Chantal Banana Fairtrade
Kumara – Red
Kumara – Beauregard
Yams Red
Yams Yellow
Broccoli
Cabbage – Green
Cauliflower
Carrots Juice Grade
Carrots Table Grade
Leeks
Apples – Braeburn
Pears – Bosc
Onions Brown NZ
** Please note – due to the shorter days and less sunlight at the moment the vegetables are a much smaller size.
Store special
Leeks $12 kilo and Kiwifruit – green $4.50 kilo. – just until sold out!
Spotlight on Pears
Health benefits Source: https://www.healthdiaries.com/
Bosc pears have brownish skin and a somewhat crunchy but tender flesh that has a sweet-spicy flavor. You can enjoy them raw or use them in baking, broiling or poaching. The nutrition of a Bosc pear is similar to that of other pears and fruits.
There are thousands of varieties of pears grown all over the world. Much as they have with the apple, people have chosen to cultivate a few of these varieties into the deliciously juicy fruits that we find in fields, farmer’s markets and produce sections today. Some of the most popular varieties today include the Bartlett, the Anjou, the rough-skinned Bosc, and the brilliantly colored Starkrimson.
Pears are such a valuable source of food that people would sometimes include the word Perry in place names to indicate that pears were growing there. Here are eight health benefits of pears that may make you want to eat them more often.
Immune System Booster
Having a strong immune system is essential in fighting off disease and illness. Pears help to boost the immune system because they contain antioxidants such as vitamin C and copper which fight off free radicals and disease in the body.
Osteoporosis Prevention
Preventing and treating osteoporosis is a major concern for many people. Many doctors are now recommending that people who are concerned with protecting the health of their bones maintain a balanced ph and high calcium intake from dietary sources. Fruits and vegetables help to maintain a healthy pH level and pears are a good source of boron, which researchers believe may help the body to retain calcium.
Increased Energy Levels
When you eat a pear, your body absorbs glucose, which is converted into energy. Eating a pear can be a great pick-me-up if you feel sluggish in the afternoon.
Digestive Health
Pears contain a lot of fiber, which is essential for a healthy digestive system. Fiber helps to keep food moving efficiently through the colon. One medium sized pear contains about 20-25% of the daily recommended intake of fiber. A good percentage of the fiber in pears is insoluble, which may help to reduce the occurrence of colon polyps.
Cancer Prevention
One way to prevent cancer is by eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants. Pears contain vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant which is an important part of your body’s cancer fighting arsenal. The fiber content in pears is very effective at promoting colon health which will reduce your chances of developing colon cancer.
Healthy Pregnancy
In order to avoid birth defects, it is important for a pregnant women to consume enough folic acid. Pears contain 10-20 mcg (about 5% of the RDA) of the natural form of folic acid, folate, and they should be included in a healthy prenatal diet.
Less Allergenic
Pears are considered by some people to be a hypoallergenic food, which is why they are often recommended to people who suffer from food allergies and weaning babies. However, they are not completely hypoallergenic, as some people do have allergic reactions to pears, particularly those people who are allergic to Alder or Birch pollen.
Good for Weaning
Many doctors recommend pears for babies when they are weaning and being introduced to baby food. This is because pears are a low acid fruit that are unlikely to cause digestion problems in little bellies and because pear allergy is relatively rare.
Removing the skin and heating the pears before pureeing them can make them even easier to digest. Pears are very high in fiber so it’s important not to overdo it or to give pear puree to babies with diarrhea. If you do include the nutrient-rich skins in your baby’s food be sure that they are pureed enough that the pieces do not pose a choking hazard.
Recipes
Pear Tart
Ingredients
- Caramelised pears: 4 pears, peeled and halved
- 50g (2oz) butter
- 50g (2oz) caster sugar
- Pastry:
- 225g (8oz) plain flour
- 100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter
- 25g (1oz) caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk, to bind, if required
- Filling:
- 225g (8oz) butter
- 225g (8oz) caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 50g (2oz) plain flour
Method
- Melt the butter with the sugar in a large pan. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has become a golden-brown caramel.
- Add the pear halves and cook until caramelised all over. Remove from the heat.
- For the pastry, place the flour, butter and sugar into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub the butter into the sugar and flour with your fingers.
- Add the egg and stir until the mixture just comes together as a dough. Add a little milk if required.
- Roll the dough to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 40 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap. Roll the pastry out on a clean, floured work surface to line a 20cm/8in pie tin. Transfer to the oven to bake for ten minutes, or until golden-brown.
- For the filling, mix the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture and mix well, before adding the next until all the eggs are mixed into the butter and sugar.
- Add the plain flour and mix well to combine.
- Spoon the filling into the baked pastry tin and press the caramelised pear halves into the filling, so that they are half-submerged.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 mins, or until the filling is cooked through.
Events ahead:
- Saturday Market – The Old Packhouse Market Kerikeri (Every Saturday) from 8am ~ fresh orange juice, hot winter warmers, fresh vege juice blends, smoothies, smoothie ice blocks
- Sunday Market – The Old Packhouse Market Kerikeri (Every Sunday) from 8am ~ fresh orange juice, hot winter warmers, fresh vege juice blends, smoothies, smoothie ice block