Nourish Magazine Waikato Autumn 2023

PLUS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE, EGGPLANTS, MUSHROOMS, GRAPES AND MORE!

The luxury retirement village with a heart of gold

If you’ve heard that Tamahere Country Club is widely regarded as NZ’s finest retirement village you’ll be forgiven for thinking it may be quite an ‘exclusive’ place to live. Ask any resident, however, and they’ll most likely tell you what they love most about life here is the community, and they’re far more likely to use the word ‘inclusive’ than ‘exclusive’.

Yes, there’s facilities and beautiful architecture to delight the senses, but the true beauty of life here runs deeper than bricks and mortar. It’s the youthful energy of the community and the connections that create a life-enriching value that can’t be measured in dollars and cents.

If you’re aspiring to a retirement address that feeds the soul we invite you to be our guest for a guided tour of Tamahere Country Club.

We have a range of homes available for immediate occupation. Call Sandy on 021 628 385 to secure your home.

EDITOR Vicki Ravlich-Horan

HEAD DESIGNER Sara Cameron, Minted Design Co.

PROOF READER Nikki Crutchley (Crucial Corrections)

CONTRIBUTORS Denise Irvine, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Liz French, Lynda Hallinan, Kathy Paterson, Harriet Boucher, Fiona Hugues, Vicki Ravlich-Horan

COVER IMAGE Brydie Thompson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Brydie Thompson, Ashlee DeCaires, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Kathy Paterson, Fiona Hugues, Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Rachel Hart

ISSN 2324-4356 (Print) | ISSN 2324-4364 (Online)

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Vicki Ravlich-Horan

vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz

0210651537

From consultation to handover, our industry leading, state-of-the-art Design Centre has been crafted with you in mind.

From kitchen appliances to cladding, from tapware to tiles, you can touch, feel and visualise, all the elements which make a house, a home. At Urban Homes, everything we do, is all about – YOU!

Book your exclusive StudioU experience at sales@urban.co.nz and kickstart your build journey with us today!

Here's to Autumn

I know you shouldn’t play favourites, but I always thought autumn was my favourite season. That was until we missed summer. Perhaps I love autumn as it is a lovely extension of summer. After all, much of autumn’s bounty is summer’s harvest – like the gorgeous eggplants gracing our cover along with chillies, tomatoes and the end of berry and stonefruit crops.

In this issue the team celebrates in season grapes (p 67), mushrooms (p 48), kūmara (p 23) and fennel seeds (p 39).

Let’s hope the summer storms are over and autumn brings some more settled weather; our farmers definitely deserve a break! Plus, the next few months sees some great events for us to enjoy, from Flavours of Plenty Festival and the Whakatāne Wild Food Festival as well as the return of the Hamilton Central Progressive Dinner and The Great New Zealand Food Show. Find all the great local events on our events page (p 74).

I shouldn’t really complain about the stink summer, as in spring I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks soaking up the sun in Singapore and Penang. Read what we loved about Penang on page 51. And this spring I am taking not one but two groups to sunny Sicily. Our first tour sold out, so we quickly decided to add another, which is also filling fast.

The holiday last spring was fitted in to a very busy schedule as we worked on our second Nourish cookbook, and we are excited to launch this in June. If you are keen to be one of the first to get your hands on this beautiful book, we are taking pre orders. See below for more details.

To be honest there is always something going on here at Nourish HQ and like many we have to juggle the workload with family commitments. This is never more evident than during school holidays! On page 46 we created some chocolate spheres, a great hands-on project with the kids, be it to make homemade Easter surprises, hot chocolate bombs or as a delicious vessel for Harriet’s perfect chocolate mousse (p 44).

Vicki Ravlich-Horan Editor

Vic's Picks

TAME YOUR MIND

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Someone who knows this well is Debbie Eaton from Tame Your Mind, who helps clients discover what’s really holding them back, be it anything from anxiety to over eating, depression or IBS.

Debbie uses techniques like guided meditation which can be done in person or online to quieten the thinking mind and allow the unconscious mind to speak. This gives you the power to make real change and find happiness and peace of mind. tameyourmind.co.nz

This is quite honestly going to be an amazing tour! I have assembled a dream team with an old friend of mine and Sicilian local, Rosario as our tour guide. Plus, Papamoa local and expert tour leader Phil Borman and myself as your hosts. Sicily’s complex history has left its mark in the island's architecture, its culture and its customs, but nowhere is it more evident than in its cuisine. To truly get a taste of Sicily we will visit markets, wineries and farms, salt marshes and more. We will get hands on with cooking classes and enjoy many delicious meals in stunning locations.

Our first tour sold out so quickly we decided we had to put on another. If you have been thinking about joining us for this amazing tour discovering the real Sicily don’t delay, as this is genuinely a small group tour and once these spaces go that will be it.

nourishmagazine.co.nz/sicily-tour

FRESH BALANCE

Searching for a caterer with a difference? Fresh Balance Catering is delivered by the team at the Bikery Cafe, Cambridge and offers both fresh healthy options as well as decadent treats. Whether it’s fuelling Maadi cup rowers or board room executives, give the team at Fresh Balance a call.

freshbalance.co.nz

GIVE MUM A GREAT STORY TO TELL THIS MOTHER’S DAY

Spoil her with delicious cuisine and tasty cocktails at Storyteller Eatery in Te Awamutu.

storytellerbar.co.nz

LIFTED PILATES

Lifted Pilates' third studio opened in Hamilton East in late January. Their three studios (Raglan, Rototuna and now Hamilton East) offer beginner and open level reformer Pilates, Barre and mat Pilates, along with private Pilates lessons. Owner, Eden Pollock, who has been practising Pilates since she was 18 and teaching for the past nine years, says the beauty of Pilates is it’s super adaptable and suitable to everyone from athletes, to those recovering from injuries, pregnant women to those just wanting to move more.

lifted.co.nz

NOURISH COOKBOOK

We listened! For several years people have been asking when we were going to do another cookbook. This June Nourish The Cookbook, Vol 2 will be released. This is a cookbook we hope won’t sit on a shelf, but will remain in your kitchen at arm’s reach. This is the book you will get filthy as you use the recipes again and again. We have filled it with our absolute go to recipes, foundation recipes that you can build on and ones we know will become family favourites.

Pre order your copy before 1 May for just $50 and receive FREE postage (RRP $59).

nourishmagazine.co.nz

ELEVATE YOUR GREAT NZ FOOD SHOW EXPERIENCE

Take a deep dive into cuisine experiences with a selection of exclusive masterclasses at the Great New Zealand Food Show this May. Share your love affair for food and learn something new at the show by adding a masterclass to your day, from wine and cheese matching to cake decorating and mastering authentic dumpling dough; get ready to roll up your sleeves and learn from the local experts.

If you really want to indulge, upgrade your tickets to VIP and enjoy access to the lounge, an exclusive goodie bag and a range of other benefits. Only a limited number of VIP tickets are available, and they always sell out, so get in quick!

greatnzfoodshow.co.nz

Claudelands Events Centre, 6 & 7 May 2023

The Coromandel had a battering this summer. And this is after some pretty tough years with no overseas tourists! We were lucky to sneak a few days on the peninsula when the sun shone, and we were reminded why this is a favourite spot for so many Kiwis to recharge.

While there we met up with some of the artisan producers who call the peninsula home and are adding real flavour to this region. Check out our map for more great foodie stops.

OMAHU

VALLEY CITRUS

British couple Caroline and Simon Marriott arrived in New Zealand just over 20 years ago with their young family. They bought 30 acres in Omahu Valley just south of Thames.

After some consultation the couple planted a portion of the property in citrus, a variety of Yen Ben lemons, Bearss limes, Seville oranges and grapefruit.

Fast forward a few years, when the trees began to bear fruit, Caroline enthusiastically took these to the Thames market only to be underwhelmed by the sales and left with the question of what they were to do with the growing number of fruit their orchard would produce.

Someone suggested making marmalade, something Caroline had no experience with, but she didn’t let that stop her! In fact, after some trial, and the family will say much error, Caroline began producing award winning marmalade – winning both medals in the World’s Original Marmalade Competition along with many local awards.

The self-confessed “enthusiastic gardener” and once novice marmalade maker recently sold the business which makes over 20 products with stockists across the country. Caroline and Simon are both excited for their next adventure and to see how the new owners will grow Omahu Citrus.

BLACKBEARDS SMOKEHOUSE

Jess Jones grew up in Coromandel town and happily admits she loves mussels. Buying Blackbeards Smokehouse, a much loved brand of smoked mussels, was a great decision. The business was based in Whitianga, which saw Jess commuting over the hill before she could build a purpose built factory and shop in Kopu, Thames where she lives.

This handy spot means both streams of traffic, those heading over to the east coast via the Kopu Hikuai Road (when open!) and those heading up the Thames Coast Road can stop in for freshly smoked Coromandel mussels.

While mussels are the core product and these all come from local mussel farms, Blackbeards also produces smoked fish, dips made from the mussels and fish, pies and chowder.

Look out for the smoked mussels in selected supermarkets and food stores.

CATHEDRAL COVE MACADAMIAS

Situated on a picturesque peninsula between Cooks Beach and Hahei, Cathedral Cove Macadamias is home to 1,000 40-year-old organically grown macadamia trees. Jillian and Doug Johnston bought the property a few years ago and currently control the whole process from growing to processing and sell their macadamias. This is no mean feat as these nuts are hard ones to crack!

Demand for macadamias continues to grow, as these tasty nuts, be them raw, roasted or covered in chocolate also make a delicious nut butter and sought after oil. For this reason the Jillian and Doug prioritise stocking local eateries like the Pour House in Hahei, Hot Water Beach Café and, as we discovered, Little Lato Gelato.

The remainder is sold directly through their website or via their orchard shop which is open seven days a week in the summer months. Here you will also find their orchard honey as well as unexpected treasures like the spent shells which apparently make great kindling, and I suspect would be perfect in a smoker.

UNCLE DUNKLE

Kyle Dunkle is a Californian who found his way to the Coromandel originally on a working holiday, cheffing at Luke’s Kitchen before returning in 2016 on a permanent basis.

As a chef at Luke’s, he fell in love with the woodfired oven and its potential to do more than cook pizzas. This culminated in a woodfired chilli sauce range which marries Kyle’s fascination with the wood fired oven and his love of BBQ sauce.

These sauces were originally made at Luke’s Kitchen before he outgrew the space available in this already busy kitchen. The range has two main sauces – BBQ and chilli, and each of these comes in varying heat levels. Kyle says his goal is to make a sauce people will use and “finding that balance between flavours and heat is key”.

OPITO BAY SALT

As you drive into one of Coromandel’s true hidden gems, Opito Bay, you might notice a series of greenhouses on your left. This is not a local market garden but HQ of award winning Opito Bay Salt.

Inside these greenhouses the power of the sun is used to turn the crystal clear water from Opito Bay into pure, natural sea salt that is quite literally a taste of the Coromandel.

FOODIE SHOPS/STOPS

1 Providence Pantry

22 Belmont Road, Paeroa

2 The Cheese Barn

4 Wainui Road, Thames

3 Coromandel Distilling Co.

715 Pollen Street & 110 Kirkwood Street, Thames

4 Coromandel Oyster Co

1611 Manaia Road, Coromandel

5 Blackbeard Smokehouse

1 Kopu Road, Kopu

6 Cathedral Cove Macadamias

355 Lees Road, Hahei

7 Hot Water Brewing

1043 Tairua Whitianga Road, Whitianga

8 Little Lato Gelato

46 Hahei Beach Road, Hahei

9 Salt District Brewing

101B Winifred Ave, Whangamatā

10 Rudi’s

621 Beach Road, Whangamatā MarinaPop up caravan open until ANZAC Day making handcrafted sourdough breads and pastries.

11 La Grignette Artisanal Bakery 1/15 Rosemont Road, Waihi

EATERIES

12 Waiomu Café

622 Thames Coast Road, Waiomu

13 The Refinery

5 Willoughby Street, Paeroa

14 Peppertree Restaurant

31 Kapanga Road, Coromandel

15 Luke’s Kitchen

20 Black Jack Road, Kuaotunu - This super busy spot is also a great place to discover some local brews like Blue Fridge.

16 The Pour House

7 Grange Road, Hahei - Also home to the Coromandel Brewing Co.

17 The Hive 450 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach

18 Mercury Bay Estate

761 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach - Best pizza on the peninsula, plus outstanding wines all with a phenomenal view.

19 Colenso Café

895 SH25, Whenuakite

20 Tairua Beach Club

128 Paku Drive, Tairua

21 Port Road Project

719 Port Road, Whangamatā

22 Falls Retreat

25 Waitawheta Road, Waikino, Waihi - A must stop whenever you are in the area, or perhaps plan your trip around a stay in one of their cabins.

COROMANDEL

COROMANDEL THE PENINSULA

CHARGENET STATIONS

505 Mackay Street, Thames

55 Woollams Avenue, Coromandel

Read more about Opito Bay Salt in our winter edition, out in June. In the meantime you can buy their range of salts, from the original natural sea salt to their award winning flavours like rosemary or smoked chilli salt, via their website or great food stores.

COFFEE LALA

Hidden down an inconspicuous track, just out of Kuaotunu is a Coromandel treasure. Coffee LaLa’s roastery sits beautifully among the bush in an old pottery studio. In true Coromandel style the roaster is a rustic, number eight wire affair that relies on skill over technology to roast their beans.

Owners Mark Tugendhaft and Nedilka Radojkovich began roasting coffee 21 years ago, winning two awards that first year, which have continued to roll in.

SALT DISTRICT BREWING

Coromandel’s newest craft brewers opened their cellar door in late January. Here, locals and visitors alike can come and fill their flagons on a Friday or Saturday afternoon with one of the three main brews (Party Wave Pale Ale, Sea Legs Hazy Pale, or Big Moocher – a big clear IPA) along with an ever-changing range of seasonal brews.

