The Amalgamation

Well, winter’s coming up (for us Australians, that is!) and in the Victoria region, there are heaps of fresh fruits, vegetables and more available in June.

I have previously posted on this topic, with a seasonal vegetables in May list. The list is from the Market Fresh website, and I strongly encourage you to visit the site for yourself. It has seasonal availability search functions, plus links to recipes for most of the produce they sell. So, you won’t have an excuse because even the ‘exotic’ foods are described on their site!

For example, for a herb like basil, you can click on a link to the descriptive page regarding that plant, including the different varieties, their seasonal availability, plus the recipes on the site containing basil (see http://www.marketfresh.com.au/produce_guide/product.asp?ID=12).

One of the keys to successful vegetarianism is to eat a variety of plants. It’s not much good if you just eat 5 apples a day. There are a lot of fruits, vegetables and more out there for you to try, and they’re easily accessible.

June Seasonal Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs and Nuts - Victoria, Australia

Apple
Avocado (Avocado Pear)
Banana (sugar banana)
Black Sapote (Black persimmon, Chocolate Pudding Fruit)
Breadfruit (Sukun)
Buddha’s Hand (Fingered citron)
Carambola (Five corner, Star fruit)
Cherry
Coconut
Custard Apple (Atemoya, Bullocks Heart, Cherimoya, Netted Custard Apple, Sweetsop)
Date
Dragon Fruit (Pitahaya, strawberry pear)
Feijoa (Guavasteen, Pineapple guava)
Granadilla
Grape
Grapefruit
Guava (Apple guava, Gyayaba, Jambu batu)
Indian Apple
Jakfruit (Nangka Jaca)
Kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberry, Yangtao)
Lemon
Lime (makrut)
Mandarin
Melon
Miracle Fruit (Miraculous berry)
Nashi (Apple-Pear, Asian Pear, Crystal Pear, Oriental Pear, Sand Pear)
Olive
Orange
Passionfruit
Paw Paw (Papaw, Papaya)
Pear
Persimmon (Kaki)
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Pummelo (Pamplemouse, Shaddock)
Quince
Rhubarb
Soursop (Guanabana)
Star Apple (Caimito)
Strawberry
Tamarillo (Tree Tomato)
Tamarind (Arabic: tamr hindi (Indian date), Thai: makham, Vietnamese: me )
Tangelo
Amaranth (Bahasa: bayam, Chinese: een choi or edible amaranth, English: Chinese spinach, Greek: vlita (green variety), Thai: phak khom suan, Vietnamese: rau dên)
Artichoke
Asparagus
Bamboo Shoot (Chinese: chuk sun, Thai: nor mai, Vietnamese: măng)
Banana Blossom (Thai: hua pli)
Banana Leaf (Thai: bai tong)
Bean (flat bean, long bean, yard long bean)
Beetroot (Beet)
Bitter Melon (Bahasa: peria, Chinese: foo gwa, English: bitter gourd or balsam pear, Thai: mara)
Bitter Melon Leaf (Bahasa: daun peria, Chinese: foo gwa yip, English: bitter gourd leaves, Thai: bai mara)
Bok Choi (bok choy, pak choi, pak choy, shanghai chinese chard)
Broccoflower (A hybrid mix of cauliflower and broccoli.)
Broccoli (Chinese kale, White flowering broccoli , Gai Lan)
Brussel Sprout
Cabbage (Chinese Mustard Cabbage, leaf mustard, Napa Cabbage, Peking Cabbage, Swatow mustard cabbage, Wombok, Wong Bok)
Capsicum (Chilli, Paprika, Peppers)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celeriac (Celery root)
Celery
Chilli Leaf (English: chilli leaves, Thai: bai prik )
Chinese Boxthorn (Chinese: gau gei choi, English: chinese wolfberry, Vietnamese: kâu ky)
Choi Sum (Chinese: choi sum, English: Chinese flowering cabbage, Thai: pak kwang tung )
Choko (Chayote)
Cucumber
Curry Leaf (Bahasa: daun kari, English: Indian curry leaves, Hindi: meetha neem, Sri Lanka: karapincha )
Drumstick (English: horseradish tree or ben oil tree, Thai: marum, Vietnamese: chum ngây)
Eggplant (Aubergine, Oriental eggplant)
Fennel
Hairy Melon (Chinese: tseet gwa (mo gwa), English: hairy gourd or fuzzy gourd, Thai: mafeng, Vietnamese: bí đao)
Horseradish
