SEASONAL & SUSTAINABLE LIVING - OCTOBER: 10 SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPRING

6 October 2020 - Posted by The Sisterhood of Sustainability

Spring is our favourite season and we are loving this bright and beautiful weather which is accompanied by pretty flowers popping up everywhere. We know we say this every month, but now is another perfect time to enjoy the fresh and seasonal produce that is on offer.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN SEASON IN OCTOBER

Enjoy feasts of fresh food this month...

SEASONAL FRUITS

Cumquats - Lemon - Loquat - Mango - Papaya - Pawpaw - Pink Grapefruit - Rough Leaf Pineapples - Strawberry - Smooth Leaf Pineapples - Starfruit - Yellow Grapefruit - Valencia Oranges

SEASONAL VEGETABLES

Artichoke - Asparagus - Avocados - Beans - Bok Choy – Broccoli – Choko - Cucumber - Garlic - Gai Laan - Lettuce - Onions - Peas - Silverbeet - Spinach - Watercress - Wonga Bok

10 SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO CELEBRATE SPRING

1. Seaside Picnic
Pack a beautiful selection of fresh foods and ice cold drinks into a picnic basket, along with a blanket and some pillows and head to the seaside for a stunning picnic

2. Garden Party
Enjoy a gorgeous garden party with your friends and family whilst making the most of the cool breeze and fresh air. Serve dinner and drinks and then celebrate!

3. Family Barbeque
Nothing says “Spring” quite like having a barbeque dinner out on the deck. Cook up your favourite ingredients and then sit down outside to enjoy your feast

4. Moonlit Walks
Go for a long and romantic movie by the light of the moon and make the most of the beautiful sunsets and nights that Spring has to offer

5. Backyard Camping
Enjoy a little camping getaway without even leaving your property! Set up a tent in the back yard and then sit around the campfire playing the guitar

6. Countryside Road Trip
Use the weekends as an opportunity to venture out of your home town and spend the day road tripping, adventuring and exploring the countryside

7. Candlelit Dinner
Make dinner time special with minimal effort by leaving the lights off and eating by candle light instead. The more candles you have, the better!

8. Floral Bath
Make use of all the pretty Spring blossoms by picking a few from your garden or around the neighbourhood and treating yourself to a beautiful floral bath

9. Springtime Feast
Use our list of seasonal and sustainable produce for the month of October to create a delicious and entrancing feast for your friends and family

10. Flower Crown Making
Go foraging for flowers of all shapes, sizes and colours and then bring them back home so that you are able to transform them into stunning flower crowns

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR ONION

There are a few varieties of onion, generally categorised by colour. The most common type, brown onions, have a strong flavour and are great for cooking. Red, also known as Spanish, onions have a milder flavour and taste great either cooked or raw. White onions have a white skin and flesh. They have a mild, sweet flavour and are best eaten raw. Fresh shallots, or eschalots, are very small and have a brown-pink skin. Each eschalot contains several small bulbs. They are often used in French and Asian dishes.

BUYING
Choose firm, papery, well -rounded onions with small necks. Avoid onions that are soft or have uneven colouring.

STORING
Onions can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a month. Peeled or cut onions should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Flavoursome French onion soup is a classic dish. Saute 4 thinly sliced onions (a mixture of brown and red) in a large saucepan for 10 minutes, until softened. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Add 4 cups vegetable stock, 2 cups water and the leaves from 8 sprigs fresh time. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until soup thickens slightly. Top with torn pieces of French bread and parmesan.

Top steaks, burgers or savoury tarts with caramelised onions. Saute 4 thinly sliced onions (any colour) over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until golden. Add 4 teaspoons sugar, 8 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 cup water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened.

Onions are a great addition to any roast meal. Simply cut into wedges, spray with olive oil and roast alongside your other vegetables.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries are not sold by variety, though smaller strawberries tend to have a sweeter flavour.

BUYING
Choose plump, shiny, brightly coloured strawberries. Avoid ones with bruises, mushy bits or mould. Strawberries don’t ripen any more after being picked, so avoid unripened strawberries with white or pale green areas.

STORING
Strawberries are best eaten the day of purchase, but can be refrigerated for u to two days or stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Chocolate and strawberries are an easy (and delicious) combination. Simply melt 50g dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Drizzle over a punnet of washed and hulled strawberries and allow to cool slightly, so chocolate hardens.

Get creative with your dinner-party entrees. Combine diced strawberries, crumbled goats cheese or feta and chopped mint in a bowl. Serve on small slices of grilled sourdough or rye bread as a fruity bruschetta.

This deliciously fresh salsa is beautiful with grilled fish, especially salmon. Dice 1 punnet strawberries, 2 peeled kiwifruit and 1 Lebanese cucumber. Combine with a splash of lemon or lime juice and a handful of chopped coriander and mint.

SUSTAINABLE RECIPES FOR MANGO

There are several varieties of mango available in Australia, with Kensington Pride, or Bowen Special, and R2E2 being the most common varieties. Mangoes are generally egg-shaped with soft, golden flesh and yellow skin with an orange-pink blush. R2E2 varieties are larger and more rounded, with yellow-red skin and firm flesh. All varieties have sweet, aromatic flesh and contain a large, flat pit.

Make a tropical salad dressing. In a blender, process 1 peeled, finely diced mango with 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons each olive oil, chopped coriander, lemon and lime juice. Mix in 1 tablespoon each lemon and lime zest and 1 finely diced, seeded red chilli. Store in the fridge for up to a week and shake well before drizzling over salads.

Spoon this mango applesauce over grilled meat or serve with yogurt for dessert. In a large saucepan, combine 2 peeled, chopped apples and 2 mangoes with 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Gently bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Once cool, puree mixture (add more water, if needed) and serve.

Give muffins a tropical twist! Combine 2 cups wholemeal flour with 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in 1 finely chopped, peeled mango, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup sour cream,1/2 cup sugar, 1 beaten egg and 2 egg whites. Spoon batter into a lined 12-muffin tin and bake at 160C for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.