You can also find Salt District Brews at a number of local spots like Craft Haus and Port Road Project.

DRIVE

The Coromandel is known to offer the off the beaten track holiday, and so what better adventure to test the fully electric Lexus UX 300e than on the long windy roads in the Coromandel.

Like many new to electric cars, our biggest concern was charging: how, when and where were all questions we grappled with before setting off. The UX 300e has a range of up to 340kms, but Mike from Lexus Tauranga pointed out it takes just as long for the car to charge from 0–20% as it does 20–80%. The aim, therefore, is to regularly stop and top up the charge rather than running it to absolute empty as I would my petrol car.

Here are our tips:

Download the Charge Net app and plan your trip. This means planning where you will stop for a recharge of the car and a refuel for you.

We found that the car would recharge at the fast charge stations in

the same time it took us to grab a coffee and something to eat. In Thames that was the cute Hi Stranger Café on Pollen Street. Handily, in Whangamatā it was our favourite spot, Port Road Project.

Check with your accommodation beforehand that you can charge the car. We stayed at Tatahi Lodge in Hahei only to find the cord didn’t reach our unit. Luckily a solution was found, with us backing up to the owner’s kitchen and plugging in for the night.

With the Kopu Hikuai Road closed, we were forced to traverse the Tapu-Coroglen Road, but I must say it was a very comfortable ride in the Lexus. And once I mastered knowing when the car was on or off (these electric cars are silent), it was smooth sailing, or should that be driving?

NZ’S LARGEST RANGE

Of party & cake decorating supplies!

FIND US

on the corner of Rostrevor & Harwood Streets, Hamilton.

AtoToastCoromandel

RECIPES HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

As we travelled around the Coromandel we collected quite a haul of gourmet treats. Added to these was the number of boutique breweries, delicious wines and stunning gins we discovered, so it was only fitting we create a few morsels to celebrate the Coromandel that are perfectly paired with a tipple from the region.

Pumpkin Fritters

WITH CHEESE BARN HALLOUMI AND UNCLE DUNKLE’S HONEY BBQ DRIZZLE

4 cups grated pumpkin (about an 800g wedge)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

2 eggs, whisked

½ cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp Cathedral Cove Macadamias Orchard Honey, melted slightly

¼ cup Uncle Dunkle’s Woodfired Chilli BBQ Sauce, chipotle style 200g (approx.) halloumi (we used The Cheese Barn’s)

In a bowl, mix together the grated pumpkin, spring onions, rosemary, whisked eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper until just combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the honey and chilli BBQ sauce.

Heat a large frying pan with a splash of neutral oil over a medium heat. Add in small spoonfuls of fritter mix, gently flattening them to around 1cm thick. Cook in batches, until golden on both sides. You should get approximately 20–25 small fritters.

Slice the halloumi into thick squares, a similar size to the fritter. Pan fry these until golden on each side.

Arrange the fritters on a platter. Top each fritter with a square of haloumi and drizzle with the honey chilli BBQ sauce.

Salt District Beer Battered Oysters

WITH OMAHU VALLEY CITRUS LIME MARMALADE DIPPING SAUCE

1 cup self-raising flour (ideally cold)

½ tsp Opito Bay Sea Salt

1 cup Salt District Party Wave Pale Ale

¼ cup plain flour

24 oysters

canola oil (for frying)

Opito Bay Sea Salt

Heat a deep fryer up to 180°C. Alternatively, heat a deep pot of oil up to 180°C, ensuring you control the heat once it reaches this temperature. Place the self-raising flour and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the beer to form a smooth batter.

Lightly coat the oysters in the plain flour, then dredge through the batter and immediately place in the deep fryer. Only do a few oysters at a time so you don’t overcrowd the fryer. Cook until the batter is crispy and golden, then remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

To make the dressing, shake together 3 tbsp Omahu Valley Citrus Lime Marmalade, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tsp fish sauce in a jar until well combined.

Serve the oysters with the Omahu Valley Lime Marmalade dipping sauce and a cold glass of Party Wave Pale Ale.

Blackbeards Mussel Bites

WITH CATHEDRAL COVE MACADAMIA NUT CHEESE

2 cups Cathedral Cove Natural Macadamia Nuts (approx. 250g)

1 tsp salt

4 tsp nutritional yeast

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

boiling water

210g packet of Blackbeards Smoked Mussels

10cm chunk of cucumber

Cover the macadamia nuts in boiling water and allow to soak for 3+ hours. The longer they soak for, the smoother your cheese will be. Drain the macadamia nuts and place into a high-speed blender. Add in the salt, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar along with ½ cup of boiling water to start with.

Blitz until smooth, adding a little extra water as needed. Once the cheese is smooth, place into a sieve lined with muslin cloth. Sit this over a bowl to catch any excess liquid and allow to strain for a few hours or overnight.

Cut the cucumber into 10–12 slices, depending on how many mussels you have. Spoon a dollop of macadamia nut cheese on top of the cucumber, then top with a smoked mussel. Store any leftover cheese in an airtight container. It can be used where you would usually use feta.

Flavours of Plenty Festival

Back for its second year, the Flavours of Plenty Festival is living up to its name with plenty on offer for locals and visitors to the region to enjoy.

Oscar Nathan, from Tourism Bay of Plenty, says, “We’re showcasing our coastal region’s world-class horticultural produce and seafood and the skills and flair of our innovative artisans and chefs across forty different events this year.

“We’ve recognised the growing demand for culinary tourism events and experiences, and this festival is also a great way for us to support the hospitality businesses that have faced some really difficult challenges with COVID and staffing over the past few years.”

Festival Director Rae Baker is thrilled at the response she’s had from funders, eateries, event organisers and food and beverage suppliers who are keen to support the festival, and the 2023 line-up of events reflects this with more than double the number that were featured in 2022.

“There truly is something for everyone,” says Rae. “We’re excited to continue to showcase the plentiful produce and talent we have here in the Bay of Plenty.

“It’s great to see a cross-section of events that anyone can get involved in, like the Get Started with Microgreens, Bee-Hind the scenes with Bee NZ, or Local Wild Food Festival, to showcasing some of our superstars like Cherie Metcalf from Pepper and Me with her Long Lunch at Mount Maunganui Surf Club, Kasey and

Kārena Bird at the Kitchen Takeover Ki Tua events, and local Pitmaster Mike Jeffries with his Big Smoke BBQ workshop.

“Our hero events will also demonstrate the routes from education to employment, with Our Future Creative Gifts hosted at Solera, and Battle of the Snack at Saltwater Oyster Bar and Grill.”

LEARN

Get hands-on and learn to ice your own fancy cupcakes, grow your own microgreens, and make sausages. Join The Big Smoke BBQ Co. for their BBQ Class or discover the magic of bees with either Kitchen Takeover and Bee First Apiaries honey experience or the Bee-hind the scenes tour of Bee NZ.

EXPERIENCE

Devour a five-course kai experience that takes you into the immersive world of Māori Atua (gods) and their connection with the natural world with Kitchen Takeover and Kārena and Kasey Bird.

Explore a culinary trail of the Mount’s most popular foodie spots with a six-course set menu roaming lunch.

Enjoy wine, food and cocktails with Tauranga Tasting Tours.

PRODUCERS

Get up and close with some of the bay’s best producers from a tour of Solomons Gold factory to an afternoon at Picnicka to celebrate the wonders of our locally-produced mushrooms.

Tauranga Farmers Market has a special morning tea or you could enjoy time with Mystery Valley olive orchard and Te Puke Truffles

followed by a late lunch at The Trading Post.

DISCOVER

Kitchen Takeover, Stacey Jones is hosting an evening of Food for Thought and Blabla’s Secret Society has a night of tasting, learning and discussions with Whakatāne’s Mata Brewery, Solomons Gold and Goodbuzz Kombucha at Special Mention.

Discover Japanese Omakase with Rika Rika at Benny & Brew Café or the region’s emerging talent at Solera where Toi Ohomai | Te Pūkenga students will work alongside established chefs to create a dinner not to be missed.

LET’S LUNCH

There are plenty of options for long lingering lunches with Sugo and Fife Lane both offering Flavours of Plenty lunches celebrating local producers. Cherie Metcalfe of Pepper and Me will host a Friday beachside long lunch featuring recipes from her new cookbook Together.

The Alpino crew have Fanculo La Dieta planned – a three-hour lunch of traditional Italian recipes and plenty of wine!

PLUS

Enjoy some wonderful days out with festivals within the festival.

First We Eat combines leading Kiwi musicians, boutique food vendors, celebrity chefs, renowned wineries and craft breweries for one huge day out.

Whakatāne’s Wild Food Festival has an action-packed programme which includes a wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls.

Discover the full menu of events here flavoursofplentyfestival.com/events

LOCAL WILD FOOD SERIES

ŌHOPE BEACH

Wild Food Gathering by the Wharf

A multi-course dining experience created by award winning chef, Des Harris, Culinary Director of Fish Restaurant at the Hilton Auckland. Join us on a culinary and sensory journey, celebrating wild food from the abundant Bay of Plenty, set amongst the beautiful scenery of Ōhope. You will be welcomed with a bespoke Wai Mānuka cocktail and canapes, then seated for a three-course meal with matching wines from Mills Reef and the Wine Portfolio, and craft beer from Mata Brewery.

TICKETS $159 FRIDAY 24TH MARCH, 5.30PM - 9PM

25TH MARCH

Local Wild Food Festival

The iconic Local Wild Food Festival celebrates sustainability and the abundance of food available from our local environment. We have an action-packed programme including the local wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls and more!

TICKETS $15 SATURDAY 25TH MARCH, 10AM - 4PM Get

Local Wild Food CHALLENGE

24TH MARCH

25TH MARCH

Create your own unique dish featuring ingredients sourced from the great outdoors - gardens, ocean, bush, rivers or lakes. Get the kids involved too, with plenty of prizes up for grabs.

FREE SATURDAY 25TH MARCH, 10AM - 1PM

FIND ALL THE ACTION AT WHARFSIDE, 340 HARBOUR ROAD, PORT ŌHOPE

www.whakatane.com/wildfood

ROSTREVORST

Signature Dishes

Signature Dish – it’s a big call. And while some eateries might try to claim a dish is their signature dish, more often than not it is the customers who dictate what that stand out is on the menus – the dish that just can’t disappear. Here’s our list of just a few signature dishes from Hamilton Central eateries, that if you haven’t already, you need to try.

1. DUMPLING HOUSE - 44 Bryce Street

Crispy Sweet and Sour Eggplant with Garlic and Coriander $28.80 - What is there to like about eggplant?

Dumpling House’s crispy eggplant fried with garlic and coriander with a gorgeous sweet, sour and spicy sauce –guaranteed to make you a fan.

2. CAFFE CENTRALE - 10 Alma Street

Rigatoni Alla Carbonara $28.50 - Small tube pasta tossed in a creamy egg, pancetta and parmesan sauce with freshly ground pepper – this is a true cabonara to delight the tastebuds.

3. PALATE - 20 Alma Street

Happy Hour Oysters $3 each -Available Thursday and Friday between 5–6.30pm in the lounge/bar area.

A great way to start the night. Te Kouma Bay oysters either natural with rock sugar dressing and lemon, or craft beer battered with lime mayonnaise.

4. CREAM EATERY - 14 Garden Place

Luke's Fried Eggs $18 - A menu staple at Cream since opening – crisp eggs, red peppers and whipped feta on turmeric loaf – a taste sensation.

5. SHALLOW BAKERY - 120 Alexandra Street

Meat Floss Roll $8 - Soft and fluffy bread, spread with house-made mayonnaise filled with Asian style pork floss and chopped spring onion, rolled up into a bread roll.

6. SAIGON NOON - 103 Alexandra Street

Fresh Spring Roll $6 - The art of making a perfect fresh spring roll has been perfected by the team at Saigon Noon with your choice of shrimp and pork OR tofu, served with a peanut sauce.

7. THE SCONERY - 217 Victoria Street

Date & Custard Scone $6 each - A date scone like you have never tried before. Smashed dates and custard are sandwiched between a light scone dough and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

8. SCOTTS EPICUREAN - 181 Victoria Street

Aglio Olio $15 - Walk into Scotts on any day and you will spot plates of Aglio being devoured all around. Their famous and addictive pasta is made with parsley, dried chilli, garlic, olive oil, spaghetti and parmesan.

9. ERNEST - 30 Alexandra Street

Scotch Egg $15 - Encased in Indian-spiced sausage meat and a crunchy crumb coating, this perfectly cooked egg is served with a moreish tomato kasundi. Works great any time of the night.

10. GOTHENBURG - 17 Grantham Street

Beef Tataki $24 - Rare seared sirloin from Greenstone Creek, miso mayo, crispy shallots, sesame seeds, coriander

just the dish to enjoy with a glass of something special watching the Waikato River flow by.

There’s always something to do, see, eat, drink and love when you visit Hamilton’s city centre. lovethecentre.co.nz

BRING ON

Brunch, possibly the best innovation in mealtimes! And what better way to spend a leisurely weekend brunch than with some friends at a great spot like Hayes Common. These guys know how to brunch! For the traditionalists who love a big breakfast, their Commoner has free range eggs, thick cut bacon, pork and fennel sausages, Hayes’ famous miso potatoes along with roast mushrooms and more. For those after something lighter, there’s their Nourish Bowl or Chia Pudding with a twist. So who better to ask for a few wonderful autumnal brunch dishes you can make at home.

MELBA MIMOSA

What better way to start the day than bubbles, and these ones come with a dash of your five plus a day!

