It’s hard to believe that the final month of 2015 is almost here and, by extension, the first month of the 2015 – 2016 summer season. But while the year has flown by, the good news is the last month brings with it some great in-season fruit and vegetables, which is certainly a plus given the Christmas holidays and our increased tendency to go through food during this time.

Fruits

The first month of summer brings with it a good selection of fruits. Of particular note is the number in-season berries, which is a big plus if you’re a berry lover. Suffice to say, if you want to mix up some berries with a cool serving of yoghurt or ice cream, you’re set.

• Apricots
• Bananas
• Berries; particularly blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, red and white currants, and strawberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Lychees
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Nectarines
• Oranges; particularly Valencia
• Papaya
• Passionfruit
• Pawpaw
• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Tomatoes

Vegetables

On the vegetable front, the selection is slightly less expansive but not by too much. Regardless, there’s enough to choose from to put together plenty of meals where these in-season vegetables will do a great job in complementing your creations. Like the berries for the fruits, the B vegetable for December (beans) have the most choice. So if you love beans, then you’re in luck.

• Asparagus
• Beans; particularly green, flat, butter, and snake beans
• Capsicum
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Lettuce
• Onions; particularly salad and green
• Peas
• Radish
• Sweetcorn
• Watercress
• Zucchini