Degustation

from Marlborough Magazine May 2019

Unlikely Kiwi

Farm Gate to Dinner Plate with 100% Market Fare

story By Kat DuGGan

With a touch of creativity and a good dose of collaboration, stall holders at the Marlborough Farmers’ Market have proved that creating meals with food only purchased at the market is entirely possible. Market chairperson Neville White and his wife Sharyn, marketing and promotions manager Sigrun Steinhagen, Windsong Orchard owner Jennie Crum and Cranky Goat owners Simon and Hellene Lamb took on the challenge to eat purely from the market for a week during April. The challenge was part of New Zealand Farmers’ Market Week, and encouraged participants to think outside the box in aid of supporting local, reducing food miles and keeping things fresh. With around 50 stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables to baked goods, pasta, meats and fish, eating entirely from the market has become a regular occurrence for Hellene. “The first thing I do in the morning when I get here is get my eggs, my bread, you can get your meat, your fruit, everything is here,” she says. “In fact I think the only things I get from the supermarket now is my cleaning products and tins of beans, everything else I get from here … it’s been amazing, [the market] has grown so much.” Jennie agrees, and says that buying and cooking from the Farmers’ Market as much as possible encourages seasonal eating, which in turn encourages people to think outside the square. “This market was started by Chris Fortune, amongst others, and he said [at the time] that we needed to have enough to make a dinner. In those days it was hard because there wasn’t enough meat.” “Now we have pork, fish and tempeh, we have for the full range of proteins and it’s exciting and easy now; and this time of year it’s great, we’ve got new [produce] coming all the time,” Jennie says. Despite regularly eating from the market, the goal to try and stick to 100% market products meant getting creative with recipes and sharing ideas was a must. The group worked together to share meal ideas, and encouraged the public to do the same. “I think for us, the collaboration is the best thing because you try and work with others to get recipes,” Hellene says.

“It gives people an idea that they can do it, or do a bit more of it and it encourages diversity,” Sigrun adds. Koromiko Free Range Eggs, Minghettis bread, Pedro’s Pasta, Long Acre Farms Pork and sausages from the Swiss Butcher were but a few things on the week’s menu, while autumnal fruits were ideal for breakfast smoothies and stewed fruit. The arrival of pumpkins at the market made good timing in allowing the group to make pumpkin soup for lunch or dinner.

Not only is the Marlborough Market home to many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is also home to many snack foods, as well as quality oils, preserves, herbs, cheeses and milks, Sigrun says. “I made a decision a while ago to get what I can from the market, especially because I’m here anyway. I know it’s fresher, I know it doesn’t have preservatives and it hasn’t travelled from here to Christchurch and back just to get into a store, and I know I can ask people questions about how they have grown it,” she says. As part of New Zealand Farmers’ Market week, market goers were encouraged to pick up a ‘Farmers’ Market Passport and purchase products from eight different stalls to pick up prizes including market shopping bags and vouchers redeemable at the market.

“It’s encouraging the kids as well to learn what’s available, because usually there’s more than one stall that has [the same] things and they have to find them,” Sigrun says. Congregating at the Farmers’ Market has become a popular option for locals on a Sunday morning, a place to grab some breakfast and a coffee while getting supplies for the week.

“The community aspect wasn’t something I was aware of when I started,” Jennie says. “People need to get together in the community … they’re sitting with friends, it’s not like running into each other in the supermarket.” Despite Farmers’ Market week being over, the association hopes the community will continue making a conscious effort to opt for locally grown market produce where possible. “If 20% of people just buy one extra thing it’s been successful,” Sigrun says.