So, welcome to the first Saturday of winter… Normally we think of Winter as being drab and dreary but walking though the aisles at the market all you can see is a mass of vibrant colour.

Rows of brightly coloured winter vegies, bright orange carrots, beautiful deep red and golden beetroot, wonderful green celery, spinach also green and red kale and not forgetting the bright colours of in-season citrus including satsumas.

Russian Red kale is thick, juicy and chewy. Match this kale with grilled sausages, pork or turkey.You only want to eat the leaves, which will be chewy.  The stems will be too thick to eat, no amount of cooking will soften them.

You can also match this type of kale with grains, roots, dried fruits and nuts.Sauté this kale in olive or nut oil, butter, bacon, or pancetta. You can also season with olives, garlic, chilli, cumin, caraway, fennel, anise, or toasted sesame oil.

Kale freezes well and tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost.Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly flavoured ingredients as dry-roasted peanuts soy sauce, roasted almonds, red Capsicum.

When baked or dehydrated, kale takes on a consistency similar to that of a potato chip. Curly kale varieties are usually preferred for chips. The chips can be seasoned with salt or other spices.

Satsumas
Are a Japanese variety of mandarin and were imported into Australia in 1991. Their season runs from May through to June. They are easy to peel and are seedless making them perfect for the kiddies.

Lemonades

Are a hybrid citrus fruit which is a cross between a naval orange and a lemon which ultimately give you a sweet lemon. They don’t like frost and are usually in season from May through to June.