Spring Produce Guide: What’s Fresh in September and Simple Ways to Use It

There’s a particular kind of happiness that comes with September’s produce aisles. After months of hearty winter vegetables (and a lack of variety), the first signs of spring bring a lighter, greener, slightly tangier lineup, and cooking suddenly feels a little easier again. Here’s what to look out for this month, and some simple, low-fuss ways to use it all.

Fruit

Citrus is still having its moment. Lemons, blood oranges, navel oranges, mandarins and tangelos are all in good supply this September, even as we head toward the end of their peak season. Use them while they’re around: a simple citrus salad with fennel and olive oil, fresh juice squeezed over roasted vegetables, or a jar of homemade lemon curd to use up whatever’s left in the fruit bowl.

Strawberries are just getting started. Early spring strawberries begin appearing this month, though they’ll get sweeter and more abundant as the season goes on. Toss them through a simple green salad with a soft cheese, blend them into a quick smoothie, or simply eat them as they are with a bit of good vanilla yoghurt.

Rhubarb is on its way out. If you spot the last of the season’s rhubarb, it’s worth grabbing. Stewed rhubarb with a little sugar and orange zest is an easy way to use it up, whether spooned over yoghurt for breakfast or folded through a simple crumble.

Vegetables

Asparagus is the star of the month. September marks the real start of asparagus season, and it’s hard to beat simply cooked: steamed or blanched, tossed in olive oil, and finished with a squeeze of lemon and some shaved parmesan. It also works well folded through a quiche, tossed through pasta, or roasted alongside a simple midweek dinner.

Leafy greens are everywhere. Spinach, silverbeet and Asian greens like bok choy and choy sum are all in good supply. A quick wilted greens side, sautéed with garlic and a splash of soy or lemon, is one of the easiest ways to get more vegetables onto the plate without much effort.

Peas and broad beans are worth the extra step. Sugar snap, snow and garden peas, along with broad beans, are all at their best this month. Yes, shelling broad beans takes a bit of time, but tossed through a simple pasta with mint and ricotta, or blitzed into a quick smashed pea and feta dip, they’re worth it.

Leeks and spring onions add gentle flavour. Both are in good supply and work beautifully in a simple leek and potato soup, a frittata, or sautéed as the base for almost any midweek dinner.

Artichokes make a nice change from the usual. If you haven’t cooked with fresh artichokes before, spring is the time to try. Steamed and served with a simple lemon butter or aioli for dipping is an easy, low-fuss way to enjoy them without needing a complicated recipe.

Mushrooms and cauliflower round things out. Both are versatile enough to work through the whole week: mushrooms sautéed for breakfast or stirred through a stroganoff, cauliflower roasted whole with a simple spiced yoghurt drizzle, or blitzed into a quick, comforting soup.

Lettuce is at its best. Cos, iceberg, butter and oak leaf varieties are all in peak condition this month, which makes it the perfect time to lean into a proper spring salad rather than a sad side serve. A simple green salad with a good vinaigrette, some fresh herbs and a handful of toasted nuts or seeds is often all you need alongside a main.

A few easy ways to use the whole list at once

If you’d rather not shop with a long list in hand, a few simple dishes let you use several of this month’s ingredients together.

A big spring salad: cos or butter lettuce, blanched asparagus, sliced strawberries, a handful of peas, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.

A sheet-pan spring dinner: roasted asparagus, leeks and mushrooms alongside your protein of choice, finished with a squeeze of citrus.

A quick soup: leek, potato and a handful of spinach or silverbeet, blitzed until smooth, is an easy way to use up whatever greens are lingering in the fridge.

Spring produce doesn’t need much done to it to taste good. Keep the cooking simple, lean on good olive oil, fresh herbs and a squeeze of citrus, and let the season’s freshness do most of the work.