30ml raspberry coulis

80ml prosecco

60ml mango juice

In a flute glass, add 30ml of raspberry coulis to the bottom of the glass

Next, gently pour prosecco over the backside of a teaspoon within the glass to prevent the two liquids blending, creating two levels.

Top up with mango juice, again over a teaspoon, so that the bottom of the glass isn't disrupted.

Garnish with an edible flower.

RASPBERRY COULIS

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 12–16 SERVES

500g raspberries (frozen or fresh)

¼ cup sugar

Place all ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer over a low/ medium heat.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain using a fine strainer, then let cool and blend.

CRUDO WITH CITRUS PONZU, SESAME MAYONNAISE, CUCUMBER AND CHILLI

Plan ahead with this recipe and make the ponzu in advance so it has time to infuse. You can also use ponzu as a dipping sauce for tempura battered veggies, a salad dressing or with fish and chips.

SERVES 4

FOR THE CITRUS PONZU

25g bonito flakes

40g kombu

¾ cup soy sauce

²⁄³ cup orange juice

¹⁄³ cup lemon juice

3 tbsp rice vinegar

FOR THE SESAME MAYONNAISE

1 cup of your favourite store bought or homemade mayonnaise

20ml sesame oil

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

TO SERVE

Approximately 250g fillet of white fish (as fresh as you can find), skin off, bone out

10cm chunk of cucumber, seeded and finely diced small handful of coriander leaves

½ a red chilli, finely sliced

1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

For the citrus ponzu, combine all ingredients into a bowl and cover. Place in fridge for 2–3 days to infuse. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and store in the fridge until ready to use.

To make the sesame mayo, crush the sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle, then stir into the mayonnaise along with the sesame oil.

To serve, thinly slice the fish and lay the pieces out flat on a plate with a lip to contain the sauce.

Lightly season the fish pieces with salt then pour over the citrus ponzu until a shallow pool is formed in the centre. Spoon a small dollop of sesame mayo onto each piece of fish, then top with diced cucumber and a coriander leaf. Once assembled, sprinkle over sesame seeds and sliced chilli.

BAKED PANCAKE W/ VANILLA CUSTARD AND APPLE COMPOTE

Renditions of this pancake have been well loved on the Hayes Common menu since its opening. This autumnal version will be a firm family brunch favourite for sure.

SERVES 4

FOR THE PANCAKE

6 eggs

1¼ cups flour

¾ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla paste or essence

FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp caster sugar

2½ tsp cornflour

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

1 cup milk

FOR THE APPLE COMPOTE

¾ cup caster sugar

4 green apples, peeled and cubed (about 500g)

2 cinnamon quills

3 star anise

3 cloves

TO SERVE

Mascarpone

Edible flowers

Icing sugar

For the pancake, lightly whisk the eggs to break them up slightly, then whisk in the flour, milk and vanilla until you have a smooth batter. For the custard, beat the yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla together until thick and pale.

In the meantime, heat the milk gently in a small pot until almost boiling. Pour about a third of the milk into the yolk/sugar mix and whisk to combine. Whisk in the rest of the milk, then pour the mix back into the pot.

Whisk constantly over a medium-low heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Once the custard coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and place into a clean bowl until ready to use. If not using immediately, cover the custard directly with cling film or baking paper to stop a skin forming.

For the apple compote, add the sugar, apples and spices to a pot. Cover and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Remove the lid once simmering and cook until the apple is soft and syrupy, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch and burn. Remove the spices and set the apples in the fridge to cool.

To cook the pancake, pre-heat oven to 230°C. Bring a non-stick pan to almost smoking temperature, spray with oil and pour in enough pancake batter to fill the bottom of the pan. Removing the pan from the heat, slowly roll the pancake batter around the pan, allowing it to come up the sides of the pan to reach the edges all around, coating as evenly as possible. Place in your pre-heated oven for 3–4 minutes. (The bottom of the pancake is thickest and will take the longest to cook. Once there are no raw spots on the bottom, the pancake is cooked.)

To serve the pancake, first spoon vanilla custard on the base and spread evenly, then dot a few spoonful’s of mascarpone cheese on top. Lastly spoon the apple compote over, ensuring you drizzle some of the spiced apple syrup on too. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with edible flowers.

COOKING WITH KŪMARA

Kāore te kūmara e korero mō tōna ake reka –the kūmara doesn’t speak of its own sweetness.

We understand the sweetness of kūmara, that is, we hear its sweetness when we eat it. I’ve used two varieties of kūmara here – the redskinned kūmara (Owairaka Red), with its creamy white flesh, and orange kūmara with its rich orange flesh. The orange kūmara has a softer texture once cooked and is the sweeter variety.

Look for firm, smooth kūmara and buy regularly, about enough for one week. Store in a cool, dark place.

Kūmara can be unpeeled, simply scrub well.

RECIPES & IMAGES KATHY PATERSON

Kūmara, Cauliflower and Fennel Citrus Salad with Seasoned Fish

The juicy flesh of fish works so well here with the zingy, citrus flavoured kūmara and cauliflower salad.

As a stickler for pan-frying fish in butter, I have done so but you could use a little olive oil or a mixture of both butter and oil.

Loaded Kūmara

You need to balance flavours in this recipe. Squeezing over lime or lemon juice adds acidity, along with the sumac, and red chilli flakes add heat, with the fresh herbs adding freshness. Adding salt will balance acidity.

SERVES 4

4 small-medium orange kūmara (each weighing about 200g), scrubbed olive oil for drizzling

salt

1 cup pearl barley (available at Vetro)

1 small red onion

1 tsp sumac (available at Vetro)

½ telegraph cucumber, cut in half lengthwise (seeds removed, optional), and thinly sliced

2 oranges, segmented and juice collected juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon, or more to taste

a good pinch of dried red chilli flakes

1 handful each of mint leaves, parsley leaves and coriander leaves, torn if large

Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a shallow roasting dish with baking paper and put in the kūmara. Prick each one with a small sharp knife a couple of times. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put in the oven and roast for 40–45 minutes until completely tender. Remove from the oven and using the base of a small saucepan, smash each kūmara to flatten a little. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pearl barley in boiling water for 20–25 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to cool a little before transferring to a large bowl.

Very finely slice the red onion and put in a small bowl. Add the sumac and toss well.

When the kūmara are ready, add the cucumber slices, orange segments, about 2 tablespoons of the collected juice, lime or lemon juice, chilli flakes and herbs to the pearl barley. Drizzle in a little olive oil and gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Put the kūmara on 4 plates and top with pearl barley salad. (Any extra salad can be served separately or kept in the fridge for the following day.) Top with the red onion slices.

Kathy Paterson

Kathy Paterson is a recipe developer, food stylist and photographer. A plentiful herb garden and a trial and error vegetable garden give Kathy the starting place for her recipes along with her love of the classics with a modern twist.

www.kathypaterson.co.nz

SERVES 4

600–700g firm-fleshed fish, such as blue cod, cut into thick strips (just like chicken tenderloins) butter for pan-frying

SEASONING MIX

2 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds

2 tsp bittersweet smoked paprika (available at The Herbal Dispensary, Raglan and Vetro) salt and pepper

finely grated zest of 1 lemon or large lime

SALAD + DRESSING

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (available at La Cave and Vetro) or use white wine vinegar and a little honey to sweeten

1 tsp Dijon mustard salt

500g red kūmara, lightly peeled and cut into about 3cm wedges or pieces

400–500g cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 fennel bulb with fennel fronds, trimmed

1 lemon or lime, segmented, optional a few sprigs of coriander

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients and set aside.

To make the dressing, put the oil, lemon or lime juice, sherry vinegar, mustard and a good few pinches of salt in a clean screw top jar. Shake well and taste. Adjust acidity if needed or if too sharp, add more salt.

Put the kūmara in a saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover and cook until tender, 12–15 minutes. Drain well, put in a bowl then drizzle over enough dressing to moisten and gently toss to coat. Set aside.

Steam the cauliflower florets until tender to the bite or cook in a little lightly salted boiling water. Drain well and add to the kūmara.

With a mandolin (otherwise use a very sharp knife), slice the fennel bulb paper thin and place onto a serving plate. Scatter over the kūmara and cauliflower and the lemon or lime segments, if using. Roughly chop a few leafy fennel fronds and scatter over before drizzling with enough dressing to moisten.

Rub the seasoning mix into both sides of the fish strips.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a good knob of butter and when it sizzles place in the fish strips, in batches, so not to overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry for about 4 minutes, turning once. Try not to get the pan too hot as you don’t want to burn the spices. If necessary, wipe out the pan with kitchen paper before adding a little more butter and the next batch. Put fish on top of the salad and drizzle with a little more dressing and a few more chopped leafy fennel fronds. Finish with coriander sprigs.

TIP

When pan-frying fish, remove the fish from the pan just before it is completely cooked as it will continue to cook more in its own heat.

Potting Indoors

I have a very philosophical view when it comes to houseplants, or more precisely the fact that I kill most of them; if they survive three months or longer I am on to a winner.

If you have higher expectations for your plants then Alex and Thomas from The Potting Shed and The Flower Crate have put together some tips to help your indoor plants not just survive but flourish.

WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

FOOD

Houseplants take a break from growing during the cooler autumn and winter months, make sure you are only fertilising during the active growing season to prevent fertiliser burn and root rot from over watering.

WATER

Utilising a combination of watering methods will help you get the best growth possible from your houseplants. Watering plants from the bottom (filling a sink or bath and letting the plants soak for an hour) allows the plants to take up as much water as they need and encourages roots to grow and reach down for their water source. Watering from the top and allowing the water to drain out helps to flush excess mineral salts out of the soil to promote healthy growth and create air pockets that encourage root growth. This is also a good way to remove any dust build up and enables the plant to photosynthesise to the best of its ability promoting maximum growth while also minimising possible dust allergens.

Unlike us, plants love humidity. Certain areas in the house, like bathrooms and kitchens, are great for this. You can also encourage artificial humidity by misting plants at least once a day or by filling a tray with stones and water and sitting the plant on top (keeping in mind plants should never be left sitting in water for extended periods of time). The water slowly evaporating from the tray helps create localised humidity for your plants.

LIGHT

Ensuring plants receive the light they require is key to their survival. Houseplants typically enjoy bright filtered light - this means they enjoy being able to see the sun shining in through windows but don’t enjoy having direct sun on their leaves. Most houseplants can typically handle a bit of direct morning sun; however, it is best to keep this as limited as possible. Keep in mind that plants labelled as ‘low light’ often won’t thrive if they don’t receive adequate light so it may be best to have a weekly rotation to ensure your plants all have equal opportunity to thrive.

CUT BACK

Some plants like tradescantia zebrina and bubbles, enjoy pruning to encourage fresh, new growth. Pruning plants also encourages root development and will force the stem to branch, allowing for a fuller, bushier plant.

POTTING

While houseplants typically enjoy being root bound for a while, they will eventually require some fresh soil. It is often best to repot your plants once a year during the warmer months, however some plants with delicate root systems (like Hoya, Chain of Hearts and String of Pearls) are better to repot biannually.

Sometimes you may notice your soil becoming compacted and hydrophobic (resistant to water uptake). To fix this it helps to aerate the soil by using a skewer or chopstick to poke holes in the soil to break it up, followed by a deep bottom water soak to refresh the soil.

The Potting Shed team offer a hands on service to repot your plants using Seacliff Organic Premium organic potting mix and living soil, giving your plants the absolute best growing medium. Premium input = premium results.

A role of all plants is to produce the oxygen that we breathe. Some of the common houseplants that we adore are also great at filtering harmful chemicals out of the air, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Snake plants, aloe vera, dracaena, spider plants, rubber plants, and pothos varieties are all extremely easy to look after and also some of the best houseplants you can have in terms of air purification.

For more advice, and a great selection of plants and accessories pop in and see the team at the Potting Shed or alternatively skip the living ones and pick up some beautiful flowers from The Flower Crate!

The Flower Crate and The Potting Shed

394 Grey Street, Lovegrove Lane, Hamilton East www.theflowercrate.co.nz

PROPAGATION WORKSHOP

March 23rd, 6-8pm, $95PP. Learn how to propagate from your own plant babies in simple terms, plus you get your own plant cutting to take home in a recyclable wool pot.

Limited to 8 people. Book at www.theflowercrate.co.nz

Cauliflower

WORDS BY LYNDA HALLINAN

Cauliflower has a lot to thank the low-carb craze for. Before health-conscious foodies started blitzing these blonde-haired brassicas into pizza bases and ‘rice’ dishes, the best a cauliflower could hope for was to be boiled alive and blanketed in a spoonstandingly thick cheese sauce.

When I was growing up, cauliflower cheese was the entirety of my mother’s cauliflower cooking repertoire. I loathed it. I'd slyly secret it into my dressing gown pockets or down the side of the sofa cushions until I was caught in the act, bringing a premature end to TV dinners on the couch. For the rest of my childhood, I begrudgingly consumed cauliflower under parental supervision, though I got quite adept at slipping saucy morsels to our family cat, Biggles.

My taste buds must have matured – along with my taste for aged cheddar – because cauliflower cheese is now the number one culinary reason why I grow cauliflower. Also, I like a gardening challenge almost as much as I like comfort food, and cauliflowers can be as temperamental as Brussels sprouts.

Plant cauliflowers in full sun in compost-rich soil, spacing the seedlings 50cm apart, and feed regularly with liquid fertiliser. In sheltered suburban gardens with raised beds, you've probably still got time to sow a winter crop from seed, but in colder areas, I'd recommend transplanting punnets of store-bought seedlings instead, as seed sown now might not produce a crop until late spring, when you've all but given up hope.

Like all brassicas, cauliflowers grow best in the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring. In high summer they're eaten alive by white cabbage butterfly caterpillars, while over winter, the plants tend to sit and sulk in a holding pattern, producing neither leaf nor head as they await warmer soil temperatures.

