Adelaide Central Market Tour @FoodtoursSA Blog: #Adelaide Central Market Watch #17

As we head into winter, food prices in the ACM are bucking the trend by going down not up.

Fruit And Veg

Local orange prices are coming down as Australian exports face tougher international competition. Mandarins from Paringa, SA, have also come down in price and are 2kg for $5 at McMahons. Limes at Stall 69 are an all time low at $2.50 kg, Adelaide Hills rhubarb is $11.99kg, bunches of leeks and baby beets are both $3.99. Look for the new Kestrel potato for $2kg. Stall 69 owner, Lee, has a snappy recipe card using new purple potato. "BBQ potato with roast garlic aioli and rocket-asparagus salad." Thompsons at S26/27 best buys are pears, broccoli and brown onions all under $3kg. Seven Sisters S54 prices are always low and this week apples are $1.99kg and spinach bunches $2.50kg.

Olives and Oil

The humble olive needs its own section at this time of year. Olives are being picked right across SA. Now is the time to pounce on the local fruit and cure them. Jagger S38, has 21 varieties already cured and swimming in oils, spices and brines. Con's range at S18/19 is in 12 styles and Good Cuisine (S10) has a range of 24 that includes the pale-coloured 'blond Gummeracha'.

The new season oils are arriving and the 2011 Rio Vista Olive Oil is available as an $11 cleanskin 750ml from Providore S66. The extra virgin oil is cloudy to look at, has peppery and bitter tastes and clear granny smith apple characters.

Meat and Seafood

Samtass whole flathead is such a good fish to BBQ. SA species is $11.99kg and the dark skinned Victorian Tiger flathead is $12.99kg. Rub with Asian curry pastes, lay on a bed of lemongrass stalks, seal in alfoil and BBQ for 20 minutes. Serve whole with baked rice.Pork continues to hold the best price at the moment. Rolled pork roast $5.98 kg from Tony O'Connell. Perfect for Schweinebraten, the traditional German caraway seed-roasted pork with dumplings, red cabbage and apple sauce.

Special

Charlesworth Licorice Allsorts are selling a 'Grab-a-Bag' 485gm bag for $5. I could not resist. The allsorts are made of liquorice, sugar, coconut, aniseed jelly, fruit flavourings, and gelatine. Uber-sweet yellow, pink, green and white fondant sandwiched between firm black licorice – a sweet way to finish the Market shopping.