Nourish Magazine Waikato Spring 2019

Salt & PEPPER

TASTE O F WAIKATO, NZ

Waikato

ISSUE NO. 37 SPRING 2019

ISSUE NO. 37 SPRING 2019

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FRESH LOCAL FLAVOUR WAIKATO, NZ

More Space, Fewer Loads Step up to the new spacious Samsung 16kg Washer with matching 10kg Hybrid Heat Pump Dryer

regular 6 46 54 56 64 66 82 83

Vic’s Picks Travel Herbs Gardening Nourish Kids Fitness Events Directory

features

EDITOR Vicki Ravlich-Horan HEAD DESIGNER Sara Cameron, Minted Design Co. PROOF READER Nikki Crutchley (Crucial Corrections) CONTRIBUTORS Bronwyn Lowe, Megan Coupland, Denise Irvine, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Liz French, Lynda Hallinan, Rachel Hart, Kate Underwood, Vicki Jones, Kate Monahan- Riddell COVER IMAGE Sheryl Nicholson PHOTOGRAPHERS Brydie Thompson, Ashlee DeCaires, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Sheryl Nicholson, Alex Spodyneiko, Melody Letfus ISSN 2324-4356 (Print) | ISSN 2324-4364 (Online) ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Vicki Ravlich-Horan sales@nourishmagazine.co.nz 07 8475321 or 0210651537

8 12 16 20 28 40 58 60 68 72 78

Hospitality Awards Taste of Waikato Mr Pickles Falls Retreat Workshops A Pinch of Salt Home Kitchen Bounty Microgreens My Big Reno Wed in Waikato Whisky 101

recipes 18 23 26 30 34 37 48 75

Mr Pickles’ Pea Risotto Pasta Punnet’s Rocky Road Getting Salty Mixing it Up with Red Kitchen Pepper with My Darling Lemon Thyme Cookie Time Bellini and Blini

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Dinners Made Easy EV EN E ASI E R ?

Win FREE beef, lamb & venison for the rest of the year!

Ah, Spring! What better way to recognise the end of winter than to dust off the barbeque!?

And Greenlea Butcher Shop is making your spring entertaining even easier by being your one-stop online shop for New Zealand raised, grass fed, export quality, premium beef, lamb and venison. Free delivery*, direct to your door. What could be easier?

Use the code NOURISHME to get 10% off your first order.

All Nourish readers who subscribe to our newsletter before October 20, 2019 are automatically entered into a competition to win free meat for the rest of the year! Visit our website home page and click on the ‘Win’ button to enter. Terms & conditions apply.

PROUD STOCKISTS OF OVATION LAMB & FIRSTLIGHT VENISON

Order today at www.greenleabutcher.co.nz *For rural delivery we recommend organising an alternate address due to the perishable nature of our product. Minimum order of $80 applies for free delivery. Terms & conditions: The ‘prize’ is free meat ordered by the winner from available stock from the Greenlea Butcher Shop between October 21 and December 31, 2019 up to a total value of $750. Entries close on October 20, 2019. One winner will be drawn at random from all valid entries. The prize winner will be contacted by phone (with confirmation by email). Where the winner cannot be contacted by phone within three days of the prize draw, the prize will be re-drawn. Greenlea and Nourish accept no responsibility for and gives no warranties or representations regarding the prize. Unless otherwise stipulated, the winner’s details and photos may be used for promotional purposes and by accepting the prize, the winner must make themselves available for this purpose. The prize is not transferrable, exchangeable or redeemable for cash. The approximate retail value of the prize is $750.00. You must sign up with a valid email address. Entry is only open to New Zealand residents and meat can only be shipped to a valid New Zealand address. Due to the perishable nature of the product, shipping is not available to all areas/addresses. Employees, officers and contractors of Greenlea (and their immediate families) are ineligible to enter. The prize draw will be conducted at Greenlea’s premises on October 21, 2019. Greenlea’s decision is final. The collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided in connection with this competition is governed by the Privacy Laws of New Zealand. You authorise Greenlea to contact you with information pertaining to the competition and/or related promotions.

NOURISH | issue 37

Welcome to Nourish Magazine As I write this it’s raining (again), and outside my window there is nothing but mud. I’m trying to conjure up enough enthusiasm to get out there and tackle the garden because even if it is pouring now, before you know it everything will be springing back to life.

Spring is always a special edition for me as it is Nourish’s birthday and this is our ninth. As we embark on our tenth year of bringing you a slice of fresh local flavour, I am immensely proud of where we have come and the team of people we have working each quarter to bring you your favourite local magazine. The talent behind Nourish was showcased in the NZ Food Writers awards, The Foodies, where our contributors Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Kate Underwood and Denise Irvine were all named as finalists. The winners were announced just after we went to print, so go to our Facebook page to see how they did.

Our local hospitality talent was also recently celebrated with the Restaurant Association of New Zealand’s first Waikato Hospitality Awards. I proudly need to point out that a good number of past and present Nourish clients were well represented here too. See the results on page 8.

Celebrations are on the menu too in this edition with some of the expert tips from the Wed in Waikato crew (see page 72). And on page 75 we make Bellinis and blinis, just the ticket for your next soiree.

On page 12 we learn about The Red Barn’s new offering where they too are celebrating our region with the Taste of Waikato experience. On page 24 we discover what the team at Punnet and

Country Providore are up to. And on page 46 Kate Underwood experiences more than the great food on offer at Falls Retreat.

With spring in the air there are a lot of great events coming up, so make sure you check out our Events page at the back of the magazine, including some great cooking classes with me and the wonderful Wayne Good, a fabulous ladies Whisky night at Mavis & Co, The Scarecrow Festival at Hamilton Gardens and another great Meet the Maker at Hayes Common.

If getting ready for summer is part of your plan for spring we are very pleased to introduce Emily Discombe from Fast Fit PT as our new health and fitness expert. Check out Emily’s spring tips on page 66.

Whatever your spring plans are, ensure it includes some quality you time and with those dear to you, hopefully enjoying our fabulous region.

Vicki Ravlich-Horan Editor

FOLLOW US

CE T! HACNES LEF C T A LASFEW PL

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Wine, Woman and Song - A Bespoke experience in the Barossa Valley and Hahndorf, South Australia.

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Enjoy a touch of music, savouring delicious cuisine and artisan products paired with the best vino on offer. This foodie and wine extravaganza will ignite your taste buds and senses, calling you back for more.

Highlights include: • Music with the delightful Tina Cross

15-20 MARCH 2020 BOOK BY 30 SEPT

WINE, WOMEN & SONG Land only $2,785 or Air & Land $3,635 Price per person. Pricing subject to change until booked & paid in full.

• Interactive Cooking Class & Long Luncheon at The Eatery - Maggie Beers Estate • High Afternoon Tea @ Seppeltsfield Barossa, prepared by Award Winning Chef Owen Andrew • Vineyard Tours with Platters & Wine Pairing • Celebration Dinner St Hugo - Pernod Ricard • Ambleside Gin Flight • Long luncheon at The Lane Vineyard • Farewell dinner, surprise location Adelaide Hills

Your hosts Tina and Kay are planning future tours to Vietnam, South America, and the USA.