Take it from me, you can't rush a cauliflower. It'll form a head when it's ready, and not a day before. Unfortunately, you also can't slow the harvest, although a partial decapitation can buy some time if

too many heads mature at once. Use a sharp knife to cut halfway through the stem about 5cm below the head to slow the sap flow and hold the curds tight for a few extra days. Folding the outer leaves over the head (a friend of mine employs a scrunchy hair tie to hold the leaves in place) also protects maturing heads from weather damage.

Fun fact: Although the name ‘cauliflower’ derives from the Italian cavolfiore, meaning ‘cabbage flower’, those pearly white curds are actually a failed attempt at flowering. Unlike broccoli florets, which are made up of bunches of green flower buds, cauliflower heads are clusters of mutated inflorescence meristems. Rather than forming normal flowers on the tips of these stems, the cells get distracted at a molecular level and keep dividing in fractal fashion to create those distinctive blobby heads instead.

CAULIFLOWER CHOICES

• Depending on the variety, cauliflowers take 12–16 weeks from seed to harvest, with modern hybrids generally getting on with things faster than heirloom types. The quickest to mature is ‘Phenomenal Early’.

• For classic white cauliflowers, sow the hybrids ‘Snowbowl’ and ‘All Year Round’ (Yates Seeds), or transplant seedlings of ‘White Cloud’ or compact ‘Mini White’ (Zealandia punnets).

• For colourful cauliflowers, sow heirloom ‘Green Macerata’ and ‘Violet Sicilian’ (Kings Seeds), or transplant ‘Purple Rain’ or the unusual orange form ‘Cheddar’ (Zealandia punnets).

Lynda Hallinan

Waikato born-and-raised gardening journalist Lynda Hallinan lives a mostly self-sufficient life at Foggydale Farm in the Hunua Ranges, where she grows enough food to satisfy her family, free-range chooks, kunekune pig and thieving pukekos. She has an expansive organic vegetable garden and orchards and is a mad-

What is a Naturopath?

Been curious about what a naturopath actually is and if they can help you? We chatted to Natalie Jacques, owner of The Herbal Dispensary in Raglan, to find out more about naturopathy.

What led you to become a naturopath?

I always liked the outdoors and being in nature. Most of my time was spent either in the ocean surfing or going for walks in the bush. After that much exercise, I was always hungry, and even from a young age I was interested in eating nutritious food that was going to support my body. I started to look more into the properties of food and how that can affect you. This curiosity progressed into plants and their health benefits and it went from there. When I started questioning myself as to what my vocation was, I kept coming back to that I wanted to learn more about what natural health involved and share it with others.

What is involved in becoming a qualified naturopath?

In New Zealand to become a qualified naturopath you need to study for three years. When I studied, it was the second year of the colleges offering a degree. I came out of it with a degree in Health Science and Advanced Diplomas in Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine, but now they have combined this to offer a Degree in Natural Medicine.

Is there an organisation regulating naturopaths?

Yes, there are two organisations in New Zealand that regulate naturopath and medical herbalists: NMHNZ and NZAMH. To maintain your membership, you need to do a certain amount of continued professional education, whether it be professional webinars, seminars, courses or tutoring, as well as holding a current first aid certificate.

Why would someone see a naturopath?

That’s a good question, and there are many answers. The classics are bloating, irregular bowel habits, low energy, anxiety, stress, hormonal issues and fertility. People can also come in because they want a health check and make sure they are taking the right supplements for them. A lot of people look online for health information and advice, but it is not necessarily specific or right for them, so seeking out a trained professional can give them an individualised health plan with a targeted approach. And then there are people that have chronic conditions and want natural health support alongside their prescription medication.

What misconceptions about a naturopath are there?

A lot of people don’t realise the amount of training and education it takes to become a naturopath. And that’s just the start. There is new research coming out daily on health conditions, diet, herbs and nutraceuticals, so skilled naturopaths need to keep themselves up to date on this research.

How is a naturopath’s approach different/similar to a MD?

A visit to a naturopath involves an in-depth consultation, where all aspects of one’s health is explored to try and identify the cause. You will typically spend an hour answering questions about your present and previous health, lifestyle, diet and health goals, on which a treatment plan will then be based.

Want to know more about how a naturopath could help you?

Call Natalie and the team at The Herbal Dispensary

07 825 7444

6 Wallis Street, Raglan

www.raglanherbaldispensary.nz

Welcome to the Cambridge and Hamilton Farmer’s Markets.

Our weekly farmer’s markets bring people together. They provide space for you to buy food to nourish yourself and your loved ones and for farmers to sell their products directly, but they also create space for conversation and knowledge sharing. Way more than just a shopping experience, but a place for the community to gather and to celebrate good, fresh food and company.

The beauty of our markets is that you know you are buying as fresh as possible. All our stallholders are involved in the business they are representing so questions are encouraged. Buy local, support local.

Unfortunately, the weather has been pretty rough for many of our vegetable growers, so they appreciate

fresh at ·market this autumn

your support as we come into the autumn and winter months.

I am particularly excited that autumn brings us kūmaras, pears, nashis, pumpkins, leeks, feijoas and much more.

We would love to see what you create, so make sure you tag #cambridgefarmersmarketnz and #hamiltonfarmersmarketnz in your creations using market products.

See you at our markets soon.

market manager

Spotlight on Kūmara

If you are looking for a different way to enjoy kūmara here’s a great recipe from Mon’s Flavors using local market ingredients. Check out our facebook page for the recipe!

New at the Market –Hello Mushrooms

Natalie and Scott bring you delicious gourmet mushrooms fresh from their rural property in Matangi, Waikato. Check out their beautiful grey and pink oyster mushrooms every Sunday morning at our Hamilton Market.

Did you know...

...that we are part of Farmer’s Markets

New Zealand and the World Farmer’s Market Coalition?

We had some visitors from the Hawaii Farm Bureau at the start of November at our Hamilton market when the Fieldays were on.Here’s one of their market bags (we gave them one of ours too!).

Manuka Brothers Coffee

Driven by a passion for coffee and an inspired idea to build a roaster with a difference, Graeme and Tyson designed and built a beautifully engineered machine fondly known as ‘Black Betty’. By batch roasting coffee over the glowing embers of manuka wood, a distinctive warm, sweet and complex flavour is created. The coffee roasted from this machine has a range of flavours not found in regular gas-fired roasters.

You can taste this for yourself and buy beans, grinds and pods to take home at both our Cambridge and Hamilton Farmer’s Markets.

Every weekend 8am- midday

Lilies by Blewden

Brighten your home or office with some beautiful lilies grown locally in Cambridge. Mary and Colin regularly attend both our markets so come and visit them.

EAGER FOR EGGPLANTS

With their glossy purple skin and spongy beige flesh, eggplants seem to be a love-it-or-hate-it vegetable. But if you’re not a fan, I’d venture you just haven’t found the right way to cook them yet. In New Zealand, eggplants come into their prime in autumn – it’s the perfect time to try your hand at a new recipe and find your favourite way to enjoy eggplants.

WORDS RACHEL HART | IMAGE BRYDIE THOMPSON

Originally from India, eggplants have become a staple for many cultures, with each region growing its own preferred variety. There are the deep purple ones favoured in the Mediterranean; the long, skinny, light-purple eggplants found in China; and the green golf-ball sized variety common in Southeast Asia. But while their colour, shape and size all vary, all eggplants provide plenty of nutrition.

The eggplant’s peel is chockful of antioxidants, while the seeds within are a great source of fibre. The vegetable has a high water content, which promotes healthy digestion, and the average eggplant only contains around 150 calories. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including manganese, potassium, folate and vitamins C and K. But perhaps their biggest contribution to health is their status as a meat substitute.

Eggplants have the rare ability to give you a flavourful and hearty meal without any meat, making it a favourite among vegans, vegetarians and those simply trying to eat more plant-based meals and consume less meat. Their talent for promoting plant-based eating comes from their firm texture and spongy flesh.

Past the shiny skin, eggplants have a uniquely absorbent interior that soaks up the flavour of its accompanying ingredients like a sponge. They’re naturally mild in flavour but can absorb and carry the flavour of neighbouring ingredients, whether it’s soy sauce or tahini, garlic or herbs. Plus, eggplants have a dense texture which mimics the mouthfeel of meat, giving you a hearty and filling plant-based meal. By carrying flavours while retaining some bite, the absence of meat will go unnoticed.

The eggplant’s versatility has been appreciated around the world for centuries, and each country has its own distinct way of turning the vegetable into culinary magic. In France, they are known as aubergines, and they play an integral role in ratatouille. In Italy, eggplants are fried and layered with tomato sauce, basil and cheese in the ever-popular eggplant parmigiana. Meanwhile, while Greece and Turkey have different versions of moussaka, eggplant is an essential ingredient in both.

Then there’s baba ghanoush, the deliciously creamy eggplant dip served with pita across the Middle East, and garden egg stew, a much-loved Nigerian dish featuring eggplants. Eggplants are found in Thai curries, Chinese stir-fries and Indian chutneys. And this is by no means an exhaustive list – it’s just a few of the many ways eggplants get baked and blended, sautéed and pickled around the world.

The next time you see eggplants at your farmer’s market or greengrocer, give it a go – even if you’re not yet converted, there’s a recipe out there that will make you fall in love with eggplants!

Rachel Hart

Hailing from Canada, Rachel has fallen in love with life in the beautiful Bay of Plenty where she is a freelance writer with a passion for healthy food. She splits her time between telling people’s stories, creating web content and experimenting in the kitchen.

Splurge VS SAVE

Grocery prices are sky rocketing, onions are sprawled over the streets of Pukekohe, eggs are being rationed – what is happening in this world! We are all having to become smarter shoppers, but there’s always something worth splurging on. I asked the Nourish community where they save their pennies and what they won’t sacrifice when it comes to their shopping basket.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER

Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Nourish magazine editor - Forget that chemical essence crap, Vicki always uses proper vanilla extract –almost always Heilala Vanilla. She loves Heilala because she’s seen it being produced in Tonga and loves what they have done with this community just as much she loves the product.

Currently it feels like even the basics, like butter, is a splurge but a can of tinned tomatoes is still a trusty save. With a few additions, a tin of tomatoes can become anything from a tasty pasta or pizza sauce, will bulk out a casserole or mince and even make a half decent minestrone soup.

Denise Irvine, food writer - Gutsy, grassy roast lamb is the taste of Denise’s childhood. Her father raised their meat and her mother cooked it beautifully. In memory of this, when she craves roast lamb, she splurges on a butcher's best.

Denise does what we all should – saves on water! She always drinks it straight from the tap, at no cost, and feels thankful to live in a country where we can do this. She thinks bottled water is overrated, overpriced, and there’s the issue of recycling the plastic involved. You can tart tap water up a bit with ice, lemon and mint, and you're still saving money whilst treading a little more lightly on the planet.

Kathy Paterson, food writer - Kathy splurges on good quality parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and meat. She saves with a garden bursting with green leafy vegetables, and she tops up her fridge by buying perfectly imperfect vegetables and fruit.

Amber Bremner, food writer - Amber’s family made the decision years ago that fresh produce was not something they would cut corners on. Of course, they'll always buy what’s seasonal, but as a mostly plant-based household, veggies are the cornerstone of their diet. However, she always buys the cheapest legumes available, whether dry to cook from scratch (which is both the cheapest and nicest way to have them) or canned for convenience. You won't find any gourmet beans in a glass jar in their house!

Fiona Hugues, food writer - When it comes to ingredients, Fiona is a firm believer that you should buy the best that one can afford. Inferior old anchovies, tasteless olives, metal tainted olive oil and tired watery mozzarella can completely ruin a dish or meal, so she’d rather leave them out. For this precious reason she’s the gal that buys up all the reduced to clear products to save her pennies. She

just loves a bargain and those bright wee stickers beckon her from across the store. The discounted best before products are what she’s after (not to be confused with best by) as they usually have weeks of life left in them.

Lisa Quarrie, Hayes Common and Weave Eatery - Lisa splurges on good olives, olive oil, chocolate and coffee. The quality is noticeably better, and deeper flavour is a bonus. Good quality chocolate and coffee are often sourced more sustainably and ethically too, which is always something to consider when shopping. She saves on tinned beans and tomatoes, as well as using frozen veggies to boost up dishes such as edamame, cauliflower rice and peas.

Wayne Good, Arkanda Living and Interiors - Wayne never worries about labels when it comes to the basic staples. He buys whatever is cheapest on the day. But he does invest in good quality, fresh ingredients, especially free-range chicken. As one of the perks of going to France, Wayne always brings back the luxurious fois gras to stash away in his cupboard, which is always a splurge!

Anna Greentree, Vetro Hamilton - Anna always spends a good amount of money on a decent vinegar, especially if using it for dipping or drizzling purposes. A little goes a very long way and makes all the difference if it is high quality and well-aged. She’s always happy to save money on frozen veggies – there is no need to pay top dollar for branded frozen veggies when they have all been manufactured in the same way.

Jana Hart, The Bikery - Jana splurges on maple syrup. She says the 100% Canadian maple syrup has a better flavour and no nasties in the ingredients. I’m with her on that one! She also splurges on champagne ham, as its thicker and better tasting than the sandwich ham. Jana goes budget when it comes to tinned beetroot, pineapple and tomatoes. She feels tinned items are much of a muchness.

As for myself, it’s my weekly challenge to keep the grocery bill as low as possible. I write a weekly menu and a detailed shopping list that I stick to, which makes a huge difference. I save on pantry staples, buy seasonally, and work out how I can adapt a recipe if one of the ingredients has an eye watering price tag. Flaky salt is something I won’t compromise on though. I use it far more than I should but you just can’t beat it.

