Nourish Autumn 2013 Waikato

Issue no. 11, Autumn 2013

Learn to make Gnocchi

Meet the Beekeeper Apples, apples and more apples

Walking in Liguria

What makes some oils “good� for you?

Find the perfect fitting jeans

Fresh local flavour

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WAIKATO, NZ

Intro Issue 11

Welcome

2013 has certainly got off to a hiss and a roar here at Nourish! The team has got bigger and so too has the magazine.

This year we promise to keep bringing you fantastic local stories and delicious seasonal recipes, but added to this we will have a small selection of fashion and beauty as well as home and garden features.

We are also working hard on releasing our first cookbook full of the best recipes from the first two and a half years of Nourish. This should be out in May so keep an eye out in local book and food stores or go to our website (www. nourishmagazine.co.nz) to sign up to our regular newsletters to keep up to date.

Nourish are also thrilled to bring you a

couple of great events with two wonderful New Zealand food writers. Dinner with Lauraine Jacobs on Thursday 2 May and high tea with Natalie Oldfield on Sunday 5 May both at The District, Hamilton’s newest cafe. For more details, go to our new events page on page 38.

Autumn for me, a diehard foodie, is heaven. It’s harvest time and there is an abundance of produce from the end of summer tomatoes, zucchini and stone fruit that all need preserving to the autumn treats like passionfruit and crisp juicy apples.

On pages 18-20 we take some delicious local apples and create some fantastic dishes, both sweet and savoury. We also visit a local olive oil producer on page 16.

Then on pages 14-15 we learn more about what makes some oils ‘good’ for us.

Vicki Ravlich-Horan

What we learnt

Editor Vicki Ravlich-Horan

Creative Director Anna Mollekin (Alm Creative)

Designer Kylie Wright (Alm Creative) Proofreader Nikki Crutchley

Contributors Victoria Russell, Karin de la Rey, Heather Carson, Bronwyn Lowe, Erena Te Paa, Carolie de Koster, Roseanne Matheson Photographers Sarah Brooks, Claudia Aalderink, Logan Davey, Vicki Ravlich-Horan Cover Sheryl Nicholson

Advertising Enquiries Bay Of Plenty Region: Sue Lawton salesbop@nourishmagazine.co.nz 021 768 165 Waikato and National Sales: Vicki Ravlich-Horan Vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz 021 065 1537

Feedback info@nourishmagazine.co.nz Subscriptions www.nourishmagazine.co.nz/subscribe – $25 for a year (four issues)

We spend our days talking to experts in their field, researching food and nutrition, cooking and generally talking to other passionate people so we can put together an interesting and informative magazine. Each edition we learn heaps, so we thought we would share some of the things we learnt from this edition.

I learnt so much about brewing beer when I met Kelly from Good George and recommend everyone, even non beer drinkers, do one of their brewery tours.

I also learnt that those beans in my veggie garden I have been meaning to pull out are adding nitrogen back into the soil.”

Vicki (editor)

I learnt that olive leaves make a good tea, although I am yet to try it.”

Victoria (Editorial Assistant)

I often see avocado oil in the shops but steer clear of it as I never really knew what to do with it – now I’ve learnt that it can be used for anything from a marinade

to a dressing. Likewise with coconut oil, I probably associated it with coconut milk and assumed it wasn’t too good for me but I’ve learnt it’s great not only for your diet but your hair as well!”

Nikki (proofreader)

Odd Spoon Café 151 Main Street Huntly, Ph 021 667 000 www.oddspooncafe.co.nz

Open 7 days for coffee from 8.30am, Plus dinner on Fri, Sat and Sun nights Serving Ozone Fairtrade coffee and delicious homemade food, this is the only place to stop when travelling North Waikato!

Contents

08

18

04 Vic’s picks 05 Market place 06 Waikato news 07 Waikato Farmers’ Markets

08 Gnocchi di patate – 11

25 Winners from our summer edition

35

Coromandel Flavour book – Fiona Le Gros Angel Oil from The Engine Room – Olivia Wallbank, Wendy Oates and Jessica Fitzgerald Storehouse Range – Noeline Wright and Jennifer Griffin Lavazza Coffee Machine – Ruby Heath Revive Cookbook – Amanda Lockwood

12 14 16 17 18

potato gnocchi

Circolo Italiano Hamilton The beekeeper Good oils

Living gold

Market fresh

Enjoy your apple a day in a different way

24 Herb column 25 Cambridge 28 Walking and

eating in Liguria

29 Experts page 30 It’s in the jeans 31 The Engine Room 32 Beauty experts page

33 Eggplant recipes 35 Clarence 38 Waikato events 39 Directory

21 Garden column 22 By George it’s good

CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Brook – Photographer After graduating with a degree in photography Sarah worked for The Waikato Times before being lured to London to work for The Daily Telegraph.

Between shooting red carpet events and portrait sessions with Amy Winehouse and Richard Branson, Sarah was also contracted to shoot for architectural, high-fashion and sporting magazines throughout the UK and Europe.

After returning from London, and following another stint as a senior newspaper photographer, Sarah has established her own photography studio in Hamilton. www.theimageworkshop.co.nz

Carolie de Koster Carolie moved to New Zealand from South Africa eighteen months ago. In South Africa Carolie was a nutritionist, cookery school teacher, guest house owner, part time university lecturer and author of 10 recipe books as well as a food writer for several magazines. Carolie and her husband have just finished building their house in Omokoroa and Carolie’s current project is writing a book on apples.

Rosanne Matheson Rosanne has recently taken on the role of Managing Director of Calder & Lawson Tours – a dream job according to Rosanne as it involves taking tours, developing tours, researching new and exotic destinations and thinking about travel adventures every day.

With a background in tertiary education, Rosanne’s husband is a travel agent and they have always relished opportunities to travel.

Her preferred way of exploring new places, like many other ‘baby boomers’ is walking or cycling and she enjoys doing that with the small groups who come on Calder & Lawson Tours. Rosanne and her husband John have been taking walking tours in Europe since 2005. Experiencing the local food and wine is always a highlight of the tours says Rosanne, who loves the part she plays in the group’s travel experience. Seeing her role as bringing people together and taking them places they may not go on their own as well as making sure the whole journey goes smoothly so that the group can relax and enjoy themselves.

Calder & Lawson Tours take about 20 tours away each year. The tours fall into three categories – Travel and Learn tours, Journeys, and Walking & Cycling tours.

Product Spotlight

Vic s picks

Table Pride

Easter

Do you follow Table Pride on Facebook? I love Wendy’s great tips

One of my favourite things about Easter is hot cross buns. Local artisan bakers, Volare, will have

she passes on. Recently she warned against using your salt and pepper grinder when seasoning food that is cooking as the steam can affect the grinding mechanism and make the salt moist. For more tips ‘like’ Table Pride on Facebook or check out their great range of kitchenware at www.tablepride.co.nz

their beautiful hand rolled buns available again every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the start of March.

But if you are gluten free don’t fret, Mike at Bella Pane has you sorted with his beautiful handmade hot cross buns. But get in quick as they sell out fast! Mikes says to be safe order them online at www.bellapane.co.nz Emma from The Country Providore also tells me she has some fabulous treats arriving for Easter.

The Country Providore, Newells Road, Tamahere.

La Canache It’s not surprising that France, with its passion for superb gastronomic cuisine and fine wines, should also produce culinary cooking masterpieces. The La Canache range of cookers are designed for

where style, performance and luxury are all important. Hand-assembled and hand-finished, La Canche fuses traditional style and great performance. The result is the world’s most desirable hand-crafted professional range cooker.

Who wouldn’t want one of these in their kitchen? www.lamaisonfrance.co.nz

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Cambridge Farmers’ Market

S

et under the magnificent trees in Victoria Square, Cambridge Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday from 8am-12 noon is possibly the most scenic in the region.

Market What’s on

Tamahere Market

Third Saturday of each month St Stephen’s Church grounds, corner Airport & Tamahere Road.

Waikato Farmers’ Markets Hamilton

Cambridge

Every Sunday 8am to 12 noon River Road Car Park, 204 River Road.

Te awamutu twilight market

Selwyn Park, next to the information centre on Gorst Avenue.

Gordonton Country Market

2nd Saturday of each month from 8.30am Hukanui Park, Gordonton Road.

Last Sunday of each month

Espresso Banco, 174 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha.

Victoria Square.

from our beehive to your table

Wonderful autumn produce available every week at the

P 07 8294405 E info@sweetreehoney.co.nz

Award dw winni winning local artisan honey available at Hamilton Farmers Market, online and great food stores around the Waikato.

www.sweetreehoney.co.nz ww

Bella Pane TWILIGHT

FARMERS’ MARKET TE AWAMUTU

Raglan Creative Market

2nd Sunday of each month, 10am-2pm Raglan Old School Arts Centre.

WAIKATO FARMERS’ MARKETS

Beautiful locally made artisan bread and pastries available from the selected stores, local markets and online via our facebook page.

Great tasting gluten free products are our specialty.

Bellapane Quality bread and pastry www.bellapane.com ph (07)8270770 www.facebook.com/bellapane

Enjoy the freshest local autumn produce as well as award winning cheese, honey, salmon and more. www.waikatofarmersmarkets.co.nz www.facebook.com/pages/WaikatoFarmers-Market

© Lee Snider | Dreamstime.com

Every Thursday 3pm-6.30pm

Every Saturday 8am to 12 noon

Te Aroha Vintage and Collectables Market

Red Kitchen

The popular market at Red Kitchen in Te Awamutu has just got bigger. With more shelves added Megan now has even more space for the beautiful cookware, books and gourmet ingredients that make the Market at Red Kitchen a must visit.

Red Kitchen, 51 Mahoe St, Te Awamutu.

Open Monday – Saturday.

The District

After six years at the helm of Cafe Suburbia, Adrian and Suzanne Hodgson have a new venture. The District, espresso, bar and eatery opened in early March on Home Straight (just off Te Rapa Straight and opposite Bunnings).

