Fruits & Vegetables
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Broccoli - Although available throughout the year there are times when broccoli is relatively cheap - and this is the time to buy it in large quantities. It is super nutritious and as a fresh vegetable it can be made into many tasty dishes. As a vegetable with a simple white cheese sauce, in salads for summer or combined into baked dishes with chicken, it is always a winner. Blanched and frozen is fairly successful, but made into a soup is a perfect way to preserve and enjoy.
Recipe:  Broccoli Soup
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Butternut - Butternut has become one of the most popular vegetables around. In season they are relatively cheap, have a long shelf life and are ideal for the freezer. Recipes include butternut soup, pumpkin pie, roasted in the oven or slow cooked, sweetened with butter and sugar until caramelized. Frozen butternut can only be used in soups or purees as it will lose some of its solid texture when frozen.
Recipe: Creamy Butternut Soup
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Green Beans - In season they are cheap, have a reasonable shelf life in the fridge and freeze well. Recipes include soups, side dishes and stews. They are ideal for preserving, pickling and freezing. Green Beans are prolific producers and are the ideal veggie for the homecook/gardener to plant in the back garden. You will be amazed at how much you will get for so little!


Recipe: Fresh Green Bean and Smoked Eisbein Soup.
Recipe: Green Beans with Garlic Beurre Blanc and Roasted Almonds
Recipe: Green Bean Relish
Recipe: Green Bean, Red Pepper and Cashew Salad with Sweet Indonesian Soy Dressing
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Onions - This everyday vehetable is almost indispensable in the kitchen. It is used to flavour many dishes, used in salads and even as the main ingredient in soups and relishes.
There are a wide variety of onions available, but almost any type of onion will do a decent job in most recipes. They  also have a long shelf life so they are ideal to by in bulk when prices are reasonable.

Recipe: Onion Marmalade
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Oranges - Winter is the the time to buy these super healthy fruits - juicy and full of viatamin C. Oranges can be used in a myriad of ways - with muesli and yoghurt, in fruit salads, marmelades and in baking.
Oranges go really well with poultry - especially duck. Duck a l'orange is an iconic French dish that has remained popular to this day. It also goes well with chicken, similar to duck or just as a flavouring to a casserole.

Recipe: Orange Sponge Pudding
Recipe: Chicken Orange Casserole _______________________________________________________________________________________

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Tomatoes - This is one vegetable - or rather fruit - that I simply cannot do without. Tomatoes are notorious for price fluctuations during the year and are ideal to buy in bulk when they are really cheap. You will still have to buy the odd fresh tomato during the year for everyday use in salads, but for those hearty stews, sauces and pasta dishes you will not get any better than your own preserved tomatoes.
Tomatoes can be dried, canned or cooked and reduced into ready to use sauces. Canned and reduced tomatoes usually end up in the same dishes, so it is up to you which method of preservation you prefer. I love the reduction method, it is easy, economical and the tomatoes can be frozen if you don't have time to reduce them immediately when you get them.
Recipe: Oven Dried Tomatoes and Reduced Tomato Sauce
Recipe: Tomato Bredie
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Waterblommetjies - At their best and freely available waterblommetjies mark the beginning of Spring. Once they have turned a dark green with a slight blush op pink they are perfect to make the most delicious bredie. Cooked in a similar manner as a green bean stew they are delicious - slightly more robust in texture and flavour than green beans. The slight peppery taste gives them a lovely depth of flavour. As with most bredies use meat with a good amount of fat - lean meat just does not do it! Leipoldt suggested using both beef and lamb, beef for flavour and lamb for texture and fat. If you cannot find 'surings' use a litlle lemon juice or Granny Smith apples for the acidic component - just enough to balance and cut through the fattiness of the lamb.
Recipe: Waterblommetjiebredie
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Zucchini - Courgette - Baby Marrow - Whichever name you prefer, these are truely little wonders from the garden. They are simply the most thankful plants to grow and will bless you with an abundant crop to enjoy. Every homegardener should plant them - two to four plants will keep the average family in good supply of this versatile vegetable.
Delicate in flavour and appealing in colour they can be used in a variety op dishes - pickles, salads, soups, pasta dishes, fritters and au gratin.
Recipe: Zucchini Fritters
Recipe: Bacon, Mushroom and Zucchini Pasta
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