"In season" has become a byword for healthy, economical and, it seems, fashionable eating.
I was at a dinner in Auckland last week where "seasonal vegetables" were on the menu, and guess what they were - eggplant, tomato, courgettes, beans and peppers!
Surely, even in Auckland, these summer and autumn vegetables aren't in season. They probably came from the warmer parts of Australia. Chefs should know better than to call such things "seasonal" in winter.
If you really want to know what's in season locally, visit your local farmers market.
At this time of year you'll find potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, parsnip, swede, yams, beetroot, Chinese greens, Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes, as well as apples, and from northern New Zealand you'll find citrus fruit, kiwifruit, persimmons, some avocados and tamarillos in local supermarkets.
