PALATE

Salad days

Kate Underwood, Food Editor @relishthememory @eat.newzealand

As the days lengthen and we reacquaint ourselves with balmy temperatures, I find it fascinating how our desire to consume changes too. We eat outside, often with other people. We crave crunch, ice-cold liquids, and charred food we can eat with our hands.

Bowls of colourfully diverse, toothsome and textural salads are a must. But what even is a salad? From those with fancy names like Waldorf, Greek, or Caprese to the iceberg wedge, leafy mesclun straight from the bag. Those with 70 ingredients, or the debate about the presence of fruit. They all have their place.

As we gather around barbecues and serve food for a crowd, maybe the salad on offer doesn’t need to be a typical combination. We’re better off experimenting with what’s affordable, fresh, and in-season rather than filling a bowl with expensive, out-of-season produce to follow the imaginary rules.

Opting for one or two hero ingredients is a power move. Heirloom tomatoes in their prime (stored at room temperature – not in the fridge!) need nothing more than olive oil, flaky sea salt, and torn basil. If you did the same in winter, you’d be bitterly disappointed. I also love strawberries with fresh mint and balsamic.

If in doubt, go heavy on the acid. A squeeze of citrus (and zest, too) or a slosh of vinegar will breathe new life into any vegetable. Balsamic, red wine, white wine, apple cider, or even a fancy chardonnay option – like chefs use on oysters. Fresh herbs and mustards will level up your dressings too. Then find the best extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on and appreciate its grassy, peppery nature. My favourite olive oil is Robinsons Bay from Akaroa. So good it’s worthy of drinking. My 12-year-old nephew is obsessed with a celery salad I make at home due to the generous presence of rice wine vinegar. Alongside sliced celery, there’s cucumber, spring onion, toasted sesame seeds, coriander, soy sauce, and sesame oil. It’s deliciously hydrating and satisfyingly crunchy, and he’ll drink the dressing at the end if we let him. Another hack to ramp up your salad game is toasted nuts, seeds, and flavour bombs like tangy capers, salty olives, or preserved lemon. I love roasting salted cashews, frying sliced almonds and capers in browned butter or toasting sunflower seeds in a dash of tamari and sprinkling them liberally. And then there’s cheese in all its glorious forms. Over the next few months, when produce is abundant, let yourself re-think what a salad means. Smash a cucumber instead of slicing it. Roast half a red onion and make a quick pickle with the rest. Choose a super fresh lettuce, pair it with a punchy lemony yoghurt dressing and some Italian parsley and enjoy. A salad doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated; it just needs to taste alive. Let what you eat this season be relaxed, convivial, and delicious.

The scoop

The mere mention of summer imparts cravings for cold, sweet, meltable scoops of delight. Food Editor Kate Underwood took her tastebuds on a tour of the city to find tubs and cones we all deserve to devour over these warmer months.

GELATO LAB

5/132 Opawa Road, Opawa @gelatolabnz

Gelato Lab is what happens when a love of science meets an adoration for Italian gelato. Owner Pippa Scott is a research scientist who fell for gelato while studying in Europe. She works alongside Martina, an Italian woman with gelato in her bloodline. On the table of ‘elements’, you’ll find stracciatella and dark chocolate next to sorbettos like grapefruit and black pepper or apple and mint. Served with a traditional metal spatula, it’s smoother and silkier as it contains less butterfat than ice cream, allowing flavours to come through more intensely. There’s liquorice, caramelised fig, and my personal fave, custard (crema), which is especially good when paired with rhubarb. Opawa locals are weaving their way down the street on balmy summer afternoons to join the line.

ICE CREAM CHARLIE NENEK’S

91 Armagh Street, Christchurch Central @icecreamcharlie__ Order online culcha.co.nz @neneks_nz

There’s an undeniable charm about the simplicity of a food truck that’s been serving vanilla ice cream to residents of this city since 1903. Even the font provokes historical sentiment. Made in small batches every week, you choose a cone or a cup with toppings including raspberry, chocolate, passionfruit, and optional chocolate chips. I opted for the traditional sundae, involving a tub of vanilla ‘ice’ with a perfect hole scooped out to create space for the raspberry syrup and a dash of runny cream. The concept is foreign, yet the nostalgic raspberry flavour takes me immediately back to my gleeful eight-yearold self. Charlie’s Vanilla Ice will continue to delight weekend city wanderers and Te Pae visitors as it has all those who have come before them – oh, and they do affogatos! There’s a young woman in this city creating tubs of small-batch buttermilk ice cream that we all need. She makes edgy flavours like cookie dough, Victoria sponge, and miso butterscotch peanut. Nadiah fell in love with cultured butter while at French Pastry School in Paris. After arriving in New Zealand in 2020, she couldn’t find any – so she made her own. Culcha, her award-winning cultured butter, is made by fermenting cream with lactic bacteria that develops a distinctly tangy and nutty flavour. This process leaves behind cultured buttermilk, which she transforms into a rich French anglaise with egg yolks, creating dense and delicious ice cream. ‘Nenek’ means grandmother in Malay, an ode to her heritage. With new flavours dropping every Friday, simply order online for pick up or delivery. Yum!

