3132, 3133, 3134 and 3135 and usually get a Thursday delivery, I can deliver to you on the Wednesday.

There won’t be any deliveries for postcodes 3101, 3103, 3105, 3106, 3107, 3108, 3122, 3123, 3127, 3128, 3129 and 3130 that week.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael

 

Deliveries as usual again this week!

Locally grown Pomegranates are available, as are Heirloom Tomatoes (but only in 1kg portions).

Mandarins have come down in price, still waiting on the new season Australian navel oranges. The Valencia variety are still available, but are looking a bit rough (they are right at the end of the season).

Only one size of strawberries are available (the small ones), but they are more like a medium size than a small.

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Michael