We use and recommend:

Plentiful Eggplants

While working on these recipes I was stopped in the supermarket by a lovely lady when she saw me reaching for the eggplants, saying she’d never cooked them before, and did I have any tips for her? Firstly I said ‘you’ve asked the right lady!’ before proceeding to tell her all the ways I like to cook them and that the single most important thing to remember is to cook them until tender right through. There’s really nothing worse than rubbery uncooked eggplant. While other countries and cultures have long known how to handle eggplants (often called aubergines elsewhere in the world), it seems many here in New Zealand are still unsure about them. Most eggplant varieties you’ll find in the shops don’t require salting to remove bitterness found in some older varieties; however, if you slice into one and find large dark seeds in the middle (as opposed to light almost indistinguishable seeds that blend into the flesh) you can sprinkle the slices with salt, set aside 20–30 minutes then rinse and pat dry with a clean tea towel before cooking, just to be sure.

Chilli + Soy Eggplant with Tofu

This is one of those easy chop and roast dinners that’s basically ready in the time it takes to cook some rice (aka my kinda meal!). Once roasted, the eggplant and tofu get a quick toss in a pan with the sauce to coat. So simple, so packed with flavour and a really lovely budgetfriendly mid-week meal.

SERVES 2 LARGE, OR 4 SMALLER ONES

2 medium eggplants

300g packet firm tofu (available at The Herbal Dispensary, Raglan)

2–3 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions, sliced thinly lightly toasted sesame seeds, to serve cooked jasmine rice, to serve

CHILLI SOY SAUCE

½ tsp cornflour (gluten-free if needed)

2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed) or tamari

1 tbsp black vinegar (use rice vinegar for gluten-free)

1 tbsp maple syrup or golden caster sugar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ginger, finely grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

¼–½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper or grease well with olive oil. Cut eggplant and tofu into large bite-sized chunks, transfer to oven trays, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix well to evenly coat eggplant and tofu in oil. Spread slices out in a single layer and roast 15–20 minutes or until golden underneath, swapping trays around after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Flip each piece of eggplant and tofu over and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and eggplant is tender right through. Meanwhile, combine cornflour with ½ tsp water in a small bowl, before adding remaining sauce ingredients and stirring well. Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add a touch of oil and cook the white parts of the spring onions for 30 seconds, whilst stirring. Add roasted eggplant and tofu to the pan. Give the sauce a good stir, then add to the pan. Cook, whilst stirring, for 20–30 seconds or until the sauce thickens slightly and the eggplant and tofu is warmed through. Serve on rice topped with the sliced green ends of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Za’atar-Roasted Eggplant Salad with Lentils, Halloumi + Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

You can find za’atar (a fragrant Middle Eastern spice mix) at Vetro, or for a simple version combine equal amounts of dried thyme, sumac and lightly toasted sesame seeds. It’s lovely over any roasted vegetable or sprinkled over salads or eggs.

SERVES 4

2 medium eggplants

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp za’atar

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup Puy lentils (available at La Cave and Vetro) or black lentils

200g halloumi, sliced thickly

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

DRESSING

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp maple syrup

1–2 tsp red wine or apple cider vinegar, to taste

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper or grease well with olive oil. Slice eggplants into 1.5cm rounds, then cut each into halves or quarters depending on their size. Transfer to oven trays, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over za’atar. Using your hands, mix well to evenly coat eggplant in the spices. Spread slices out in a single layer and roast 15–20 minutes or until golden underneath, swapping trays around after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Flip each piece over and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and tender right through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. As soon as you’ve got the eggplant in the oven, place halved cherry tomatoes onto another tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 30–35 minutes or until charred and the juices have concentrated. Remove from the oven and set aside with the eggplant.

Meanwhile rinse lentils and drain, cover with plenty of cold water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

Pan-fry halloumi slices in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil until golden on both sides. Remove from the heat and cut each piece in half. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar, adding just enough vinegar to give it a nice edge. Season with salt and pepper. Combine za’atar eggplant, roasted tomatoes, lentils, halloumi and red onion in a large bowl, drizzle over dressing and scatter with chopped parsley. Best served slightly warm or at room temperature.

Emma Galloway

mydarlinglemonthyme.com

| @mydarlinglemonthyme

Emma Galloway is a former chef, food photographer and creator of the multi-award winning food blog My Darling Lemon Thyme. She is the author of three cookbooks, her latest book Every Day was released in April 2021. She lives in Raglan with her husband and two children.

Feeling Fennel THAT

Dried fennel seeds are readily available all year round in the supermarket, but at this time of year I can’t help but be inspired to include these little pods of flavour in my cooking as country roads are literally lined with wild fennel going to seed.

Fennel seeds are delicious with pan fried fish or added to savoury muffins or bread. Here are three of my favourite recipes at the moment.

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN AND HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Fennel Roasted Cauliflower with Burnt Onion Labneh

2 brown onions

2 cups Greek yoghurt

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tbsp fennel seeds

olive oil

salt & pepper

To make the labneh, strain the yoghurt in a clean tea-towel or muslin cloth overnight or for at least a few hours, until most of the liquid has seeped out.

Slice the onions in half from top to bottom, keeping the skin on. In a heavy-bottom pan or BBQ, over a medium-high heat, place the onion face down and cook for 30 minutes or until the surface has blackened and the onion is completely soft.

Peel the outer layer and cut the bottom root off, then blitz the rest in a high-speed blender until you get a smooth puree. You may need a dash of olive oil to help it blend. Once pureed, set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the cauliflower in one layer on an oven tray, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until cooked and starting to colour.

Mix the labneh together with the onion puree and a pinch of salt, then smear on the bottom of a plate. Top with the roasted cauliflower florets.

Curators of ethical orals and conscious goods

Pork and Fennel Meatballs

500g pork mince

1 large onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle

1 large apple, peeled and grated

zest of a lemon

1 egg

¾ cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper

In a small pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds and a large pinch of salt and continue to sauté until fragrant and starting to colour. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the pork mince, cooled onion mix, grated apple, lemon zest, egg and breadcrumbs, along with a grinding of salt and pepper. Shape the mix into small meatballs (or patties, sausages etc). Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil. Colour the meatballs in the pan until golden, then transfer to a tray. Place in a moderate oven for a further 10–15 minutes to continue cooking.

Fennel Seed Olive Oil Crackers

These crisp crackers make a gorgeous accompaniment to a cheese or antipasto platter. While delicious with a creamy soft cheese like a brie, I am also known to just munch on them as is.

1½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¹⁄³ cup water

1–2 tsp flaky sea salt

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, fennel seeds and first measure of salt together. Add in the olive oil and water and mix until it comes together into a dough. Allow to rest for 5–10 minutes then divide into two.

Roll out as thin as you can! To do this keep flipping the dough as you roll it out to stop it from sticking to the bench. If you can be bothered, you can pull out the pasta machine and run the dough through this to get it as thin as possible. You are aiming for dough 1mm thick at the most.

Place the rolled-out dough onto a lined baking tray, brush the top with water and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 200°C for 8–12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before breaking into shards and storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

TIP – If stored in an airtight container, the crackers will still be fine to eat after a couple of weeks, but you may want to crisp them up again by popping into the oven for a couple of minutes.

Chocolate Mousse HAR R I E T ’ S H O W TO

Chocolate mousse holds a very special place in my heart, or should I say, stomach. I have fond memories of Mum serving up chocolate mousse in her tall sundae glasses with a few berries on top and if we were lucky, a crushed flake. It has consistently been one of my favourite desserts my entire life and despite the extreme amount consumed for this experiment, I still love it.

In my opinion, a versatile chocolate mousse needs to be able to be served as a standalone treat or integrated into a stunning dessert, whether it be layered into a glass or plated. It should be light and fluffy in texture, have a balanced rich chocolate flavour and not be overly sweet. No added sugar is necessary.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

GORDON RAMSAY

I love a bit of Gordon Ramsay, but I did not love his Milk Chocolate and Nutmeg Mousse. This one put me through the wringer. There are four components to this mousse: a pâté à bombe, Italian meringue, whipped cream, and melted chocolate. Pâté à bombe is whisked egg yolks with a boiling hot sugar syrup whipped into it, then beaten until extremely thick and creamy. Italian meringue is the same process but using the egg whites, which are whipped until stiff and cool. Not for the novice cook, this recipe required a stand mixer, handheld beater, two lots of sugar syrups, a sugar thermometer, a double boiler and many more bowls. Once every component is ready, you fold milk chocolate and nutmeg into the pâté à bombe, then fold in the Italian meringue, followed by the cream. After it had set in the fridge overnight, I was buzzing with excitement to try this masterpiece that took an hour to create. I love sweet things, but this was sickly sweet. Nutmeg enhances flavour and it had that exact effect on the already sweet mousse. The texture was very soft and silky as opposed to the fluffy hold I usually love in a mousse. Paired with balancing components, this mousse has potential, but on its own, it was a miss from me!

THE KITCHN

The Kitchn is an American food blog, where I found a TwoIngredient Chocolate Mousse recipe, from contributor Meghan Splawn. You’ve probably guessed it, but the two ingredients were cream and chocolate. First, a portion of warmed cream is used to melt the chocolate and create a smooth ganache. A second portion of cream is whipped and folded into the ganache, giving it the crucial aerated texture. I’ve got to give it to Meghan, this mousse was surprisingly airy and pleasantly rich, although lacked a depth of flavour. The method was simple to follow and exceptionally quick, which always gets a big tick from me. This would be a great recipe to pair with a chocolate torte or if the mousse was one of a few components in a dessert, but I wouldn’t serve this as a standalone, wow-factor mousse.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY

The Australian Women’s Weekly Classic Chocolate Mousse is the recipe that my mum, Tracey, has made my whole life. You could say I was a little biased towards this one from the get-go. I wasn’t the sole test taster though, and the majority favoured this one too. Egg yolks are folded into melted chocolate along with a knob of

butter. Softly whipped cream is then folded into the chocolate mix, followed by whipped egg whites. The method of this recipe meets in the middle of the Kitchn’s and Gordon’s. Despite using its fair share of bowls and utensils, it’s quick and easy. The second time I made it, however, I did run into the problem of my chocolate seizing when I added the cream. Mousse is a bit of a science and Vicki explained to me that this problem would be avoided if I added the egg whites first, which you will see in my final recipe. This classic chocolate mousse is airy with beautiful structure and has a luscious, rich chocolate flavour. While I do love this recipe, a few subtle flavourings would take it up a notch to make the ultimate mousse.

SAVEUR

The Chocolate Mousse in the New Classics Cookbook by Saveur magazine was inspired by Julia Child’s recipe. It starts by melting chocolate and rum together, which later gets butter whisked into it to create a smooth mix. Like Gordon’s recipe, the yolks are whipped with a sugar syrup to create a pâté à bombe, although this syrup uses coffee instead of water. The egg whites are whisked with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff. The chocolate mix is folded into the pâté à bombe, then the whites are gradually folded in. The mousse did set but was silky and flat rather than light and fluffy. I assume this was because it was the only recipe without whipped cream folded through. I loved the addition of the coffee and rum in this one. It brought the extra flavour that I was looking for in the Australian Women’s Weekly recipe. I found using a pâté à bombe unnecessarily sweetens the mousse, so while this recipe had depth of flavour, it was let down by being overly sweet.

My taste in chocolate mousse clearly leans to the Americanised versions rather than the classic French style of Gordon Ramsay and Saveur, with my two favourites being the Kitchn’s and Australian Women’s Weekly. There’s no need for added sugar using a pâté à bombe or Italian meringue as it overly sweetens the dessert and creates a tacky texture.

While the Kitchn’s was enjoyable, it lacked complexity, so my pick of the lot was the Australian Women’s Weekly Classic Chocolate Mousse. In my ultimate mousse recipe, I have used this as a base, but have increased the chocolate and butter quantity and added coffee liqueur and vanilla essence. It makes a large batch of mousse, perfect for dessert with family and friends.

My Marvellous MOUSSE

This mousse will perform for any occasion, whether serving it set in a glass, layered into a dessert, or individually presented. If liqueur isn’t your thing, simply leave it out!

250g 50% dark chocolate

50g butter

3 eggs, separated

3 tbsp of coffee liqueur

1 tsp vanilla extract

300ml cream

Place the chocolate in a bowl, set it over a pot of gently simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once it has almost fully melted, take it off the heat and add in the butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks and set aside.

Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt beyond soft peaks, but not quite at stiff peaks. You want the whites to be glossy, pure white and have a bit of flop in the peaks when you lift the beaters out.

Using the hand mixer again, whip the cream until just past soft peaks so it has a bit of structure. Whisk in the vanilla and liqueur.

Using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mix, then fold the remaining whites in. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the cream mix. Once the cream is fully folded in, set the mousse in glasses or into a container and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

To serve like I have here, pipe the mousse into chocolate spheres (see how to make these on page 46). Allow the mousse to set in the fridge, then place one mousse sphere on each plate and garnish with chocolate pearls and freeze dried raspberries (both available at Vetro).

Harriet Boucher

Harriet is a Waikato born and raised foodie. She is a chef by trade and has worked in a few popular cafes and restaurants around Hamilton. When she isn’t whipping up treats, you can find her enjoying a walk along the river or dining at her favourite local eateries.

Life is all about balance

RECIPE HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

C HOC O LATE SP H ERES

Some chocolate, a pastry brush and a silicon mould are all you need for some hands-on fun in the school holidays, homemade Easter treats or a special way to plate a dessert, like Harriet’s Chocolate Mousse (on page 44).

RECIPE VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

YOU WILL NEED:

Chocolate, broken into pieces (200g will make 12, 70mm moulds)

Silicon moulds (Sweet Pea Parties has a great range of these)

Pastry brush

Small pot + a glass or metal bowl that fits on top

Place half the chocolate in the bowl. Add a couple of centimetres of water in the pot and place the bowl on top ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer, stirring the chocolate until it melts.