Jute/Jew Mallow (Arabic: melokhia, English: potherb jute or bush okra, Thai: po krachao, Vietnamese: rau đay)
Kale (Borecole, Collard, German Cabbage, Scotch Cabbage)
Kohlrabi (Turnip-rooted cabbage)
La Lot (, Bahasa: daun kadok, English: wild betel, Thai: bai chaplu , fish plant)
Leek
Lettuce (asparagus lettuce, woh sun, stem lettuce)
Long Melon (Fuzzy Melon, White Gourd, Winter Melon)
Lotus Root (Bahasa: ubi teratai, Chinese: lin or leen ngau or lianou, English: lotus root, Thai: rak bua)
Luffa (angled luffa, Chinese okra, loohfas, ridged gourd, ridged melon, smooth luffa, sponge gourd, vegetable/bonnet gourd)
Mache (Corn Salad, Lamb’s Lettuce)
Mushroom
Onion
Pandanus (Bahasa: daun pandan, English: pandan or fragrant screwpine, Thai: toei horm)
Parsnip
Paw Paw Blossom (Papaw Blossom, Papaya Blossom)
Pea Shelling
Pea Snow (Chinese: Hoh laan dau, English: sweet pea or Chinese pea, Thai: tua lan tau)
Pea Sugarsnap (Chinese: Hoh laan dau, English: sweet pea or Chinese pea, Thai: tua lan tau )
Pennywort (English: Indian pennywort, Thai: bua bok, Vietnamese: rau má)
Peperomia (English: peperomia or crab claw plant, Thai: phak krasang, Vietnamese: càng cua)
Potato
Pumpkin
Radish (Cheng loh baak, Daikon, Green oriental radish, Lo Baak, Long white radish, Red radish)
Shallot (Eschallot, Shallot)
Silverbeet (Swiss Chard)
Spinach (Malabar Spinach, Slippery Vegetable, English Spinach, Swamp Cabbage, True Spinach, Water Spinach)
Spring Onion (Bahasa: daun bawang, English: Eschallots or green onion, Thai: ton horm, Vietnamese: hành lá)
Sprout (Alfalfa, Bean Sprouts, Mung Bean Sprouts, Snow pea shoots)
Squash (Button Squash, Scallopini)
Sugar Cane (English: sugar cane, Thai: oi )
Swede
Sweet Corn (Corn)
Sweet Potato (Bahasa: ubi keledek, Chinese: Faan sue, English: sweet potato or sweetpotato or kumara, Thai: man thet, Vietnamese: khoai lang)
Sweet Potato Leaf (English: Sweet potato leaves, Vietnamese: Iá khoai lang )
Taro (Bahasa: ubi keladi, Chinese: woo tau, English: Taro or dasheen, Thai: peuak)
Taro Shoot (Chinese: woo hap, English: taro stems, Thai: born)
Tatsoi (Chinese: taai goo choi, English: rosette bok choi or Chinese flat cabbage, Japanese: tatsoi)
Tomato
Turnip
Vegetable Spaghetti (Spaghetti Marrow, Spaghetti Squash)
Vietnamese Balm (English: Vietnamese balm, Thai: phak leuan)
Watercress (Chinese: sai yeung choi, English: watercress, Thai: phakkat-nam, Vietnamese: xà lách son)
Winged Bean (Bahasa: kacang botol, Chinese: yi dou, English: asparagus bean or Goa bean, Thai: tua pu)
Witlof (Belgian Endive, Chicory, Witloof)
Yam (Bahasa: ubi kemali, Chinese: da shu or tai shue or shuyu, English: yam or water yam, Thai: man)
Yam Bean (Bahasa: bangkuang, Chinese: sa got, English: jicama or yam bean, Thai: man gaeo)
Zucchini (Courgette)
Almond Nut
Basil (sweet basil, thai basil)
Bitter Herb (Chinese: foo yip, English: bitter herb, Thai: phak kuang, Vietnamese: rau đăng)
Brazil Nut
Cashew Nut
Chervil
Chestnut
Chickpea
Chilli
Chive (Onion Chives)
Coriander (Chinese: Uen sai, English: coriander or cilantro, Thai: pak chee )
Dill
Fenugreek (Hindi: methi)
Galangal (Bahasa: lengkuas, Chinese: hang dou kou, English: Siamese ginger or galingale, Thai: kha)
Garlic (Bahasa: bawang putih, Chinese: da suan or suan tau, English: garlic, Thai: gratiem)
Ginger (Bahasa: halia, Chinese: geung, English: ginger, Thai: khing)
Hazelnut
Kaffir Lime Leaf (Kaffir Lime Leaves)
Lemon Grass (Bahasa: serai, Chinese: heong mau, English: lemon grass, Thai: takrai)
Macadamia Nut
Marjoram (Oregano, Sweet Marjoram)
Mint (common mint)
Oregano
Parsley
Peanut
Pecan Nut
Pepper
Perilla (Chinese: gee so or jen, English: beefsteak plant or shiso, Japanese: shiso (green) & aka shiso (red))
Pine Nut
Pistachio Nut
Rice Paddy Herb (English: Rice paddy herb or finger grass, Thai: phak kayaeng)
Rosemary
Tarragon
Thyme (Citrus Thyme)
Turmeric (Bahasa: kunyit, English: turmeric, Thai: khamin)