Tina & Kay warmly invite you on tour, as we explore these beautiful regions. Word has it, Tina plays a mean party ukulele!

Kay M Gregan Award Winning TAANZ Bonded Travel Broker & CLIA Accredited Cruise Specialist T: 64 7 865 9568 - Whangamata 64 7 8544 023 - Hamilton M: 64 27 337 6222 E: Kay.Gregan@thetravelbrokers.co.nz thetravelbrokers.co.nz/kaygregan

Vic's Picks GIVE A GIFT FROM THE HAMILTON GARDENS When was the last time you popped into the Hamilton Gardens Gift Shop? It’s worth a stop next time you are enjoying the award-winning gardens. The team have been working on sourcing and stocking a range of beautiful New Zealand made products while also creating their own.

Each year the amazing Seville oranges grown in the Italian Renaissance Garden and tart Damson plums from the Kitchen Garden are picked by their gardeners and turned into marmalade and jam by the team at Wild Country. Lemons grown in the Concept Garden are used for the lemon curd and the herb aioli while last summer’s bumper harvest of chillies has been turned into a tangy chilli sauce. These are a lovely way to support Hamilton Gardens, enjoy truly local produce or give a wonderful gift.

PEPLERS MAGIC DUST

NOURISH COOK SCHOOL

Dusting is something I usually avoid, that is until I discovered Peplers Magic Dust. This little jar of magic quickly transforms a boring mid-week meal into something special. Dust it over roast veg, on chicken, steak and more!

Join me in my kitchen for a little inspiration. These small group classes are fun and informal and a great way to learn a few new recipes or pick up a couple of tips. Classes cost $65pp and include refreshments (wine, coffee, tea) and a meal at the end.

Get yours from www.peplers.co.nz

Brilliant Brunch – 13 October, 11am Mid-Week Magic – 26 September, 6pm Spring Entertaining – 3 November, 11am Or if you have a teenager (or novice cook) in the household you want to send off into the world with a few skills, sign them up for my Teach a Teenager series. $65 per class or book all four for $220.

Don’t be an Egg – 10 October, 6pm Budget Busters – 17 October, 6pm Mastering a Roast – 31 October, 6pm More than Mince on Toast – 7 November, 6pm For more information and to book go to www.nourishmagazine.co.nz/cookingclasses

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Vic's Picks CHRISTMAS COOKING CLASSES WITH WAYNE GOOD

BEARDED WEASEL

Wayne's ever popular Christmas cooking classes are back and will book out fast! If you are yet to enjoy a cooking class with the effervescent Wayne Good you are in for a treat as he welcomes you into his home and shares with you some inspirational recipes for your festive table this year.

If you have been to one of Wayne’s classes before you will need no convincing to get in quick and book.

The team behind Mr Pickles open The Bearded Weasel, their hole in the wall eatery that faces out onto Victoria on the River, in early September. We’ve had a sneaky taste test of the fried chicken with the special sauce and are tipping this to be a hit.

$75.00 pp includes welcome treat and coffee, demonstration, recipes, lunch and refreshments, plus the recipes to take home.

To book email wayne@arkanda.co.nz

DIESEL COFFEE Try Hamilton’s newest coffee roaster, Diesel, at Mavis & Co (Hamilton East), Mavis Made to Order and Mavis at the airport. And watch this space for more exciting news on this new brand, including their own roastery café, in our summer edition.

SWEET PEA LIVING UP TO THEIR NAME Among the huge selection of cake decorating and party supplies at Sweet Pea Parties, you will find some simple ways to pimp your creations, including these edible dried flowers and marvellous little meringues.

La Petite dried flowers look great on anything you choose to put them on and have a delightful scent. They are grown naturally in rural Auckland, with no sprays or nasties.

The meringues, which come in a range of shapes and colours, are made locally by The Little Cakery, and Kirsty from Sweet Pea Parties says they just fly out the door!

6 Princes St, Hamilton www.sweetpeaparties.co.nz

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WAIKATO HOSPITALITY AWARDS CELEBRATING HOSPITALITY EXCELLENCE The vibrancy and variety of the Waikato Hospitality scene was never more evident than at the Waikato Hospitality Awards held in August.

Wintec’s Atrium was full of glitz and glitter as those who normally deliver the best food and service in our region got to sit down and enjoy a superb dinner from Kerr and Ladbrook while celebrating the depth and breadth of our hospitality scene.

Presented by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, Waikato Food Inc and Lexis ComplyHub, the awards recognise the outstanding hospitality professionals, all of whom are making a positive impact on the local cafe and dining scene.

The People’s Choice award went to Gather Foodhouse in Frankton while ex-owner and chef Ashleigh Brodie also took out Bidfresh Hamilton Outstanding Chef. Hamilton’s barista king Dove Chen, who has held the national title of best barista twice and this year twelfth in the world, was crowned Meadow Fresh Outstanding Barista. Dove said in his acceptance speech it was very special to be recognised in his home town.

Marisa Bidois, CEO Restaurant Association of New Zealand, says, “The youthful and ethnically diverse population of Hamilton is PAGE 8 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

creating a really exciting hospitality scene in Hamilton.

“As an industry it’s so important that we take time out to celebrate our success and acknowledge our achievements. We believe it’s important to shine a light on our industry and make sure we are recognised for the contribution we make to our community and economy.”

Waikato Food Inc Chairperson Mathew Pedley said, “Waikato Food Inc are pleased to finally have an event which celebrates the amazing achievements of Waikato restaurants, bars and cafes and is something we, as an organisation, have been working towards for some time. It is a winning scenario, not only for the local hospitality industry, but for food lovers too.”

Alex Williams from Wonder Horse, who took out Antipodes Outstanding Bartender and Restaurant Association of NZ Outstanding Bar, thanked everyone involved and the wonderful community being built in our region.

The sentiments of the night were succinctly put by Amy Hodgson from Cinnamon Cafe, winners of Nova Energy Outstanding Suburban/Regional Experience, when she said to thunderous applaud “we love what we do”.

THE WINNERS

MEADOW FRESH OUTSTANDING BARISTA

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF NZ OUTSTANDING BAR

Dove Chen, Grey Street Kitchen

Wonder Horse

ANTIPODES OUTSTANDING BARTENDER

ONEMUSIC OUTSTANDING AMBIENCE & DESIGN

Alex Williams, Wonder Horse

Mr. Pickles Bar & Eatery

THE POS PEOPLE OUTSTANDING FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM

NOVA ENERGY OUTSTANDING SUBURBAN/REGIONAL EXPERIENCE

Gothenburg Restaurant

Cinnamon Cafe

BIDFRESH HAMILTON OUTSTANDING CHEF

BURNS & FERRALL OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT

Ashleigh Brodie, Gather Foodhouse

Palate

THE BREEZE WAIKATO 99.4FM LOCAL FOOD HERO

THE RECRUITMENT NETWORK OUTSTANDING CATERER

Gus Tissink, Bidfresh Hamilton

Mavis & Co

SERVICE FOODS EMERGING CHEF

MAURICE TRAPP GROUP OUTSTANDING SALES REP

Harriet Boucher, Mr. Pickles Bar & Eatery

Katrina Frost, Bidfresh Hamilton

BIDFOOD HAMILTON OUTSTANDING CAFE

KERR & LADBROOK OUTSTANDING SUPPLIER

The Shack, Raglan

Bidfresh Hamilton

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.

