In now: The mango harvest in the Northern Territory is taking off, with fruit from Katherine joining the Darwin pick.

At its best: Podded peas are best fresh; don’t let them linger in the crisper. Peas in their pods weigh three times their shelled weight so allow a kilo for four diners.

Best buy: Globe artichokes are slow food in the original sense. Spend some time devouring them petal-by-petal now that they are at their best.

In the vegie patch: Plant lemon balm to lure bees and to enjoy its mild lemon flavour in salads and infusions.

What else:

• how good are those big fat asparagus spears!
• the best of the blueberries are on from now until November
• snow peas are being picked locally
• full marks to Harris Farm Markets for its launch of Imperfect Picks. The fruit and vegetables that growers have previously been forced to chuck – simply because it looks ‘wrong’ – will now be sold to canny customers for discounts of up to 50% . Good news for bargain hunters, and for those of us who hate waste.