Open Monday – Saturday from 7am with late nights on Thursday and Friday. The District will be serving a wonderful selection of homemade cabinet foods, including healthy salads as well as a well crafted menu.

Feedback

Thanks so much for the (tomato sauce) recipe (summer issue). I’ve been busy making the sauce as all my tomatoes are coming on at the same time!

Sarah McGregor

Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals DVD

If you liked Jamie Oliver’s 30-Minute Meals, this will knock your socks off!

Just got your Friday recipe... Seriously?

You can’t send such delish awesome recipes through. Makes me want to make them.. then eat them!!!! :) Vanessa Davey via facebook

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This series is completely devoted to super quick, tasty, nutritious food that you can eat everyday of the week.

In creating these recipes Jamie’s made sure they’re methodical, clever, sociable and fun, with beautiful food full of big flavours. It’s a classic series that will arm you with the skills to create wonderful meals, shockingly fast.

There are three in the series which retail at $29.95 each (available at leading DVD sellers).

We have two sets of the complete series to give away. We will be picking one winner from our fans on Facebook and one from our online subscribers, so go to www.nourishmagazine.co.nz to subscribe – it’s FREE. Congratulations Sarah won the wonderful MaxiAir Bin from FriendlyPak (www.friendlypak.co.nz) For your chance to win one of the world’s best kitchen scrap collection systems please send your feedback to info@nourishmagazine.co.nz

Autumn Waikato at the

Farmers’ Markets Fresh, local and seasonal

in n seaso

Pumpkin, eggplants, apples, pears, nashi, quince, guavas, passionfruit.

Quick Quark Cheesecake This is a really easy and very low fat dessert using wonderful ingredients from the Farmers’ Market. I used rhubarb, but berries or plums would work too.

Makes 4 200gms of your favourite biscuits from Celtic Cuisine 1 cup Cloudy Mountain Quark 1 cup Natural Sweetened Yoghurt 2 tbsp Sweetree honey 1 tsp vanilla paste 1 bunch rhubarb, chopped and then poached with ¼ cup vanilla syrup & a dash of water

Crush the biscuits and divide between 4 glasses. In a bowl mix the quark, yoghurt, honey and vanilla together. Layer some of the cooled rhubarb onto the biscuit crumbs.

Divide the quark mixture evenly between glasses and finally top with more rhubarb. Chill for a few hours before serving.

NEWS Market Highlights

A Spoonful of Sugar

Fruition

The Waikato Farmers’ Markets are very lucky to have three award winning cheese makers; Cilantro, Cloudy Mountain and Pukeatua Peak.

As we go to print, judging for the 2013 Cheese awards is underway and hopefully there will be a few more medals coming down to the Waikato.

If there wasn’t reason enough to visit the market each weekend Cambridge Farmers’ Market now boast the most gorgeous and delicious cupcakes from A Spoon Full of Sugar. Qualified chef, Kim Cranshaw, thinks cupcakes should look AND taste fantastic, so in the name of research we had to try a few and have to conclude Kim has succeeded on both counts.

Have you discovered Fruition?

Jullian Griffiths has been going to the Cambridge Farmers’ Market for three years now. Her range of beautiful cordials, jams and pestos are all made from the abundance of produce grown on her orchard in Waihi.

Speaking of awards, Cloudy Mountain’s popular Tilly won a silver medal at the International Jersey Milk awards.

Roberto’s Kitchen

Not keen on making your own gnocchi or fresh pasta? Make sure you check out the range at Roberto’s Kitchen for his delectable homemade and authentic Italian food.

TWILIGHT TE AWAMUTU

Cambridge Every Saturday from 8am-12 noon Victoria Square

Hamilton Every Sunday from 8am-12 noon 204 River Road

Te Awamutu

Thursday, 3-6pm (during daylight savings) Selwyn Park

Craig Noble - Market Manager: 021 685 719 www.waikatofarmersmarkets.co.nz www.facebook.com/waikato.farmers.market page 7 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Pasta Masterclass

Gnocchi di patate Potato Gnocchi

There is nothing as comforting as soft pillows of potato gnocchi coated in a creamy or meaty sauce to banish woes. Both are satisfying and welcoming. Gnocchi are best made with potatoes that are not too waxy, such as King Edward or Maris Piper. The Italians say they should be boiled in their skins so that the water doesn’t penetrate.

This beautiful book is available at The Red Kitchen in Te Awamutu

I am not sure I believe this, although I do think the flavour is better when potatoes are cooked in their skins. The secret of light gnocchi is to trap as much air inside as you can, and rubbing the cooked potatoes through a passatutto foodmill or ricer will achieve this, but otherwise you can mash them. Freezing gnocchi before they are cooked can give even better results than cooking from fresh; they tend to hold their shape better. page 8 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Ingredients Serves 8 1kg potatoes (King Edward or Maris Piper), unpeeled 1 egg 250g ‘00’ flour or pasta flour, plus up to 100g extra, depending on water content of potatoes 1 heaped teaspoon salt a generous twist of pepper

1

Cook the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water until tender – this could take up to an hour, depending on their size. Drain and peel them while they are still hot, either by holding them in one hand on a fork or with a cloth, and peeling the skin away with a knife in the other hand.

2

Pass the peeled potatoes through a passatutto foodmill or ricer and into a bowl.

Stir in the egg using a wooden spoon and add the salt and pepper.

3

Add one third of the flour to form a soft, pliable dough.

4

Pour the remaining flour onto the work surface in a mound and turn out the dough onto the flour. Knead the flour in with the dough, adding a little more if the dough still sticks to your hands. (The more flour you add at this stage, the heavier the gnocchi will be, so only add the extra 100g if the dough is really sticky.) >

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5

You need to decide how big to make the gnocchi. The trick is to keep them the same size so that they all have the same cooking time.

Roll out the dough into long sausages and chop between 2cm and 4cm in length. Flick the gnocchi with the blade of the knife onto a well-floured cloth. You can then roll them over the tines of a fork for texture or make an indentation in the top with your finger – this means more sauce will stick to them – or you could simply leave them pillow shaped and plain.

fresh

f you plan to eat the gnocchi straight away, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and drop in the gnocchi. They are cooked when they bob back up to the surface – this takes about 2-4 minutes. Drain well and toss in your chosen sauce.

freeze

I

T

o freeze gnocchi before cooking them, spread them on a well-floured tray, making sure they don’t touch each other, and put them in the freezer.

When frozen, shake off any excess flour and transfer to a freezer bag. Use within 3 months. To cook from frozen, allow an extra 1-2 minutes cooking time.

Extracted with permission from The Italian Cookery Course by Katie Caldesi, with Photography by Lisa Linder, published by Kyle Books and distributed in New Zealand by New Holland, RRP $49.99.

Italian Braised Beef re

6 onions coarsely chopped 4 rashers fatty bacon, cut in cubes 2kg Lean New Zealand Rump, fat and sinew removed 6 cloves garlic 500ml beef stock ½ bottle red wine 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 tbsp Vegeta (or a stock cube) ½ cup semi dried tomato thyme to taste handful olives handful of capers 2 carrots cut in chunks salt and pepper 400g cherry tomatoes (fresh or tinned) 1 tbsp brown sugar

1 In a large fry pan sauté off the bacon in a bit of oil 2 Add the onions and garlic and cook for approx 5 mins stirring 3 Brown the beef off in a frypan and add to the onions 4 Add remaining ingredients except the cherry tomatoes 5 Cook on a very slow heat for approx 5 hours or until the meat falls apart. Can be cooked in the crock pot or in a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven 6 Taste and add a little brown sugar if needed Serve in a bowl topped with mascarpone (or sour cream), chopped parsley and crusty garlic bread.

Can also be served with gnocchi, pappadelle or little new potatoes, just cook separately and stir into the beef before serving.

Recipe by Megan Coupland, Red Kitchen Te Awamutu

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Your local traditional butchery.

Fresh! Wholesome! Affordable!

Beef • Lamb • Pork • Chicken • Fish • Homemade sausages and Smoked Product Range.

Home-Kill & Wholesale processing.

We process to order for all occasions – large or small.

Circolo Italiano Hamilton Hamilton’s Italian community are a vibrant group who regularly get together to share their food and culture.

We recently joined them for a pot luck lunch in the park as plans were discussed for the first Hamilton Italian Festival being held on Sunday March 10th at the Hamilton Gardens.

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To join or find out more information about Circolo Italiano Hamilton email circoloitaliano_hamilton@hotmail.com

The

T

Beekeeper Cicadas singing or tar melting on the road are apparently signs of a good honey harvest.

Tim Stewart is not too sure about the old wives tales but he says learning to let go or accept nature is in control has been one of the toughest parts of his transformation to full time beekeeper.

im and his brother William both grew up on a farm but it was their principal at Horsham Downs primary school who first sparked their interest in bees. Years on, after both boys had graduated from university, Tim found himself talking to a retiring beekeeper about his hives. Tim says he was really only interested in a few of the hives, not the 600 odd the beekeeper had. But the deal was all or nothing so soon William was talked into joining forces with Tim and the brothers found they owned the business.

That was three years ago and Tim admits “we threw ourselves in the deep end.” The business the boys bought was based around selling bulk honey to the food industry. While this was a great base to start from the Stewarts have their own goals and are slowly creating a range of specialised honeys. These are currently available in the deli at Pumice on Church Rd and online. Finding more great stores to stock their beautiful honey is a goal for 2013.

There are three varieties in The Beekeeper range and they are all based on the floral source of the honey.

Rewarewa (or New Zealand Honeysuckle) is a dark bush honey with high levels of antioxidants.

Kanuka is the poor cousin of Manuka or as William calls it, the sexy sister. This honey is much more subtle in flavour than manuka.

Backyard Blend, Tim says, has been blended by the bees with a mixture of floral sources. They included this in the line-up simply because it tastes delicious and is reminiscent of honeys from your childhood.

The welfare of their bees is important to Tim and William and for this reason they are reluctant to keep moving their hives.

Beekeepers intent on getting manuka will move their hives several times a year chasing the flowering manuka. They are also careful not to deplete the hives of all their honey and pollen stores and for this reason leave some to get the bees through the winter as well as get a good start in the spring.