THE MEYER CHEESE MELT CHALLENGE WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN IMAGES MELODY LETFUS

When Waikato Food Inc suggested we have a good old-fashioned cheese toastie challenge the response was overwhelming.

Miel Meyer from Meyer Cheese enthusiastically jumped on board as naming rights sponsor, confessing he loves a cheese toastie. It wasn’t hard to convince the team at Volare or Clevedon Buffalo to join in, and thus giving chefs some of the best cheese and bread in the land to play with.

Twenty local eateries heated up their grills to create their “gratest”cheese toastie. We saw soft Volare brioche toasted with triple cream and gouda cheese and fresh truffle from Camarosa, and meatballs smothered in a marinara sauce and Clevedon Buffalo Mozzarella from Cucina. Madam Woo put a twist on a traditional Malaysian roti, while Banh Mi showcased the local butcher, baker and cheese maker with their Kiwi take on the banh mi.

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Two weeks just wasn’t long enough says Miel, who struggled to try them all in that time and is looking forward to an extended challenge in 2020.

Taking out the inaugural challenge with their ‘Up to no Gouda’ toastie was Veranda Cafe. Chef Sam Immers says, “I loved the challenge—to take something so simple and exercise our chef's brains whilst incorporating local cheese and other ingredients. When we won, I was ecstatic!”

The winning toastie – Up To No Gouda Served with a small seasonal soup, Meyer fenugreek gruyere and Clevedon Buffalo Oaxaca was combined with chipotle salsa, crispy bacon and chilli lime chicken between toasted Volare brioche.

Finalists were – Camarosa – Mama Mia Mr Pickles – Cheesus Crust

Waikato Culinary

Stars Shine WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN IMAGES MELODY LETFUS

Each winter Waikato’s culinary stars shine with the Waikato Food Inc Matariki Dish Challenge.

Now in its fifth year, this highly contested challenge tests local eateries’ service, storytelling, sourcing of local ingredients as well as their kitchens’ culinary talent.

Esther Burnett from Waikato Food Inc says, “The Matariki Dish Challenge is a natural vehicle for the values and vision of Waikato Food Inc.” Waikato Food Inc is a not for profit organisation with the goal of raising the profile and calibre of the food and hospitality industry in the Waikato. “The Matariki Dish Challenge,” Esther says, “both inspires and challenges our local food heroes while inviting the public to engage in a fundamental cultural tradition, that of Matariki. The public literally experiences the stories of Matariki through food.”

The judges commented that the calibre of entries this year was the best yet with just half a point determining those that made it through as finalists and those that didn’t. The lucky finalists were Hayes Common and Alpino with Alpha Street Kitchen & Bar taking out the top prize. Owner Fiona Massey says, “We have hung the amazing and sizeable trophy on the wall and it’s definitely getting talked about! The team are

thrilled and really proud.”

Fiona says she loves the Matariki Dish Challenge because “it’s a chance for the team to challenge themselves and do something creative. It’s also great that it is not just a cooking competition—it involves the whole team.”

Chef Harry Williams says, “We wanted to create a dish that celebrates the scope of the Waikato region, incorporating two coasts and highlighting how bountiful it is, especially at this time of year.”

The dish: Wild spat Coromandel oysters were the hero having been sous vide with butter, horopito and pikopiko and served in the shell on a bed of pickled seaweed; the oysters were served with a manuka-smoked potato foam. Then the Raglan kahawai was made into ‘fish floss’ and served with fry-bread.

As the dish was brought to the table, a horopito leaf was smouldering as an offering to the seven sisters of the Matariki constellation.

“It’s hard to say what won the judges over,” says Fiona, “but I can tell you what sold it to our customers: many people notice the pride, passion and knowledge the team demonstrated during the presentation of the dish—it wasn’t hard as we do live in a wonderful part of the country.”

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SERVING UP A

Taste Of Waikato WORDS KATE MONAHAN-RIDDELL

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NOURISH | feature

Set in the lush green farmland of the Waikato’s Hinuera Valley, the Red Barn offers a slice of rural New Zealand.

With views of rolling green pastures, nearby mountains and Lake Karapiro, it has become a popular destination for weddings, private parties and corporate events since its launch over 10 years ago. In recent years they have also been offering farm tours through their 200ha working dairy farm.

Now, owners Bridgette and Lance O’Sullivan are taking their passion for the region to the next level with the launch of a new gastronomic venture called Taste of Waikato.

A gourmet six-course degustation menu, which launches this spring, will showcase some of the finest regional food and wine, while offering an interactive experience that includes butter churning and plating a meal.

The degustation lunches and dinners are designed to be a leisurely, enjoyable experience taking around 3.5 hours.

On arrival guests will receive a glass of sparkling wine, marking the start of a delicious culinary journey around the wider Waikato and Coromandel, with a menu designed by executive chef Leith Davidson.

It features Coromandel mussels served with Opito Bay scallop crème, crispy Otorohanga pork belly and delicatelyflavoured smoked tuna arancini with an indigenous twist (see recipe on page 15 of this issue).

Many of the Waikato’s top artisan food companies also appear on the menu including Bella Pane (Putaruru), Magills Butchery (Te Awamutu), Kaimai Greens (Matamata), Balle Bros (Matamata), Southern Fresh (Matangi), Cilantro Cheese (Hamilton), Kōwhai Creamery (Waharoa), Raglan Chocolate, and Southfish (eel from Te Kauwhata).

Each of the six courses is paired with wine from Te Kauwhata-based INVIVO, Ohaupobased Vilagrad Winery and Karapiro-based Takapoto Estate. Raglan Roast coffee and tea from Zealong Tea Estate (near Hamilton) is also available.

“Over the past decade we’ve got to know a lot of the food producers in the Waikato and they have got such great stories to tell,” says Bridgette. “Here we’ve got some of the most fertile soils and farms in the world, with the best dairy, meat and beautiful produce; we’ve got lakes, rivers and ocean with fresh seafood and eel. That is how Taste of the Waikato came about. We want to showcase Waikato food and wine to the world.”

The back of each menu features the stories of local food and wine producers, a souvenir that guests can take home. Sharing these local stories excites chef Leith Davidson.

“For example, Bella Pane makes beautiful bread using flour from a mill in Tirau

Cucina (ku-chee-nah) Where great food and company come together

07 839 4343 Gate 1, Anglesea Medical Centre 7 Thackeray Street, Hamilton cucinaonthackeray@gmail.com

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and water from the Blue Springs in Putaruru,” says Leith, who has worked in hotels, restaurants and catering companies in both New Zealand and Australia. “Each loaf of bread is handmade from scratch and is absolutely delicious. It’s good to be able to showcase these small, artisanal companies.”

To add to the fun, there is an interactive element to the lunch.

Guests will have the opportunity to churn and season their own butter, which they can spread on freshly baked bread and enjoy.

As part of the second course, guests will have the chance to plate up their own dish, layering and drizzling elements on the plate—a chance to show their artistic flair. Later, diners will have an opportunity to test their senses as they try to identify mystery herbs and spices used in the meals.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” says Bridgette. “This is more than just a six-course degustation meal; we wanted to infuse it with an interactive element.”

