In season: winter at the Queen Victoria Market

Friday 16 July 2010, 12.56 PM
By The Team | Posted in Places

With that frosty chill in the air, nothing is a comforting as a hearty soup or a slow-cooked dish with a good glass of red wine. Now that we’ve got you thinking about your dinner, it’s time to see what’s in season in at the Queen Victoria Market.  One of the market’s traders,  Joseph Manariti from Office Fresh, has kindly offered to share his tips on what’s fresh and fabulous this winter.

    

Winter is a great time to rug-up and head to the Queen Victoria Market for all your fruit and vegie needs. With the cooler weather you have an endless choice of vegetables. Pumpkins come in a wide range of varieties, including japanese, kent, butternut and gray. All the ingredients to make a heart-warming soup are in season: leeks, turnips, parsnips and swedes. All of these are in full supply and very well priced.

Winter is also a great time to try something new with a wide selection of gourmet potatoes including kipfler, knoffler and dutch creams. These will make your winter roasts extra special.

Fight those colds away with a full selection of citrus now available: look for South Australian and Mildura navel oranges, along with top quality Mildura mandarins. Full season apples are in full swing with most varieties at lower prices than what we see in the summer months. Some speciality fruit lines like kiwigold and passionfruit will add plenty of colour to your fruit salad.

Here’s a winter dish that I love. Rhurbarb and apples are both at their peak right now. This is a cosy dessert and it is easy to prepare, too.

Rhubarb and apple pie

Ingredients
30g unsalted butter
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced
150g caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
1 bunch rhubarb, washed, sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs milk
Thick cream or homemade custard to serve

Pastry
300g plain flour
150g unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg

Method

1. To make the pastry, place the flour and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and 1 to 2 tablespoons chilled water. Process until the mixture comes together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the apples and sugar and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over a low heat. Add the rhubarb and cinnamon and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes until the fruit just starts to soften. Transfer into a 3 litre (6 cup capacity) pie dish and set aside to cool.
4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and cut a 1½ cm-wide strip of pastry. Press it around the rim of the pie dish and brush with a little water. Cover with remaining pastry, and then trim the edges. (This method helps stop the pastry lid shrinking.) Pinch the pastry together to seal, brush with milk and scatter with the extra caster sugar.
5. Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes until the pastry is golden. Serve hot or warm with thick cream or custard. Serves six.

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