Understanding that you can’t control Mother Nature is just one of the lessons the pair have learnt over the past three years. “We have become experts in micro climates,” says Tim. Discovering which hives do better than others and why, is

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fascinating and can be a full time occupation. And although they are often approached by people wanting hives, especially lifestylers and farmers, choosing the right location for a hive has many variables. Shelter from prevailing winds, sun and a good floral source are all important.

“In some areas intensive dairy farming has been quite bad for bee habitat, but I think people are making changes in the way they farm to improve this,” says Tim who points out that more organic farms with lower stocking rates potentially create better environments for a flourishing bee population. There has been an issue where some farms plant solely rye grass and consider flowering plants like pennyroyal as weeds, quickly annihilating them with sprays.

Much like the prevalence of dairy farms changing the rural landscape, urban sprawl has affected bees in the city.

“Urban sprawl,” Tim says, “takes up bee habitat by virtue of it being there.” But it is perhaps more the “landscaped desert” as Tim describes it that has had the biggest effect on the urban bee population. Smaller sections, with little or no gardens or what gardens do exist they consist of yuccas, flax or grasses mean the bees have no food.

The Beekeeper has two apiary sites that clearly illustrate this point as one is in the older part of Hamilton and one close to new developments. Tim says the apiary in the older area does a lot better, as in this area established trees and gardens provide a great environment for the bee population.

The Beekeepers’ tips for encouraging bees in your neighbourhood;

• Diversity. A variety of floral sources flowering at different times of the year provides a great environment for bees.

• Flowering Trees. A mixture of both native and exotic with different flowering times. Trees encourage bees and birds for a complete ecosystem.

Good trees for bees include: • • • • •

Willows Pohutukawa Manuka Fruit trees including apple and plum (also great for us) Pittosporum

www.thebeekeeper.co

Espresso Banco 174 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha • 07 884 7574 • Follow us on Facebook • Open 7 days 9am – 5pm • Venue available for hire

> tlkabocri mi^`b clo vlro tbaafkd lo kbuq c^jfiv `bib_o^qflk page 13 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Smoke Point – The smoke point generally refers to the temperature at which a cooking fat or oil begins to break down to glycerol and free fatty acids. The smoke point also marks the beginning of both flavour and nutritional degradation.

Coconut Oil I

t seems coconut oil has suddenly appeared everywhere, not only on health food store shelves but supermarket shelves too.

For many of us coconut oil is very new but it has been used for thousands of years, especially by people who live in the Pacific Rim and Asia, for both its nutritional and healing properties

In fact if we were to travel back in time to early last century we would find coconut oil was as common as butter in many western households. But in the 1950s medical studies began to report that eating saturated fats caused high triglyceride levels.

Good

The research claimed all saturated fats raise our cholesterol levels and should be eliminated from our diets. Coconut oil contains 90% saturated fats so quickly fell out of favour and was replaced with polyunsaturated vegetable fats.

oils

Avocado Oil L

ike olive oil, avocado oil comes from the pulp of the fruit not a seed. Avocados have a high monounsaturated fat content (approximately 70%) and contain good levels of vitamin A, D and E, folate and Beta-Sitosterol. Beta-Sitosterols help prevent the absorption of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol into the bloodstream while also assisting to redress the balance by promoting ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

New Zealand pioneered the system of cold pressing avocado oil and we are fortunate enough to have a couple of large companies producing good quality cold pressed avocado oil making it readily available at most supermarkets as well as health stores at a reasonable price. Cold pressing to get the avocado oil maintains the nutritional integrity of the oil. Previously, and in most other avocado oil producing countries, the oil was derived by refining and the use of chemicals.

Avocado oil has a rich creamy taste, milder than extra virgin olive oil. With a high smoke point (250°C) it is also a healthy oil to cook with. Nourish editor Vicki Ravlich-Horan says avocado is one of her favourite oils. “I love using it in the summer! I will use it in marinades, especially for chicken and then follow it through by adding it to a salsa or dressing. Avocado oil gives dishes a rich creamy flavour and goes beautifully with summer flavours.”

Store your avocado oil in a cool dark place.

Approximately 3% of the New Zealand avocado harvest is turned into oil.

What these studies didn’t take into account was virgin coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). When you digest MCFAs, they’re immediately transported to your liver to be metabolised; they don’t get stored in your body cells like typical fats. MCFAs don’t raise your cholesterol levels or contribute to heart disease instead coconut oil has been said to aid digestion and help with weight loss.

Coconut oil possesses healing properties far beyond that of any other dietary oil and for this reason coconut oil is considered a functional food. A functional food provides health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil’s amazing antimicrobial properties have been recognised for years in traditional medicines such as Ayurvedic medicine. Responsible for these antimicrobial properties is Lauric acid, which is also found in mothers’ breast milk. Incidentally mothers’ breast milk is also high in saturated fat. Deborah Murtagh from Debs Healthy Kitchen says, “Coconut oils so nutritious with so many powerful healing capabilities, many naturopaths will prescribe this food as a medicine.”

With an extremely high smoke point (230°C), coconut oil will keep, without going rancid for up to two years, without needing refrigeration. This high smoke point also makes it one of the most suitable oils to cook with. Karen Niven from Cooking for Health says, “Coconut oil can be used in all cooking, especially if high heat is involved as it won’t denature; it can also be put into smoothies. You can melt it and rub it into your hair to prevent and treat dryness or dandruff. It can be rubbed straight on skin or melted first.”

Deborah says, “coconut oil is fabulous for baking, homemade chocolate, brownies, fudge and also savoury food; and is the only

“I only recommend beauty products that you can consume. Don’t put anything on your body you wouldn’t eat. As with coconut oil, avocado oil is a wonderful example of oil that is fabulous externally as well as internally. It is a wonderful moisturiser for the skin and hair.” Deborah Murtagh (www.healthykitchen.co.nz) page 14 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

fat I recommend for frying. Ensure however that you obtain coldpressed virgin oil with a mild flavour. Some coconut oil is quite pungent and can overpower your food, so choose fresh oil with a mild taste and only buy organic coconut oil to be assured of its purity.”

Coconut oil contains fewer calories than any other fat.

Because coconut oil has a high melting point (24°C) it doesn’t need refrigeration but may need to be melted before using.

Coconut oil is available from The Herbals Dispensary in Raglan and Dante’s Fine Foods, Cambridge.

Olive Oil M

argret Edwards, one of New Zealand’s leading authorities on olive oil, wishes recipes wouldn’t use the generic term ‘olive oil’. Olive oils vary from fresh, herbaceous, vibrant extra virgin olive oil to highly processed, colour and odourless oil simply labelled olive oil.

Broadly speaking there are two ways to define olive oils: virgin or refined. If you want healthy, fresh, tasty oil you are looking for those labelled extra virgin, virgin or ordinary. These olive oils have been created from fresh olives being pressed with minimum heat. Refined olive oils on the other hand have little or no colour, taste or aroma. These oils are often, ironically, labelled ‘pure’ as well as ‘light’ or simply as olive oil.

Refined oils come from the olives left over from pressing to get virgin olive oil. These olives, or paste (which is where the term pomace comes from), still contain some oil, but to get to this oil high heat and the use of chemicals and solvents are needed.

As these refined olive oils contain little or none of the characteristics of virgin olive oil you can use them like you would any vegetable oil, but remember they contain no nutritional value.

On the other hand virgin olive oils not only have distinct colour and flavour, they are a monounsaturated fat packed full of antioxidants (such as Vitamin E, carotenoids and phenolic compounds). Karen Niven, from Cooking for Health, says virgin olive oil “has cardio vascular health benefits – good for reducing blood pressure, cholesterol and improving arterial function. It is also great for your skin.” Virgin olive oil is also thought to help in fighting diseases such as cancer, heart disease, oxidative stress, diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.

So this is why Margaret Edwards wants you to know the difference between olive oils. Virgin olive oils should be stored in a cold dark place. Buy small amounts often to avoid rancid oil.

These oils should generally not be heated as heat destroys not only their flavour but many of their nutritional qualities.

Olive oil around the world is a sought after commodity. The industry is rife with fraud and misinformation. We suggest buying local olive oil wherever possible; this ensures you are getting the real thing as well as the freshest possible oil.

Hemp Seed Oil H

emp seed oil comes from the industrialised hemp plant and should not be confused with cannabis. Since 2006 the cultivation of industrialised hemp in New Zealand has been permitted if you have a licence and adhere to some strict rules.

Local company The Hemp Farm have been growing hemp for a couple of years and eventually want to be able to press their own oil. In the meantime owners Anne and Dave Jordan import organic hemp seed oil from Canada and spend much of their time at local markets and shows educating people about the benefits of hemp seed oil.

Hemp seed oil is the only edible seed oil to contain over 80% polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (EFA’s). EFA’s are crucial for our health. The term essential refers to the fact that our bodies cannot create EFA’s but must obtain them through diet.

What makes hemp seed oil so good is it contains the optimum ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) and Stearidonic Acid (SDA). The World Health Organisation recognises the optimum ratio of Omega 6 to 3 to be 3:1. Yet studies suggest due to diets high in processed foods most western diets have a ratio of 10:1-20:1. This imbalance has been attributed to the rise in many illnesses from cardiovascular disease to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

The presence of GLA’s and SDA’s help our bodies assimilate the omegas, making hemp seed oil that much more effective.

Hemp seed oil for eating is an unrefined oil which is cold pressed; this ensures all the nutritional value of the oil remains. With a low smoking point hemp seed oil is best raw. Anne says, “We use it on most of our meals, on our toast as a replacement for butter.

We mix it with organic coconut oil to make an amazingly delicious and healthy spread.

In mashed potatoes, salads, smoothies, in porridge and anything else. We even take a small 50ml bottle when we go out for dinner as we miss it otherwise.”

The other great advantage of hemp seed oil according to Dave is “it requires no chemicals to grow and you are helping the environment getting your omegas from a sustainable source. Plus the whole plant is used for house building, fabrics, fuel and more.”