UTOPIA ICE

15 Wakefield Ave, Sumner + 153 High Street, Christchurch Central @utopiaice

Utopia Ice was one of my first tastes of Ōtautahi when I landed here in early 2021. I still dream of the spiced peach sorbet, sweet and tart with an incredibly creamy (despite being dairy-free), almost furry texture – like eating the skin of the peach itself. It was heaven. After starting at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market, they now have two vibrant sites, one on High Street and the HQ in Sumner. Their whimsical offerings, both classic and vegan, are made from scratch, using organic ingredients, free-range eggs, and local Canterbury milk. I adore their house-made gluten-free waffle cone, speckled with ground almonds. My go-to order: dark chocolate and sea salt sorbet with a scoop of Greek yoghurt and lemon. Rollickin Gelato is a sought-after institution here in Christchurch, and every time I walk past, the music is pumping, the line is long, and they are delivering the goods. I’m a big fan of the Mister Mint Choc, a controversial flavour for some, but the use of real mint leaves and organic milk provides a cool and refreshing kick, with flecks of smooth dark chocolate scattered throughout. The enticing names and creative descriptions of both their gelato and baked goods may make you smirk, like the Ashley Bloomfield apple pie with a scoop of hokey tokey pokey. The Yogi Bear with yoghurt gelato and a swirl of gooey caramel is a big hit too, but whatever you choose, make sure to fill your cone or cup with a shot from the luxurious chocolate tap.

ROLLICKIN GELATO

90 Cashel Street, Christchurch Central rollickin.co.nz

COCKTAIL BAR AND LISTENING ROOM www.kingofsnake.co.nz

CELEBRATORY SNACKS

FRUIT FILLED

There aren’t too many out there making 1kg panforte cakes, but Pilgrim took on the challenge. These classic Italian fruit cakes are synonymous with Christmas and make the perfect gift or silly season aperitif. It’s fruity, nutty, and all-around delicious. The team at pilgrim are only making 1000, so get in quick! @pilgrim_nz

PUFFBALL

Japanz Bakery is well-known to those frequenting South City, and it’s well worth a visit. The range of cream puffs is a perfect festive season treat. Available In chocolate, custard, and green tea, these light choux pastry delights are filled with pastry cream and dusted with icing sugar. Great for on-the-go or an afternoon snack.

Japanz Bakery

SWAN SONG

High tea is the ultimate celebration spread and is magnificently topped off with the signature Mayfair Swans at the Majestic at Mayfair. These delicate birds are constructed with choux pastry, caramel and vanilla crémeux, and milk chocolate Chantilly cream. They’re light and delicious and the perfect tier topper. @majesticatmayfair

TASTE OF SUMMER

Summer is here, so you might as well eat it! This Mango Crème doughnut from Panadero Bakery is delightfully fresh and creamy in all the right ways. There’s candied mango, mango sauce, a delightful mango icing, and unctuous mango crème pumped into the softest of bread. You’ll find this Filipino bakery in its new home at Westfield Riccarton, home to speciality bread, all things ube, and an unmatched range of doughnuts. Watch this space for a range of Christmassy treats soon to hit shelves. @panaderobakery

Jackson Mehlhopt is the head chef at Tussock Hill’s Cellar Door Restaurant. With a strong personal and professional focus on sustainability and animal welfare, Jackson lives these values at Tussock Hill by working with premium suppliers of high-quality, sustainable, local ingredients.

At only 23, Jackson already has some serious accolades – most recently being awarded the 2022 S.Pellegrino Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy, building on last year’s win of the 2021 Southern Hospitality Emerging Chef Award. With this kind of recognition from all corners, Jackson’s dishes are absolutely something to be experienced.

Utilising Black Origin Wagyu as a seasonal menu offering allows Jackson and Tussock Hill to cater to discerning Christchurch foodies demanding worldquality, locally sourced ingredients. Black Origin’s flat iron steak, available through their website, makes the perfect easy summer centrepiece at home.

blackorigin.co.nz

Black Origin flat iron

WITH BARBECUED ASPARAGUS

SERVES 1

200g Black Origin flat iron steak 3 heads of asparagus 1kg Wagyu beef bones 1 lemon 100g Wagyu fat 1 small handful of chive flowers 1 nasturtium flower 3 small nasturtium leaves salt to taste Smoke the beef fat using mānuka chips in a smoker or BBQ for roughly half an hour. Once smoked, transfer the fat to a pan on medium heat and allow it to render out. Once enough of the fat has rendered to a liquid, strain and place aside for later use.

Roast the Wagyu bones in an oven at 180°C until the bones have evenly browned. Transfer to a pot and top with cold water. Place the pot on a stove and simmer for around six hours, topping up with water every 30 minutes. Strain the liquid into a smaller pot and reduce it to a consistency that will coat the back of a spoon. Season with lemon juice, smoked Wagyu fat, and salt. Add the chive flowers to this sauce just before plating.

Pull the flat iron out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking (this allows the meat to cook evenly). Generously season the steak on all sides. Place the Wagyu on a hot barbecue for around four minutes on each side or to your preferred cooking temperature. Rest the steak well before slicing.

Whilst the steak is resting, peel the asparagus, season it, and place it on the barbecue until cooked.

Assemble the dish and garnish it with nasturtium flowers and leaves. Enjoy!

BLACKORIGIN.CO.NZ