Walnut

Water Chestnut (Chinese: ma taai, English: Chinese water chestnut, Thai: haeo jin)

For me, reading vegetarian recipes is generally a good indicator that either (a) I’m hungry or (b) I’m needing a health fix. In this case it’s probably both! While I do try to eat healthy and exercise, it seems that I became somewhat lazier than usual over the Easter break. So, here I am, exercising to try and work off the flab and browsing recipes to try and reduce my intake of junk foods! My exercise regime mainly consists of regular fast-paced walking most weekdays; and 20-minute aerobics sessions a few times a week.

Add to that, I’m not interested in vegetarian recipes that just take out the meat and add cheese or some sort of soy-based meat substitute. No, let’s get into the real stuff, the raw ingredients combined to make food where you know what it was, it still looks like what it was - where it hasn’t been processed beyond recognition.

I was having a browse yesterday in a bookstore’s massive health and nutrition section. There were, thankfully, more vegetarian and vegan-friendly books than last time I looked at this topic. There were also the books that are very anti-vegetarian, telling people to eat more meat, more fatty fod, etc. to lose weight!

To try and simplify things, I like to keep the PCRM 4 food groups in mind when planning my menu for the coming weeks:

1. grains
2. legumes
3. fruits
4. vegetables

This provides a great starting point for developing meals. A variety of each of these types of foods contribute to increased energy and good health (at least, it has for me!).

I also find the Market Fresh website excellent in finding locally available seasonal produce in Victoria (Australia). Here’s what’s available in Victoria in May (from MarketFresh.Com.Au, with detailed descriptions of each product and recipes available on the MarketFresh site):

