Issue no. 7, Autumn 2012
A foraging we will go!
get to know your sugar
A taste of Te Aroha Pears & Passionfruit ripe for the picking
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WAIKATO, NZ
*INGREDIENTS
BESTOW PESTO
2 cups green herbs – basil, parsley, kawakawa or coriander 1/3 cup brazil nuts 4 cloves garlic 1/3 cup sunflower seeds 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds 2/3 cup Bestow Beauty Oil 4 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons kelp flakes * Organic produce is preferable but not essential.
DIRECTIONS Pan fry nuts and seeds lightly, remove from the heat before they get brown. Place green herbs and oil in a blender. Add garlic, nuts, salt, kelp flakes and lemon juice. Blend together. This recipe can be made with various combinations of ingredients to target different therapeutic properties. For example, using coriander and Bestow Beauty Oil makes this blend particularly beneficial for heavy metal detoxification. Use as a dip for vegetable sticks or to spread over your favourite healthy bread or cracker.
Find your nearest Bestow Beauty Oil stockist at: www.bestowbeauty.com
from our beehive to your table
Gr ran eat Glu ge o f ten foo free d!
Cheese Fondue 250ml dry white wine 250g Matured Gouda cheese, grated 250g Aged Extra Tasty Gouda cheese, grated 1 clove garlic, crushed Freshly ground black pepper Âź tsp nutmeg cornflour 2 Tblspns Kirsch (cherry brandy)
In a heavy bottomed pot bring the wine almost to boiling point, then add the cheese and garlic. Stir continuously until smooth and gently simmering, add the pepper and nutmeg. Mix the cornflour and Kirsch to a paste and stir into the cheese mixture. Serve the fondue with cubes of Pandoro bread, vegetables and a glass of wine. Serves 4.
Ph: 07 827 3354 dantesfinefoods@xtra.co.nz 63-61 Duke St, Cambridge
raw honey bee pollen bees wax
Sweetree provides quality bee products that retain their natural healing and nourishing properties. Each glass jar of our honey and packet of carefully cleaned bee pollen is traceable to a particular apiary and season. P 07 829 4405 M 021 623 515 E info@sweetreehoney.co.nz www.sweetreehoney.co.nz
Contents 4
Welcome
6
Sugar feature article
5
6
11 15 16 19
11
19
21 22 23 24 25 26
15
22
26
Vic’s Picks
Te Aroha feature
Hamilton community fruit pickers Passionfruit growers & recipes Pears grower & recipes Pumpkin recipe
Gardening column Herb column
Healthy Kitchen column
Hospitality and wine column In season recipes Foraging article
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24
26
Welcome
As a diehard foodie there is no better season than autumn! It’s harvest time and everywhere you look there is beautiful produce. In this edition we make the most of everyone’s favourite, the passionfruit. We share a couple of beautiful pumpkin recipes as well as make the most of pears. In our quest to discover everything great on our own doorstep we visit Te Aroha (page 11) and meet some very creative and interesting locals. The Forager also lets us in on some great finds in Waihi on page 26.
Also on page 24 Deborah Murtagh introduces us to the teachings of Weston A Price. Nourish Magazine and Deborah’s cook school, Healthy Kitchen, are sponsoring Sally Fallon-Morells talk in Hamilton on April the 4th, so if this is something you would like to learn more about make sure you come along. Tickets are available through Ticketek. I have also gone back to school this year and have enrolled as a student in Deborah’s cook school. You can follow my progress on our website www.nourishmagazine.co.nz as I will be posting a regular blog to tell you what I have been learning. Remember our website and facebook pages are continually being updated with local news, events and of course wonderful recipes for you to try.
Vicki Ravlich-Horan
NOURISH CONTRIBUTORS Heather Carson
Heather is the Executive Producer of a television series due to hit our screens this spring called the Garden Pantry. As a photojournalist, editor and author Heather has had a love affair with gardening and cooking most of her life.
“I’ve grown my own seedlings for everything for years and inadvertently, end up with a small cottage industry selling them very successfully out of my own front gate. Initially, these were to other gardeners, but in recent times, a lot of young, inexperienced gardeners fronted up wanting to know how to start to be self-sustainable,” she says. And it’s not just restricted to local young families. “There has been a steadily increasing groundswell of people of all ages, from urban apartment to the families with a quarter acre section who have been wanting to know how to grow their own food, how to process and preserve and really, how to relearn the arts that our grandmothers grew up with as a matter of course,” she says. “Whether it was because of the recession, or because there is a much stronger belief in ‘fresh is best’, I’m not really sure – all I know is I am being consistently asked for advice and ‘howto’s’ in the past three years much more than I have ever been.” Heather will be writing a regular gardening feature for Nourish, see page 22 for her tips for autumn. You can also follow Heather on www.facebook.com/thegardenpantry
Bronwyn Lowe
Life cycle of a coffee bean. Carmo de Minas, Brasil.
Bronwyn is the owner of The Herbal Dispensary in Raglan and a qualified Medical Herbalist. Before becoming a Medical Herbalist Bronwyn was a horticulturalist so she loves being able to combine her two passions in the herb garden behind the Herbal Dispensary. The herb garden is also a great way for Bronwyn to teach and demonstrate the cultivation, care and harvesting of herb to eventually be used in the clinic or dinner that night. Bronwyn will also be sharing this knowledge with Nourish readers starting on page 23. www.theherbaldispensayraglan.co.nz 6 Wallis St, Raglan
Ladies sorting coffee. Santa Ana, El Salvador
Fancy yourself a bit of a general knowledge buff? Or perhaps you’re looking for a fun get together with some friends?
fresh coffee beans locally roasted cup of excellence specialty coffee grinders espresso machinery brewing equipment green coffee coffee books coffee jibber jabber
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What’s on
Intro Issue 7
Quiz night at Zinc is on every second Thursday at 6.30. It’s free to enter so register your team (of 2-5 players) by email karen@zinccafe.co.nz The next quiz nights are 29th March, 12th & 26th April, 10th & 24th May. You could win a $100 bar tab!
Vics Picks Local Chefs Cooking class series at Kitchen Things www.facebook.com/KitchenThingsHamilton
Kitchen Things on Maui St, Te Rapa are the specialists in kitchen appliances. You won’t find a TV or stereo for sale here, it’s all about the kitchen, and this makes them the experts. I am often at Kitchen Things running cooking classes and demonstrations in their working kitchens so know just how good the range, price and advice is. From March Kitchen Things are running a series of monthly cooking classes with local chefs. Tickets are $45 and seats are very limited so visit the team in store or “like” them on facebook for more information.
Hot Cross Buns by Volare
Product Spotlight
Flower of the season by Bespoke Flowers www.bespokeflowers.co.nz
With a host of names from Texas Blue Bell to Prairie Gentian to Lira de San Pedro, Lisianthus symbolize an outgoing nature. Native to Texas and Mexico and descended from a North American wild flower Lisianthus made a comeback in the 1980’s in Japan and in more recent years in New Zealand and Europe, as a popular cut flower.