The Hemp Farm hemp seed oil is available online at www.hempfarm.co.nz or at selected health stores like the Herbal Dispensary in Raglan and the Bethlehem Health and Tea Shop in Tauranga.

“I recommend consuming around 15mls of hemp oil each day. Mix this with 30mls of apple cider vinegar and drizzle on food, or even take as a shot first thing in the morning. Hemp oil has a low smoke point and is very delicate therefore never fry with it, and store in an amber glass bottle in the refrigerator. It is also wonderful on plain yoghurt and in smoothies to boost your omega three daily intake.”

Deborah Murtagh (www.healthykitchen.co.nz)

page 15 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

LIVing Gold

“This is supposed to be my retirement,” chuckles Wayne Bennett, standing in his olive grove in Pirongia. Their land is 4.5 acres and home to 551 olive trees, “there were 552, but one died,” smiles Wayne. He knows them all well. The work is challenging, constant and physical, yet his passion, knowledge and enthusiasm is contagious.

When talking about how the Bennett’s started producing olive oil Wayne says it was not his love of olive oil that drove them to it. “I never used to touch it until I started processing it,” he admits.

Instead it was Wayne’s wife Phillys who met an olive consultant and asked him to come to survey their land which he deemed ideal for olive growing.

Twelve years on and the Bennetts have a productive olive grove, with three different varieties of olives (Leccinono, Frantoni and Pedaloni), plus a working press.

which has been converted into an immaculate olive processing area and press. The harvest first goes through a defoliator removing any stray leaves or twigs and the olives are then washed and sorted by hand with the damaged olives removed. “If the skin of the fruit is damaged, the air will oxidise the fruit and the oil will be rancid,” Wayne tells me. It is a labour intensive task, with one person checking every olive before it is pressed. This careful attention is what separates this boutique olive oil from those produced on a larger scale.

The olives are then pressed, the oil collected and left to sit for about twelve hours to allow for sediment to settle. The oil is poured into canisters which are charged with nitrogen to remove the oxygen, and sealed. Within twenty four hours of picking, the olive fruit has become delicious and nutritious olive oil.

Fourteen other growers from far and wide use the press and to ensure everyone can produce great quality oil Wayne and his family tend to harvest and press during the week.

A very pleasant bonus to Wayne’s unexpected career is that the arthritis he had previously suffered badly from has been greatly improved. He maintains this is due to the regular “sampling for quality” that is part of producing high grade olive oil.

The trees are prolific growers with harvest occurring in May and June. Wayne reckons “when you see the birds going in, you know it’s time to harvest – you want to beat them to the fruit.” They harvest each varietal separately and conveniently each ripens roughly one week apart.

Harvesting involves a ground sheet placed under the tree while the family strip the olives from the branches. The trees are kept pruned to an accessible height keeping the olives within reach.

Whilst the reality may well be sore backs and shoulders, it sounds like a lovely social event and instantly one’s mind conjures times of laughter and valuable family time spent amongst the trees.

Once gathered, the olives are taken to be sorted in the barn,

You can find Living Gold Olive Oil at the Hamilton, and Te Awamutu Farmers’ Markets, Pirongia, Tamahere and Piopio Markets.

page 16 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

I have fond childhood memories of trips to the apple orchard. It was less than thirty years ago but it seems like another time. We would pile into my Mum’s old Holden and head out into the “country”.

Te Kowhai to be precise and only 10 minutes from The Base, but back then that was out in the wops.

This was a time when supermarkets didn’t have apples available all year round so it was a real treat when you bit into a fresh new season apple. And although we thought we were heading into the country, the orchard was just on the periphery of the city.

But best of all the apples were crisp, juicy and dare I say it actually tasted like apples. That orchard, like so many others, no longer exists, but I was determined to talk to some local orchardists who were still growing beautiful tasting apples for the local market.

Mike and Hayley Rose bought an existing apple orchard in Newstead five years ago. Mike, a fifth generation orchardist, says growing apples “is not an easy game to be in.” He has witnessed first-hand the decline in local orchards with his own parents and uncles pulling out their trees.

the shelves. Taste is one of the last considerations.

Jack and Cheryl from Jack’s Orchard have also found the Farmers’ Market the best way to sell their apples. In fact they were among the very first stall holders at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.

“We want apples our grandchildren can run into the orchard and pick from the tree.”

With 12 acres growing four different varieties of apples, Mike and Hayley have found selling their fruit at the Farmers’ Market a great move for their business. Although the couple export the majority of their apples it is clear they see supplying the local market as an important part of their business, recently planting a block of stone fruit which will mean they have fruit available before the apple season.

Mike says their Newstead Gold apples are the reason they went to the Farmers’ Market the first time. These were a trial apple and Mike thinks that Divine Fruits are possibly the only orchard in New Zealand with them, the reason being they bruise easily and so aren’t suitable for the export market. But this is one of the great advantages of the Farmers’ Market for growers and locals! If it wasn’t for such a venue we would miss out on the opportunity to try these delicious sweet apples and Mike would have to resort to pulling out more apple trees in the Waikato.

“People at the market love them,” says Mike who believes there is resurgence in people wanting to buy from the grower. “People want to get more in touch with the food they are eating,” he says, which is great because fruit bought from the supermarket has been chosen by how well they store and transport, then look on

The couple, who have eleven acres and 4000 apple trees between Hamilton and Cambridge, sell their entire crop locally going to the Hamilton, Cambridge and Te Awamutu Farmers’ Markets as well as the Gordonton, Tamahere and Hinuera Markets. This is a lot of work but only the start as Jack and Cheryl do all the work on their property themselves. This is all the more amazing when you discover these two are well beyond the age most people retire.

“Dutchmen,” Cheryl says, “never retire.”

To make things easier all the trees are pruned to a manageable size eliminating the need for ladders when it comes time to pick.

Although Royal Gala are their main crop of the four varieties they grow, Cheryl says the Early Sunrise are the “easiest and the most pleasurable to sell.” This early variety which are ready midFebruary are, according to Cheryl, the best cooking apples with no need to add any extra water or sugar to them. But they are also great eating which is why people at the markets start asking for them in November.

Birds and bees are a problem in the orchard which is why Jack has created ingenious systems to scare them off. But like Divine Fruits, Jack’s Orchard keeps spraying to a minimum and usually only when the tree is in bud. “We want apples our grandchildren can run into the orchard and pick from the tree,” says Cheryl. “That’s really important to us.”

Fresh sun ripened fruit that tastes fantastic is what you will get when buying local apples at the market; surely this is what we should be giving our kids.

page 17 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Seasonal Recipes

Enjoy your apple a day

in a different way!

Apple, Goats Cheese Crostini and Nut Salad with Apple Juice Dressing

Apple, Goats Cheese Crostini and Nut Salad with Apple Juice Dressing This is certainly one of the trendiest apple and cheese combo salads! Any variety of soft goats cheese may be used and the apple juice dressing may be used on any salad. Make it in large quantities to keep in the refrigerator for general use.

Serves 6

Goats cheese crostini 12 x 1cm thick small slices of bread (cut from bread rolls or French loaf) ± 300g soft goats cheese (see above) Apple juice dressing 3 tbsp white vinegar (balsamic, grape or a combination) 1 egg yolk 3 tbsp sparkling or clear apple juice 3 tbsp olive or avocado oil good pinch white pepper ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp favourite smooth or granular prepared mustard 1 tsp sugar or honey ½ tsp chopped or crushed garlic ground black pepper pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Salad ingredients 2 medium apples (red or green or 1 of each) Mesclun or any variety of mixed lettuce ½ cup natural nuts such as walnuts, pecans or cashews, lightly toasted

To make the dressing place the ingredients into a jar, seal and shake well, then refrigerate.

Place the bread onto a baking tray and toast lightly on one side only about 10cm away from the element. Remove from the oven, turn over and spread the cheese onto the soft side. Sprinkle the crostini with dressing and grill until heated through and very lightly browned.

Wash the apples and cut into thin wedges. Toss half of the dressing with the apples (this can be done ahead of time and refrigerated). Scatter the apples over the lettuce leaves along with the nuts and drizzle lightly with more dressing. Finally top with the crostini and serve.

page 18 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Sicilian Apple Cake ⅓ cup walnuts 120g melted butter ½ kg or 4-6 tart apples 1 lemon 1 heaped cup flour 1-½ tsp baking powder 3 eggs 1-⅓ cups sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 100mls milk ¼ cup raisins 2 tbsp pine nuts 1 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon

Sicilian Apple Cake

Carefully toast the walnuts in a moderate oven for around 10 minutes.

Line and grease a 23cm cake tin with baking paper. Drizzle the bottom with a little of the melted butter and scatter over the walnuts.

Peel, core and slice the apples, then toss with the zest and juice of the lemon.

Whisk the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla together then add the remaining melted butter. In a separate bowl mix the flour and baking powder together before whisking in the wet ingredients.

Stir until you have a smooth batter.

Pour a third of the batter over the walnut prepared cake tin.

Arrange a third of the apple slices over the batter, then sprinkle with half the raisins. Add another third of the batter, apples and remaining raisins before repeating again with the remaining batter and apples.

Lastly, sprinkle the top with pine nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 170°C for 1-1-½ hours.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Stuffed with Apple and Sage Free range NZ pork fillet 1 apple, peeled and sliced sage leaves (fresh or dried) 1 tsp Dijon mustard 4 slices of prosciutto ½ cup apple juice ½ cup of good quality chicken stock Make a slit all the way along the pork fillet being careful not to cut all the way through. Lay the apple slices and sage in this slit, putting as much apple in as you can without over stuffing. Spread the mustard over the fillet and place at the top of the prosciutto that you have laid out on a board. Tightly roll up the pork fillet in the prosciutto encasing the apple and sage.

Heat some oil in a pan and sear the pork on all sides. Add the apple juice and stock to the pan and then put in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pork and allow to rest while returning the pan to the stove top. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to reduce.

