Tomato medley

Sold by the punnet in greengrocers, tomato medley is a colourful array of small tomatoes in various flavours, sizes and colours.

It usually includes cherry, grape, mini roma, tear drop and kumato varieties.

Roast tomato, rocket & chorizo spaghetti

Preparation 10 mins | Cooking 12 mins | Serves 4

STEP 1 Cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling water, following packet directions, until al dente.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook, tossing often, for 5 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Add tomatoes and garlic to the pan, cook, tossing often, for 4-5 minutes until very tender.

STEP 3 Drain spaghetti and return to the pan. Add tomato mixture, chorizo, rocket, feta, olives and extra virgin olive oil. Season with pepper to taste. Toss over low heat until hot and well combined and serve.

Blueberries

Nature’s superfood, sweet nutrient-packed blueberries are one of the healthiest snack foods. Low in kilojoules, blueberries are high in antioxidants and support brain health.

Half a punnet (75g) of blueberries supplies 10mg of vitamin C (25% RDI) and only 165 kilojoules. Blueberries also contain fibre and are low GI.

Choosing

Choose bright and even-coloured blueberries with a light frosty blush. Inspect the underside of the punnet for squashed fruit or oozing juice.

Before use

Wash blueberries just before use. Rinse in cold water then gently roll the blueberries on paper towel to dry.

Fresh Green Peas

Bursting with sweetness, just-picked green peas define spring freshness. Grab some from your local greengrocer today.

Select plump green peas with bright green intact pods. Once picked, green peas rapidly deteriorate and lose sweetness as the sugars convert to starch. The pod protects the delicate peas so remove just before cooking. For optimal flavour, cook peas on the day of purchase.

Easy to pod

Kids especially love podding fresh green peas so get the whole family involved in this fun and memorable task. Simply use your thumbnails to pry open the pod lengthways and remove the peas.

For the easiest of side dishes, rapidly boil podded green peas in salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, return peas to the pan and gently smash. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or butter, season with salt and pepper then serve.

Bananas

This naturally sweet fruit is a storehouse of carbohydrate, vitamins and fibre.

The ever-popular Cavendish variety is a great all-rounder whilst the smaller sweeter Ladyfinger is perfect for snacking and fruit salads.

Bananas & mangoes with palm sugar cream

Preparation 20 mins | Cooking 5 mins | Serves 4

STEP 1 To make sauce, combine palm sugar, water and coconut cream in a small heavy based saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to the boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in lime juice and set aside to cool.

STEP 2 To serve, cut cheeks from mangoes, remove skin and thickly slice. Peel and diagonally slice bananas. Arrange fruit on a serving platter or plates. Drizzle with sauce and serve with lime wedges.