Once the chocolate has melted, take the pot off the heat but keep the bowl over it. Using the pastry brush, paint the inside of the moulds with chocolate. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Place the remaining chocolate in the bowl to melt and use this to brush a second coat of chocolate on the moulds. Place them back in the fridge to set. If you have leftover chocolate, a third coat can’t hurt, especially if the kids have been helping and there are uneven patches. Allow the chocolate to set completely before carefully removing from the moulds.

To complete the spheres, heat a fry pan. Place the rim of one chocolate mould on the hot fry pan to melt slightly. Then place this melted side on top of another chocolate mould to create a complete sphere. Set and store in the fridge.

VARIATIONS

ICE CREAM BOMB

Place a scoop of ice cream in the middle of one mould before sealing into a sphere. Store in the freezer. To serve, place the sphere on a plate along with a hot chocolate sauce that once poured over the sphere will melt, revealing the ice cream within.

HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS

Use 50mm moulds and follow the instructions above. Place mini marshmallows and chocolate chips in one chocolate mould. Seal with another mould as per instructions above. Set and store in the fridge.

To make the hot chocolate – place the chocolate bomb in a glass/cup and pour over hot milk and watch the bomb explode. Stir well and enjoy.

AFFOGATO

Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a chocolate mould. Place this over a coffee cup. To serve, pour over a double espresso.

CHOCOLATE BASKET

Use one of the chocolate moulds as a bowl filled with the likes of mousse or fresh fruit for a beautiful plated dessert.

On the Button

I have an abiding love for the fungi kingdom and adore a crispy tempura oyster mushroom or shiitake mushroom broth on a good day, but like most of you, white button mushrooms are the ones I’m most likely to have on hand. Here are two different ways to use them – as a light and moreish antipasto ingredient atop a savoury pastry tart, or as a key ingredient in a deeply savoury and warming vegan korma.

Mushroom Korma

A little secret to making more authentic homemade curries is to blitz your onion, garlic and ginger first, then cook slowly to form the base of your sauce before doing anything else. Don’t be put off by the long list of spices this recipe calls for – my hot tip is to measure them out onto a saucer before you start, so when it’s time you can just throw them in the pan in one go – easy. This spice blend results in a full flavoured korma of low to medium heat (my seven year old is happy to eat it). If you prefer a very mild curry, cut the chilli flakes down to ¼ tsp, and if you like it hot, boost the quantity to 1 tsp.

DRY SPICES

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground cardamom

CURRY BASE

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup water

2 tbsp coconut oil (or lightly flavoured cooking oil)

350g button mushrooms, whole if small or quartered if larger

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 x 400ml can coconut cream

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp salt

TO SERVE

Chopped coriander and flaked almonds to garnish (optional)

Cooked basmati rice

Naan bread

Amber Bremner

Quite Good Food | www.quitegoodfood.co.nz

Start by measuring out the dry spices onto a saucer.

Blitz onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor with ½ cup of water, until it is a thick, rough slurry. Heat a large pot over low-medium heat and add coconut oil. Once hot, scrape in the onion mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and the onion mixture is golden brown. Turn down the heat if it is browning too quickly.

Once the onion mixture is golden, add the dry spices, stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, turn the heat up a bit and cook for another 1–2 minutes to coat the mushrooms in the spice mixture. Season with 1 tsp salt.

Add the chickpeas, coconut cream, tomato paste and ground almonds. Stir to combine, lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes until chickpeas are well heated through and the sauce has thickened a bit and is smelling amazing.

Garnish with chopped coriander and flaked almonds. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

P

Amber Bremner is the author of popular plant based food blog Quite Good Food. A champion for cooking and eating food that makes you feel good, she believes small changes in the way we approach food have the power to make a difference.

L E E E E E N T Y

24 MARCH - 2 APRIL 2023

Marinated Mushroom Tart

This tart is a little bit special and a really lovely way to enjoy antipasto ingredients as a meal. A flaky pastry base is topped with caramelised onion and mustard cashew cream, then baked until golden. This is the blank canvas, ready to have all the good stuff stacked on top. Marinated mushrooms are a perfect hero topping, paired with whatever else you have on hand – I went with more caramelised onion, chargrilled capsicum, dollops of basil pesto, and microgreens. Olives, tapenade, artichoke, chunks of roasted beetroot or pumpkin, and any small salad greens or fresh herbs would also work well alongside the mushrooms.

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

200g button mushrooms

²�³ cup apple cider vinegar

¹�³ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of your choice

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

CASHEW CREAM

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for half an hour

1 tbsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

½ cup water

TART

2 sheets pre-rolled flaky pastry, thawed

TOPPINGS

1–2 tbsp basil pesto

caramelised onion

marinated mushrooms

chargrilled capsicum, thinly sliced microgreens

Begin by making the marinated mushrooms, so they can soak up flavour while you continue with meal prep. Halve or quarter the button mushrooms if they’re on the larger side, and remove stems if you prefer. Put the mushrooms into a large, clean jar. Put all remaining marinated mushroom ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the hot mixture over the mushrooms, tucking the bay leaf into the jar too. Seal with a lid and set aside to cool, giving the jar a gentle turn every now and then. Once cool, store in the fridge for up to a week.

Next, make the cashew cream. Cook onions over medium heat with coconut oil, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add maple syrup and continue cooking for a few more minutes, until the onion is soft, sticky and darkly golden. Reserve about a quarter of the caramelised onion for serving the tarts, and add the rest of the onion to your blender. Add drained cashews, mustard, salt and water to the blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or mustard to your preference.

Preheat oven to 220°C (or 200°C fanbake). Cut the pastry sheets in half so that you have four rectangles. Use a knife to lightly score a border about 1.5 cm from the edge, the whole way around each piece. Spread quarter of the cashew cream thickly on each piece of pastry, within the scored border. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

To serve, dress the tarts with the reserved caramelised onion, marinated mushrooms, thinly sliced chargrilled capsicum, little dollops of basil pesto and a scattering of microgreens. The mushroom marinade is flavourful and a little spicy, so I like to drizzle over a little extra of this liquid too.

Penang Postcards from

WORDS & IMAGES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN

A short flight from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur (1 hour), Penang, known as the Pearl of the Orient, is one of the most popular tourist spots in Malaysia.

Penang Island is situated on the northwest side of the Peninsular Malaysia and linked to the mainland by two extraordinary long bridges.

WHEN

The perfect time to go to Penang is between November and February. Monsoon season is from June to September, although this apparently is a very mild wet season. Average temperatures throughout the year are in the early 30s, so whatever time you go it will be warm.

We went in October, and it was fairly typical weather with just one day of continual plan-ruining rain. Those plans happened to be a visit to an orangutan sanctuary, and an hour and a half drive away. Malaysians are very philosophical about the rain, and it was deemed unlikely the rain would stick around or that it would be raining in Perak where Bukit Merah Orangutan Island was. Well, it was, and the rain did persist and we didn’t see the orangutans.

WHY

Strategically placed on the northern part of the Strait of Malacca, Penang has a rich history of empires and cultures who have staked their claim, and in doing so left their mark. The streets of Georgetown, the cultural heart of Penang, are literally built on its colonial past. The English ships, which began to arrive in the late 18th century, would come filled with ballast, heavy Scottish stone to weigh their empty hulls down. When they arrived, this ballast was dumped in Georgetown as the hulls were filled with goods to take back.

The ballast was used as the foundation blocks of Georgetown and can still be seen today along with the influences of the cultures and empires that shaped this town, from the architecture to the temples, the tiles on the pavement as well as the food being enjoyed.

FOOD

The rich cultural heritage of Penang is deliciously evident in the food. From Malays, Indian Muslims and Hindus, Thai, Chinese Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese, and British, each have contributed to Penang’s distinct cuisine.

The biggest food dilemma you have in Penang is not finding great food but not having enough time to enjoy everything this Island has to offer. For this reason, I am not going to list the places

you must visit. Instead, here are just a few of the dishes you can’t leave Penang without experiencing.

Char Koay Teow – famous Penang fried flat rice noodles and the dish I crave when back in New Zealand.

Asam Laksa – considered one of the best dishes to eat in Penang. This tamarind-based laksa is more sour than the coconut-based curry laksas popular in Singapore.

Roti Canai – delicious flat bread served with dal is a popular breakfast dish, so forget the hotel’s turkey bacon and eggs and eat like the locals.

Masala Dosa – This Southern Indian delicacy is very much ingrained in Penang’s food scene. These impressive crisp crêpes with accompanying masala are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lok Lok – While there are Lok Lok restaurants with communal tables, I was mesmerised by the street stall versions. Skewered food of every description is on offer, dipped and cooked in boiling water then the sauce of your choice. The sticks are colour coded to show the price of each.

WHAT

The mix of culture, history and fun is what we love about Malaysia, and Penang is the epitome of this. Stroll or take a trishaw around the streets of UNESCO World Heritage Georgetown to soak up the history while spotting some of the many murals and sculptures dotted around. Visit the clan jetties where Chinese clans settled and built their houses on stilts out over the water.

We took a walking food tour of Georgetown, which I would recommend simply because of the information on the history and culture we would never have discovered alone.

Georgetown also offers an array of temples to visit, like the aweinspiring Kek Lok Si Temple (temple of ten thousand Buddhas), one of the largest and most beautiful Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. Avoid the heat and crowds and go early. We visited on a public holiday and spent a lot of time queuing for the cable car to take us to the top.

Forget the fancy spots. The best food is on the street and hawker stalls or small family-run spots.

Kek Lok Si Temple is near the funicular that takes you up Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera). After several failed attempts queuing for this ride up (and the family thoroughly sick of me finding reasons to say funicular), we headed to the botanical gardens for a thrilling ride to the top on a 4WD. Once up you are rewarded with breathtaking views and a number of fun attractions.

If a stunning view is your goal, we loved The Top where the 360-degree views come with the thrill of walking on the glass skywalk 68 storeys up. The Top also includes an aquarium, 7D motion theatre, Jurassic Research Centre and more, all in airconditioned comfort.

With our orangutan plans scuppered, we headed out on a boat to a turtle sanctuary I had discovered. Locals seemed vague about the spot, but I was determined. The family were pleased we didn’t opt for the 2-hour hike through Penang National Park to the sanctuary, as it was very small and simple, just a couple of baby turtles in a tank. The boat ride, which included a stop at Monkey Beach, was nevertheless a fun day out.

Not deterred in our quest to discover more of the natural wonders Penang had to offer, we set off for a big day visiting the Tropical Spice Garden and the Tropical Fruit Farm, where they grew everything from coffee to mace, dragon fruit to giant passionfruit. We also visited the entrancing Entopia Butterfly Farm and made a stop in to learn the art of batik.

Hands down, the best day of our holiday for all was at Escape. And trust me I never thought I would say that about a day spent in my togs! Malaysia’s number one theme park is divided into two sections and although we got there at opening and left at closing, we only managed to enjoy the water park side. The high ropes and ziplines as well as the newly installed artificial ski slope will have to wait until next time.

So eager to ride the Guinness Book of Records longest waterslide that winds you through the Malaysian bush for 1,111 metres, we arrived too early for the chairlift to take us to the top, so opted to walk! This was just the start of our butt and thigh workout day as we climbed up staircase after staircase just to slide down an endless array of water slides, from the sedate to the terrifying.

STAY

With a choice of accommodation from five-star resorts to backpackers, Penang will suit all tastes and budgets.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Café Hotel in Batu Ferringhi, just 17kms from Georgetown but due to traffic this can take between 30 minutes to over an hour by taxi.

With a seven-year-old in tow we chose Hard Rock Café Hotel because of the fun atmosphere and enormous pool, including waterslides. There was an option for the littlest member of the family to have their own room complete with TV, Xbox and soft toys, and although this was a pleasant change to normal hotel rooms with a roll away, a few days in we swapped for a room we could jump into the pool from our room!

Getting around can be hard with limited taxis, especially at night. Make sure you download the local rideshare app Grab.

Fizzing for

As we bid farewell to the final shreds of summer, the veggie garden rewards us with its autumn harvest. Here at The Falls Retreat, this means we are into pickling, preserving and fermenting mode as we attempt to capture all of nature’s goodness and utilise this glut of fresh produce. As we head into the cooler months, our house-made pantry staples, such as our Cucumber and Zucchini pickle, start to feature more throughout our menus while we turn our focus to planting and utilising crops such as carrots, cabbage and daikon radish – meaning kimchi soon becomes our new best friend!

RECIPE BRAD KING | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

WHAT IS KIMCHI?

It’s a traditional Korean dish made by submerging vegetables in a salt and water (brine) solution. By doing so, harmful bacteria are killed and the sugar and lactose present in the food are then converted to lactic acid, creating tangy and safely preserved vegetables that can be served as a side dish with all sorts of meals. It is traditionally made using cabbage, and each bite provides unique and complex flavours ranging between savoury, sweet, sour and spicy. It also has multiple nutritional benefits as it’s high in vitamins, minerals and fibre and full of live bacteria, which is excellent for digestion.

MAKING KIMCHI

Kimchi is easy to make, it just takes a little time and patience for the magic to occur. It will start fermenting within a day or two at room temperature, depending on humidity and the temperature. The warmer it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment, it will smell and taste sour! You can test that it has begun fermentation by pressing on the top with a spoon – this will release trapped gases and bubbles from beneath. At this stage, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. Refrigeration will slow down the fermentation process and the kimchi will become more and more sour as time goes on.