Slice the pork fillet and serve with the apple jus.

page 19 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Stuffed with Apple and Sage

Apple Cider Pork Chops Apple Cider Pork Chops

4 free range NZ Pork chops 1 tbsp flour 1 apple, peeled and sliced ½ onion, sliced 1 cup apple cider 1 cup good quality chicken stock salt & pepper thyme (fresh or dried) Dust the chops with flour and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little oil in a pan and sear the chops on one side until golden (approximately 3 minutes).

Turn the chops over and add the apple slices, onion, some thyme as well as the cider and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes before removing the chops. Allow the pork to rest and continue to simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to reduce before serving.

Dutch Fruit Doughnuts “Oliebollen” Irregular-shaped doughnuts filled with grated apple and fruit are deliciously moist and tasty and certainly one of the most tempting sweet yeast treats.

When Nourish made these we added 2 more apples (finely chopped) just before frying.

Makes about 24 – depending on size

Dutch Fruit Doughnuts “Oliebollen”

4 tsp instant yeast 3 cups high grade flour 1 cup milk ½ cup hot water ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp sugar 2 eggs 80g soft butter 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated ½ cup sultanas or sultanas mixed with raisins & currants sunflower or canola oil for frying caster sugar to serve Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat well for 3-4 minutes to form a smooth and slightly sticky batter. Cover and allow to rise in a mildly warm spot until doubled and quite spongy.

Fill a heavy based saucepan to about 6cm up the side and heat to moderately hot (160°C). The doughnuts need to fry slowly to ensure they are cooked through. Dip a tablespoon into the oil, scoop out neat spoonfuls of batter and drop into the oil. Fry 4-5 doughnuts at a time until golden on both sides and thoroughly cooked (Test with a metal skewer or break open and check.)

Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Pile onto a serving platter and sprinkle with caster sugar or serve with a bowl of caster sugar for dipping. Delicious!

page 20 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

A

utumn is always for me the busiest season of the year.

The harvests are in earnest across the spectrum, from tomatoes, zucchini and all other vegetables, right through to fruit which in my patch this year includes apples, peaches, figs, grapes and a number of others. We inherited a 50 year old Albany Beauty, which is a form of the old heirloom Gravenstein and this wonderful old tree has produced bottles and bottles of apple chutney and enough stewed fruit for pies to give away to half the local community.

The Autumn Garden

But autumn is also a busy time for getting the gardens into shape for the cooler months ahead. Here in New Zealand we are lucky that unless you live in an area that gets snow, you can grow food most of the year. Autumn is the time to get the gardens ready for that by pulling out the finished summer plants (compost those) and digging over the soil with new compost, some blood and bone, sheep pellets and if your soil is that depleted, fertiliser with trace elements added back in.

I generally leave my gardens once this is done for about a month or so, then begin to plant the autumn/winter crops which include brassicas ranging from cabbages and broccoli to kale and Brussels sprouts; more leeks, (the first lot I usually plant in mid February) onions, peas, beetroot and carrots. Turnips and parsnips are also planted now.

Once your plants are established, mulch them either with a good quality bark mulch or pea straw. This helps retain the moisture and raises the beds which in turn, helps keep the soil temperatures where you need them to be. Once the soil temperature drops below 6°C, the plants will stop growing and will stay dormant till spring.

Autumn is also the time I create no-dig gardens. Lay cardboard and paper over the whole area that will be turned into a garden and then saturate that before adding onto it as much mulch as I can lay my hands on (usually two trailers) mixed in with some topsoil and then turning in blood and bone and sheep pellets.

Once done, it gets left and lawn clippings are added every time the lawn is mowed. The new garden will be left until early spring by which time the worms will have done their thing and it will be ready for use.

It is also time to make sure all your compost bins are working well – waste nothing from the kitchen scraps (excluding meat, dairy and onions) to annual plants whose seeds you have collected for next season. About the only annual I’ll leave in will

by Heather Carston of The Garden Pantry

be beans, as even when dead, their roots are a great source of nitrogen for your garden. You can remove the roots next spring.

As for The Garden Pantry, our new series will be starting next September, but we are, as always, very active on Facebook with more than 25,000 members and lots to talk about. See you there at www.facebook.com/thegardenpantry.

page 21 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

By George it’s Good

W

ith autumn here and beautiful New Zealand apples in abundance we decided to visit local craft brewer, Good George, to learn a bit more about cider. While cider was discussed we discovered so much more!

When we visited Good George, head brewer, Kelly Ryan was preparing for a trip to the UK. Kelly has been invited to be a guest brewer for the JD Wetherspoon’s International Real Ale Festival.

Each year half a dozen international guest brewers are invited to the UK to each brew a special beer which will then be available in all 800 JD Wetherspoon pubs. Kelly is just the third ever Kiwi invited to take part in the festival and is planning to create a truly unique New Zealand beer with his Pacific Pearl. This black IPA (India Pale Ale) will use three different New Zealand hops and will be flying the flag of our own local brewery throughout Britain.

After completing a double degree at Otago University in Microbiology and Food Science, “effectively,” Kelly says, “the closest you can get in New Zealand to a brewing course,” Kelly became a trainee brewer at Tui. With his degree and some great training the next step was a stint overseas.

On his return to New Zealand at the end of 2010 Kelly went to work for Luke Nicholas at Epic Brewing. “I was his second ever employee,” laughs Kelly who says his time at Epic “was a great reintroduction to New Zealand brewing.” But when Kelly heard about Good George he jumped at the chance to be part of the new brewery. Plus, being a Taranaki lad, he admits being able to live in Raglan and have the black sand under his toes was a huge bonus.

It was clearly a great move! Within the first three weeks of opening, Good George had reached their production capacity. “It was like ice skating uphill,” says Kelly, but great news as it meant locals had embraced what the team at Good George had set out to do. General Manager, Nathan Sweetman, says their goal is to “encourage people to explore the awesome new world of beer and cider, show them how best to enjoy it, and have a bloody good time in the process.”

“Ultimately,” Kelly says, “it’s about making great beer.” In the past

page 22 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Kelly has been known for creating wacky flavoured beers and he thinks some of his contemporaries were surprised by the Good George range. But Kelly stresses it’s about the “drinkability” and believes the setting of Good George in an old church is a great symbol, “we are about converting people,” says Kelly.

The key to this is getting people to firstly drink the beer, which the team have very successfully done. Then it’s about educating them about the different styles and complexities of Beer. With the rise of craft beers in New Zealand Kelly believes “we are on the cusp” when it comes to our appreciation of good beer. Where bigger breweries invest only in the marketing of their product it falls to the smaller guys to teach people to truly appreciate the complexity and flavour as well as craftsmanship that goes into making great beer.

Good George currently make 5,000 litres of beer a week.

New tanks are being installed which will bring full capacity to between 7-10,000 litres a week.

Nathan says, “beer shouldn’t be bland, full of chemicals, mass produced and boring. Nor should it be hard, pretentious or scary.

Exploring and drinking beer should be enjoyable, simple and really rewarding.”

Cider Kelly admits he had never made cider before but has been enjoying the experience. Good George’s cider is made from culinary apples instead of juicing apples traditionally used.

Along with these apples from the Hawkes Bay, champagne yeast is added for the fermentation. The key, Kelly believes, to a good cider is balance and he thinks they have got it right with a fruity succulence but with a subtle tartness.

As brewers the Good George team couldn’t help adding some hops to one of their ciders. These, Kelly says, bring out some beautiful aromatics in the cider like papaya and mango. The experimenting or “post fermentation modification” as Kelly describes it doesn’t stop there. If you visit Good George on a Thursday be sure to try the Black Doris Plum Cider. This came about when the chef asked Kelly if he could use his left over plum juice for anything, and always up for a challenge this rose tinged cider was born.

Want to take home some Good George Beer?

Grab a growler, 2.5 litres of great beer brewed right here in the Waikato. www.goodgeorge.co.nz

page 23 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

E

ven though it is still hot, already my thoughts are turning towards the autumn and I am monitoring the growth of the herbs that produce roots which are traditionally used in herbal medicine.

Autumn Harvest

This autumn ready for harvesting we will have echinacea, marshmallow and elecampane.

As I write this it is still hot and dry with the herbal garden in full growth. Leafy herbs can still be harvested and dried which will give good supplies over the winter. For harvesting your herbs in the summer, pick on a still dry day after the dew has dried and before the sun is too hot, mid-morning works well.

It is fantastic that nature provides us with these herbs just when we need them; we just need to look around us for nature’s pharmacy! Echinacea, marshmallow and elecampane are all very much part of the wise women’s herbal medicine chest and would have been traditionally harvested every year by many women of the house. These herbs all have a long tradition of use for immune support, coughs and colds for all family members, with teas, syrups, tinctures and lozenges all being made.

If you are growing herbs for their roots it is best to let them grow for two years so they produce a good size harvest and also so that you can replant some of the original rootstock back into the ground.

Harvesting roots takes more care than simply picking leaves for drying.

You need to wait until the aerial part of the plant has stopped growing so you get maximum medicinal content from the roots.

The soil is likely to be damp and sticky when you are harvesting, try and dig up the entire root using a long spade or fork. Scrape off the dirt and then wash well. Scrubbing is usually necessary.

To dry the roots spread on shelves or tie singly on strings for about 10 days, turning and inspecting daily. Once the roots have started to shrink they can then be finished off in a cool oven or a dehydrator. If you only have a small amount of herbs to dry you could just go straight to the process of drying them in the oven.

When harvesting the roots save either the crown of the plant or some side shoots to put back in the ground for re-growth.

by Bronwyn Lowe of The Herbal Dispensary

tip

page 24 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

It is also a good idea to mark where your plants are in your garden before autumn/winter so you can identify the exact spot to dig. Happy harvesting!

Cambridge • W

ith its magnificent trees, parks and waterways, central location and beautiful historic buildings Cambridge’s population has been steadily growing since the 1960s, with the population more than tripling in the past fifty years. So we decided to spend a few days in town discovering why Cambridge is such a great place to live.