Located on State Highway 29 between Matamata and Cambridge, and just a 15-minute drive from Hobbiton, the Red Barn is perfectly positioned to whet the appetites of discerning foodies and tourists travelling between Auckland and Rotorua or Tauranga.

The experience is ideal for large groups—whether international

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tourists off a cruise ship or on a coach tour through New Zealand— or for big groups of friends, family or colleagues celebrating a birthday or Christmas, for a staff reward or team-building event or other corporate functions.

Taste of Waikato is open all year round for private and corporate lunches or dinners for groups of between 20 and 50 people.

However, for a limited time, The Red Barn is opening up Taste of Waikato to the public, for small groups and individuals. Select dates this spring and early summer can be booked for tables of eight.

These exclusive dates include lunches on September 22, October 20, November 3 and December 12 and 15, and one dinner event on December 13. Lunches start at 11.30am and finish after 3pm. The dinner is from 6.30pm.

The six-course degustation Taste of Waikato experience is $115 per person, plus an additional $46 for wine match with each course.

To book go to www.redbarnexperiences.nz or contact 027 733 2276 for more information.

Smoked Tuna Arancini (Tuna is the Māori name for eel) Makes about 25 60g balls

1 cup A2 milk 150g flour 200g breadcrumbs

Eel Stock

2 carrots 2 celery stalks 2 cloves of garlic 1 onion 1 bay leaf 3 small stems of thyme 1.5 litre of water 1 eel frame Risotto Rice

1 whole smoked eel about 500g–600g (Southfish in Te Kauwhata. Alternatively, you can use smoked kahawai for an equally delicious result) 400g Arborio rice 1 onion, diced

You will want to wear a pair of gloves when prepping the eel.

Take the eel out of its packet and place it on a cutting board. Remove the skin and head.

Using your thumb and index finger, run it down the spine of the eel removing the smoked meat away from the bone. Using a fork you can remove any remaining meat. Cut into small pieces, and place in a bowl in the fridge.

Save the skin and eel frame for the stock.

To make the stock, roughly chop the vegetables and place in a medium pot with the bay leaf and thyme. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Next add the eel frame and skin into the pot and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, strain the liquid.

2 cloves garlic, minced or microplaned 100ml Crossing Point Chardonnay (Tekapoto Estate) 50g butter ¾ cup of Meyer Vintage Gouda 60g baby spinach Crumbing

2 free-range eggs

For the risotto In a heated pan add a splash of oil and the butter, diced onion and crushed garlic and cook until onions are transparent. Add the rice and mix well for 2 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the wine and cook until it has reduced by two-thirds, then start to add the stock. Add a ladleful of the hot stock mixture to the rice and stir over a medium heat until absorbed,

then add another ladleful. Repeat until all the stock is used up or the rice is tender but still al dente.

Add the roughly chopped eel, baby spinach and grated Meyer Vintage Gouda then mix well, check seasoning and add as required. The consistency you are looking for is when you can take a spoonful of the mix and place it on a tray, it should hold its shape for a moment then it should start to lie flat. When ready pour on to a lined tray that will fit in the fridge.

Allow it to completely cool.

Crumbing Place flour in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper. In another bowl whisk eggs and milk together. In a third bowl add the breadcrumbs.

Take the risotto out of the fridge and weigh into 60g balls.

Place the balls, one at a time, into the flour mix, coating evenly and dusting off any excess flour. Then into the egg mix, coating evenly and draining through your fingers. Then place into the breadcrumbs, reshaping as you coat evenly. Repeat until all balls are crumbed Now the balls are ready to be deep-fried.

Serve with your favourite salad and homemade aioli.

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WORDS DENISE IRVINE | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

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Friday night at Mr Pickles and a couple of us are in for the duck ramen special, made by sous chef Harriet Boucher. The bowls are brimming with aromatic broth, tender duck meat, noodles, fresh chilli, sprouts and chopped spring onions. It is deeply rich, delicious and comforting, sharpened by the zesty Asian flavours and textures.

popular sticky chicken. This, to quote the description, is made with Szechuan pepper, Kewpie mayo, and “love, lots of love”. The chicken is clearly a keeper, although coowner Mat Pedley reckons they’ll take it off sometime soon. His business partner Maurice Montero, the Dutch-trained head chef, will neither confirm nor deny this.

Harriet has been working for some time on the duck master stock that underpins this dish, and tonight she’s trialling it with customers. It gets a top review from our table; it is a must for the menu, we say.

The time it wasn’t much fun was Mother’s Day last year, just a few weeks after opening, when they were booked solidly from 8am to 8pm, turning the tables at one-and-a-half-hour intervals. Calamity struck twice: their chiller died the night before and food supplies were lost. Then a fire alarm went off at 1pm on the big day, the building was evacuated and the carefully timed bookings began to look like a sunken soufflé.

This is one of the pleasures of Mr Pickles Bar & Eatery, the happy place on Hamilton’s Riverbank Lane. Staff are always experimenting and inventing, the menu keeps changing. You never know what you’ll find, from one visit to the next.

We get lucky on this visit with a test run of duck ramen.

Mr Pickles is up to its ninth menu in just over a year since opening, and the only dish that’s stayed constant is the hugely

One year into Mr Pickles, Maurice and Mat still relish the independence of their owner-operated business where they make the rules and are not beholden to anyone.

This is their opportunity to shine in their own show and have fun while they’re about it.

Says Mat: “It was a nightmare service for everyone. We’ll never do another a la carte Mother’s Day, it’s a set menu and we know what’s coming.”

There have been many highlights to blot

out the memory, starting with their magic location at the end of Riverbank Lane, in the heart of the CBD. They did a clever fit-out with a big, bold bar, some terrazzotopped tables and bench seats, blonde plywood panelling, and—the bonus—a generous, sunny deck overlooking Waikato River. They say they had the perfect landlord, Hamilton property developer Matt Stark, to work with them on the project.

Then there’s food: fresh, flavoursome and seasonal. Mr Pickles’ menu defies labels, the dishes and beverages are what the owners themselves like to eat and drink.

Many ingredients—including cheeses, bread, butter, fruit, vegetables and meat— are sourced locally.

Mr Pickles’ entry in the recent Meyer Cheese Melt Challenge to find the Waikato’s best cheese toastie brought

Your online hub for

Waikato Wedding Professionals.

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together several local products to excellent effect. Their golden, crunchy toastie was made with Volare San Francisco sourdough, Clevedon buffalo oaxaca, Meyer vintage aged gouda and massadam, and Old Yella habanero mustard (developed for Auckland chef Al Brown’s restaurants by Waikato firm Wild Country).

Their relationships with suppliers are important, and Mat and Maurice praise specialty produce company Bidfresh Hamilton for its consistent and innovative range. Maurice is currently exploring menu ideas using South American fruits and vegetables, and he’s talking to Bidfresh about what could be sourced or grown locally.

Mr Pickles also backs Waikato Food Inc, the region’s food and hospitality promotion group, with Mat currently chairing the organisation. He says the “better together” approach helps support the Waikato’s excellent producers and share their unique stories.