With wide ruffled delicate petals and grey green succulent foliage, Lisianthus colors range from white to pink, lavender to purple and bicolors such as purple & white pink & white. In their double form they take on the appearance of roses. It is said that Lisianthus symbolize appreciation.
www.volarebread.com
This Easter make sure you grab some hot cross buns from the Volare team. This year is the first time they have sold hot cross buns and I was very lucky to have a little taster while they were perfecting the recipe. Packed full of fruit with a light mix of spice these will disappear quick!
3 Garnett Ave Hamilton 3200
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P: 07-849 0811 | C: 021-450 380 www.bespokeflowers.co.nz
Local growers
Divine I have a confession to make, I’m addicted to sugar. I take 2 teaspoons of sugar with my tea and coffee and on an average day that equates to 6 teaspoons. 6 teaspoons or 30grams and that’s without one cake, muffin or glass of wine! Knowing I should do something about this addiction and not keen on the cold turkey approach, I have spent some time trying to discover a sugar alternative. My cupboard is full of hopeful contenders; Agave syrup, Yacon, Rapadura and Coconut sugar. They all have their uses but am I just fooling myself believing they were better for me? I decided to do some research...
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feature article
F
irstly I wanted to know how much sugar was too much? What was the recommended daily intake (RDI) of sugar? If you believe the back of a Sanatarium or Kellogg’s cereal box the RDI for sugar is 90g. Fantastic, after my tea and coffee I still have 60grams up my sleeve, what was I worried about? When I delved a little deeper things got a little less clear cut. A 2003 World Health Organisation report recommended that no more than 10% of your energy intake should come from sugar. So if I had an average diet of 10 000KJ a day that would be a maximum of 1000 from sugar. 90g of sugar is the equivalent of nearly 1300KJs. So where do these cereal companies get 90g from? According to their websites these calculations are from the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the National Health and Medical Research Council. So I dug deeper only to discover that neither of these authorities give recommended daily intake for sugar, in fact their recommendation is to consume only moderate amounts of sugars and foods containing added sugars. Not one to calorie count I began to think this was all too hard. Perhaps I’m worrying about nothing and perhaps my sugar consumption isn’t that bad. So I decided to ask Deborah Murtagh from Healthy Kitchen for her take on sugar and my alternatives.
As we know not all sugars are created equal, there are a number of things to consider including the glycemic load (GL), whether the sugar is a whole food, if it contains other health giving properties, is it acidic to the body and detrimental to teeth and is it pro-inflammatory, meaning it may exacerbate inflammatory conditions in the body. I know that if I consume refined sugars my back aches. Having had back issues since childhood my sugar consumption means the difference between living pain free or feeling twice my age. Sugar consumption depends on a number of factors. The individual’s metabolic type, meaning does the person vibe
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better on a higher intake of carbohydrates, protein or a good mix of both? And are there any blood sugar issues we need to consider? Many people are sensitive to insulin meaning sugar consumption can greatly affect energy levels, mood and hormones. Lastly we need to consider the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL), which is determined by dose. Simply put this is how quickly or slowly energy is released from food. One product may say it has a low GI however that relates to a small serving size usually about 1 teaspoon. The glycemic load takes this a setp further and gives a more accurate picture of what actually happens given a certain dose. Low GI is often used as a clever marketing trick to fool people into thinking they are consuming something more healthy than they actually are. When it comes to sugar we want the lowest GI and the lowest dose. Sugars are generally a pro-inflammatory food and remember that sugars are also found in other carbohydrates such as grains, starches, fruits and vegetables. Basically sugar is found in most processed foods and today we consume 2,700% more than our great grandparents. It causes a myriad of health conditions and is now linked as a contributor to heart disease, diabetes and even depression.
Yacon Yacon is a tuber originating from the Andes which looks similar to a kumara. Eaten raw it taste similar to a water apple and is great in salads, can be baked and stewed.
The syrup is made using an evaporator similar to the way maple syrup is made. Because Yacon contains up to 50% Fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a sugar our bodies can’t digest, Yacon gives you the sweet hit without all the calories of regular sugar. Added to this Yacon contains a prebiotic which aids digestion. It has also been said to have a positive effect on LDL Cholesterol. The syrup is similar to treacle with a caramel, molasses flavour. It can be used where you would golden syrup, in
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Top left: white sugar cubes top right: coconut sugar bottom left: yacon syrup middle right: yacon bottom right: rapadura
hot drinks, on porridge, dressings and so on. For me Yacon ticks most of the boxes, although you can’t use it where you would sugar in most baking and the flavour in my tea is not the same. But the huge bonus of Yacon for me is it’s grown locally.
Yacon is one of my favourite sweeteners simply because of the health benefits. I have a saying in the cook school that food either gives to health or takes away from it. Yacon gives to health and the raw food community love it and class it as a superfood! Our digestive system is loaded with ten times more bacteria than human cells in the body and this means we need to take care of our precious little helpers that balance our immune systems, produce key nutrients and fight off pathogenic organisms. Being a prebiotic, Yacon feeds our healthful bacteria.
Agave Syrup Agave syrup comes from the same cacti as Tequila and originates from Mexico. Around one and a half times sweeter than sugar, Agave was the darling of raw food enthusiasts a few years ago, although now there has been much debate over the processing of Agave and many believe it not to be a raw product. It contains iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, so is considered to have more vitamins and minerals than regular sugar contains, although how much of this is lost through the processing of agave can also be debated. I used to promote agave years ago until I did a lot of digging around and discovered there were some unfortunate issues with what I considered at the time to be the best tasting, low GI sweetener on the market. But as they say when you know better you do better and now I only use agave in one recipe because I haven’t to date been able to replicate its delicate sweetness in my raw chocolate avocado mousse! Despite false advertising and clever marketing Agave is actually not a natural low GI product, instead it is extremely high in fructose at 67%, relate this to High Fructose Corn
Syrup (HFCS) at 55% and you start to see that this ‘health’ food isn’t healthy at all. In fact fructose malabsorption affects 30% of westerners and is linked to an untold number of medical conditions including obesity and with an overwhelming amount of evidence it should be limited or avoided.
Rapadura Common in South American countries Rapadura sugar is dried sugarcane juice. As it is dehydrated slowly and the molasses has not been separated out Rapadura retains all of its vitamins and minerals. It is high, among other things, in dietary iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium. It still has the natural balance of sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and contains components essential for its’ digestion, which mean it is metabolized more slowly than white sugar and therefore will not affect your blood sugar levels as much as refined sugars. You can use Rapadura sugar almost everywhere you do white sugar, the only downside being it is fairly expensive and can be hard to find.
This is one of my favourite sugars to use as an everyday alternative for families transitioning away from refined sugars. It is versatile and has the added benefit of tasting delicious! Kids love it and it is not acidic to the teeth like white sugar, and it contains chromium which helps balance blood sugar levels. This whole food is the best all round alternative to brown sugar. While Rapadura is a raw product Succanat is the non raw version, it is sugar cane that has been heated during evaporation. This is a good alternative for family baking as it is cheaper than Rapadura. Jaggery is another whole food sugarcane juice product that comes from India and often contains small sweet lumps of molasses.
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Coconut Sugar Fairly new to New Zealand, coconut sugar is my current favourite. Coconut sugar comes, not form the actual coconut, but the sap from the coconut flower. It is similar in taste and colour to brown sugar with a slight caramel flavour, coconut sugar is loaded with potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and B vitamins. Coconut sugar only contains 9% fructose so Deborah would be pleased with that, but its other great advantage is that it is environmentally friendly.
