Seasonal Grapefruit Mandarines Oranges Lemon Limes and Kiwi are all high in vitamin C to help keep colds and flu at bay.  They also add zest and flavour to wintery stews.  We traditionally see Valencia, Navel an Seville oranges in Sydney although blood oranges are becoming more readily available late in the season.

It wouldn’t be winter without pears in the fruit bowl and rhubarb in the fridge.  Eat them in crumble, poached atop your morning porridge or in bread and butter pudding.  There are plenty of Peckham and Nashi pears on the shelves right now.  Keep an eye out for Beurre Bosc which are perfect baked – be sure to choose firm fruit with undamaged skin.

Also in season are great winter warming root vegetables Sweet Potato, Swede, Celeriac and Turnip.  Eggplant, Brussels Sprouts, Fennel, Leek, Onions, Silverbeet, Whitlof and Cavolo Nero.

Carrots are another year-round staple but are at their best in winter.  Along with pumpkin, they are high in immune-boosting beta-carotene.

Cauliflower season runs from April to October.  You can also find green and purple and romanesco which is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli.

Chestnuts, Walnuts and Almonds high in Omega 3s and antioxidants.

Ginger:  look for think papery skins to represent freshness, the skin becomes thicker as the root becomes older.

Herbs:  Coriander, fresh peppercorns, marjoram, oregano, thyme.

Seafood: Blue grenadier, Bream, Flathead, Ling, Mud Crab, Oyster, Prawns, Red Emperor, Sea Mullet, Snapper