Sarah Turpitt was born in Cambridge but moved back ten years ago and says “it’s a great place to bring up a family.” Sarah says she loves Cambridge because of “the big city perks like great cafes, sports facilities and stylish shops without the

traffic and city ponces.”

Mike Tucker-Strachan, owner of Bella Pane agrees with Sarah. Mike has lived in Cambridge for nearly eight years and says “it only takes 10 minutes to get anywhere in town.” Mike and his family are a great example of people choosing to live and create a business in town. Mike started Bella Pane two years ago and has recently moved into his own commercial bakery on the outskirts of town. Cambridge’s central location has definitely been an advantage for Mike who travels to a lot of markets in the region.

Vicki from Dante’s Fine Foods has seen her specialty food store steadily grow each year. Vicki says they opened Dante’s because they saw a gap in the market.

Vicki says the combination of great locals and the many visitors Cambridge attracts means Cambridge has many great boutique shops.

Alana and Phil MacKay agree with Vicki and opened the busy Rouge Cafe three years ago. Phil says, “Cambridge is a picturesque little town where there is always something happening.” From Armistice Day celebrations to rowing regattas, regular markets, fairs and

TM

bringing design to life

Hours: 12 noon - 4pm Wednesday to Sunday

89 Te Huia Drive, Woodridge Estate, Hamilton. Ph 849 7502 downey.co.nz page 25 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Cambridge Museum

Discover over 150 years of local history. We have always been told curator Eris has a mind full of knowledge on local history.

24 Victoria St, www.cambridgemusuem.org.nz

Cambridge was named after the Duke of Cambridge, Commander in Chief of the British Army when the town was founded in 1864. Originally a military town created from confiscated Maori land the town was strategically placed on the banks of the Waikato River.

We asked some locals what their favourite local attractions were and this is what they said:

Maungatautari Ecological Island

With 47kms of predator proof fencing, enclosing 3400 hectares, Maungatautari is the largest ecological island on mainland New Zealand. With fantastic breeding and reintroduction programmes this could possibly be your only chance to see many of our native animals from Tuatara to Takahe in the wild.

The visitors centre is open seven days a week from 10am www.maungatrust.co.nz

Thanks to the Cambridge i-Site for their help with this feature. www.cambridge.co.nz

festivals like the annual Autumn Festival mean the Cambridge events calendar is always full. Alan Milton, Secretary of the Cambridge Autumn Festival Trust knows this only too well.

Alan moved to Cambridge from Auckland 12 years ago and is now completely immersed in the community. “What I most love about Cambridge,” Alan says, “is the friendly, small town atmosphere but with so many people involved in community activities, clubs and so on.”

Jenny Wilson of Sustainable Cambridge agrees. Jenny also moved to Cambridge from Auckland and believes there are so many more opportunities for people to make real change in Cambridge. Jenny points to projects like Maungatautari Ecological Island as a great example of what can be achieved when a group of locals join together with a common goal. So Sustainable Cambridge’s goal of making Cambridge the most sustainable town in New Zealand may not be that ambitious.

Sustainable Cambridge wants to

rouge

encourage, educate and empower individuals and groups within the town helping to make it more sustainable. One of their projects is the community garden which Jenny says is their most visible and tangible project.

Situated on some council owned green belt land, the community garden on Vogel St opened a year ago. Driving forces behind the gardens are Tim Bailey and Lorraine Hodgson. Lorraine, who lives and breathes gardening, is a gardener for the Waipa District Council during the day then volunteers her time and knowledge in her spare time. “Lorraine has the green fingers, I have the brown curly ones, so I have learnt a lot from her,” says Jenny. And this is at the core of what the garden is about – sharing knowledge as well as the produce grown.

The team at the community garden sum up the impression we got from our time in Cambridge. This is more than just a pretty town with magnificent buildings, trees and lakes; this is a town full of friendly people working to make their town a great place to live.

Free drink with lunch!

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Come to Rouge for lunch Present this voucher and we’ll shout you a glass of wine, beer, or a hot drink when you order any meal $10 or more - conditions apply.

Weekdays 7.30am - 4pm Empire St, Cambridge

Saturday 8.30am - 4pm 07 823 9178

Sunday 8.30am - 3.30pm

www.rougeempire.co.nz

page 26 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Open seven days, Rouge cafe on Empire Street in Cambridge serves possibly the best coffee in town. The food is all made freshly on site, including the bread. Chef and owner Alana is always coming up with great seasonal dishes and the tart below is a great example of this.

Lake Te Ko Utu

In the centre of Cambridge this beautiful lake is a great spot for a scenic walk or run.

Lake Karapiro

For swimming, water skiing, picnicking, beach volleyball and more.

Roasted Pumpkin, Caramelised Onion, Blue Cheese & Walnut Tart Makes one large or twelve small tarts 1 buttercup pumpkin, peeled & diced 3 large brown onions, peel & thinly chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp butter ¼ cup cream 1 egg ¼ tsp ground nutmeg flaky pastry 70g walnut pieces, fresh is best 50g blue cheese Roast the pumpkin at 180°C for 30mins.

While the pumpkin is roasting make the caramelised onions – gently fry the sliced onions in the olive oil for 15-20mins or until nice and soft, then

add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar, and caramelise carefully.

When the pumpkin is cooked, puree half of the pumpkin with the butter, cream, egg and nutmeg.

Grease your tin or mini tins and line with pastry.

Spread a layer of pumpkin puree over each (about a heaped tablespoon for small tarts), then a layer of onion, then scatter over the reserved pumpkin pieces and walnuts and top with nuggets of blue cheese.

Bake at 180°C for approx 20mins or until golden.

The Mini Steam Trains in Leamington Domain

The kids of all ages will love these mini steam trains. Just $2 (kids under 5 free) www.crls.org.nz IMAGES COURTESY OF CAMBRIDGE i-SITE

Healthy Children = Happy House Prepare for winter wellness with immune and nutritional support.

Are your children getting enough vitamin C, iron, zinc and essential fatty acids?

Are they taking echinacea, olive leaf or withania?

These herbs and nutrients support their immune system and enhance their learning and concentration.

Call in to our shop and clinic any day for free zinc taste testing and advice on natural health. page 27 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Walking & eating

Rosanne Matheson Calder & Lawson Tours

Italy is the perfect place for a gourmet walking holiday! After walking for several hours each day soaking up the history and beautiful scenery you can enjoy all the wonderful food on offer completely guilt free. A walking holiday also gives you the chance to have a close up look at the food and wine being grown and talk with the locals tending their kitchen gardens.

In 2012, I led a group on a 22 day walking tour of Italy. The base for our first four nights was Santa Margherita, an old resort and fishing town just east of Genoa. Our first walk begins with a train ride to Camogli where we board a small boat for San Frutuosso, accessible only by sea or on foot. Here an old stone Benedictine Monastery dominates the bay. Our walk takes us from the Monastery, past the 16th century watch tower and up the slope behind which is covered with Mediterranean pine and Holm oak, but if you look closely you can also see the terraces with very old olive trees.

We stop to picnic on the top of the hill, a lunch of ripe tomatoes, focaccia bread, Genoan salami and provolone cheese while gazing along the dramatic coastline and down to the sea far below.

An hour later we are looking down on the jewel-like harbour of Portofino, a small harbour famed for its elegance and super yachts, gelatos and weddings! Our local guide, Michaelangelo, points us towards the ‘best’ gelato shop. From then on, most afternoons are punctuated with a gelato. It becomes the group’s custom to get two different flavours on one cone; hazelnut, cherry and strawberry are particular favourites.

Our day ends with a swim, after which we are ready for another beautiful Italian dinner. Michaelangelo suggests we try his favourite restaurant in Santa Margherita, Osteria 7. Imagine large tables full of Italian families eating with gusto, all willing to share their recommendations of the local specialities; pasta with the walnut cream sauce, sardines, sea bass, delicious stuffed vegetables and fig tart for dessert.

A few days later, a closed section on the Cinque Terre between

Manarola and Corniglia turns out to be an unexpected bonus as it takes us to a pathway less crowded. We head up a country street surrounded by gardens and irrigation canals and onto some steps which climb to Volastra. This is a small village of olive groves where some of the region’s best olive oil is made. Walking on a high path above the vertical landscape, we look down on drywall terraces filled with lovingly tended vineyards and orchards which are being harvested. An old woman we pass gives us three tomatoes from her garden to add to our lunch.

That night we eat at the Michelin listed Miky in Monterosso; another meal of Ligurian delicacies. First up, seafood insalata – a large platter full of succulent calamari, clams and deep fried prawns followed by sea bass ravioli. The main course is branzino alla ligure (sea bass with olives and potatoes). The meal ends with a very light cake with lemon mousse filling. But before we stroll back along the harbour to our hotel, we finish the evening with a rare and delicious Sciachiatra – a late harvest sticky wine distinctive of the Cinque Terre.

It is with reluctance we leave this vibrant region but ahead of us are more wonderful walks, food and experiences in Tuscany, Umbria and the Amalfi Coast.

Calder & Lawson specialise in small group tours with three different touring styles: Travel & Learn, Journeys, and Walking & Cycling. Learn more about our tours by visiting our website www.calderandlawsontours.co.nz to view our full itineraries and register to receive all the latest news and updates.

page 28 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

I enjoy cooking and whipping up easy to prepare wholesome meals made with beautiful fresh local produce. I haven’t enjoyed having to cover it with petroleum based cling film full of toxic phthalates and chemicals linked to cancers, hormone, and oestrogen problems though.

And now I don’t need to as I’ve switched over “It’s the to using our new BioBag cling film.

It’s the first food safe cling film… ever. Based on renewable raw materials BioBag cling film is made from GE (GMO) free plant and natural materials and biodegradable polymer, without toxic plasticisers or additives that can transfer to foods.

Compostable and biodegradable to European EN13432 and American ASTM D6400 standards.

including those with high fat and acid content, which is not always the case for traditional cling films. This new cling film also reduces climate change gas emissions, energy consumption and the use of non-renewable resources… first food convenience without guilt.

safe cling film… ever.”