In the Philippines, the largest producers of coconut sugar, the coconut palm is known as the tree of life as it provides people with so much. Coconut palms will grow just about anywhere, even in sand and use very little water. Compared side by side a field of sugarcane and the same number of coconut palms, the coconut palms are less taxing on the environment and a lot more productive. Yes! Yes! yes! A brilliant and delicious tasting product. I am a huge fan of all natural coconut products including coconut oil and coconut flour. This sugar is so fabulous I would love to see the industry thrive. The downside at present is the price, but the more we buy the cheaper it will become.
Coconut sugar contains 16 different amino acids including high amounts of glutamine which is required for healing and recovery. It is also high in vitamins in particular Inositol, vitamin B8, known to benefit gut brain disorders such as anxiety, OCD, depression and other mood disorders, making coconut sugar a candidate as an alternative to people suffering with mental illness.
In the Philippines, the largest producers of coconut sugar, the coconut palm is known as the tree of life as it provides people with so much.
only in its 100% natural green leaf powdered form. Once a food is processed the body no longer registers it as natural and tries to make sense of it and the race is on with food giants to chemically extract the sweetness and alter the flavour of stevia. Beware of stevia derivates on the market. Clever marketing would fool you into thinking you are consuming a natural product when natural and naturally derived are too different things.
Artificial Sweeteners For me the biggest problem with artificial sweeteners is that they are created in a lab. I believe strongly in not eating anything that does not occur naturally so avoid artificial sweeteners wherever possible. This belief has only been confirmed after researching this feature and discovering that many of the main artificial sweeteners in use today were discovered completely by accident. This in itself is not an issue as many culinary delights are the result of an accident but very few started with Bunsen burners and the search for the ultimate pesticide! This category of non-nutritive, high-intensity sugar substitutes includes aspartame, acesulfame-k, neotame, sucralose, and alitame. Numerous new sweeteners are currently in various stages of development and approval.
The scandal around aspartame (E951) is almost unbelievable when you start investigating. It should never have been passed by the FDA and I will state right here in print I believe it will be phased out over the next 20 years. It was pushed through before due diligence on its safety was performed through a raft of revolving doors between Monsanto (who owns Nutra-Sweet), the FDA and the US Attorney’s office. Aspartame is linked to cancer, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and seizures. I would never suggest anyone use artificial sweeteners especially children. Diet sodas MUST be avoided. And while this is not politically correct; if you can’t avoid sodas completely, it is my opinion you are better off to have sugar than artificial sweeteners. Article by Vicki Ravlich-Horan, text in Italics by Deborah Murtagh of www.healthykitchen.co.nz
Stevia Stevia is an herb native of Paraguay and Brazil and now extensively grown and used in Japan and China. Although you can buy your own Stevia plant and add its leaves to your herbal teas or perhaps when stewing fruit, how it is transformed into a super sweet powder is a little more complicated and often patented.
Stevia has no calories and is a great alternative to artificial sweetener for diabetics. It can be used in cooking but not in baking as it won’t caramelise like sugar. For me the after taste is the major down side to Stevia.
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Stevia is the best natural sweetener on the market for people who really need to remove all sugar from the diet, however
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Location Feature
In the 1880s Te Aroha became New Zealand’s first geothermal spa town. Thousands of people would travel to the town for the healing powers of the hot mineral water. The mineral water still attracts people to this picturesque town today but there is more to Te Aroha than just hot springs. Nestled at the base of Mt Te Aroha this is a town with a thriving community of artists and foodies, steeped in history and with plenty of outdoor activities and natural attractions all make Te Aroha a great place for a day trip, weekend getaway or longer.
Adrian Worsley makes the most amazing sculptures out of recycled materials. If you have passed through Te Aroha or perhaps stopped for a coffee at Ironique cafe (in Te Aroha or Auckland) you would have seen Adrian’s work. Originally a fitter/welder and then a stainless steel fabricator, Adrian started down his creative path by renovating old houses. He taught himself the wood working skills needed and when he combined these with his welding to create a wine rack a whole new path opened up. The business started 12 years ago and included restaurant and shop fit outs, kitchens and sculptures. Adrian says “to be honest I prefer the one off pieces” so 3 years ago he started to focus mainly on the sculptures. I got to see two pieces Adrian was working on; a larger than life cat for a client down south and an interactive playground piece for Newstead School, both of which have taken hundreds of hours to create.
The gallery, which is open to the public on weekends, is a little sparse the day I visited as Adrian had an exhibition on at Artspost in Hamilton. His work is also often exhibited at the Wallace Gallery in Morrinsville, who Adrian says have been very supportive of his work. But as we wind our way out the back, between the gallery and workshop, sparse is definitely not the description I would use. If it wasn’t so orderly and I hadn’t seen what
all of this “scrap” could be turned into I would have been rushing to nominate Adrian for one of those shows on hoarding.
Another Te Aroha artist blurring the lines between art and function is Raewyn Penrose. With a background of wool crafts and weaving, Raewyn became totally hooked on the felt making process in the early 1990s. Her hobby is now a thriving business with Raewyn not only creating beautiful one off pieces but also running workshops and classes where she gets to share her skills and passion.
Just across the road from Raewyn’s gallery, behind the I site is the arts centre. Open on the weekends this is another great spot to find local art.
While in town I happened to pop into the local video store and meet Sue Hannah. Sue and her husband Ron own a few acres just outside of town where Ron dabbles in growing everything from strawberries to tomatoes, potatoes to gourds. The beautiful home grown produce is often available in the video shop; in fact it was the gourds that got my attention in the first place. Sue happens to be quite a talented wood worker and transforms the gourds in to all manner of objects. Pam from Simply Blue is also putting beautiful home grown produce to good use. Pam & Colin Waterhouse moved to Te Aroha eight years ago and have owned Simply Blue, Fresh Fish and Deli for three years. Fresh fish is delivered daily from Thames. With a long history in catering the shop is also full of homemade treats including lots of gluten free items making this is a great stop to pick up supplies for a picnic in the domain. Further down the main street you will find Espresso Banco. Inside the magnificent old ANZ building, now painted deep red, you will find a true gem. Owned by Gloria Lawton, Espresso Banco is one of those cafes you are so please to discover. The food is all made fresh on site and the staff are a true reflection of Gloria’s personality; relaxed and friendly.
Espresso Banco 174 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha • 07 884 7574 • Follow us on Facebook • Open 7 days 9am – 5pm • Venue available for hire ÎTloia c^jlrp fk Qb >ole^ clo lro ^t^oa tfkkfkd ?ir_^o_ MfbÏ page 12 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
If staying in Te Aroha we recommend the lovely Aroha Mountain Lodge, www.arohamountainlodge.co.nz Historic Creations www.adrianworsley.co.nz 62 Rewi Street, Te Aroha
Raewyn Penrose Originals 85 Whitaker St www.creativevacationz.co.nz Espresso Banco 174 Whitaker St
Aroha Organic Goat Cheese www.organicgoatcheese.co.nz Simply Blue 123 Whitaker St
But there is more to Espresso Banco than just a great cafe; Gloria also has a continual supply of vintage clothing and collectables for sale. Building on this there is now a thriving vintage and collectors market held the last Sunday of every month in the sprawling garden behind the cafe. The garden is the perfect setting for weddings and private functions which are becoming more and more popular.