He and Mat enjoy collaborating with hospitality colleagues on special events and menus. And many of their guests have become friends, repeat customers who park

themselves at the well-stocked bar or at a table and work through the latest menu.

Mat and Maurice reckon they’re borderline excessive about their eatery. They love coming to work, only it doesn’t actually feel like work. They rate their staff “family” highly and appreciate their ability to deliver consistently good food and service.

“We don’t micro-manage our staff,” says Maurice. “They need to be able to make mistakes and learn from them. We encourage and support them; we have full confidence in them. They have the skills to run this place without us.”

Recently, Maurice and Mat have added an off-shoot to the business in the form of The Bearded Weasel, a pop-up on the south side of Mr Pickles. It does fried chicken, and it may be used to test new ideas and ingredients with customers.

Like we said at the beginning, you never know what you’ll find here, from one visit to the next. www.mrpickles.co.nz Riverbank Mall, Victoria St, Hamilton

RISOTTO WITH GARDEN PEAS AND MINT FOR THE RISOTTO:

100g Arborio rice (use top quality like Carnroli or Nano) ¼ cup white onion, finely diced 4 tsp olive oil /3 cup white wine

1

1 cup blanched fresh garden peas or frozen ¼ cup blanched fresh garden peas, pureed or frozen 1½ cups vegetable stock salt and pepper to taste 5 leaves chopped mint ½ cup good quality Parmesan, grated few ice cubes peashoots and extra virgin olive oil for garnish Add the olive oil into a saucepan and sweat the onions on a medium-low heat until tender and translucent. Do not allow them to colour or brown.

Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in oil.

Add the white wine and cook until this has evaporated.

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Put a third of a cup of the stock to the side. Add half of the remaining stock to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Ensure it retains a constant heat and gently stir as it cooks—it should take around 20 minutes. As the rice absorbs the stock and begins to swell, add the remaining liquid ladle by ladle as it is absorbed.

Season with a little salt and pepper.

PEA PUREE: Meanwhile, in a blender, add quarter of a cup of the fresh garden peas with a third of a cup of the vegetable stock plus a few ice cubes and pulse into a puree.

(The ice cubes keep the pea puree very green.)

TO SERVE When the rice is tender, add the mint. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the pea puree and fresh peas. Mix through, add Parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in a bowl and dress with pea shoots and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.

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DISCOVER MORE THAN JUST A MEAL AT

Falls Retreat WORDS KATE UNDERWOOD | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

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NOURISH | feature

PAGE 21 IMAGES KATE UNDERWOOD

Chef Brad King of Falls Retreat has never been to Italy, but for someone with no Nonna, no suave Italian accent and definitely no time for a daily siesta, he makes an impressive plate of pasta.

Thanks to the new Spring Masterclass series, Brad is exposing his culinary secrets and empowering you to improve your kitchen game and become your own pasta master.

Held on Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm to 9pm, each class is designed to be both informative and interactive and welcomes people of all ages and cooking capabilities.

In the eight years since its inception, the team at Falls have been hand-making their own pasta, using a tried and true recipe they felt was too good not to share. During the pasta class, Brad will take you through the ultimate pasta degustation, demonstrating the kneading and resting process, so you can produce delicate dough and different types of pasta at home.

Falls Retreat is a rustic, award-winning bistro situated in the heart of the Karangahake Gorge, across from the Owharoa Falls. The magical valley has a lot going for it these days, including up to 142,000 cyclists wheeling their way along the Hauraki Rail Trail each year.

Perhaps his most impressive pasta trick involves an unlikely ingredient—turmeric! Just a tiny sprinkle will transform your dough to a dazzling sunshine hue. Thanks to the marriage of 00 flour and fluffy agria potatoes, he’ll have you rolling fresh gnocchi and frying it in a pool of brown butter and garden-grown sage. By the end of the evening, you’ll be filling ravioli pockets and understanding the difference (in width) between fettuccine and pappardelle.

Being midway between Auckland and Tauranga, it’s the ideal meeting point and arguably one of the more popular dining destinations in the region. On any given day the woodfired pizza oven cranks and the impressive open kitchen looks out to lush forest, a well-established vegetable garden—teeming with yearround produce—and an adventure playground for the kids to exert some post-pizza energy.

Brad’s outgoing nature means the sessions are relaxed, social and entertaining. He’s all about breaking things down to basics, simplifying intimidating techniques and enabling his guests to feel a sense of confidence. The masterclasses are the ultimate excuse to get together with your girlfriends for a midweek glass of vino, spend some quality mother-and-child bonding time or take yourself on a solo date to upgrade your own culinary credentials.

Over the last few years, owners Brad King and Emma Walters have been working to diversify their offering at Falls Retreat, to provide valuable all-round experiences for their guests. They’ve always had a strong ethos around seasonality, cooking from scratch and paddock to plate eating, and now sustainability as their current focus. This season’s series of Sustainability Masterclasses will cover topics from fermenting—kombucha and kraut, pickling and preserving, bread making and the sought after pasta masterclass.

If you are in the market for some kitchen gadgets, Brad can talk you through equipment options for making pasta from scratch. Within their impressive retail collection, they stock the world-class Atlas Marcato 150 Pasta Machine, metal ravioli tablets and 5kg bags of 00 flour imported directly from Italy. The range also includes kombucha kits and preserving jars to complement the other class series, and as official suppliers of Kitchen Aid mixers and Bradleys Smokers, you could even get in early with the Christmas shopping

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(too soon!).

If you fancy making the most of the tranquil surroundings, book yourselves in to one of the onsite accommodation options. From the charming, country-style Rose Cottage (sleeps four), to the quaint, A-frame Waterfall Cabin complete with loft bed, outdoor bath and killer views of the falls. Wake up to the forest symphony and a continental breakfast basket with homemade bread, jam, butter and fresh farm eggs. Or go all out and choose from one of the accommodation packages featuring: romantic getaways, girls trips, foodie escapes, couples adventures or the rail trail bundle, plus their range of organic gardening workshops.

With so many reasons to visit, stay, eat, celebrate and now to learn at Falls Retreat, you’ll be wanting to book ASAP so you don’t miss out on all the fun!

Kate Underwood | @relishthememory

FALLS RETREAT SPRING SUSTAINABILITY SERIES: (Wednesday evening 6.30pm–9pm) Sept 18 Pickling and Preserving Sept 25 Bread Making

$75 each, but if you book all 4 cooking classes in the ‘Sustainability Series’ you will receive a $50 discount.

Falls Retreat

Oct 2

Fermenting – Kimchi and Kombucha

25 Waitawheta Rd, Waihi 3682

Oct 9

Pasta Masterclass – From Zero to Hero

07 863 8770 | www.fallsretreat.co.nz

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Brad's PASTA DOUGH 800g 00 tipo flour (or all-purpose will work)

NEXT UP! ROLLING OUT THE DOUGH

200g fine semolina

Using a pasta maker, you will want to use the flat roller. Cut each ball of dough into 4 pieces.

1 tbsp fine sea salt 10 size 7 free-range eggs

Measure out flour, semolina and salt in a large bowl.

Crack eggs into a separate medium-sized bowl and whisk until well combined.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and semolina mix and pour in eggs. Working from the inside then out, incorporate flour into the egg mixture until a lumpy dough forms.

