Any chef worth their gourmet salt flakes will tell you that the key to superb food lies in cooking with seasonal ingredients. The Seasonal Fruit & Vegetable Calendar is the beating heart of The Cook's Toolkit - the only feature that absolutely must be used - because seasonal ingredients are the heart and soul of cooking. Using seasonal ingredients makes life simpler, pockets heavier and tables richer.
Summer
December
Vegetables: Asparagus, Avocado, Basil, Beans (Green & Snake), Capsicum, Celery, Choko, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Onions (Salad & Spring), Peas, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Fruit: Apricots, Bananas, Blackcurrant, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Currants, Honeydew Melon, Loganberries, Lychee, Mango, Oranges, Passionfruit, Pineapple, Plums, Raspberries, Redcurrant, Strawberries, Rockmelon, Watermelon.
January
Vegetables: Basil, Beans (Green & Snake) , Capsicum, Carrot, Celeriac, Choko, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Lettuce, Onions (Salad & Spring), Peas, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Fruit: Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blackcurrant, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Currants, Grapes, Honeydew Melon, Loganberries, Lychees, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Passionfruit, Peaches, Pineapple, Plums, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rockmelon, Strawberries, Watermelon.
February
Vegetables: Basil, Beans (Green, Butter & Snake), Capsicum, Carrot, Celery, Choko, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Leek, Lettuce, Okra, Onions (Brown, Salad & Spring), Peas, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Shallots, Squash, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Fruit: Apple, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Figs, Grapes, Honeydew Melon, Loganberries, Lychee, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Passionfruit, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rockmelon, Strawberries, Watermelon.
Autumn
March
Vegetables: Avocado, Basil, Beans (Borlotti, Butter, Green & Snake), Beetroot, Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrot, Celery, Chinese Greens, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Ginger, Leek, Lettuce, Okra, Onions (Brown & Spring), Parsnip, Peas (Green), Potatoes, Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Squash, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Fruit: Apples, Bananas, Cantaloupe, Figs, Grapes, Kiwi Fruit, Limes, Mangoes, Nuts, Oranges, Passionfruit, Peaches, Pears, Persimmon, Plums, Pomegranate, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Rockmelon, Strawberries, Watermelon.
April
Vegetables: Avocado, Basil, Beans (Green & Snake), Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Greens, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Leek, Lettuce, Mushrooms (Wild), Okra, Olives, Onions (Brown & Spring), Parsnips, Peas (Green), Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Squash, Swede, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potato, Tomatoes, Turnip, Zucchini. Fruit: Apples, Bananas, Figs, Grapes, Kiwi Fruit, Limes, Mandarins, Nashi, Nuts, Oranges, Passionfruit, Pears, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Quince, Rhubarb.
May
Vegetables: Avocado, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chinese Greens, Cucumber, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Kohlrabi, Leek, Lettuce, Mushrooms (Wild), Okra, Olives, Onions (Brown & Spring), Parsnips, Peas (Green), Potatoes, Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swede, Sweet Potato, Tomatoes, Turnip. Fruit: Apples, Bananas, Champagne Melon, Custard Apple, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Nashi, Nuts, Oranges, Passionfruit, Pears, Persimmon, Quince, Rhubarb.
Winter
June
Vegetables: Artichoke (Jerusalem) , Avocado, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chinese Greens, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Kohlrabi, Leek, Mushrooms (Wild), Okra, Onions (Brown), Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swede, Sweet Potato, Turnip. Fruit: Apples, Champagne Melons, Custard Apple, Grapefruit, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Nashi, Nuts, Oranges, Passionfruit, Pears, Rhubarb.
July
Vegetables: Artichoke (Jerusalem) , Avocado, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chinese Greens, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Kohlrabi, Leek, Mushrooms (Wild), Okra, Onions (Brown), Parsnip, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Swede, Sweet Potato, Turnip. Fruit: Apples, Champagne Melon, Custard Apple, Grapefruit, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Nashi, Oranges, Pawpaw, Pineapple, Rhubarb.
August
Vegetables: Artichoke (Jerusalem), Avocado, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chinese Greens, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger, Kohlrabi, Leek, Onions (Brown), Parsnip, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Shallots, Silverbeet, Swede, Sweet Potato, Turnip. Fruit: Apples, Champagne Melons, Custard Apple, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Mandarins, Oranges (Blood), Pawpaw, Pineapple, Rhubarb, Tangelo.
Spring
September
Vegetables: Artichoke (Globe), Asparagus, Avocado, Basil, Beans (Broad & Green), Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chinese Greens, Garlic, Ginger, Lettuce, Mushrooms (Morel), Onions (Salad & Spring), Parsnips, Peas (Green), Potatoes, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Spinach, Sweet Potato. Fruit: Apples, Champagne Melon, Cumquat, Grapefruit, Lemons, Mandarins, Oranges (Blood & Seville), Pawpaw, Pineapple, Tangelo.
October
Vegetables: Artichoke (Globe), Avocado, Basil, Beans (Broad & Green), Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chinese Greens, Garlic, Ginger, Lettuce, Mushrooms (Morel), Onions (Salad & Spring), Parsnips, Peas (Green), Potatoes, Pumpkin, Silverbeet, Spinach. Fruit: Cumquat, Grapefruit, Lemons, Loquat, Mangoes, Oranges (Valencia), Pawpaw, Pineapple, Strawberries, Tangelo
November
Vegetables: Artichoke (Globe), Asparagus, Avocado, Basil, Beans (Green), Choko, Corn, Cucumber, Lettuce, Onions (Salad & Spring) Peas, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Spinach, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Zucchini. Fruit: Cherries, Cantaloupe, Cumquat, Grapefruit, Lemons, Loquat, Mangoes, Honeydew Melon, Rockmelon, Watermelon, Oranges, Pawpaw, Pineapple, Strawberries.