DARK CHOCOLATE, LIME, AND COCONUT TART

The chef at the Quarters at Riccarton House, Sam Marchant, oversees the daytime restaurant and also heads up the kitchen when hosting events. With menus reflecting the seasons, daily lunches are created from the restaurant planter boxes or utilise the local produce from the onsite Christchurch Farmers’ Market, which operates every Saturday in the historic grounds. Tailored menus are also created for weddings, anniversary dinners, cocktail events, whisky and gin nights, all held in the historic quarters of Riccarton homestead.

This indulgent tart ticks all the boxes: decadent, gluten- and dairy-free, vegan if you omit the mascarpone garnish and use the maple syrup instead of the honey. A staple on the menu at The Quarters, try it for your next dessert.

SERVES 6

Pastry 150gm ground almonds 75gm walnuts, ground Zest of 2 limes 50ml coconut oil 50ml maple syrup or good local honey

Filling 400ml coconut cream 400gm 70 per cent dark chocolate Pinch of sea salt

To serve Mascarpone Lime zest Pistachios Freeze-dried berries In a food processor, pulse the ground almonds, walnuts, and lime zest until combined.

Meanwhile, slowly heat the coconut oil and honey (or maple syrup) until melted, then add to the nut mixture and pulse until mixture resembles sticky breadcrumbs.

Line a 24cm round baking tin with baking paper. Press the mixture into the tin, pressing up the sides slightly and bake at 180°C for eight to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, heat the cream until just simmering. Place the dark chocolate in a large bowl, then pour over the hot cream. Let it sit for a minute, then whisk the mixture from the inside out until smooth, add the salt and give a final whisk.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the baked pastry case and chill for two to three hours until set.

Serve in slices with mascarpone, chopped pistachio, extra lime zest, and freezedried berries.

CELEBRATE THE SEASON

WORDS Kim Newth PHOTOS Sarah Rowlands

Aline-up of colourful, fresh seasonal salads is a delight to the eye at the Merivale Fresh Choice Deli and a source of quiet pride for the deli team, led by Lauren Donnell. At this time of year, they are flying out the door.

“We’re doing a lot of salads and orders for daybefore-Christmas pick-ups,” says Lauren. “Of course, glazed hams are top of many people’s shopping lists too. We make our own glazed hams, and they look and taste amazing. It’s a beautiful ham and a great option, especially if you’re hosting a large number of people.”

The legendary reputation of this deli is such that the Crusaders place a regular weekly bulk salad order, and the All Blacks have sampled its salad selection too. This is truly champion fare. Every day, all salads are made fresh on-site from the Fresh Choice Merivale produce range, offering plenty of choices and inspiring variety.

With a busy catering schedule for the end of year business and festive functions, December means platters aplenty for the deli squad. Merivale Fresh Choice Deli provides a custom service tailored to the needs of each customer and their requirements. Platters from the deli comprise an inspiring spread of customised items including dips and pâtés, fresh veggies, fruit, salads, sundried tomatoes and olives, breads, sliced ham and other gourmet meats, crackers and quality cheese. Fruit platters with seasonal favourites like rockmelon and strawberries are another popular choice, and Christmas mince pies and chocolates can be added if desired.

“We can do absolutely anything including grazing tables with pork belly slider buns, crostini, and cocktail blinis – you name it, we can put it on there. We also do a lot of canapes. We’re a one-stop-shop as we work closely with our butchery team and can even sort out the beverage side and organise servers.

“Everyone is different, so we cater for what people want and for their particular function. We don’t advertise our services as such. What happens is someone will go to a party where they love what we’ve done and then get in touch asking if we could do the catering for their next social function. It grows by word of mouth.”

The butchery team, headed by Lauren’s husband Stu, is next to the deli, which is a real plus for customers. “People can come to us if they need advice on, say, preparing and glazing a ham; Stu can walk them through that.”

