If you’re in the business of food, it’s time to freshen up your menu with the stars of summer produce for the warmer months ahead. Start with ingredients that are grown within your region, readily-available and ripe.
What produce is currently in season?
To make your menu prep easy, we’ve done the groundwork for you. Here is a list of the tastiest summer fruit and vegetables. Keep reading to get inspired by the season’s freshest ingredients.
1. Mangoes
Not only do mangoes taste amazing, but they are also one of the season’s best produce performers. With more and more consumers coming to love this tasty tropical fruit, adding mangoes to your menu is something you should seriously consider this summer.
In Australia, our peak mango season spreads southward from September through February.
Never featured a mango on your menu? This summer fruit can be used in the following ways:
- Chopped into summer salads.
- Blended into summer juices.
- Piled on top of sweet or savoury crêpes.
- Cooked into gourmet chutneys.
- Grilled or caramelised for entrées.
2. Apricots
Nothing says summer has arrived like stone fruit, especially delicious apricots. Given the heartbreakingly short duration of the Australian apricot harvest, it’s a great idea to feature these culinary crowd pleasers on your menu when they are in season—just think of them as a summer limited edition. Not only do apricots taste amazing, but they can also be served baked, cooked or raw, making them a very versatile ingredient to work with.
In Australia, apricots are only available between November and February, so it’s wise to start brainstorming your apricot dishes now to make the most of this year’s crop.
Looking for ways to whet your patrons’ appetites with apricots? This summer fruit can be used in the following ways:
- Roasted with Ricotta cheese and local raw honey.
- Slow-cooked to add sweetness to savoury meat dishes.
- Tossed into freshly-made summer salads.
3. Figs
There is something exotic about figs which most likely explains their reputation as a luxury food item. This unique summer fruit is able to be eaten fresh, glazed, dried, poached or cooked and are at their tastiest towards the end of the season.
Want to indulge your patrons with a fig inspired dish? This summer fruit can be used in the following ways:
- Added to fresh salads with summer favourites such as watermelon.
- Grilled with tomato for a brunch-style bruschetta.
- Sliced onto toasted sourdough for breakfast, gourmet style.
4. Eggplant
You don’t see eggplants as often as you do tomatoes, but as far as summer ingredients go they are just as versatile. Grown year-round in subtropical regions, eggplants can be stuffed, grilled, baked and sometimes even used as a substitute for tofu or meat.
In Australia, our peak eggplant season lasts for three months from spring to summer, so now is the time to get experimenting with this hearty vegetable.
Eggplants can be used in the following ways:
- Grilled with a side of tossed tomato salad.
- Sliced onto a gourmet wood-fired pizza.
- Served in a soba noodle salad.
- Sliced to act as pasta sheets in lasagne
Want to know what’s in season right now? Head to our seasonal produce page
Ready to place your seasonal order? We have strong relationships with some of the region’s best growers. Contact us today to ensure the food you deliver to your customers is prepared using premium ingredients.