It is at Espresso Banco that I first tried a Massini. This delicate cake of thin sponge filled with a creamy filling is a dessert from Uruguay and made in Te Aroha by a company called Latin Flavour. Brazilian Fabiani de Freitas and Uruguayan Valeria Richieri are both young mums new to New Zealand. They met through a mutual friend and even though they don’t share the same language (Fabiani speaks Portuguese, Valeria Spanish) they found a connection and have started a small business together. It was Valeria’s sister in law Daniella who introduced them and has been the one to encourage them to give their dream a go.
Fabiani says “I love cooking... its alchemy, its magic. I love it when I make something and people love it.” Both Fabiani’s mother and uncle are chefs so cooking is in the family.
The pair spent some time deciding on and trialling their product as they were only too aware of the different food preference of New Zealanders compare to South Americans. The Massini is perfect as it isn’t too sweet but is reminiscent of a Kiwi custard square. Both believing it’s important to do things right Latin Flavours Massini is currently only available at Espresso Banco, but watch this space as I am sure as these two women find their feet they will start popping up in a good cafe near you.
Another couple who believe strongly in doing things well is John & Jeanne Van Kuyk. The Van Kuyk’s own 50 acres on the outskirts of Te Aroha and have been farming here for 21 years. Originally dairy farmers the Van Kuyk’s now farm goats as well as raise some organic beef.
The farm has been organic for 12 years. John says there were many reason why they switched to organic farming. “We didn’t like using chemicals in our home” says John and Jeanne says this lead them to think they “should carry this on to the farm and look after the land.”
The couple don’t believe in grain feeding and believe the milk taste better when the goats a free to feed like nature intended. So the Van Kuyk’s try to imitate the goat’s natural habitat giving them a variety to eat including grass, trees and shrubs. All of them have names and it is clear when you talk to Jeanne and John that the happiness and welfare of their “girls” is paramount. The 30-40 goats are milked twice a day, while some of this milk is sold raw at the farm gate the majority of it is made by Jeanne into cheese. “Everything is hand done and true artisan style” say Jeanne. “It starts with the love of the land and looking after the girls”, says Jeanne, “the last trophy is the cheese.” Currently Jeanne has to pasteurize the milk before she starts the cheese making process but they hope one day to be able to make cheese from unpasteurized milk. The Van Kuyk’s Gouda style cheeses take 4 weeks to make and is sold exclusively through their website. In fact they have a waiting list as they make cheeses for customers all over the country. John says that their organic goats cheese milk has meant some people have been able to enjoy cheeses that haven’t eaten cheese for over 20 years. Aroha Organic Cheese won 7 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze at the 2012 NZ Cheese Awards.
While in Te Aroha make sure you bring your walking shoes as there are heaps of great walks for all fitness levels. Pop into the I site and talk to Michelle who will be more than happy to help you plan your activities, learn more about the area or find out what happening in town. Article by Vicki Ravlich-Horan
International food made with local produce Summer hours: Open 7 days for lunch & dinner till easter except these days - closed Dec 26th & Dec 27th, Jan 1st & 2nd.
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Blueberry festival End of March 2012 WINE CLUB Last Thursday of every month
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Community fruit
The concept is quite simple; a group of volunteers pick unwanted or surplus fruit and distribute this to the needy. Di Celliers started such a group in North Auckland based on similar movements overseas and they have since popped up around the country. The man behind the Hamilton organisation is Jeremy Briggs. An academic at Wintec, married and expecting his third child in a few months, Jeremy admits he his new to this sort of thing. “I don’t have much knowledge” says Jeremy “but I have plenty of desire.” And it is this desire and vision that has started a movement which is quickly growing. By creating a facebook page 5 months ago Jeremy managed to find volunteers to collect an abundance of citrus fruit that would otherwise be left to rot. This fruit was then given away or turned into jams and marmalade. Starting up when just about everyone knows of a citrus tree laden with fruit was a stroke of genius but
the challenge now is for people to continue to see fruit trees or gardens with excess produce that could be put to good use.
Jeremy says “their main philosophy is to stop fruit from being wasted” yet he sees that the scope could be so much larger and is keen to create an organisation that will enable everyone to help. One of his volunteers has already had approval from the Hamilton City Council to plant fruit trees on council land. Jeremy has discovered a neglected orchard which could provide fresh fruit to low decile schools. Perhaps people with prolific veggie gardens could donate their excess produce? So the next step for Community Fruit Hamilton is to create a committee and infrastructure so that they can grow the organisation and this fantastic community oriented idea. If you are interested in volunteering to help, being on the committee or know of some produce going to waste please email Jeremy on pickfruithamilton@gmail.com or check out their facebook page www.facebook.com/PickFruitHamilton
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I am always impressed when I meet someone who has the energy and enthusiasm to put a good idea into action. It’s even more impressive when the concept is a selfless one! So when I heard about a Community Fruit Hamilton, I knew I wanted to meet the driving force behind the organisation.
PASSIONATE BROTHERS
A
passionfruit vine in the backyard is as Kiwi as hokey pokey ice cream and L&P. I can remember visiting my Nana’s as a child, trying to beat my brothers and sister out to the passionfruit vine in order to scratch my name on as many of the green fruit as possible. Once scratched on it’s etched for good on the fruit’s skin and of course everyone knows if it has your name on it, it is rightfully yours! Because passionfruit are so common, even with today’s shrinking section sizes, I was keen to meet someone who grew it commercially. The first commercial crop of passionfruit in New Zealand came from Kerikeri in the late 1920s. By the late 1980s more than half of New Zealand’s production came from Opotiki where passionfruit was the perfect cash crop for developing kiwifruit orchards. The Bay of Plenty and Northland remain the centres for passionfruit production due to their suitable soils and relatively frost free climates.
Brothers Karl and Garth Taylor have 440 passionfruit plants on ½ a hectare in Te Puke. Garth says he has wanted to grow passionfruit since working on a passionfruit orchard as a kid during school holidays. In fact the brothers can thank their education from after school and holiday jobs for the career paths they took. The Taylor brothers’ main enterprise is as bee keepers, which they have been doing now for 12 years, making the passionfruit, now in the fourth season, their newest enterprise. Karl is proud to point out that their heavy fruit is due to pollination, which means that the two businesses are not that diverse.
Unfortunately the day I visited, Dita Alblas, the brothers’ right hand woman, was not there. I’m told Dita is the expert and essential to their operation as she takes care of the pruning and training of the vines.
Unlike your vine at home the Taylors vines grow on a Y frame and the laterals are trained up this or pruned back. The vines all sit under a canopy to shelter them from wind and frosts.
The brothers are hoping for a bumper crop this year of around 10 tonnes, which would be over double last year’s crop. “It’s back breaking work” says Karl who explains that the fruit isn’t picked from the vine but off the ground once it falls. Up until now the brothers have handled the picking themselves but this year they will get some help.