Apple
Avocado (Avocado Pear)
Banana (sugar banana)
Black Sapote (Black persimmon, Chocolate Pudding Fruit)
Blueberry
Breadfruit (Sukun)
Carambola (Five corner, Star fruit)
Coconut
Custard Apple (Atemoya, Bullocks Heart, Cherimoya, Netted Custard Apple, Sweetsop)
Date
Dragon Fruit (Pitahaya, strawberry pear)
Feijoa (Guavasteen, Pineapple guava)
Granadilla
Grape
Grapefruit
Guava (Apple guava, Gyayaba, Jambu batu)
Indian Apple
Jakfruit (Nangka Jaca)
Kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberry, Yangtao)
Lemon
Lime (makrut)
Mandarin
Melon
Miracle Fruit (Miraculous berry)
Monstera (Ceriman)
Nashi (Apple-Pear, Asian Pear, Crystal Pear, Oriental Pear, Sand Pear)
Olive
Orange
Passionfruit
Paw Paw (Papaw, Papaya)
Pear
Pepino (Melon pear, Papino)
Persimmon (Kaki)
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Prickly Pear (Indian Fig)
Quince
Rambutan
Rhubarb
Rosella
Soursop (Guanabana)
Strawberry
Sugar Apple (Custard Apple)
Tamarillo (Tree Tomato)
Tamarind (Arabic: tamr hindi (Indian date), Thai: makham, Vietnamese: me )
Amaranth (Bahasa: bayam, Chinese: een choi or edible amaranth, English: Chinese spinach, Greek: vlita (green variety), Thai: phak khom suan, Vietnamese: rau dên)
Asparagus
Bamboo Shoot (Chinese: chuk sun, Thai: nor mai, Vietnamese: măng)
Banana Blossom (Thai: hua pli)
Banana Leaf (Thai: bai tong)
Bean (flat bean, long bean, yard long bean)
Beetroot (Beet)
Bitter Melon (Bahasa: peria, Chinese: foo gwa, English: bitter gourd or balsam pear, Thai: mara)
Bitter Melon Leaf (Bahasa: daun peria, Chinese: foo gwa yip, English: bitter gourd leaves, Thai: bai mara)
Bok Choi (bok choy, pak choi, pak choy, shanghai chinese chard)
Broccoflower (A hybrid mix of cauliflower and broccoli.)
Broccoli (Chinese kale, White flowering broccoli , Gai Lan)
Brussel Sprout
Cabbage (Chinese Mustard Cabbage, leaf mustard, Napa Cabbage, Peking Cabbage, Swatow mustard cabbage, Wombok, Wong Bok)
Capsicum (Chilli, Paprika, Peppers)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celeriac (Celery root)
Celery
Chilli Leaf (English: chilli leaves, Thai: bai prik )
Chinese Boxthorn (Chinese: gau gei choi, English: chinese wolfberry, Vietnamese: kâu ky)
Choi Sum (Chinese: choi sum, English: Chinese flowering cabbage, Thai: pak kwang tung )
Choko (Chayote)
Cucumber
Curry Leaf (Bahasa: daun kari, English: Indian curry leaves, Hindi: meetha neem, Sri Lanka: karapincha )
Drumstick (English: horseradish tree or ben oil tree, Thai: marum, Vietnamese: chum ngây)
Eggplant (Aubergine, Oriental eggplant)
Fennel
Hairy Melon (Chinese: tseet gwa (mo gwa), English: hairy gourd or fuzzy gourd, Thai: mafeng, Vietnamese: bí đao)
Horseradish
Jute/Jew Mallow (Arabic: melokhia, English: potherb jute or bush okra, Thai: po krachao, Vietnamese: rau đay)
La Lot (, Bahasa: daun kadok, English: wild betel, Thai: bai chaplu , fish plant)
Leek
Lettuce (asparagus lettuce, woh sun, stem lettuce)
Long Melon (Fuzzy Melon, White Gourd, Winter Melon)
Lotus Root (Bahasa: ubi teratai, Chinese: lin or leen ngau or lianou, English: lotus root, Thai: rak bua)
Luffa (angled luffa, Chinese okra, loohfas, ridged gourd, ridged melon, smooth luffa, sponge gourd, vegetable/bonnet gourd)
Mache (Corn Salad, Lamb’s Lettuce)
Mushroom
Okra (Bahasa: bendi, Chinese: huang qiu kui or yong kok dau, English: lady’s fingers, Thai: krachiap)
Onion
Pandanus (Bahasa: daun pandan, English: pandan or fragrant screwpine, Thai: toei horm)
Parsnip
Paw Paw Blossom (Papaw Blossom, Papaya Blossom)
Pea Shelling
Pea Snow (Chinese: Hoh laan dau, English: sweet pea or Chinese pea, Thai: tua lan tau)
Pea Sugarsnap (Chinese: Hoh laan dau, English: sweet pea or Chinese pea, Thai: tua lan tau )
Peperomia (English: peperomia or crab claw plant, Thai: phak krasang, Vietnamese: càng cua)
Potato
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Leaf (English: pumpkin Leaves)
Radish (Cheng loh baak, Daikon, Green oriental radish, Lo Baak, Long white radish, Red radish)
Shallot (Eschallot, Shallot)
Silverbeet (Swiss Chard)
Spinach (Malabar Spinach, Slippery Vegetable, English Spinach, Swamp Cabbage, True Spinach, Water Spinach)
Spring Onion (Bahasa: daun bawang, English: Eschallots or green onion, Thai: ton horm, Vietnamese: hành lá)
Sprout (Alfalfa, Bean Sprouts, Mung Bean Sprouts, Snow pea shoots)
Squash (Button Squash, Scallopini)
Sugar Cane (English: sugar cane, Thai: oi )
Swede
Sweet Corn (Corn)
Sweet Potato (Bahasa: ubi keledek, Chinese: Faan sue, English: sweet potato or sweetpotato or kumara, Thai: man thet, Vietnamese: khoai lang)
Sweet Potato Leaf (English: Sweet potato leaves, Vietnamese: Iá khoai lang )
Taro (Bahasa: ubi keladi, Chinese: woo tau, English: Taro or dasheen, Thai: peuak)
Taro Shoot (Chinese: woo hap, English: taro stems, Thai: born)
Tatsoi (Chinese: taai goo choi, English: rosette bok choi or Chinese flat cabbage, Japanese: tatsoi)
Tomato
Turnip
Vegetable Spaghetti (Spaghetti Marrow, Spaghetti Squash)
Vietnamese Balm (English: Vietnamese balm, Thai: phak leuan)
Watercress (Chinese: sai yeung choi, English: watercress, Thai: phakkat-nam, Vietnamese: xà lách son)
Winged Bean (Bahasa: kacang botol, Chinese: yi dou, English: asparagus bean or Goa bean, Thai: tua pu)
Witlof (Belgian Endive, Chicory, Witloof)
Yam (Bahasa: ubi kemali, Chinese: da shu or tai shue or shuyu, English: yam or water yam, Thai: man)
Yam Bean (Bahasa: bangkuang, Chinese: sa got, English: jicama or yam bean, Thai: man gaeo)
Zucchini (Courgette)
Zucchini Flower
Almond Nut
Basil (sweet basil, thai basil)
Bitter Herb (Chinese: foo yip, English: bitter herb, Thai: phak kuang, Vietnamese: rau đăng)
Brazil Nut
Cashew Nut
Chervil
Chestnut
Chickpea
Chilli
Chive (Onion Chives)
Coriander (Chinese: Uen sai, English: coriander or cilantro, Thai: pak chee )
Dill
Fenugreek (Hindi: methi)
Galangal (Bahasa: lengkuas, Chinese: hang dou kou, English: Siamese ginger or galingale, Thai: kha)
Garlic (Bahasa: bawang putih, Chinese: da suan or suan tau, English: garlic, Thai: gratiem)
Ginger (Bahasa: halia, Chinese: geung, English: ginger, Thai: khing)
Hazelnut
Kaffir Lime Leaf (Kaffir Lime Leaves)
Lemon Grass (Bahasa: serai, Chinese: heong mau, English: lemon grass, Thai: takrai)
Macadamia Nut
Marjoram (Oregano, Sweet Marjoram)
Mint (common mint)
Oregano
Parsley
Peanut
Pecan Nut
Pepper
Perilla (Chinese: gee so or jen, English: beefsteak plant or shiso, Japanese: shiso (green) & aka shiso (red))
Pine Nut
Pistachio Nut
Rice Paddy Herb (English: Rice paddy herb or finger grass, Thai: phak kayaeng)
Rosemary
Tarragon
Thyme (Citrus Thyme)
Turmeric (Bahasa: kunyit, English: turmeric, Thai: khamin)
Walnut
Water Chestnut (Chinese: ma taai, English: Chinese water chestnut, Thai: haeo jin)