Conversely, readymade deli roast meals such as lamb off the bone, pork loin, beef fillet, and chicken breast with all the trimmings may be just what some are looking for this festive season. Deli made gourmet pizzas and bacon and egg pies are other great convenience options.

Lauren, who has a background in café management, has led her talented team for the past six years. She grew up with a passion for cooking and loves making sure that everything on display is made fresh that day to a high standard and beautifully presented.

“No two days are the same. I love the busyness the most. It’s pretty fast-paced. If you can finish your day wanting more hours, then you know it’s the right job for you!”

merivalemall.co.nz

PLANT THE TOWN RED

You may recognise the name Red Eight Café – arguably one of Kaiapoi’s bestkept secrets, Stephanie Reeves’ iconic institution took out the winning votes for Best Café in 2019’s A List awards.

This overwhelmingly positive response to her approach to food and coffee means Red Eight is a name synonymous with good fare.

In recent months, Stephanie has added a new string to her bow – Red Eight Café at Portstone. This latest venture is a fantastic place to meet your friends and family for early brunch on a Saturday or Sunday whilst sitting in the sunshine among the delights of Ferry Road’s Portstone Garden Centre.

Stephanie keeps it simple. “I love food that looks delicious and tastes fantastic.”

She’s definitely earned her stripes. After retraining as a pastry chef about a decade ago, she went on to work at the Crowne Plaza pre-quakes. She also cut her teeth at famed French baker’s J’aime les Macarons before creating Red Eight Café in 2016. She mentions that Chris and Kate, the owners of Portstone Garden Centre, would come into the café in Kaiapoi regularly. After a few months of chatting about the possibility of taking over the café at the garden centre, Red Eight at Portstone was born. And now, with the original Kaiapoi café sitting with new owners, Stephanie is full steam ahead on putting Red Eight Portstone on the map.

Everything on offer looks stunning and tastes even better, from classic eggs benedict stacked on crispy rostis to rhubarb and spiced blueberry pancakes with butterscotch sauce and gingernut crumb. The cabinet is adorned with even more options for those on the go, and the coffee is top-notch.

Stephanie also mentions their lemon meringue tarts are so popular, to a point where they are struggling to keep up with demand, “which is understandable since they are so yummy!”

Check out Red Eight at Portstone – brunch is available till 2pm.

THE TREATS ARE SWEET

CINFUL

South Town Club is amongst the best café offerings in the central city; with a modern, delicious food menu and the nicest team to boot, you’ll have a new regular brunch spot in no time. When you’re there, take our word for it, and order one of their cinnamon scrolls. These are absolutely smothered in citrus icing, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get one still warm. Perfect mid-morning snack with coffee number three. Or is it four?

@southtownclubnz

BUTTER’S BUCHE

Butter’s table centrepiece for the festive season is the famed bûche de Noël – a yule time tradition in France, with a decidedly Butteresque twist for the Kiwi palate. This is an artful display of an almond praline crémeux, wrapped up in a handmade choux sponge roulade and slathered in a milk chocolate mousse. This is a perfect option to replace the classic Chrissy trifle this year. Pre-orders are open now. butterpastry.nz

NOUGAT NOMS

As always, our friends at Ballantynes are your one-stop-shop for stocking stuffers. Why not give your loved ones a touch of decadence in their present pile with this smooth, creamy nougat from Bramble and Hedge? This latest flavour release has arrived in-store and is filled with candied pear, caramel, nuts, and honey. It’s a sweet treat for a special person. And you know what, perhaps that person is you?! ballantynes.co.nz

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

…is Sweet Soul’s signature Christmas cake! Available only in the month of December in-store, it’s the festive staple you need on your side when feeding the troops around the silly season. The chefs at Sweet Soul have spent months perfecting this authentic recipe, and the result is a very wellbalanced mix of sweetness, fresh citrus flavours and even a hint of premium rum. Each cake is infused with plenty of secret tricks that only Sweet Soul’s team know. How mysterious! Grab one and let us know how delicious it is. sweetsoul.nz