And that delicate skin I etched my name in as a child means the fruit must be handled carefully, especially if it is to be exported which the Taylors hope to do this season. So the boys tips for your vine? Garth, ‘the chief sprayer’ recommends spraying the vine with copper every 7-10 days to prevent bacterial and fungal diseases, especially in humid conditions. Karl says they “are big feeders” so remember to fertilize. And when planting look for a warm spot sheltered from the wind and frosts.
Panna Cotta (Gluten Free) 300 ml cream 1 cup natural yogurt 4 tspns gelatine 1 tspn vanilla extract Juice from 6 passionfruit
Very lightly grease 4 dariole moulds with a little vegetable oil on a paper towel. Whisk the cream and yogurt together in a large bowl until smooth. Next dissolve the gelatine in a little hot water and then stir this into the cream and yoghurt along with the vanilla and passionfruit juice. Pour into your moulds and refrigerate until set (4-5 hours).
To serve run the moulds under some warm water and turn out onto a plate then pour over passionfruit syrup.
Ricotta Cake with Passionfruit icing
To make the icing simply beat the softened cream cheese, and icing sugar together then mix in the passionfruit pulp. Ice the top of the loaf when cool.
1½ c of cake flour 2½ tsp of baking powder 1 tsp of salt 150g butter, room temperature 250g ricotta cheese 1½ c of white sugar Zest of a lemon 3 eggs 1 tspn vanilla paste Icing 250 grams cream cheese (I used Philadelphia) ½ cup of icing sugar 4Tbsp of fresh passionfruit pulp
Passionfruit & Orange Sago (Gluten Free) 2 cups orange juice 1½ cups passionfruit pulp 1¼ cups water ¾ cup sago ¼ cup sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Cream the butter, ricotta, lemon zest and sugar on medium speed until smooth and light. Beat in the eggs one at a time before mixing in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the greased loaf tin and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 150°C and bake for a further 30 minutes.
371 Victoria St, Opp Novotel, Ph 8399001 Open 7 Days
Place all the ingredients, except the sago in a pot and bring to the simmer. When the sugar has dissolved add the Sago and continue to cook on a med heat, stirring constantly until thick and the sago are translucent (approximately 20 minutes). Allow to cool before serving.
405 Victoria St, Opp Alma St, Ph 8392211 Open 7 Days
For all your Kitchen and Tableware needs virtually next door to each other. You can expect from us Quality Products, Friendly Helpful Customer Service, A Great Selection,Tips and Advice
page 17 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
Farro Fresh for all your hard to find Ingredients
Couscous feature
Looking for that hard to Find Ingredient …then Farro Fresh, Te Awa is the place to go!
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Instant Couscous is probably the Couscous you are most familiar with. It’s often referred to as Moroccan couscous, is an Arab pasta dish of semolina. It is a staple throughout North Africa and the Southern Meditation. Instant couscous has been has been pre-steamed and dried.
Israeli Couscous
Israeli couscous is a medium sized couscous that is eaten much like pasta or added to stews and salads. Israeli Couscous was created specifically for the Israeli market in the 1950’s during a national recession. It has become a staple of the Israeli diet. This couscous features large granules that hold a sweeter, nuttier flavour, which is achieved because of a toasting process that has caramelizes the starch. This allows it to absorb liquids while remaining “al dente”.
Mograbeih Couscous SALAD
Yes, simply cook it as you would pasta. It makes a perfect side dish to meat, poultry or fish. It is also delicious as a main course; mixed with vegetables or with your favourite pasta sauce. It is also great in a cold pasta salad.
Ingredients *250g Mograbeih Couscous, *1 Pack of Raving Cajun Nuts ( roughly chopped), 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes ( halved), 1 punnet rocket, 1 stick of celery and a spring onion finely sliced, 1 red or orange capsicum finely sliced, ½ cup dried cranberries. Dressing 1/3 cup olive oil, Zest and juice of 2 lemons, juice of an orange,
Mogharbieh (Lebanese couscous) The Moghrabieh at Farro are wonderful grains to have in your cupboard over the winter months and vary in diameter from 3- 5mm in size. These gorgeous large couscous are again cooked and eaten like pasta but are wonderful added to stews. Because it cooks slowly (taking about 25 minutes) and unevenly it is often better for soups or stews where it turns into pea-sized dumplings. Fregola Sarda (Italian Couscous) Fregola Sarda is a pasta created by rubbing wet semolina wheat into little balls, then drying and toasting. Each little ball is bigger than a grain of traditional couscous, about 2mm in diameter . This specialty from Sardinia has a toasty, rustic flavour. It is a delicious pasta, excellent as a side dish served with meat or seafood, as an entree served with tomato sauce, or as an ingredient in soups.
1 clove garlic crushed, 1 bunch Italian parsley roughly chopped. Method Cook Couscous in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and cool. Toss with the rest of the ingredients. Make dressing up and fold through…it’s that easy. *Ingredients available from Farro, can substitute Mograbeih for Israeli couscous or Fregola
OPEN Mon-Wed 9am to 6.30pm, Thurs & Fri 9am to 9pm, Sat & Sun 9am to 6pm. Farro Fresh Te Awa, The Base, Hamilton Phone 07 849 0085 | www.farrofresh.co.nz
autumn:
Apples, Chestnuts, Walnuts, Pears, Quince, Passionfruit, Figs, Grapes, Fejoias, Pumpkin, Kiwifruit
in season...
CHESTNUT SOUP Sauté 2 mushrooms in a little olive oil then add 2 peeled and chopped potatoes, 200g chestnuts and 3 cups of chicken stock. Simmer for 25 minutes until potatoes are cooked then puree. Season and serve with a dollop of sour cream.
APPLE & CILANTRO GOAT’S CHEESE BRUSCHETTA EASY FIG DESSERT Drizzle figs with vanilla or maple syrup and grill till golden. Serve with ice cream or mascarpone.
page 19 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
Caramelise apple slices in a pan with a good dollop of butter. Serve these on toasted Fig & Walnut bread from Volare with some soft goats cheese and rocket.
Local grower The Doyenne Du Comice pear, or more commonly known in New Zealand as the Comice, is a French variety with a rounded shape and often a slight reddish flush on the light green to yellow skin. Considered the Queen of pears and the most popular variety in Europe, they are beautiful eating, sweet and juicy with a lovely creamy texture.
the trees are pruned every year. Another advantage of the pruning is that the trees are kept at a manageable height for picking.
The pears are picked green over a few weeks in late February/ early March. You can imagine this is a busy and nerve racking time for Phillip who does almost all of this himself and the help of a few family and friends. The pears are then slowly ripened in cool storage for a few weeks.
Phillip Platje has 1000 Comice trees on 2 acres just outside Hamilton. “I kind of inherited them” explains Philip on how he came about growing pears. Having been interested in plants his whole life, Philip started by working in orchards during his school holidays. In his 20’s and 30’s he got into landscaping which Philip says “was good when I was young and fit.” Then it was back to orcharding. Phillip is now self employed as a contractor managing apple and kiwifruit blocks. He inherited the pears after he had planted them on a block only for the owner to have him pull them all out a year later because there was more money in maize. Phillip conceded they are a long term investment but laments the number of orchards in the area that have disappeared over the last few decades.
