Spring: make the most of the season

Spring is all about enjoying the abundance of delicious and super-nutritious seasonal produce that’s available at this time of year. Eating seasonally doesn’t just mean you’re getting the freshest, most nutrient-dense fruits and vegies available; buying seasonal, local produce also supports our local growers. Australian growers have worked tirelessly through winter to provide an array of fresh, healthy and tasty produce for shoppers this spring.

Buying in-season produce also saves you money because there’s no need for expensive import and shipping costs. While some fruits and vegetables might be available in supermarkets all year round, they’re not in season all year round. This means that supermarkets have to buy produce from overseas.

Buying local and seasonal foods also creates the opportunity for crop rotation on Australian farms. This is a process that helps restore nutrients back into the soil for future harvests.

eat more AUSVEG

eat more AUSVEG is an initiative of AUSVEG, the peak industry body representing Australian vegetable and potato growers. The initiative will be sharing practical and valuable information about how to make the most of your vegetables on Instagram. It will also be using the platform to showcase the hardworking growers that grow a wide range of vegies.

“Providing this information during the pandemic is even more pertinent,” says AUSVEG National Manager of Communications, Shaun Lindhe. “The benefits to health and wellbeing of a vegetable-rich diet are crucial to keeping the country healthy and happy.

“We’ll be using social media to provide practical tips about how to easily make the most of your vegetables. As a result, it will hopefully lead to people wanting to buy more vegies.”

What’s in season in spring?

Vegetables: asparagus, artichoke, beetroot, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, celery, corn, eggplant, leek, peas, pumpkin, silverbeet, spinach, sweet potato, tomato and zucchini

Fruits: avocado, bananas, cherries, honeydew melon, lemon, lime, mandarin, oranges, pineapple, strawberries and watermelon

Herbs: basil, chives, coriander, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme

Want to make the most of what’s ready for you to eat? Of course you do! Mayver’s – Australia’s family-owned natural spread company – has shared some fresh spring recipes.

Susie Burrell’s spring salad

Serves 1

You’ll need:

150g pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes
½ cup baby beets, drained and halved
2 cups rocket
½ cup lentils
2 tbsp lemon juice (at room temperature)
2 tbsp Mayver’s Hulled Tahini
1 tsp olive oil

Method:

1. Cook pumpkin in pre-heated oven at 200°C for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through and tender. Allow to cool slightly.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the beetroot, rocket, lentils and pumpkin.

3. In a separate bowl or jar, mix together the lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over salad, then drizzle with Mayver’s Tahini.

The Home Cook’s Kitchen BBQ corn with tahini butter

Serves 6

You’ll need:

½ cup Mayver’s Hulled Tahini
¼ cup warm water
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon’s worth)
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of chilli powder

Method:

1. Heat up your barbecue to high. Hull corn, barbecue for 10 minutes, rotating often. The corn should start to soften and char.

2. To make the tahini butter, place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes. The tahini should become very thick, like a butter consistency.

3. Remove corn from the barbecue, then spread over the tahini butter generously.

4. Sprinkle with a little bit of chilli powder as well as extra salt and pepper.