Brad's Kimchi Recipe

3kg Chinese cabbage

½ cup salt

‘PORRIDGE’

3 cups water

3 tbsp glutinous rice flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

VEGETABLES

2 cups daikon radish, sliced matchstick size

1 cup fennel bulb, sliced matchstick size

2 cups carrot, sliced matchstick size

2 bunches spring onion, chopped

SEASONINGS & SPICES

½ cup garlic cloves

¼ cup ginger

1 medium onion

½ cup fish sauce or substitute with soy sauce

2 cups Korean red chilli flakes (gochugaru)

3 Granny Smith apples (cored and de-seeded )

Chop each cabbage into quarters, keeping the cores attached. Dunk into a large basin of water to get them wet. Sprinkle the salt in between the leaves by lifting up every leaf and getting salt in there. Use more salt closer to the stems where it is thicker.

Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water over top of the cabbage ensuring an even process.

Brad's Top Tips

Don’t use iodized salt (table salt), as the iodine inhibits the beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process. Gochugaru can be substituted with regular chilli flakes. Use a decent mandolin to ensure all your components are the same size; this makes for a more even consistency and distribution of flavours.

Use disposable gloves if you have sensitive hands, as the chilli can irritate your skin.

· To keep recipe vegan substitute fish sauce for soy sauce Learn more about cooking from scratch and sustainable living at The Falls Retreat with their range of cooking and gardening workshops.

www.fallsretreat.co.nz/educate

While the cabbage is salting, make the ‘porridge’ and prep the vegetables, seasonings and spices.

To make the porridge, combine water and rice flour in a small pot over medium heat. Mix well and let it simmer for 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add sugar and let simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

For the seasoning and spices, use either a blender or food processor and blitz the garlic, ginger, onion, apples, fish sauce and 1 cup of the red chilli flakes till smooth, set aside.

After 2 hours, wash cabbage quarters a few times under cold running water to remove the salt and any dirt. Cut off the cores and place in a strainer to drain well.

Pour cooled porridge into a large mixing bowl, add garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, and the last cup of red chilli flakes. Mix well with a wooden spoon into a thin paste.

Add the vegetables to the porridge and spice mix and mix well.

Cut salted and washed cabbage into desired pieces and place into a large bowl. Pour over vegetables and spice paste. Mix and massage into cabbage, thoroughly coating every piece.

Place kimchi into jars or a plastic container.

A LIFE WITHOUT Onions

Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilisation without onions.” As I write this, onions are sprawled over the streets of Pukekohe after approximately 10 tonnes were washed away in the Auckland Anniversary weekend storm. But while you stew in a panic of how you’ll survive if there’s an onion shortage, I’m laughing on the sidelines.

You see, my partner Taylor has a fructose intolerance and can’t eat onion, along with a long list of other things. When I first discovered his intolerance, my head was spinning. What are we going to eat? Will I ever be able to cook my favourite dinners again? How can I share dining experiences without indulging in onion-laced meals? He’s worth sacrificing onions for though, and now I have a niche skill up my sleeve – cooking onion free!

I’ll admit that certain classics can’t be made without onion – French onion soup, beef bourguignon, caramelised onion – basically anything with onion in the title. So let’s put those on the back burner until the supply is replenished.

Where you would usually sauté an onion to start a saucy dinner, such as a Bolognese, slice up a chunk of leek instead. Leeks have

been my saviour. They’re slightly milder but still bring the onion flavour you’re craving. Despite what you may think, there’s nothing wrong with the green tops. They may be slightly on the rubbery side, but waste not want not. Leek is more expensive than the humble onion, but you can get 2–4 onions worth out of one leek, so it all balances out in the end.

Celery is where I look to next for an onion alternative. I’ve realised that it feels wrong if you don’t start cooking certain meals without sautéing an onion, but celery (and leek) gives the same satisfaction. Celery is perfect in anything from stir-fries to soups. It softens down to a melt in your mouth texture, quite the opposite to its stringy raw form. You certainly get your money’s worth from a head of celery too. Trimmed stalks will stay juicy and crisp in a glass of water for weeks, just refresh the glass every few days.

Spring onion adds fresh pungency to salads, slaws and broths where you might have used a finely shaved red onion. Toss large chunks in with stir-fried veggies or blitz into punchy dressings. They’re also easy to grow, even if you’re a novice gardener like me.

There’s no need to cry if onions become scarce. A life without onions is all about adapting. Simply assess your recipe, replace the onion with a readily available alternative and you won’t notice its absence.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER

THE FOOD LOVER’S DREAM IS BACK!

6-7 MAY, 2023 CLAUDELANDS, HAMILTON

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NOURISH | FEATURE

WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

I’ve popped into True on Barton Street to catch up with owner Andrea Downey. I’m not the only one. Ahead of me is a woman in a vibrant, orange sun dress looking effortlessly elegant. Hugs are exchanged while True Sales Manager Shantell Carter is preparing new pieces off the rack for the woman to try on. It is quickly evident that this is a place where customers become friends and staff know not just what would look great on you, but what you like. Marketing Manager Domi Gatley echoes this thought when she says, “It’s lovely to see how people style their pieces and make things their own on returning visits in store.”

Later, I sit down to chat with Andrea to find out how True came about, and we talk about her desire to fulfil an offering that wasn’t in Hamilton and open a store that curated timeless, classic, quality New Zealand and international brands to the region. It’s clear that fashion is the conduit, the real joy comes from the people. “It was not necessarily a dream I had, but if my mother was alive today, she would not be at all surprised.”

True's first store opened in March 2017 with a 70 sqm store on the corner of Barton and London streets. At the time Andrea says, “the vision was to offer clothing to the Hamilton market that was the furthest from fast fashion.”

Domi describes their offering well when she says their “clothing

timelessly suits an elevated wardrobe”. This means beautiful fabrics, quality workmanship and a focus on sustainability – not just the ethos of the companies creating the clothing but the fact that the pieces will last for years. “Plus,” Andrea says with a smile, “we have to love it.”

Turns out others share what they love, and the True store today is twice the size of the original. The bigger space has allowed the range to expand to include menswear, footwear and accessories all holding true to the original vision.

Andrea describes the buying process as “challenging but equally an absolute thrill”, noting it’s great to be able to do this in person again. The personal touch plays a big part in the True story and starts with the buying process. Andrea and Domi admit they often have clients in mind when they are on a buying trip.

The other thrill for Andrea, or what she describes as the best part of True, is the staff, happily admitting, “I couldn’t do it without them.” She goes on to say her team of seven “are a passionate group of stylists who form a really loyal connection with clients”. And this is the true reason this store in the heart of Hamilton is flourishing.

True Store

302 Barton Street, Hamilton truestore.co.nz

What's Hot at Home

2023 Interior Trends by Wayne Good

I find that trends in design are fleeting; however, it’s fun to see what we can expect for our interiors this year, if we are building, or seeking a change.

Colour for me is so important, having never been a slave to this ongoing nightmare of white, black and grey, with texture. This doesn’t mean that one then has to put a real mishmash of colours and patterns in a space, but it is a great idea to see what is out there and to consider how you could incorporate these ideas.

There definitely is a real swing globally to colour and pattern, especially anything that is remotely retro, think 60s and 70s. This doesn’t necessarily mean geometrics are it; florals are right in there as well.

A really big colour trend this year is pink, especially mauve/ pink or Victorian Pink, mixed with brown. It’s warm and soft, giving a comforting feel. In fact, the 2023 Pantone Colour (Google Pantone for more information) is Viva Magenta, quite a strong, almost raspberry, which we will see coming through not only in design but also the garment industry, even cars. Watch this space. Perhaps use an interesting neutral (not white) base and add accents of these colours.

Other colours to look out for in 2023 are Ultramarine Green, Amber, Almond (a fabulous neutral) and Deep Blue.

Another fantastic trend is the move away from disposable furniture that essentially becomes landfill. Environmentally, recycling good antique or vintage (70s) furniture is the ultimate. Well-built and timeless, these styles fit into any home. Mixing old with new creates a home that is both interesting, and totally unique.

At the end of the day, our homes need to reflect who we are, and they definitely need to give us joy.

Wayne Good is a chef, interior designer and travel guide. Renowned for his hospitality, Wayne’s cooking classes and tours of France are hot tickets! Discover more at www.arkanda.co.nz

Greek Olive Buckets

These genuine vintage Greek olive buckets make a gorgeous statement piece for your garden or they’re perfect to house a beautiful tree at your front door. Available in two sizes from The Sunday Society, who have also just had their latest container of treasure arrive from Europe, so now is a great time to visit.

The Sunday Society

452 Tauwhare Road, Tamahere www.thesundaysociety.co.nz

Wayne Good

Kitchen Trends

Hayley from Treetown Kitchens says they are seeing a growing interest in porcelain benchtops, such as Neolith, Dekton, Laminam and Florim. “Not only do they offer a user-friendly benchtop option that is less maintenance than natural and engineered stones,” Hayley says, “the thinner 12mm profile adds a sleek, minimalist look.” treetownkitchens.co.nz

What's Hot at Home

Urban Homes colours expert Caroline Mahon says the spotlight is on splashbacks. Caroline says, “They provide a functional purpose to a space, add an element of design and are a feature that looks amazing! They can be designed with tiles, Hardigroove, benchtop stone and glass – the options for creativity are endless!” urbanhomes.co.nz

Make a Date

Pipped to be one of the on-trend foods for 2023, dates have been growing in popularity for some time. Often referred to as nature’s candy, dates are the go-to for raw food enthusiasts and those avoiding refined sugars. They are even reputed to induce or help in labour, although from experience I am not sure I agree!

WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Traditional bakers love dates too. After all, who doesn’t love sticky date pudding or a good old date scone?

Dried dates – Found in the baking aisle these are the dates we grew up with. Store them in the pantry and pull out to add to baking.

Medjool Dates – Find these in the fridge in the produce department of green grocers. Bigger, softer and with wonderful caramel flavour, making them perfect in raw dishes and smoothies.

Deglet Noor Dates – These semi-dry dates are slightly crunchy yet still soft and pliable. Popular in the US, they are not as sweet as the Medjool.

Date Syrup – Available in specialty stores like Vetro, date syrup is a great alternative sweetener with less sugar than honey or maple syrup. Use it as a topping on pancakes or in baking.

Snickers Bites

Perfect for the mid-afternoon slump, these bite-sized treats are reminiscent of the classic Snickers bar.

15x Medjool dates (available at The Herbal Dispensary, Raglan and Vetro)

¼ cup peanut butter

½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp coconut oil flaky sea salt – optional (I used Opito Bay Sea Salt)

Cut a slit in each date and remove the pit. Fill each date with around ½ tsp peanut butter.

Place the chocolate and the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each. It shouldn't take longer than 1–2 minutes total.

Dip each date into melted chocolate until completely covered then place on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt. Set and store in the fridge ready for when you need a sweet pick me up.

Teriyaki Salmon

I’m a sucker for teriyaki, and this recipe is based on a family favourite, chicken teriyaki (which you’ll find in our new Nourish cookbook – out in June). But in this recipe I swapped out the brown sugar for date syrup, with marvellous results. The date syrup is a less in your face sweetness and adds a lovely caramel note.

Here I have served it over salmon, but it will work just as well over chicken and even deep fried cauliflower florets.

3 tbsp date syrup (available at The Herbal Dispensary, Raglan and Vetro)

¼ cup mirin

¼ cup cooking sake

¼ cup soy sauce

500g salmon fillets

3 tbsp rice flour

oil

spring onion, chopped (optional) sesame seeds

To make teriyaki sauce: mix date syrup, mirin, sake and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Cut the salmon into your desired size pieces and dredge through the rice flour.

Heat a little oil in a pan over medium-high heat and place the salmon in.

Cook the salmon for 2–3 minutes and flip to cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes.

Carefully add the teriyaki sauce to the pan and cook until the sauce reduces slightly and the salmon is cooked through.

Serve with cooked rice, and garnish with chopped spring onion and sesame seeds.

Contact

P

www.tameyourmind.co.nz

Date and Orange Pinwheels

MAKE 36

A cross between a pastry and cookie, these date and orange pinwheels will be a hit with anyone partial to a date and orange scone.

DATE AND ORANGE PUREE

2 cups dried dates, chopped zest and juice of an orange ½ cup water

PASTRY

2½ cups flour

220g cold butter, cut into cubes

250g cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

Icing sugar

To make the puree place the dates, orange and water in a small pot, heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for approx. five minutes until the dates have broken down and liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

Combine flour, butter and cream cheese in a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times, then allow the processor to run until the dough forms a ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured bench and divide into four equal pieces. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can also freeze the dough at this point if you like.

When ready to shape the pinwheels, take the pastry out of the fridge and place on a floured bench. Roll each piece of dough into a square measuring 21cm x 21cms, trimming the edges to keep it neat.

Divide the rolled out square into thirds both across and lengthways, leaving you with nine equal sized squares.

On each square cut a line diagonally from each corner, leaving enough space in the middle to place a dollop of the date puree.

Fold one corner from each cut piece towards the centre and over the date puree before placing the pinwheel on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining square and bake at 180°C for 12-18. minutes.

Allow to cool, sprinkling with icing sugar just before serving. Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.

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GRAPE-NESS

In 1817 novelist and poet Thomas Love Peacock wrote, “The juice of the grape is the liquid quintessence of concentrated sunbeams.” And as I nurse a fresh throbbing wasp sting on my hand, I can’t help but agree.

Harvesting a few bunches from my own vines for this shoot was not without risk, such is the wondrous flavour of these nectareous orbs of historical significance. Apparently, we’ve been growing them since 6500BC; they feature strung between ancient drawings in far off places, wrapped around the wanton marble brows of ripped muscular gods, and this all before we even get to overflowing chalices of their juice lovingly made into wine and morsels of deliciousness wrapped in their baked leaves.

However you like them – crushed, stolen from swarms, or peeled and dropped into one’s mouth by a bestowed lover – they are undoubtedly the joy of early autumn. These are some of my favourite ways to eat them fresh, frozen, roasted and dried.