Phillip sells his entire harvest at the Hamilton and Tauranga Farmers Markets and with a full time job “this keeps me busy for a while” laughs Philip. The pears need to be handled very carefully and Phillip believes taking them straight from the orchard to the market keeps things simple. “The customers seem to appreciate the quality of the pears” remarks Philip which must be hugely rewarding after all the hard work.
“Commercially they are quite challenging, which is why they demand quite a price” says Phillip but by being at the markets he has the opportunity to talk to the customers and many have learnt that even if they don’t look perfect they will still taste fantastic.
It took about ten years for the trees to grow big enough so that Phillip can now run sheep under them. Phillip says the Comice is hard to grow well so you have to really look after them although he believes you should be able to do this organically, something Phillip is trying hard to achieve. Spraying is kept to a minimum and
Doyenne Du Comice means “top of show”. The Comice pears beautifully sweet and juicy flesh makes it the perfect eating pear as opposed to one used in cooking. Serve fresh wedges with a creamy Brie or blue cheese for a great end to a meal. Article by Vicki Ravlich-Horan
page 20 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
Poached Pears
Poaching pears is very easy and the results are an elegant dessert, perfect for autumn dining. You can poach them in a simple sugar syrup flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla or star anise or you can add wine to the syrup to add another dimension. Serve them warm with ice cream or cold with a little vanilla mascarpone. Or create a wonderful tart with them.
Red wine poached Pears 4 Pears, peeled and cored ( I used Beurre Bosc) 2 cups red wine Cinnamon quill ½ cup sugar Peel of ½ a lemon
Heat all the ingredients in a medium put except the pears until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears, poaching them for around 10 minutes or until they are tender (this will depend on how ripe the pears were to begin with). When cooked turn off the heat and allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid. Before serving the poached pears, remove them from the liquid and return this to the heat. Reduce the liquid by half to create a wonderful sauce to pour over your dessert.
Elderflower Poached Pears 4 Pears, peeled and cored ( I used Beurre Bosc) 1 cup Elderflower cordial 1 cup water Cinnamon quill 1/4 cup sugar Peel of ½ a lemon Follow the same instructions as above.
Pear & Frangipane Tart 4 poached pears, cut in half Ready-made flaky pastry 50g soft butter ½ cup ground almonds 1 tspn vanilla extract 2 egg yolks
To make the frangipane beat the butter and sugar together before adding the egg yolks and vanilla, then fold in the ground almonds. Cut a rectangle of pastry out and lay this on a lined oven tray. With a knife score a 1cm boarder around the pastry. With a fork prick the area inside the border with a fork before spreading this with the frangipane mixture. Place the pears face down on the frangipane and bake in a pre heated 180C oven for 20-25 minutes. page 21 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
These make a fabulous entree, lunch dish or light dinner. They also freeze well. 1 cup Arborio rice Olive oil White wine (optional) Finely diced onion Crushed garlic 2 cups finely chopped pumpkin 4 cups good quality vegetable stock Parmesan cheese
In one pot have the stock heating. In another pan sweat onions in a little olive oil, add garlic and rice. Stir for 2 minutes until the rice is well coated. Add a dash of white wine and stir until evaporated. Add in pumpkin & stir through. Ladle at a time add the hot stock, allowing the rice to soak up the liquid before adding another. It’s important that you are adding hot stock to the risotto so that each time you add a ladle of the stock you don’t decrease the temperature. When the rice is al dente remove from the heat and stir through parmesan cheese. Allow to cool completely, I usually do this overnight. Shape the cold risotto into patties and fry in a little olive oil till both sides are golden and crunchy. Serve with fresh rocket and more shaved Parmesan.
Pumpkin Risotto Cakes
Nourishing Traditional Diets The Key to Vibrant Health!
Sally Fallon-Morell, author of best-selling book “Nourishing Traditions” is in Hamilton for one night only – Wednesday April 4th at the Clarence St Theatre Learn about the pioneering research of Weston A Price (the Darwin of nutrition), the health benefits of eating animal fats and raw milk. Sally will talk about the cholesterol myth and dangers of modern soy based foods. This is a must for anyone with depression or parents of children with dyslexia or autism! Book at Ticketek (booking fees apply) Tickets are $30 (or $48 including Geoffrey Morell’s talk on Healing for the Millions) For more information visit www.healthykitchen.co.nz page 22 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
The rosy coloured hues of autumn have arrived and along with it one of the busiest times of the year for gardeners as the last of the summer crops need harvesting. As fast as you are bringing in the abundance of produce, your garden needs to be replenished. Before you start to think about planning for winter or even if you are going to allow the soil to recover by letting it lie fallow you need to have your compost ready.
Preparing for the change of seasons
Scientists now believe that composting started around about the same time as mankind began to group together and throw their food scraps into a pile on the outskirts of their villages. Over time they discovered that these broke down and that seeds from the food scraps that had been thrown onto the pile grew far better than the ones they planted directly into their new gardens or that grew naturally. Once that light bulb had been switched on, from then on, having a compost pile became synonymous with creating a vegetable plot.
Carbon and nitrogen are the two main components of good composting and these come from such things as leaves, lawn clippings, shredded small branches and plants that have been removed from the garden and broken down first, although not diseased plants as you do not want their problems transferred to healthy new soil. You should also use shredded newspaper, which is a good source of nitrogen, but not glossy magazines or flyers. I’d not be using any manure except that from chickens; the reason for this is that many root vegetables, such as carrots, radishes etc will fork or otherwise not grow as well in soil that has had animal manure input. From the kitchen, you can use literally everything except meat or dairy products. That is very important and I’ll emphasise it here because if you do use those, the pile can start to rot with an unbelievable stench and in addition, it attracts rodents and other pests you do not need. On a daily basis we throw in everything from teabags and eggshells to empty toilet rolls. Anything large needs to be shredded or chopped into small bits or the decomposition time will take that much longer.
Carbon and nitrogen are the two main components of good composting and these come from such things as leaves, lawn clippings, shredded small branches and plants that have been removed from the garden and broken down first, although not diseased plants as you do not want their problems transferred to healthy new soil. You should also use shredded newspaper, which is a good source of nitrogen...
by Heather Carston of The Garden Pantry
Straw, oat or wheat is an excellent addition because of the amount of air it traps, although hay less so because of the seeds for grasses that will be within it. It’s best to have your pile on bare earth, which allows worms and beneficial micro-organisms to migrate to it and being helping with the decomposition by aerating it, as well as allowing any rainfall to drain away rather than saturate it. Even with this you still want to be turning it with a fork once a week to help this process along. To really help matters you can add other nutrients. Grow some clumps of comfrey, the leaves of which are fabulous for fertilisers. If you don’t want to make the tea, which stinks to high heaven, but which most gardeners who use it swear to its effectiveness as a fertiliser, then simply cut leaves regularly from your comfrey plants and throw them in to the compost pile.
Finally, once you start to see the fat, juicy worms at the bottom of the pile, you know that your compost pile is working as it should and this is the time of year to starting forking it through your well-used garden soil in preparation for winter. Don’t forget, if you have any queries, come and visit us at www.facebook.com/thegardenpantry we are happy to help.
