The Best Ingredients for Cooking in FEBRUARY

Newton had a point, you know. That which goes up, must eventually come down. Just ask Evil Knievel, or base jumpers, or the directors of Royal Bank of Scotland, or Labor party pollsters. Actually scratch that last one, that’s just down and then more down.

But as far as your fruit and veggies go, I quote the words of my favourite masseuse… “relief is in hand”. Or was that “at hand” … never mind.

All the veggies that we buy every week – the tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuces and so on have crossed the price precipice and are heading south. 99c a kilo for carrots? I’ll buy that for a dollar.

Late summer is one of the more interesting convergences of harvests for the professional food writer. It is an unpredictable season that differs vastly each year. 12 months ago we were surrounded by a plethora of zucchini flowers, figs and berries well into February (and even March, believe it or not), but this year we are having to make do with slightly less choice. I guess that’s the balancing act which (in part) explains the lower prices.

If there’s a really bright side to this change ahead, it’s probably best explained by your chance to try new things. If there’s flavours you’ve been longing to taste but hadn’t taken the opportunity, there’s no better time than when they cost a little bit less. So here’s your mission for February…eat at least one new food each week!

VEGETABLES

Asian greens, beans (especially golden, butter and flat), Capsicums (all colours), Celery, Chillies, Chokoes (if you must!!!), Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Lettuce (whole heads, all varieties), Mushrooms (white and exotic), Okra, Onions (season season), Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Squash (look for the variegated), Tomatoes (all varieties and heirlooms), Watercress, Witlof, Zucchini

FRUIT

Bananas, Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), Grapes (especially seedless green and black muscat), Honeydew melon, Kiwifruit (Green and Gold), Limes, Lychees, Mangoes (Calypso and R2E2), Mangosteens, Nectarines – clingstone (white and yellow), Oranges (Valencia), Papaya, Passionfruit, Pawpaw, Peaches – freestone (white and yellow), Pineapple, Prickly Pears, Rambutans, Rockmelon, Watermelon

SEAFOOD

Australian Salmon, Barramundi (farmed and wild), Bream (Yellowfin), Coral Trout, John Dory, Flathead (Tiger and Northern sand), Flounder, Kingfish (farmed and wild), Mackerel (Spanish is great), Morwong (banded is best), Mullet, Ocean jackets (formerly leatherjacket), Oreodory (all varieties), Oysters (Sydney Rock, although not for long), Prawns (King, Tiger and Endeavour), Salmon, Sardines (WA), Snapper (Goldband is best), Squid (all species), Tuna (look out for bigeye), Whiting (sand)