What’s in season Sydney?

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Wandering through the Eveleigh farmers markets at Carriageworks last weekend, I was tickled pink by all the gorgeous produce that’s in season at the moment. (Speaking of pink, the pink lady apples have been delicious lately.) I was here wandering with a foodie friend, a friend who understands the subtle delight of an amazing mushroom and some locally produced olive oil. The morning was ours and wander we did.

I’d been meaning to come here for quite a while. I’d been impressed by the artisan markets on a Sunday but had yet to open my reusable shopping bag at these ones. So with a skip in my feet and coins in my pockets, we set forth.

I was also on the hunt for the Slow Food Sydney Seasonal Food Guide. Only a few people were selling them around Sydney, and I wanted one. I felt like I had been doing better with knowing what was in season, but I could still do with knowing more.

I was happy to see the smiling faces of the girls from The Little General with a stall. I had met them at the Masterchef Live foodie festival last year and had taken home some of their gorgeous extra virgin olive oil. I’m a big fan of olive oil. It’s such a simple thing that can really make any dish. Along with the prices, the differences in extra virgin olive oil tastes are huge. If you haven’t had any locally produced fresh extra virgin oil, dunked with a little crusty sourdough and perhaps a little taste of chevre… I’d suggest hopping to it. Skip the big brand imported stuff that’s on sale, (it’s probably on sale for a good reason.)

The swiss mushrooms have also been delicious. Not a week has gone by that I haven’t found a bag of good mushrooms skipping their way home. Don’t waste your time with the tasteless supermarket ones. There is no taste comparison…none.

Potatoes. Why, oh why did it take me so long to discover the wonderful world of potatoes? I’d dismissed them as a nothing vegetable long ago. Then last year I started getting Foodconnect boxes and in it were different types of potatoes. Truly a revelation. These weren’t tasteless boring, chunks of bland. Instead, little wonderous dirt covered beings and here before me was the stall that showed all those potatoes in their true glory. Toss me a potato, and get me to tell you the name and I wouldn’t have a clue, not a tooting clue though. So with that in mind, I asked for a mixed bag, (as I couldn’t decide which ones were more alluring.) Round ones, long ones, purple ones, yellow ones…

Knowing that the potatoes were grown just a hop skip and a jump away made them even more appealing. Highland Gourmet Potatoes is a family run business located in Robertson, Southern Highlands.  Sydney has two potato seasons a year, (I now know this, as I found the seasonal guide!)

saphire potato

Broccoli is one of the seasonal goodies that I can’t get enough of at the moment. Along with gai lum (chinese broccoli), kale, swiss mushrooms and pink ladies (although they are coming to an end) they have all been making regular encore presentations to the family table. Give me a plate full of broccoli cooked up with a little garlic and olive oil (The Little General), and I’m a happy woman.

and the best thing about going to somewhere like this with a foodie friend, is that you get to sample twice as much.

*****

Eveleigh Farmers Markets

every Saturday

8-1pm

32 thoughts on “What’s in season Sydney?”

  1. It’s a fun place, isn’t it? Although frighteningly expensive!

    Beautiful photos, Brydie, our Sydney does alright for early winter, doesn’t it? 🙂

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    • Thanks Celia. I found the prices ok. I could easily have spent a large bucket load of cash, but as long as I was selective in what I got and kept it super seasonal the prices were ok. I closed my eyes walking past any of the sweet treats 😉

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  2. I just love these food markets. We have the Powerhouse markets in Brisbane and I love to wander through them. I agrre with you about olive oil. We should be using the local stuff. Olive oil should be fresh.

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  5. Stunning photos, dear Brydie! A handy thing it is to know what is in season at different times of the year. I never had a clue what was what until the veggie garden happened, you just can’t help but watch and observe. It feels so much better too, knowing that what we are eating IS in season and not flown in from thousands of miles away. 😀

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  6. thx for sharing with us! fun place to be! i haven’t yet decided to create a flickr account and my existing blog (http://zaza-sea-cow.blogspot.com/) is rudimentary due to lack of time; so is it possible to send you photos fm our places (greece) (as i send regularly some nice shots to celia-fig jam & lime cordial & jo-zebbakes on their mails?) sunny summer greetings fm greece!

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  9. What a great selection of food! That looks like an amazing market. I’m a fairly recent convert to potato varieties too – although I haven’t seen as many as you feature here – and am impressed with the variation across the different types. So much to discover and enjoy 🙂

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  12. Hey Brydie! You are quite a spokeswoman for Sydney!
    I’m so tempted by all the photos and food opportunities!
    I agree with Lorraine- the picture of the sandwich accompanied with a smile is so joyous! I love foodie friends!

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  13. What a fabulous marketplace! Looks like it may once have been a train station – or was it built to be a market?

    I was surprised to that you have Pink Lady apples – the world of apples is such that not only are there many thousands of varieties worldwide, but almost always local varieties are developed to meet environmental variables – so it’s surprising to see Pink Lady, a common variety here in Oregon as well.

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    • The whole Carriageworks area is wonderful. Big old warehouses that are now used as artistic spaces, venue hire, markets, that sort of thing. They were originally used to build train carriages I think. The markets are undercover and just sit to the left of the rail lines. It’s a lovely space.

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  15. Mmm, I might have to challenge your claim that bringing foodie friend means that you share twice as much. From memory we were both attacking that chorizo roll with a gusto that belied our sharing caring friendship! Great day out with you – let’s do it again. And the potatoes held their shape and didn’t disintegrate in my chorizo, white bean, tomato and potato soup – another reason to go back. That, and the prospect of more wagging dog tails.

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  16. farmers markets bring such joy – I can just picture you skipping merrily with a string bag of produce – love the potatoes and agree with you that pink lady apples are a delight right now – and always better from the vic market where I have a favourite apple stall

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  17. Pingback: gai lum potatoes- Frugal Friday « Cityhippyfarmgirl

  18. Oooh the lovely produce! I love markets! I just finished planting my garden, and am excited to see things start to grow. And the local summer farmer’s markets should be starting soon…. mmmmm

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  19. Eveleigh Markets is one of my favourite places to visit. I love going there and picking up whatever grabs my attention, then taking it home and try and make something from it.

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