A bouquet of herbs Herbs are easy to grow and fun to have around. For very little work the rewards are huge! You can use herbs in cooking, cosmetics as well as medicinal purposes. Herbs attract bee’s to your garden and monarch butterflies love them, providing endless hours of entertainment for the kids.
The stand out culinary herbs this year in our garden have been sage, lemon grass, parsley, lovage, thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil and coriander. Get picking Hopefully you are picking fresh herbs daily to include in your meals, this keeps the plants growing and producing without going to seed too quickly. Including fresh herbs in your dishes provides valuable digestive enzymes and adds antioxidants to your meals. Now is the time to start harvesting herbs for use during the winter.
How to harvest and store your herbs Just pick the herbs you wish to dry in the morning (after the dew has dried), but before the sun gets to hot and hang in bunches on a rod, in an area out of direct sun but with a good air flow. After a few days/weeks (depending on the herb, and the size of your bunches) take down and strip the herbs of the stalk if needed - you would do this with rosemary for example but not parsley. You want the herbs to be dry but not brown they should still have their vibrant colour. Store in brown paper bags. It is always a good idea to label and date your herbs as you bag them. A tip - if you wish to put your dried herbs in glass jars just pop them in a paper bag in the hot water cupboard first to make sure all the moisture has gone otherwise you could lose the whole lot to mould. You can either hang your herbs individually or you may like to bunch them as you would use them, like a bouquet garni for example.
A bouquet garni adds a bit of magic to any dish, it is easy to make and can be used throughout the winter when fresh herbs are not so abundant. A spray of parsley, a bay leaf, and a spray each of thyme and marjoram makes up a traditional bouquet garni, but there are many variations and no rules: so go ahead and have some fun. Just use what you have available. You would then use your bouquet garni in soups and casseroles or dishes that needed flavour during the winter.
by Bronwyn Lowe of The Herbal Dispensary
Seasona� healt� tip Do you have low energy & vitality? Are you having trouble adjusting back at work? Making time for quality sleep and adjusting your diet may help. Herbs to help: These herbs can be taken as a herbal tea or as a herbal formula. Stinging Nettle, Kawakawa, Licorice, ginseng, withania, oatstaw and Damiana.
6 Wallis St, Raglan ph (07) 825 7444 or 0800 use herbs (0800 873 437) shop@herbalrescue.co.nz
| www.theherbaldispensaryraglan.co.nz
Foods to help Oats, nut mixes, blueberries, chia seeds, savoury yeast flakes and cacao & maca powders
page 24 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
What’s the secret to longevity? The secret may not lay in the latest food fad, diet or superfood; instead it lay in the gut and the guts brain, otherwise known as the enteric nervous system. The gut is the foundation of physical, mental and emotional health. Even your happiness depends on gut health. Did you know that over 90% of serotonin, the feel good chemical resides in the gut? An unhealthy gut can literally lead to depression.
Nourishing Traditional Foods!
Students in my nutrition school find the secrets of gut health, vitality, longevity and everlasting energy are far from what multinational food giants have educated society to believe. Here at Healthy Kitchen we take a rather unpolitically correct view on food and students find it refreshing! The time tested wisdom of our ancestors combined with modern science is dispelling food myths and proving that real health starts with real food. It’s true; if your great grandmother won’t recognise it, it’s just not food! At Healthy Kitchen I teach students how to truly nourish their family, we make raw cheeses, sour dough breads and fermented and cultured foods full of healthful bacteria, just the way our healthy ancestors did all because of the health benefits obtained. Today with so many modern diseases plaguing us we must ascertain the root cause to find out what’s really going on. Why is there such as dramatic rise in gut brain disorders like Dyslexia, Aspergers and Autism with 1:20 kids falling into this spectrum. Why are 1 in 4 New Zealanders popping antidepressants and why do 1:4 people have irritable bowel? If you have ever heard of Sally Fallon-Morell or her book Nourishing Traditions, you will know of the greatest scientific food field study ever undertaken, the adventures of Weston Price in the 1930’s. Weston A Price was the grandfather of Nutrition. He was a dentist who travelled the globe visiting 6 different continents and conducted the most in-depth study on traditional natives and their diets. Prices book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration was the original text book for Dieticians. After multinational food giants touted the health benefits of processed and refined foods the book was removed from training institutes as it contradicted much of what food giants were touting as healthy. Today however the book is selling more copies than ever and is rattling the food world with its popularity! Why? Because real nutrition starts with real food and as the Cholesterol Myth unravels ancient wisdom is returning to our tables.
Nourish Magazine and Healthy Kitchen Nutrition & Cook School are proud to be hosting Sally Fallon-Morell the President and Founder of the Weston A Price Foundation from Washington DC, for one night only at The Clarence Street Theatre, Hamilton, Wednesday 4th April. Visit healthykitchen.co.nz for tour information or visit ticketek.
with Deborah Murtagh Price spent over a decade researching diets of cultures he believed to express perfect health. While there were many similarities in what cultures ate in nearly all continents Price concluded one thing, that our diet may vary but healthy people diets consisted of what grew locally. Foods grown in season in the climate in which we live support health. Traditionally these foods of course were all prepared from seed to plate and were not denatured like modern foods are today.
There were several things traditional diets had in common: 1) Our great great grandparents never ate a grain that wasn’t first soaked, fermented and or sprouted first. Modern grains are processed without proper preparation and are causing a myriad of digestive disorders and food intolerances. Grains contain anti-nutrients that bind essential vitamins and minerals preventing us from absorbing them. 2) Each culture ate fermented foods. Cultured and fermented foods are full of healthful probiotic bacteria that are essential for health and wellness especially gut and digestive health. 3) They used traditional fats. Pork lard, beef tallow, coconut oil. No matter what region of the world, fat was always prized for its nutritive and healing benefits. 4) Our ancestors feasted on raw unpasteurized milk, raw butted and cream as well as cheese from pasture fed organic cows. And eggs from free ranging poultry. 5) The entire animal, fat, bones and organ meats were utilised. One has to ask; if our ancestors were healthier and lived long lives free of degenerative diseases, why are we told that raw milk is dangerous, butter is bad and vegetable oils are good? Join us for a not to be missed unique opportunity to learn from a world expert in nutrition, Sally FallonMorell presenting The Key to Perfect Health. Nutrition & Cook School www.healthykitchen.co.nz
Melissa Reid 0274775584 www.hospitalitysupportservices.co.nz
Should I complain? If you were at a business lunch in an up-market cafe, maybe an intimate dinner at a restaurant, a group function, or a quick meal in between tasks at the local café and the experience was less than good, would you complain? Most of us don’t want to ‘make a fuss’ and tend to say nothing to the proprietor but we will often talk about our experiences to those around us tainting the reputation of the establishment and leaving us with that lingering ‘bad experience’ feeling from the past whenever we dine out. If the word ‘complaint’ was replaced by the words ‘opportunity to improve’ or similar, would it make any difference to us raising the issue? The proprietor can’t fix it if he/she has no knowledge of the issue and it’s always good to have the opportunity to fix an issue as soon as it happens. More recently I’ve found that if the issue is discussed with senior staff at the time it occurs, the staff will generally rectify it and will most likely thank you for pointing it out. No one wants to deliver or receive a bad experience when out dining, but the staff may feel slightly embarrassed or defensive at first. How you explain the issue will have a big impact on the conversation and the outcome.
