Five seasonal recipes using local produce available now

Ballarat households can prepare five straightforward winter dishes this month using produce harvested from farms within 50 kilometres of the city.

July brings peak supplies of root vegetables, brassicas and citrus that store well and deliver fibre and vitamins at lower cost than imported items. Local growers report steady demand at markets where shoppers seek affordable ways to meet daily intake targets amid rising grocery prices.

Ballarat Health Services on Mair Street runs free nutrition workshops every second Thursday, while the Ballarat Rail Trail cycling path links directly to the Saturday produce market on Sturt Street where vendors set up from 8am.

Regional Victoria data from the 2025 Victorian Population Health Survey showed adults here average 2.1 serves of vegetables daily, below the five-serve guideline, with prices at local stalls such as $2.50 per kilogram for carrots and $3 per head for cauliflower on 11 July.

Five recipes to try this week

Roast carrot and potato soup starts with two kilograms of local carrots and potatoes simmered in stock for 40 minutes before blending. Add a splash of cream from a Wendouree dairy supplier.

Braised leeks with apple uses three leeks from the market stall and two Granny Smith apples, cooked slowly in a covered pan with a teaspoon of mustard for 25 minutes.

Cauliflower cheese bake requires one large head of cauliflower broken into florets, steamed for eight minutes then topped with grated cheddar and baked at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Silverbeet and potato pie combines a bunch of silverbeet with four boiled potatoes, folded into shortcrust pastry and baked for 35 minutes on Wendouree Road.

Citrus and fennel salad slices two oranges and one fennel bulb, dressed with olive oil and a pinch of salt, ready in five minutes.

Shoppers can pick up the ingredients at the Sturt Street market before 10am on Saturday and return home along the Rail Trail in under 30 minutes by bike.