In season: Pears
What: A type of fruit that can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes, it has an incredibly small window of opportunity - eat it before it's quite ripe and it'll be too crunchy without enough juice. Wait too long, and it'll be a pile of powdery mush. Get it just at the right time, however, and it'll be firm with plenty of juice and flavour without falling apart. There are thousands of different types of pear but the common Bartlett is the one you see the most in fruit shops and is highly versatile with plenty of sweet flesh.
Where: Flemington Markets Parramatta Rd, Flemington (02 9325 6200)
How: They can be sliced thinly and tossed through a salad of bitter greens, Parmesan and a tiny drop of aged balsamic vinegar or in cakes, ice cream or jam. They're great to preserve in sugar syrup.