Turn dough onto a flat bench. Using a dough scraper and your hands, bind the dough together until it forms a tight ball.

Using the dough scraper, cut the ball of dough in half. Knead the dough, rotating at a 45-degree angle. Continue for 2–3 minutes then allow the dough to rest.

Repeat this process 2–3 times or until the dough has a smooth, elastic texture. Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 4–6 hours.

After 4–6 hours, the gluten in the dough will have built up and it should be elastic and springy.

The resting period allows the flour to continue to hydrate and the gluten network to relax.

Adjust the pasta roller to its widest setting.

Lightly flour the first piece of dough and using a rolling pin, roll into a rectangular shape.

Pass it through the rollers and fold it into two. This is called laminating, which is the process of folding the dough into a smaller package and feeding it back through the pasta machine.

Repeat this process until the pasta is the width of the rollers. Rotate dough at each laminate.

Pass dough through the machine, progressively narrowing the rollers by one notch at a time. Most pasta rollers will have 8 settings. No. 1 is the thickest through to No. 8 which is the thinnest. I recommend rolling to No. 6 as that’s the perfect thickness for making fettuccine or pappardelle.

If you are making ravioli, you will want to go a little thinner, since stacking 2 sheets will make the edges twice as thick.

If the dough becomes longer than necessary, simply lay it down and cut it in half. Dust one half with flour and place the other half on top. Have a parchment-lined sheet tray ready for your rolled out dough and a kitchen towel ready to cover it to stop it from drying out. Use flour to dust pasta sheets between layers to stop it from sticking together. I recommend a

60cm length of pasta sheet.

CUTTING THE DOUGH Once you have all your sheets of pasta rolled out, exchange the roller for your desired cutter. Using your machine, pass the pasta sheets through the cutters. At this point the pasta can be cooked straight away, hung to dry or frozen.

BRAD’S TOP PASTA TIPS: 1. Trust your instincts – there are so many variables when it comes to pasta, and the more you practise the better you get at understanding how it should feel and what you are looking for.

2. Kneading requires patience – this step is important, so don’t rush it.

3. Freeze your pasta – once the dough is made, freeze it down into portions for a convenient, quick family meal option or to whip out when you are hosting a dinner party—just make sure you cook straight from frozen!

4. Enjoy the process – pasta making, and any cooking for that matter, should be a satisfying and enjoyable experience, so take your time, smell the burnt butter and relish the process.

RedKitchen Metro Hamilton RedKitchen Te Awamutu

We’ve got Dinner sorted!

Come and pick up one of our beautiful ready made meals.

RedKitchen.co.nz

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Taste of Punnet

WORDS VICKI JONES | IMAGES MELODY LEFTUS & ASHLEE DECAIRES

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NOURISH | feature

Punnet is now offering customers the chance to experience a taste of the popular eatery at home with the introduction of a retail range of baked goods. From peanut brittle, chocolate chip cookies and rocky road to an addictive selection of fudge, marshmallows and biscotti.

The range is baked fresh in the Punnet kitchen, packaged onsite and sold in the eatery, Country Providore, at the local market and online. Punnet owner Haley Bicknell says the range is not just a product, but an extension of the Punnet story. “We want people to experience Punnet in a different way, to take a bit of our family’s passion home with them and to remind them of great experiences.

It helps them relive memories of a good day out and be able to share it with others.”

Working alongside sisters Emma and Kate, who own and operate Country Providore, Haley says it’s been a team effort, with head chef Sophie Beck the creative mastermind behind the recipes. “Although the businesses are technically separate, we work perfectly as a team. We have different skills and business imperatives but a shared vision. So working together on the retail range is really special.

“Sophie has a great knowledge of recipes which will retain their quality and flavour best. This is home baking like you’d make for yourself in your own kitchen—building on the Punnet philosophy of good honest food,” says Haley.

They use only recognisable ingredients with no additives, and

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500g Whittaker’s 50% dark chocolate

freeze-dried strawberries and mix until well

500g marshmallows

combined.

175g roasted peanuts 100g dried cranberries

Pour into a baking paper lined tray (35cm x 25cm). Depending on how thick you want

1 cup freeze-dried strawberry slices

your rocky road, you can put it in a smaller

10g roasted pistachios, finely chopped

tray for a higher slab.

1 cup freeze-dried raspberries Gently melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.

Once melted, fold in your marshmallows, roasted peanuts, dried cranberries and

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Sprinkle with the finely chopped pistachios and freeze-dried raspberries.

Allow to set at room temperature for 1–2 hours.

they’ve also considered their environmental footprint by offering a returns refund on the glass jars they are packaged in. If you drop off your glass jar, you get $1 off your next purchase in Punnet or Country Providore.

Haley says they have been blown away by the response to the range. “Peanut brittle was flying out the door last Christmas. It was the perfect gift.”

This success pushed the sisters to extend the range, try new things and include limited edition items based on season and availability.

This includes a Christmas range, Anzac biscuits and treats for Mother’s Day. As well as in jars, the items can also be purchased individually for a quick treat and also feature in Country Providore’s popular and customisable gourmet gift baskets. The baskets are either readymade or can be customised, based on the person in mind or price range.

The sisters are passionate about business and believe the range adds to the value proposition that Punnet has as a destination eatery. “It’s a whole afternoon activity with food, strawberry picking, real fruit ice cream, a range of venues, and a playground.

Every member of the family is catered for,” says Emma.

The sisters’ business journey began when The McMahon family took over the farm in 2003 and, as popularity grew, the eatery and store became natural extensions for a family day out. Emma opened the Country Providore store eight years ago, with sister Kate later joining her as a partner and Haley taking over Punnet in 2013.

Set in the stunning surrounds of the Newell Road strawberry farm, they are one of the region’s most popular destinations and a mustvisit in summer!

Punnet Eatery & The Country Providore The Strawberry Farm 337 Newell Road, Tamahere, 3283 www.punnet.co.nz

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0800 346 3366 | 027 241 3090 | gus.tissink@bidfood.co.nz

A PINCH OF

SALT WORDS RACHEL HART

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NOURISH | nutrition

Food is different the world over but one constant is salt, an ingredient cherished for its unmatched ability to add flavour to a dish. One of the five basic tastes, salt’s use as a preservative was historically so important that it was a form of currency. But salt’s most impressive trait is its ability to bring out the best in other ingredients.

In small amounts, salt reduces bitterness and enhances sweetness, which is why a pinch goes a long way in a batch of cookies. In larger doses, salt heightens umami—the ‘meaty’ flavour, giving savoury dishes a serious boost. The fact that well-salted food is delicious is no coincidence—our brains are hard-wired to crave salt for our species’ survival.

Salt is a mineral comprised mainly of sodium chloride, and this presence of sodium is what makes it so valuable as it is essential to our body’s fluid and electrolyte balance and nerve impulses.

There are two main types of salt: rock salt and sea salt. Rock salt is mined from the earth, often in dried-up ancient sea beds, while sea salt is harvested directly from various oceans and seas around the world. We are probably most familiar with table salt, a traditional staple in many Kiwi homes. Table salt is a form of rock salt that has been processed to remove impurities and trace minerals. It is cheap and accessible, and in New Zealand it is fortified with iodine to safeguard much of the population against an iodine deficiency.

