Mangosteens are flavour of the week

In now: Look out for mangosteens from tropical Queensland. Hard to find, pricey and utterly delicious. To open, cut the thick skin around the fruit's equator, lift off the top and scoop out the segments.

Going fast: The lychee season is wrapping up. Grab one last handful of sweet juicy fruit.

Best buy: Machine-picked green beans are a bargain this week. The brown marks that can develop on otherwise snappy fresh beans are a sign that they have been overchilled in storage. Use them fast.

In the vegie patch: Plan a preserving weekend to sauce the tomatoes, pickle the cucumbers and freeze the beans.

robinpowell.com.au