ICED POLEAXE GRAPES

Back in the day, my parents used the term ‘poleaxed’ to refer to staggery drunk people, as in “Oh look, that person’s completely poleaxed”. I use it to remind myself that these lovely wee alcohol-soaked crunchy frozen treats pack a surprise if one overindulges. Perfect on a sunny afternoon.

White wine, eau de vie or any clear coloured booze that takes your fancy

Fresh grapes, well rinsed

Cover grapes in your choice of tipple and soak covered overnight in the fridge. Add a little sugar if your grapes are on the tart side. Next day lift out the grapes, place in a lined tray and freeze until solid. Serve straight from the freezer.

RECIPES & IMAGES FIONA HUGUES

VINEYARD CHICKEN

Here’s me being a scintillating tart again, adding spark to my two decades plus marriage by adding fruit to our roast dinners. I love apples with pork and chook dishes, but getting grapes in there is something superior, especially at this time of year when the weather is cooling and flavours become more sunburnt, robust and wholesome. This dish is a doddle to make. Lay most on a baking tray and the chook in a pan, leave it to do its thing then whack it all together just before serving. Easy.

10–12 small gourmet potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

10 baby carrots

3–4 shallots, skin on, cut in half lengthwise

1 garlic bulb top cut off horizontally, reserving the tip bits

6–8 chicken thigh cutlets, skin on a dusting of plain flour a decent knob of butter

300mls wine (I used rosé but any drinkable white wine is fine) a drizzle of runny honey

5–6 small bunches black grapes olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt & pepper fresh herbs to serve (I used chervil, but parsley works well too) crusty bread to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C and on a lined baking tray lay out the potatoes, baby carrots, and shallots cut side down. Add the cut bulb of garlic cut side up, reserving the tips. Drizzle olive oil across the lot and season with salt and pepper. Bake for around 20–30 minutes until softened and golden.

Season and dust the chicken cutlets with flour. Heat the butter and a lug of oil in a large heavy bottomed oven proof pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken portions skin side down until golden.

Flip over, fry a little more then toss in the garlic tops, the wine and a drizzle of honey. Turn down the temp slightly, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, add the grapes and continue to cook with the lid off, reducing the liquid, for another 15 minutes.

Tuck in all the cooked veggies to the pan, drizzle the lot in balsamic vinegar and give it 10 minutes in the oven for everyone to get to know each other.

Season and sprinkle with fresh herbs and eat with crusty bread to squish the garlic into and a fat leafy salad on the side.

GRILLED COS WALDORF SALAD

The Waldorf salad is named for the WaldorfAstoria Hotel in New York City where it was created to feed attendees at a swanky charity ball. These days it’s more associated with dingy motel buffets inside rather rank musty dining rooms, completely edible, but demoted to a rather lack lustre sloppy side dish. I have put the original 1896 chic back into it by licking lovely cos lettuce over the grill and plating it simply rather than stirring it all together. The creamy caramelised crunch with tart little pops of glorious grape is a thing to behold on a late summer’s day.

2 small cos lettuce, cut into quarters lengthwise

1 stick of celery, cut into long bite sized slices

a small handful of walnut halves, lightly toasted and crushed

1 cup or so of fresh seedless grapes, some whole some sliced

1 large Granny Smith apple, sliced

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp crème fraîche

150ml (approx.) mild extra virgin olive oil

a tiny drizzle of honey

salt & pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together, season, taste and set aside in the fridge.

Quickly sear your lettuce cut side down on a hot grill just to colour it. You still want to keep the crunch.

Cut the apples and celery and place in a bowl – spoon over a little of the dressing and toss to coat everything well.

Arrange the grilled cos, dressed apple and celery on a serving platter.

Add the grapes and walnuts and dollop on the rest of the dressing. Season again with lots of black pepper and serve immediately.

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RAGLAN ROTOTUNA HAMILTON EAST

WARM GRAPES & LEAVES

It’s well known amongst my friends and followers that my darling consort doesn’t like fruit in his salads. I’ve had such delight testing these recipes, my wicked fruit eating ways being legitimised rather than seen as devious ploys to sway him. This salad of sorts I created on a whim, all my favourite flavours – salty, sweet and tart – together for a lunch made in heaven. Serve with crusty bread to smear up the very last bits.

small bunches seedless grapes

3–4 slices pancetta (available at Vetro)

1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp fine caster sugar

handful of rocket or mesclun leaves

1 ball fresh mozzarella (available at The Herbal

Dispensary, Raglan and Vetro)

¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

good quality balsamic vinegar

rustic bread slices to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C fan bake. Lay small bunches of grapes and the pancetta on a lined baking tray, drizzle grapes with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake the lot for 6–10 mins until pancetta is crispy and grapes slightly blistered. Set aside.

Place the red onion in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar, sprinkle over the caster sugar and zap in a microwave for 1 minute on high. Set aside until cool.

Arrange leaves on a plate. Tuck the grapes, pickled onions and tear the mozzarella and get it in there too. Crush over the crispy pancetta and lay the blistered grapes on top.

Shower over the toasted pine nuts then drizzle the lot in a little balsamic (if it’s a good barrel aged syrupy one, go nuts) and lots of extra virgin olive oil.

Season and devour with sliced baguette.

MY KNOCK OFF MUSCATELS

I love a dried fruit whatnot on my cheeseboard. There’s something particularly fabulous about plucking dried muscatels from twiggy branches whilst enjoying good wine and cheese. However, I’m bamboozled by the cost of them. One almost needs to harvest an organ to pay for 200 grams at fancy food stores. But fear not fromage loving friends, swanky cheeseboard style help is at hand. These are your stock standard supermarket grapes dried slow in a home oven to dehydrated deliciousness, and I can confirm almost better than an exorbitant muscatel because there’s no choke worthy seeds.

Fresh seedless grapes, well rinsed, drained and cut into small bunches. I sit the bunches on a cake cooling rack on my oven tray. This is so the grapes have air circulating underneath.

Place in the oven for 5–6 hours at 80–100°C fan bake until withered and firm but still a little soft when squeezed.

Cool and store in airtight containers for just over a month.

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Fiona Hugues

Award winning food stylist, designer & creative multi-hyphenate Fiona Hugues spent her childhood gallivanting around the Waikato countryside on horse back. After Hillcrest High School, Elam School of Fine Arts took her to Auckland where she has lived ever since and now resides on a rural property with her French husband, their three children & a plethora of animals. She’s an entertaining expert, sourdough coach, art director and gourmand and it’s said in dire circumstances she would possibly trade one of her children for a bottle of Pinot Grigio & a good burrata.

Dukkah WHA T W E D O WITH

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

I’ve never been confident in the spelling of dukkah. But I learnt the hard way that if you spell it as ‘dukkha’ in a google search, you will be inundated with information about the Buddhist concept of dukkha, which translates to ‘suffering’, as opposed to the Egyptian spice mix that I’m talking about.

The word dukkah is derived from the Arabic word meaning ‘to pound’. A mixture of nuts, seeds and spices are pound together in a pestle and mortar to create a chunky savoury topping. My first memory of dukkah was when I was 11, on holiday in Australia. We picked up a bag of it at the Eumundi Markets, along with Turkish bread and olive oil and, until the packet was empty, I snacked on bread dipped in oil then dipped in dukkah. You could say it’s rather addictive.

Dukkah is generally a mix of nuts, sesame seeds, coriander and cumin, often with the addition of dried herbs and other spices. But no two recipes are the same, which gives you the creative freedom to change the flavours to your liking. It packs a surprising amount of flavour and brings life into middle eastern dishes and more.

Brigid Sullivan, from La Cave European grocery in Hamilton, loves to sprinkle dukkah on her avocado on toast. She’s not alone. Taria Given from Magills Butchery also dabbles in a bit of dukkah with smashed avo to start the morning right. If you’re going to take their advice, up the spices in your mix with a few chilli flakes and extra black pepper to bring life to the otherwise bland avo.

Speaking of breakfast, Jana Hart, owner of the Bikery in Cambridge, told me her chefs topped their coconut chia porridge with a sweet superfood dukkah, and their Turkish eggs with a sumac version. These were both winter menu items so my fingers are crossed that these are used in their summer menu.

To make a sweet dukkah, follow my recipe for dukkah praline on our website, or simply stir through a little brown sugar, and swap intensely savoury spices for warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Sprinkle sweet dukkah on ice cream, waffles, creamy iced coffee, chocolate mousse or carrot cake. You’ll love the nutty savoury crunch it brings to baking and desserts.

texture. Pair a carrot hummus with a dukkah packed with caraway seeds; the two will complement each other and you’ll look like a true professional.

Amber Bremner let me in on a hot tip: Brush oil on tortillas, sprinkle with a fine dukkah, cut into wedges and fire in the oven until crispy. The same works for flatbreads, and I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Kathy Paterson tells me that dukkah is magic spread over ovenbaked fish fillets and chicken schnitzel. She simply spreads a small amount of mayo over the top of each fish fillet or chicken schnitzel, then sprinkles with a generous but even layer of dukkah. Drizzle a little olive oil over, but mostly around the edges of the meat. The dukkah adds flavour and texture, and makes it look amazing too.

Kathy’s ways with dukkah remind me of my all-time favourite canapé that my dear neighbour Bernadette makes. She rolls small chicken pieces in dukkah, bakes them in the oven, then serves them hot with sweet chilli sauce; they’re succulent, mouth-watering and I hope she never stops making them.

Dukkah will bring texture and pops of flavour when you need to elevate salads, roast vegetables or cauliflower steaks. The same goes for meats from barbequed to braised; use it liberally, you can’t go wrong.

Whether you diligently follow a recipe or go wild with the spice rack, you’ll soon be sprinkling dukkah on everything.

SPRINKLE DUKKAH ON …

• salads

• roast veggies

cauliflower steaks

• meat fish

• eggs

• porridge

• ice cream

• waffles

SPARE

Paul Menneer from Peplers Fine Foods rolls labneh balls in dukkah. This is the perfect canvas to go crazy with dukkah flavours, both sweet and savoury. Serve as a canapé, on a cheese board or as a dessert.

Taria also loves sprinkling dukkah over hummus and baba ghanoush to “make it look a little bit more fancy”. You’ll get a big tick for presentation as well as a boost of flavour and crunchy

• cheese

• dips

EVENTS

WAIKATO FARMERS MARKETS

Where local and convenience collide, the Waikato Farmers Markets are on every weekend come rain, hail or shine.

Cambridge Farmers Market, every Saturday 8am–12noon, Victoria Square Hamilton Farmers Market, every Sunday 8am–12noon, The Barn, Claudelands

www.waikatofarmersmarkets.co.nz

FALLS RETREAT

COOKING WORKSHOPS

Pickling, Preserving & Fermenting

19 March

Sourdough Bread Making

2 April

GARDENING WORKSHOPS

Full Monty Organic Gardening Workshop

19 March or 2 April

All workshops are $150pp and include morning tea on arrival, a delicious shared lunch and take home notes.

www.fallsretreat.co.nz

ARKANDA LIVING AND INTERIORS

Interior Design and Decorating Workshop

Wayne will share some of his 28 years of knowledge on fabrics, drapes and furniture.

21 March, 6.45pm | $85pp

Middle Eastern Cuisine Cooking Demonstration

Delve into the exotic world of Middle Eastern and North African Cuisine.

25 or 26 March, 9.30am | $85pp

Spanish Tapas Cooking Demonstration Back by popular demand, sample some of the delicious tapas Wayne and Taran enjoy when travelling in Spain.

15 or 16 April, 9.30am | $85pp

128A Whitikahu Road, Gordonton. Call 021898909 or email whgood1200@gmail.com for bookings and details.

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOPPED

Taste your way through Matangi’s Bootleg Brewery’s best alongside Hayes Common’s five-course tasting menu.

30 March, 6pm | $120pp

Email events@hayescommon.co.nz to book.

HAMILTON CBD PROGRESSIVE DINNER

Join Julia Clarke for an unforgettable dining experience in the heart of the Hamilton dining scene.

23 March, 5.45pm | $200pp

www.withjules.co.nz

PROPAGATION WORKSHOP

The team behind the Flower Crate and Potting Shed will teach you how to propagate from your own plant babies, plus send you home with your own plant cutting in a recyclable wool pot.

March 23, 6–8pm | $95pp

www.theflowercrate.co.nz

FLAVOURS OF PLENTY FESTIVAL

Celebrate Coastal Bay of Plenty’s worldclass food scene, showcasing the region’s horticultural heroes and weaving a powerful connection from our place to your plates in the second annual Flavours of Plenty Festival.

24 March–2 April

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

LOCAL WILD FOOD FESTIVAL

The action-packed programme includes a wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls.

25 March, 10am–4pm

Port Ōhope | $15pp

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

LEXUS URBAN POLO

An unforgettable day of music, fashion, food and sport.

Register your interest in our VIP Lexus marquee tickets at polo.ebbett.nz

VIP Lexus Marquee $350pp, GA $98 1 April | Tauranga Domain, Tauranga www.urbanpolo.co.nz

THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND FOOD SHOW

Let The Great New Zealand Food Show take your tastebuds on a culinary journey. Experience a fantastic day out with family and friends, sampling the latest foods, wines and delicious products.

6–7 May

Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton www.greatnzfoodshow.co.nz

ICONS NEVER REST

The 2023 RX continues to raise the bar with an all-hybrid range.

The RX 500h F SPORT Performance combines a new advanced 2.4-litre turbocharged hybrid powertrain, sixspeed automatic transmission and DIRECT4 all-wheel drive system with a driver-focused Tazuna interior. While the RX 350h brings unparalleled efficiency, refined comfort, and nimble handling for an amazing experience. Register your interest today.