The best fresh produce to shop for in June

Potatoes, cauliflowers and pomegranates are among the early winter offerings at the Queen Victoria Market. (ABC News: Anna Chisholm)

Chef Analiese Gregory says June is the season for making "winter vegetables the star".

This could look like preparing a stuffed cabbage dish or salt-baking a whole celeriac and serving it with cheese sauce and hazelnuts, Ms Gregory says.

Sellers say it's a good time to buy hearty vegetables. (Supplied: Anna Chisholm)

Fresh produce she's looking forward to in Lutruwita/Tasmania this month includes beetroot, cabbage and celeriac.

Georgina Dragwidge, the owner of Georgie's Harvest in South Melbourne Market in Naarm, names potatoes, apples and mandarins among her picks.

Rosa Ansaldo, from Rospaul Fresh Fruit in the Queen Victoria Market in Naarm, says it's a good time for vegetables, including hearty parsnips and beetroots.

Ms Gregory says she enjoys salt-baking vegetables like beetroot and celeriac at this time of year.

This involves packing a mixture of egg whites and salt around the whole unpeeled vegetables and baking them it in the oven (at about 160 or 180 degrees Celsius), then taking them out and "breaking the crust".

"They're generally really nicely seasoned the whole way through after that process," she says.

When it comes to using beetroot at home, Ms Gregory recommends cooking it straight away so they are easier to use.

"Having a cooked beetroot in the fridge is totally different to having a raw beetroot in the fridge."

Ms Gregory says you could then add cooked beetroot to a salad with fresh herbs, vinaigrette and goat's cheese, laid over pastry in a vegetable tart, or they are "super, super delicious" cut and glazed with honey, butter and herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme in a pan.

Sellers say there is a wide selection of local potatoes available. (ABC News: Anna Chisholm)

Ms Dragwidge says it's also a peak period for potatoes, a speciality in her store.

Among the waxy varieties, Ms Dragwidge lists Pink Fir Apple, Nicola and Dutch creams among her favourites.

"From a flowery perspective, we've also got the King Edwards, Maris Piper, and some really gorgeous russets are in."

Waxy potatoes work best in dishes like potato salad or cubed into stews and soups, while something floury is a better fit for mashing and roasting, she says.

Ms Ansaldo says she likes Desiree, "because you can make gnocchi, you can make your baked potatoes [and] It's the best for mashed potatoes".

Ms Ansaldo says brassicas including broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are affordable at the moment.

Another brassica, c