The wholefoods movement of recent years is directing people away from table salt and towards more natural alternatives like Himalayan rock salt and various sea salts. Coming in brilliant pink hues and mined in the foothills of Pakistan’s Salt Range, just south of the Himalayas, unprocessed and hand-extracted Himalayan rock salt is coveted for its high mineral content and delicate flavour.

Rivalling its popularity are a variety of sea salts found around the globe including Maldon sea salt in the UK, volcanic alaea from Hawaii, French sel gris and Persian blue diamond salt.

Like Himalayan salt, sea salts provide the naturally-occurring trace minerals found at each location, offering nutritional benefits, different flavour profiles and the element of beauty with their vibrant colours and flaxy textures.

Like most things, we can have too much of a good thing and salt is no exception. Excessive dietary intake of sodium contributes to a host of health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney stones. But before you lock up the pantry, know that the biggest culprit to over-indulging is processed foods.

An unholy amount of salt is necessary to both flavour and extend the shelf-life of packaged foods. You’d be hard-pressed to add a fraction of these amounts to homemade food, no matter how heavy-handed you are with the salt shaker. For those trying to limit their salt consumption, cutting down processed foods is absolutely essential.

Whether you opt for rock or sea salt, it’s best to enjoy salt in moderation, letting salt do what it does best: reveal the flavour potential of other ingredients in a dish.

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

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PAGE 29 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Salt RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

PAGE 30 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Salmon Gravlax

Luxurious yet simple to make, gravlax takes uncomplicated ingredients, like salt and sugar, and time to create a lavish dish which, thinly sliced, can be served as a canape on blinis (see page 77), on your eggs bene for a real treat or as part of a sumptuous buffet.

The secret is the ratio of salt and sugar to salmon. You want it to be 25% salt and 25% sugar to the weight of the salmon. Using these ratios, you can cure any size of salmon with ease. The recipe below is based on a 1kg side of salmon.

2 tbsp white peppercorns 250g rock salt 250g sugar fresh dill, roughly chopped 1kg/2lb salmon, bones removed and skin on Crush peppercorns with the side of a knife (or roughly grind using mortar and pestle) then combine them with the salt, sugar and dill.

Place two large pieces of cling wrap (slightly overlapping) on a large oven tray. You are going to lay the salmon and wrap it up in this so the amount of cling film you need will depend on the size of your salmon.

Rock salt is the best salt to use when you are baking potatoes in salt or curing salmon as the large crystals stop the final result being too salty.

Iodised salt may also turn the salmon a brown colour.

Spread half the salt mixture where you are going to place the salmon.

Place salmon, skin side down on this and then spread the remaining salt mixture on the top half of the salmon.

Wrap completely with cling wrap. Place a chopping board or another oven tray on top and weight it down (tins are perfect).

Refrigerate for 36 hours, turning each 12 and removing any liquid that has seeped out.

Unwrap the salmon and rinse. Pat dry and return to the fridge for 3–12 hours uncovered.

Before slicing, sprinkle over more dill.

Just before serving, slice thinly on an angle, not cutting through the skin (as you don’t want to eat this).

You can store any uneaten gravlax, wrapped in cling film, for up to two weeks.

Note – Cling film is, unfortunately, the best tool for this job. For someone who avoids using as much single-use plastic as I can, this is one of those exceptions. If you have an alternative that has worked for you, please let us know!

Baked Baby Potatoes This might seem like an extravagance, baking potatoes in a kilo or so of salt, but the result is crunchy-skinned, flavoursome potatoes with fluffy centres. And I reuse the salt for next time or in other dishes.

The recipe, if you can call it that, is simple! Lay a bed of rock salt on the bottom of a baking dish, place potatoes on top and cover with more salt. Bake in a moderate to hot oven until a knife inserted in one of the potatoes meets soft flesh. This will be approx. an hour, depending on the size of your potatoes.

I chop generous amounts of rosemary or thyme and add this to my salt for extra flavour.

It’s important you use potatoes with their skin on and don’t chop them as the exposed flesh will take up too much of the salt.

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Salt Crust Baked Chicken You can bake all manner of things in a salt crust, which results in a beautifully tender and well-seasoned dish. Whole fish is a popular option, but I love how it transforms an ordinary roast chook into something special.

Bring the oven tray to the table and smash through that crust for a little tableside dramatics. When the steam clears you have a moist chook full of flavour.

2kg salt 2 tbsp cracked pepper ¼ cup fresh rosemary (thyme and tarragon are great options too) 6 egg whites 1.5–2kg free-range chicken 1 lemon, quartered 4–5 garlic cloves extra herbs To make the salt dough, roughly chop the rosemary and then mix with the salt and pepper. Mix in the egg whites to make a soft dough.

Place the chicken on an oven tray and stuff with the lemon, garlic and extra herbs.

Next cover the entire chicken in the salt dough, ensuring you have no gaps or holes.

Bake in a 175°C oven for 1½ hours. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before you crack open the crust.

Egg whites – save up your egg whites for dishes like this, or meringues and friands, by freezing them when you make custards, aioli etc that use egg yolks.

Sea Salt vs Table Salt

Sea salt is created by evaporating seawater and contains iron, sulphur, magnesium and many other minerals. Rock salt, on the other hand, is mined and it is this that is turned into table salt.

While in rock salt form it may contain many minerals, like sea salt the process of turning it into table salt destroys these. It is often bleached and has anti-cracking agents added.

In New Zealand, table salt is likely to also have iodine added, a necessary mineral for our health and not found in our soil and thus any of the food we grow.

I think salt is like sugar. There are many different forms that in essence all do the same job, sweeten our food or, in the case of salt, season it. Each different type has its uses; a beautiful sea salt is perfect for finishing a dish or adding where you want that delicate crunch and salty flavour – salted caramel brownie for instance.

Iodised table salt is cheap and contains the important iodine so is what I use to salt my pasta water, boil potatoes etc.

Himalayan rock salt may contain a few more trace elements and minerals than table salt. This is what I have in a grinder for anyone needing an extra touch of salt.

Kosher salt – you may have come across this in American recipes.

Kosher salt is not iodised and thus a great option if pickling or preserving. If following a recipe that uses kosher salt be aware the coarser granules of kosher salt mean using the same measurement of table salt could in fact mean you are using twice the salt intended.

Find some amazing salts at La Cave on Riverlea Road, Hamilton, Red Kitchen in Te Awamutu and The Herbal Dispensary in Raglan.

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Mixing It Up RECIPES MEGAN PRISCOTT | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Megan from Red Kitchen shows us how to take some salt and pepper and create an array of wonderful spice mixes and rubs you can have in your cupboard to add that little bit of pizzazz to simple dishes.

Creamy Labneh with Middle Eastern Spice Mix This is delicious spread on crackers with smoked salmon, or on a mezzo platter.

250g thick Greek yoghurt sea salt olive oil fresh thyme Mix quarter of a teaspoon of salt into the Greek yoghurt.

Line a colander with mesh (or a clean tea towel) and pour the Greek yoghurt in. Allow it to drain over a bowl overnight.

