a Taste of Summer on the Mornington Peninsula
Words & images by Richard Cornish
On the Peninsula, summer brings fresh, ripe fruit, days on the beach and a season of delicious salads made from local produce.
For over a century, the orchards here have produced some of the best cherries and berries in the country. Our rich soils and ample rainfall create juicy, sweet fruit with a clean finish, from mulberries to strawberries to red currants and stone fruit. They’re currently being harvested at Ripe ‘n’ Ready in Red Hill, a fertile farm built on sustainable agriculture, with a farm gate shop also stocked with their own zucchini and avocados.
Meanwhile, the hens at Somerville Egg Farm are making the most of the warmer weather, feasting on summer bugs in the paddocks and pecking at the seeds from ripening grasses. This extra hit of protein and greenery means the yolks are extra rich and super silky. Their farm gate on Eramosa Road West is a temple to the hens and their eggs, a chance to buy with trays of fresh eggs sold at excellent value, perfect for festive baking. Fresh eggs are also star ingredients in many summer salads, from the classic Caesar to Russian salad, potato salad with crisp spring onions, and an array of vibrant mixed salads.
An ideal local accompaniment to an egg salad is the umami-rich range of seaweed condiments from Southern Seagreens. We want to give this sustainable seaweed start-up a big shout-out for everything these kelp farmers and seaweed foragers have achieved in 2025. Not only have they raised national awareness of seaweed aquaculture through media and online advocacy, they also took home a prestigious Delicious Award for their work. We love their new Kelp Disco Jam — a sweet, sticky and incredibly tasty spread that brings savoury foods to life, from toasties to cheese boards to stir-fries. Just like the jam, their Kelp Salt and Japanese spice blend, Furikake, elevate the flavour of any dish they’re sprinkled on — especially egg dishes! Made with golden kelp grown in the cool, clean waters off Flinders, these groundbreaking products are available online and from selected food retailers.
Have a great summer — and make it even better by putting fresh, sustainable and delicious Mornington Peninsula Produce on your table this season.