In doing research for my university assignments on the land rights social movement among Indigenous Australians, I have come across a lot of references to Native Australian foods. Add to that, our local supermarket stocks a variety of Native fruits as relishes and sauces, and we have the beginnings of an amazing variety of foods long ignored in the west.

I found a couple of websites that discuss Native Australian plants as food:

Australian Bushfoods Magazine

Bush Tucker (The Epicentre)

Bush Tucker Plants

Aboriginal Diet and Nutrition (Better Health Channel, Victorian State Government)

My interest in this topic was probably sparked when, as a teenager, I attended a garden nursery open day, which included a short lecture on Indigenous plant foods of south-eastern Victoria, Australia. (The links are related to the region in question!) Add to that the fact that I am vegetarian, and so am always on the lookout for a variety of plant-based foods to bring variety to our eating plans!

This is from the website of Dr McDougall, who uses vegan diets to help people combat serous illness.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/medical_nutrition.html

Nutrients are substances which are essential for the maintenance, repair, growth, and reproduction of all our body tissues. Our foods contain the following basic nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water. [Read more...]

I was raised in dairy farming country. So, it was taken for granted that full cream milk was part of the staple diet. We got ours straight from the vats in our grandparents’ farm dairy. Full cream milk, completely untreated - it turned out to be a great way to get a huge bum (in my experience)!

When I became a vegetarian, it became necessary to educate myself on the dietary needs of the average human. And, when I was pregnant / breastfeeding (at one point, I was both at the same time), I needed to not only know for myself, I had to explain my dietary choices…

So, was cow’s milk necessary when I was feeding my babies? Well, no. In fact, in the case of my children, dairy gives them severe eczema and stomach pain. So, I avoided dairy.

PCRM’s fact sheets on vegetarian lifestyles are really handy - here’s a link to their fact sheet on calcium and bone strength in a dairy-free diet: http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/strong_bones.html

9.57 pm - Monday 14 January 2008

The neighbour’s cat had kittens, and they play in our driveway. They’re so cute.  I love cats… and dogs… and rabbits… and ponies… and cattle… and, well, I like animals. Simple as that - probably why I became a vegetarian (that was back in 1995 … still veg!)