Be clear about the issue that has occurred, use a friendly tone and body language when explaining the issue, as they will generally want to resolve it for you and improve their systems to prevent it from re-occurring. Always aim for both parties to have a win-win outcome, so that you and the proprietor are satisfied with the solution and try to leave being able to say ‘that was a good experience’, or ‘at least they fixed the issue for me’, as the outcome will make quite a difference for you the next time you consider dining out. A compliment for a good experience is like receiving diamonds or gold to the person that receives it, so if you enjoyed your dining experience say “thanks, that was great”, or “great service, thanks”, as it will make a world of difference to the person. For more information on how to manage complaints, please go to our article on the Hospitality Support Services NZ website and click on ‘news’ for ‘do you have house procedures for complaints’, or please contact us.
Our Vision is “To Help make the hospitality industry the best it can be”
Let’s look at getting it right and those who do it. The most obvious thing that is instantly apparent in any wine list can be summed up in one word: Input! You can tell when there has been a caring touch, a base of knowledge and a real interest in what is being placed before the customer. They show the same care and professionalism as they do about their food menu. Since Hamilton is my home base it was time for a little homework. Please note the results aren’t scientific, conclusive and are subjective.
AUTUMN - Local restaurant wine lists I was recently reading the editorial in the latest WineNZ magazine. Two of Martin Gillion’s views made for great reading. Titled ‘Those cafe ripoffs’ his thoughts were wonderfully expressed! “At a local cafe... a glass of chardonnay that I know was available for less than $8 bottle retail (and would have probably cost less as a bulk buy) is offered at $8 per glass. At a pour rate of 6 glasses to the bottle (at least) it makes a whopping 600% profit. The wine itself, under one of those innocuous brands that have sprung up recently, was weak, insipid and not really pleasant at all. Not good business.” He added “The days of moaning about the price of wine and beer in restaurants have long gone and the costs involved are recognised.” It is an opinion I agree with, wine is priced fairly in most establishments. There are costs to servicing wine: the refrigeration; the glassware; the wastage; the staff input, just to name the more obvious. However there are far too many establishments who contract out or form arrangements with major suppliers without any care. As a friend of mine said, “when you see wine lists like that; you have to wonder if their menus are supplied by dog food producers.”
The people who really, really care and show they know their stuff always include the vintage with their choice of interesting, exciting and innovative choices. Don’t forget vintage is super important when it come to wine. Each year is different; every vintage has its own character. There were three that shone: Palate; Chim Choo Ree and Cullen’s. There are heaps of restaurants that have very good lists (some only missed the top category by missing out the vintage). These that come to mind are Victoria Street Bistro, Suburbia, Iguana, Smith & McKenzie, Zinc and Gothenburg. They all have a touch of the traditional spiced up with funky elements. I would love to hear your comments and views. If you live in the Greater Waikato and have some tips please pop me an email, or are a Hamiltonian and would like to share your thoughts. Email: henry@primovino.co.nz Now to a special mention. Check out Gothenburg’s Beer list! It is exciting, with each beer and a short but excellent description to go with it.
-Henry
from Primo Vino page 26 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
feature article
finding local artisans and unique places
F
oraging is ingrained within us, part of our DNA, probably stemming back from much earlier times when foraging for food was in integral part of survival. Now with the heightened speed of life and technology we are experiencing the popularity of its polar opposite - traditional ways of life. Many of us seem to be returning to artisan food and products, we seek them out constantly and are delighted by the gems we discover along the way.
In the Waihi/Waihi Beach region there appears to be a flowing current of such gems and two local women have dedicated some time and effort in creating a blog which profiles local artisans in their own environment, telling their stories, sharing their passion. The Forager also profiles unique places to visit and experience within the region.
www.theforager.co.nz
Off The Bench
Jayne Jolly began this gorgeous, eclectic business two years ago. Her love and expertise in creating incredible vintage inspired jewellery has now grown considerably into a retail store that delights its patrons with a rewarding experience. Off The Bench is open on long weekends and over the Christmas period at Waihi Beach, during the rest of the year Jayne is kept busy running jewellery and craft workshops, sourcing a growing list of artisans who sell on behalf in her store and producing her own range of jewelry. She is also very much involved in the local community and creates and organizes such events as the monthly 30-minute beach cleanup. One wonders when she has time to sleep! Visit the website & facebook page for upcoming workshop dates and shop open days www.offthebench.co.nz
Bread NZ
Megan and Henri Saurat from BreadNZ make the most divine range of artisan breads and pizzas including Sour dough and gluten free breads. Based between Waihi and Katikati they can be found at the Katikati market on a Friday evening and the Waihi Beach Market every second Sunday morning. Their food obsession spans their lifetime and they even lived on a remote tropical island for several months completely alone where their fulltime job was food foraging! Megan is a wealth of knowledge on the health and wellbeing benefits of growing and creating your own food and Henri is master breadmaker learning from a traditional French baker. Their bread is baked in a wood fired oven built by Henri. Their passion is teaching others to bake bread, so if you have an interest in workshops such as ‘Breadmaking in a nutshell’ or ‘Wood Oven Magic’ be sure to book one of their workshops. Read their interview questions below and check out their website for more info – www.breadnz.com.
page 28 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz
The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden is a Balinese gift store, gallery and cafe in the beautiful Waihi Beach. In the store you will find all kinds of treasures carefully hand selected by local owners Jake and Willy.
Follow the path around the back of 17 Wilson Rd until you reach the ornate Javanese doors… push open to reveal the subtropical oasis just waiting for you to relax and enjoy a moment in one of the balinese huts around the garden. Glowing with sub tropical flora and fauna, here you will also find a selection of outdoor water features, pots, stone sculptures and of course our very own little balinese coffee hut and cafe serving fair trade and organic coffee from Coffee Lala, and a variety of light meals and juices!
“We wanted to create a piece of Bali in New Zealand with a kiwiana twist as well. A place where you can take time out, enjoy some refreshments and get lost for a while. We hope to see you all soon relaxing in one of our bungalows, enoying a coffee and some sunshine!” - Jake & Willy. Over the Summer The Secret Garden hosts a variety of live music events, it’s very hard to beat cruising back in the garden to some groovy tunes on a lazy summer evening. www.waihibeachsecret.co.nz
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Hot Picks from Poppies Bookshop Casabella Lane Country Calendar Cookbook with Allyson Gofton - $50 Allyson takes the iconic show Country Calendar one step further by discovering what the families features actually cook with what the cultivate, rear and grow. After scouring the TVNZ archives Allyson and her team criss crossed the country to meet some of the wonderful producers that have been featured on the series, which is now in its 45th year. Conveniently though, the book is set out in season, not by geography. Then within each season we are reintroduced to the characters and personalities from the show.
These are real Kiwis with a passion for what they do. The recipes in the book are their favourite way to cook the primary ingredient they produce, be that corn or apples, lamb or truffles. What I love about this book is that the recipes are not restricted to those ingredients but also include family favourites like sharemilker Lyn from Taranaki’s Eltham Slice. So if you are looking for a book full of recipes that have been tried and tested by real Kiwi families this is the one from you.
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