As well as being food safe, human safe and better for the environment, after use it can be disposed of with food scraps for composting. BioBag cling film can be used for all kinds of foods,

A unique feature is its good moisture transmission, allowing foods to remain fresher longer without ‘sweating’, while still providing excellent protection against microorganisms and deterioration of food caused by exposure to oxygen. Friendlypak BioBag cling film’s high odour barrier prevents transmission of odours to other foods. Good technical characteristics in terms of strength, puncture and tear resistance make this film equal to or better than traditional cling films but with a unique feature, the ability to tear in a straight line, speeding handling and eliminating the need for a pack cutter.

Kevin Graham – FriendlyPak Director

Back to Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, which were all represented, however the conclusions were almost instant. Ours are in a league of their own, much better in terms of quality and value. There is something very special about the bright, fresh and vibrant tones of New Zealand’s most famous wine varieties; something that comes from the land. It is hard to describe with the adjectives needed: fresh, bright, pure and balanced all come to mind.

A thought – between the three Islands: the North, South and the West (Australia) there could possibly be a wine to match the best in the world.

We are so lucky!

Sometimes you have to go without, be deprived or have something taken away from you before you realise just how good the thing was in the first place.

Recently this was the case for me with New Zealand wine, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in particular.

I was recently in Western Australia visiting family. While there I followed the old adage: in Rome do as the Roman’s do; so we drank the local product, Western Australian wine. There were positives: outstanding, world class Chardonnay. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Merlot blends also had stunning examples. Finesse wrapped in a powerful under blanket of berry fruits, tobacco and spice with beautiful integrated oak. Dry Riesling was also very strong, while Shiraz was very good without knocking your socks off. Interestingly Chenin Blanc was big; it took the place of Sauvignon Blanc for many wineries and came, generally, with a touch of sweetness.

Now for some audience participation. While the weather is warm and summery try some of our great Sauvignon Blancs from 2012. It was a great vintage for the variety with many super wines. As it gets cooler start drinking a few more Pinot Noir’s (that’s if you haven’t been already) most of the current wines available are from very good to excellent vintages. While you are enjoying them remember dollar for dollar, wine for wine you might be drinking some of the very best examples in the world.

Henry Jacobs

www.primovino.co.nz

It’s in thE

jeans

This season you’ll need to own a great pair of jeans so here are my tips to find a great pair.

Go classic:

Forget what’s trendy and go for a style that flatters. If you want failsafe try a mid-rise bootcut or straight leg jean in a mid to dark denim, these styles work great with heels to lengthen the leg making you appear taller and slimmer!

The right hem:

Scuffed hems or short hems can look untidy. If you wear a lot of flats and high heels consider buying two pairs hemmed to suit each height.

Embellish:

Detailing on the lower leg of jeans like zips or interesting stitching can add texture to a layered outfit and detract attention away from your hips, just be mindful of raised buttons or pocket flaps as these can add bulk.

Places to try:

Try a demi-curve jean from Just Jeans for a great fit around your bottom. For larger ladies try the body shape range from City Chic. Not Your Daughters Jeans offer great variety in petite, plus and tall jean sizes and Alibi Jeans promise a great fit. Espirit, Max and Jeanswest are also worth a try.

Tailor made:

Get to know a good tailor as they can do wonders with altering an almost there pair of jeans. Alternatively, you can also find jean making services online designed to create jeans for your size and shape.

Happy jean hunting!

Erena Te Paa is a personal image stylist and owner of Wardrobe 111. She has been helping men and women across New Zealand to restyle their wardrobes, look good and feel more confident. If your style needs reviving she would love to hear from you.

Contact erena@wardrobe111.co.nz

connecting Kiwi writers with Kiwi readers

With a unique range of books, photo prints and a dedicated genealogy section, there’s something for everyone at The Best Little Book Store We make niche market books easy to buy online... these books are often difcult to nd in retail stores so we save you time and money. the author friendly printer and bookseller page 30 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Visit us online for unique books, photo prints and art

Photos by Claudia Aalderink

the

Engine Room

Have you ever thought about the chemicals in your soaps and shampoos? Kaleb Phillippe has!

A hairdresser for over 12 years, Kaleb became only too aware of the warning labels, protective procedures and harmful chemicals in the products he used everyday to wash, colour and treat clients’ hair.

Men Barbers, into a thriving fashion salon with a team of three.

Kaleb’s commitment to eco based, natural products while still Kaleb puts this down to hard work, drive and attention to detail. offering the best products available in terms of colour and performance means he seeks out suppliers Keeping up to date with the latest trends that have the same commitment and values he “We stand behind is also a major factor the entire team take does. Inspired by nature and driven by fashion, our products with seriously. “By forecasting fashion,” Kaleb says, the range of products The Engine Room offer arm ourselves with concepts designed may include a list of strange ingredients an intense quality “we to support new trends as well as to suit our like rock rose, hug wort and nettle but they everyday salon clients.” don’t contain parabens or sulphates or other control system.” chemical nasties.

Originally from the Coromandel, Kaleb trained in the UK, which included a four year apprenticeship. He tutored for Sevilles in “We stand behind our products with an intense quality control Auckland before going on to be an educator for a leading haircare system,” says Kaleb. But the commitment to eco friendly practices brand. and quality products doesn’t stop with the haircare range. All the cleaning products used in the salon are from the eco store; towels So with a wealth of knowledge and experience, a commitment to are washed with a natural lavender wash. Plus as you enjoy your staying true to his beliefs and offering clients fantastic service as treatment you will be spoilt with filtered water, herbal teas or well as cutting edge design it is clear The Engine Room will make organic Rocket coffee. its mark on the hairdressing world in the Waikato.

It is this drive and vision that has seen Kaleb grow The Engine Room so quickly. In less than two years the business has been To book an appointment with Kaleb or one of the team phone 07 839 5000. www.theengineroom1984.com transformed from Kaleb predominantly cutting men’s hair as Mr

page 31 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Looking for 100% natural skin care? natruél believes that what you put on your skin affects your body, that’s why natruél is 100% natural, packed with plenty of nutrients your skin will love!

Founded by Tauranga based mother and daughter, Wendy and Charity Mossop, natruél have broken into the highly competitive world of skin care, with a range of honey-based products which use only natural ingredients.

``We won’t compromise on our ingredients, even though it means our range doesn’t have such a long shelf-life. We are totally committed to ensuring our products don’t contain anything which may not be good for you,’’ said Charity of Mossop’s Honey, creators of the natruél Skin Care Range.

Wendy’s research into how to incorporate honey into a range of skin care products for everyday use, led her to discover just how many chemicals are used in skin and baby creams, and how they can not only externally affect the skin but also may affect the body internally. The biggest challenge Mossop’s took on was not to have any synthetic chemicals or harmful ingredients in their skin care products.

Discover the range of natruél skincare online or at healthcare shops. www.natruel.co.nz

Introducing Trilogy’s New Advanced Natural Hair Care: REFRESH. SHINE. SMOOTH AND NOURISH. Trilogy’s new advanced hair care range is the answer for modern gals who want things natural but don’t want to compromise on performance. The shampoos offer a rich foaming action so often lacking in natural products, while the conditioners leave hair silky, shiny and tangle free.

The key ingredient is Keracyn™, a new high performance natural active ingredient extracted from the second year leaves of globe artichokes. Rich in proteins and antioxidants, Keracyn™ delivers potent anti-ageing benefits for hair. It strengthens the hair shaft’s protective outer shield by preserving the cohesion of cuticle scales for more resilient, shiny, frizz-free hair. It also protects from sun and oxidative damage and promotes hair density, strengthening and protecting hair fibres and helping hair retain its healthy and bright colour.

The range is available at the Herbal Dispensary in Raglan.

win

We have two sets of this beautiful range to give away. To enter simply sign up to Nourish online www.nourishmagazine.co.nz The winners will be drawn on 18 May 2013.

waters

1226 A VICTORIA STREET, HAMILTON PH: 07 838 2202 FAX: 07 838 2203

Hasn’t our summer been amazing? Driving through the Waikato you would be forgiven for thinking you were in Oz as our normally lush green pastures are brown and dry. I hope this is not the same case with your skin! My best advice for keeping skin looking youthful is to avoid any sun damage. But even if you manage this a peel treatment can be beneficial, especially at this time of year when your skin has been congested from perspiration and sun block.

A Benev superficial peel will give your dull skin a beautiful lift, removing dead cells leaving you with calm fresh skin.

Avoiding the sun doesn’t mean you have to look pale and washed out. A spray tan is the perfect solution for a natural glow and the bonus of no strap marks. Our Italian spray tan, currently only $38, gives you a wonderful hydrating golden tan. Plus it dries in minutes meaning no stained clothes or sheets.

Finish your top to toe polished look with a pedicure and wear those strappy sandals as long as the weather permits. Waters offer three different pedicure options as well as jewel painted nails. So give us a call and make an appointment, we promise you will leave with a spring in your step.

WWW.WATERS.NET.NZ

Christine Seddon

Seasonal Recipes

Eggplant

Parmigiana 2 eggplants 2 tbsp flour 1 egg ½ cup breadcrumbs ¼ cup grated Parmesan

This is a gorgeous dish perfect for this time of year with an abundance of eggplants, tomato and even basil. It may seem bizarre but although vegetarian this is a really meaty dish so perfect for people who still think no meal is complete without meat.

1-2 cloves garlic ½ onion 1 tbsp capers 1 tsp dried oregano red wine 1½ cups pasata salt & pepper 1 tbsp brown sugar Mozzarella* fresh basil

Slice the eggplants into 1cm slices. Set out 3 dishes, one with flour, the second with the beaten egg and the final one with the breadcrumbs and Parmesan mixed together. Dip each slice into the flour then beaten egg and finally breadcrumbs and fry in batches. I used a little coconut oil in the pan but olive oil or butter would work too.

Fry in batches to ensure the eggplant is crispy on both sides.

Next make the tomato sauce by gently sautéing finely chopped onion, garlic and capers in a little oil. When the onions are translucent add a glug of wine. When the wine has evaporated add the oregano, sugar and tomato pasata (if you don’t have pasata simply blend a tin of chopped tomatoes with 2 tbsp of tomato paste). Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.

To assemble, layer half the slices of eggplant on a greased oven tray. Top these with the tomato sauce and then slices of mozzarella and a leaf or two of basil. Top this with the remaining eggplant, topped with the remaining tomato sauce and more mozzarella.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes to crisp up the cheese. Serve with some extra grated Parmesan.

*If you can get it use fresh buffalo mozzarella. I recommend Whangaripo or Clevedon buffalo mozzarella.

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Moussaka 1-2 eggplants 2-3 medium potatoes 1 onion 1-2 cloves garlic 500g lamb mince 2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 tsp oregano 2 tbsp olives ¼ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp allspice ½ tsp cumin ¼ cup red wine 2 tbsp tomato paste 40g butter 3 tbsp flour 1½ cups milk salt & pepper 2 eggs

Slice the eggplants and potatoes into ½cm thick slices. Brush with a little oil (I used olive oil) and bake for 15 minutes in a moderate oven (180°C).

Heat a little more oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes before adding the lamb mince, herbs and spices.

Cook for 5-10 minutes until mince browns then add the wine. When the wine has evaporated add the olives, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper and turn the heat down. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

While the meat sauce simmers make the white sauce by melting the butter in a small pot.

Stir in the flour and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, stirring to avoid lumps.* Cook, stirring often, until the sauce

page 34 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

thickens. Season, stir in the cheese and take off the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the beaten eggs.

Layer the cooked potatoes on the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Top these with half the lamb mix followed by half the cooked eggplant. Pour half the white sauce over the eggplant slices before repeating again with the remaining lamb, eggplant and white sauce. If you like top with a bit more cheese before baking in a moderate oven for 30-45 minutes.

*If you are not used to making white sauces warming the milk may help you avoid getting lumps. Stirring with a whisk also helps.

M

avis & Co have created quite a buzz in the Hamilton cafe scene. In little over 18 months they have gained a large following for their wonderful food and retro style. The couple behind Mavis & Co are Jayne and Fin Irwin.

Their vision for Clarence, the latest addition to the business, was similar to that of Mavis & Co – to create a place they would like to go. >

Photos by Sarah Brooks

page 35 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Fin says the idea for Clarence came from the couple’s love of degustations. “We have always been attracted to restaurants that offer degustation menus,” says Fin, “as it’s a chance to sample a variety of delicious tastes and food combinations. A tapas menu totally suits how we like to eat.”

After a trip to Melbourne specifically to get ideas and see what was happening over there, they set to work turning their ideas into plans. Head chef Carl Taylor came on board, the kitchen was doubled in size and a bar was added.

Clarence is relaxed and cool and this is what the team have been working hard to create. Carl has created a menu of tapas that he describes as anything but traditional. Instead, Carl focuses on creating interesting dishes that he says “are not too fancy but with a spin on things.”

“We want people to feel comfortable to come in for a couple of wines or beers but not feel they are committed to having dinner,” says Fin. Key to this is the menu which offers people the ability to graze or enjoy a complete meal. Carl says a tapas menu also allows him the ability to be quite adventurous with styles from dishes with Asian influences to those with a more Mediterranean feel.

Having an extensive wine list with the majority of wines available by the glass is also an important part of the concept. Like the menu you can try a few different glasses, be adventurous and try a new style.

Fin says, “We have been told it’s (the wine list) a bit unconventional.” But again the Irwin’s personality is shining through with a wine list created not by wine reps but from the wines, Fin says they enjoy drinking.

Open four nights a week (Wednesday to Saturday) Clarence is where you can come to hang out, meet friends for a drink, have a meal but most importantly come to relax and enjoy!

475 Grey Street, Hamilton East.

page 36 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

Pork Skewers with Pineapple Satay Sauce

1 kg pork pieces (any cut ideal for skewers, we used schnitzel)

Pork marinade

1 tsp ground Turmeric 1 tbsp dried coriander 1 tsp cumin 1 knob of ginger 3 garlic cloves 1 tbsp lemongrass (finely chopped) 1 tbsp caster sugar 100ml cooking oil 1 tsp salt For the marinade put all ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth.

Pour over your prepared pork and combine until evenly coated.

Cover and leave overnight to marinate.

HINT When preparing skewers, soak the skewers overnight in cold water to prevent them burning on the bbq or grill.

Pineapple satay sauce

100g crushed pineapple 100ml coconut milk ½ tsp ground turmeric 100g toasted peanuts 2 long red chillies 1 garlic clove 50g palm sugar 2 tbsp lemongrass (finely chopped) lime juice & fish sauce are best used to season this recipe Place peanuts, turmeric, chillies, garlic and lemongrass in a food processor until a coarse paste consistency is reached.

Pickled cucumber

1 thinly sliced cucumber (use a mandolin if available) 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tbsp caster sugar Toss prepared ingredients in a bowl and leave to pickle for 20 minutes before serving.

Add the spice paste into a hot saucepan with a little oil and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add pineapple, coconut cream and palm sugar to the saucepan and cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and add a dash of fish sauce (or salt) and a good squeeze of lime juice to balance the flavour.

Serve at room temperature over the grilled pork skewers, garnished with pickled cucumber.

page 37 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

EVENTS

Shades of Summer With a line-up of musicians like Dave Dobbyn, Op Shop, Greg Johnson and the Dukes, Whitianga’s Shades of Summer concert is sure to be a sell out!

Saturday 30 March from 12 noon, Whitianga Waterways. Tickets $75 from Ticketek or Coromandel i-SITEs.

Nourish presents A Night with Lauraine Jacobs Having talked about, created, and written about food pretty much her entire life, one of New Zealand’s great food personalities felt that it was time for her to share some of her extraordinary adventures, experiences and stories. Join us on Thursday 2 May for a three course meal inspired by Lauraine’s new book.

Formerly Cuisine’s long-serving food editor, Lauraine is currently the New Zealand Listener’s food columnist, and she is a New Zealand food legend, don’t miss this chance to meet her!

Thursday May 2, 7pm at The District, 19 Home Straight, Te Rapa www.thedistrict.co.nz

Nourish presents High Tea with Natalie Oldfield For Natalie Oldfield, food and cooking has always been a part of her life, but her love affair really began with baking. Join us for a special High Tea with Natalie and the Waikato launch of her third book, Gran’s Sweet Pantry. This would make a fantastic early Mother’s day outing!

Tickets are $60 and include high tea and a copy of Gran’s Sweet Pantry.

Sunday 5 May, 10.30am at The District, 19 Home Straight, Te Rapa www.thedistrict.co.nz

Italian Gnocchi and Risotto Workshop at Red Kitchen Join Sarah and Megan as they take you on a little journey of Italy. Finish with Espresso, Panforte and some great Italian specials in the Market. Book early, only 18 spaces available!

April 23 5.30-7pm. Tickets $30 from www.redkitchen.co.nz

NZTCA Apple Friday Apple Friday is part of the NZ Tree Crop Associations annual conference.

Celebrating all things apple with apple pie, cake, cider and photography competitions to name a few this is a great opportunity to get baking or making with one of autumns favourite fruits.

Hamilton Gardens Friday 26 April.

For entry forms or more information email Annette conf2013@gmail.com

Reidel Launch at Red Kitchen Red Kitchen now stock Reidel wine glasses and decanters and are running a series of Reidel wine tastings, starting on May 29. Tickets are $140 and include canapés on arrival, Reidel tasting, plus you get to take home four Reidel varietal specific vinum glasses (valued at $249) Spaces are limited.

To book go to www.redkitchen.co.nz page 38 www.nourishmagazine.co.nz

The Seriously Good Food Show Designed with good taste in mind, the Seriously Good Food Show will host displays and exhibits from some of New Zealand’s top food and drink producers. Live cooking seminars, lots of tastings, spot prizes, a great show prize and the odd master chef will all feature during the show.

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 July, ASB Arena, Baypark, Mount Maunganui.

Tickets $10

NOURISH DIRECTORY

Try Pure Certified Organic Hemp Seed Oil

Enjoy

Optimal 3-1 ratio of omega’s 3, 6 & 9 plus all essential amino acids, minerals & vitamin E. DELICIOUS DRIZZLING OIL

Phone 07 560 10 20 www.hempfarm.co.nz

Get on the Grapevine wine@primovino.co.nz

Join our weekly email, keeping you in touch with our Friday night tastings wine education classes and special wine deals.

Get on the Grapevine

Corner Victoria & Liverpool Streets, Hamilton email wine@primovino.c.nz | ph 07 8393139

wine@primovino.co.nz

Join our weekly email, keeping you in touch with our Friday night tastings wine education classes and special wine deals.

S top

Corner Victoria & Liverpool Streets, Hamilton email: wine@primovino.co.nz | ph 07 8393139

Create Matamata’s Purveyors of Vivace Espresso Skilled Baristas Serve Their Award Winning Coffees.

Enjoy Scrumptious Croissants, Savoury, Sweet & GF Treats.

Espresso To Go is the place to stop!

65 Broadway Need a Mobile Coffee Cart for Your Event?

Contact us: www.coffeematamata.co.nz

Eat

The kitchen is the heart of the home.

Lacanche ranges keep the house alive with style.

E gerry@lamaisonfrance.co.nz M 027 640 4422 www.lamaisonfrance.co.nz

Learn Want to learn Thai cooking?

Get a group of friends together for a great night of fun and food with Thanya.

Discover some great Thai recipes, get hands on and then enjoy a fabulous meal.

Premium kitchenware brands on-line e at realistic prices backed by fast and efficient service Cookware, baking tins, gadgets, aprons, salt/pepper grinders, utensils, knives and more…….

To find out how you can be part of Nourish

Satisfy your kitchen addiction

EMAIL vicki@ nourishmagazine.co.nz

www.thaicookingparty.co.nz thaicookingpartys@yahoo.co.nz or call Thanya or Doug on 07-8464148 021499940

If you are reading this chances are so are your potential clients.

www.tablepride.co.nz

or phONE 021 065 1537