The next morning put the thick yoghurt in a bowl and mix until it is creamy and smooth.

Spread this on a plate to enjoy with lamb koftas, with roasted baby beets or pop in a jar and sprinkle with Middle Eastern spice mix, a drizzle of good olive oil and finish with a few fresh thyme leaves and store in the fridge for up to a week.

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NOURISH | recipes

OUR CACIO PEPE MIX 1 tbsp black peppercorns 1 tbsp white peppercorns 40g coarse sea salt 1 garlic clove Pop in a mini food processor and pulse all ingredients till incorporated. Note: This mix needs to be well blended and quite fine, so the peppercorns are not overpowering.

MIDDLE EASTERN SPICE MIX 40g coarse sea salt 2 tbsp pink peppercorns 1 tbsp sumac zest 2 lemons 4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds Place salt and peppercorns in a mini food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until it is just mixed.

MAN RUB This is an all-rounder to rub on a fillet of beef or throw a bit in your burger patties.

40g coarse sea salt 2 tbsp onion powder ½ tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp thyme 2 tbsp paprika 1 clove garlic Pop in a mini food processor and pulse all ingredients till incorporated. Store in an airtight glass jar.

SMOKEY SPANISH SALT You can add this seasoning to a homemade tomato soup. Or pimp your beef stew with it and some black beans. We use this salt in our aiolis and mayos for beautiful accompaniments to meat or in sandwiches. Remember it is salt based so tread carefully.

50g coarse sea salt 2 tbsp smoked paprika ½ tsp dried chilli flakes zest 2 limes Pop all ingredients in a mini food processor and pulse a few times until all the ingredients are a similar texture. Store in an airtight glass jar.

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Spaghetti Cacio Pepe I love this classic Italian dish; it is the epitome of classic Italian. Just a few ingredients and with a food cost of around $1 per person, you can’t go wrong. Use packet spaghetti as homemade is too rough for this dish and absorbs the avour, rather than coating it.

150g spaghetti 2 tsp cacio pepe mix knob of butter 1 tbsp olive oil chopped parsley pecorino cheese

Cook the spaghetti, and finely grate the pecorino.

In a separate pan, add a generous knob of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add 2 tsp cacio pepe seasoning, keeping it moving around the pan.

Take the hot spaghetti out of the pot of water and put straight into the pan, so the spaghetti still retains a little of the cooking water as this is also part of the sauce. Throw in a handful of chopped parsley.

Toss the spaghetti to coat, add extra cacio pepe seasoning if needed and top with finely grated pecorino.

Serve with a simple pear, rocket and walnut salad and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

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Megan Priscott www.redkitchen.co.nz Megan is mum to Lily, Lennox and Lincoln. Along with husband Mathew she owns and manages RedKitchen in Te Awamutu. Megan loves good food and wine and holidays with the family. Whangamata is their favourite spot where Megan says a huge paella on the beach is the perfect way to finish a summer's day.

Pepper RECIPES & IMAGES | EMMA GALLOWAY

Recipe Page 39

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Makes 9 mini cakes ¾ cup ground almonds /3 cup buckwheat flour

1

1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free if needed) ¼ cup raw sugar 1 tsp pink peppercorns, finely ground plus extra to garnish finely grated zest 1 lemon pinch fine sea salt 1 large stalk rhubarb, finely diced (approx. 1 cup once finely diced) 2 large free-range eggs /3 cup light flavoured extra virgin olive oil

1

¼ cup milk of your choice (I used rice milk) 1 tsp vanilla extract

Rhubarb, Lemon & Pink Peppercorn Cakes Although not a true peppercorn from the pepper vine, pink peppercorns have a similar peppery flavour, albeit a slightly fresher almost sweet and citrusy version. While great used in savoury dishes, it also lends itself to sweet applications too! I love pairing it with strawberries in the summertime, and its flavour adds a subtle peppery note to these pretty little gluten-free cakes. I cooked mine in mini bundt tins; however, they could also be cooked in paper cases in regular muffin tins or as a large cake (you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time). The sweet tang of the lemon icing adds a little something something, but should you be wanting to stick with a relatively low-sugar option, simply cook the batter in muffin tins and serve un-iced. You can find buckwheat flour at most supermarkets and health food stores, but if you don’t have a problem with gluten, white spelt or regular wheat flour can be used in its place.

Find pink peppercorns at selected supermarkets or substitute for freshly ground black pepper if unavailable.

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Lemon icing ½ cup pure icing sugar lemon juice Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 9-tray mini bundt tin.

Place ground almonds into a medium bowl, sieve over buckwheat flour and baking powder. Add sugar, ground peppercorns, lemon zest and salt and whisk well to combine. Add rhubarb and mix.

In another bowl combine egg, olive oil, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until just combined. Divide cake batter between tins and bake 12–15 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside 5 minutes before removing from the tins and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. When cakes are cool, sieve icing sugar into a bowl and add just enough lemon juice to reach a thick pouring consistency. Drizzle a little over each cake and scatter the tops with extra ground pink peppercorns. Best eaten on day of baking, but will store airtight for 2 days.

NOURISH | recipes

Charred Broccolini Noodle Bowl with Black Pepper Dressing Long before chillies were introduced into Asia, pepper was used to add heat to dishes. Here in New Zealand we tend to use black pepper mostly as a seasoning in small amounts, but it’s really nice to sometimes add it in amounts where not only is its taste more pronounced, but its heat is also present. To make this into a standalone meal, add some crispy tofu pieces or your favourite protein. Asparagus or broccoli would be great alternatives to broccolini. This noodle bowl can be served warm or at room temperature.

Serve 4–6

1 small shallot, finely diced 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 tsp finely grated ginger 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (extra to serve) Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and stir well to combine.

Put jug on to boil and place noodles into a large bowl.

250g broccolini, ends trimmed olive oil Half of a 400g packet dried rice noodles (I use the ones of medium thickness, approx 3mm thick) 2 spring onions, finely sliced ½

cup cashews, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds a big handful coriander leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a touch of oil then cook broccolini, stirring often until just tender and charred in places.

Pour boiling water over noodles to cover and set aside for 10–15 minutes. Drain well.

Transfer drained noodles to a large bowl, stir through spring onion, cashews, sesame seeds and coriander. Add charred broccolini, then drizzle with enough dressing to coat generously.

Serve immediately. If prepping ahead of time, dress right before serving.

Black Pepper Dressing /3 cup soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)

1

/3 cup rice vinegar

1

1 tbsp pure maple syrup or coconut sugar

Emma Galloway mydarlinglemonthyme.com | @mydarlinglemonthyme Emma Galloway is a former chef, food photographer and creator of the multi-award winning food blog My Darling Lemon Thyme. Emma has published two cookbooks, My Darling Lemon Thyme and A Year in My Real Food Kitchen. She lives in her hometown of Raglan, with her husband and two children.

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HOME KITCHEN WORDS AND IMAGES AMBER BREMNER

Yesterday is gone and its tale told.

Today new seeds are growing.

- Rumi

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NOURISH | feature

A small but industrious team of former refugees is working hard to make its mark on Hamilton’s hospitality scene, but not in the way you might expect. The team at Home Kitchen is turning out beautiful plates of food, but they’re also looking for something different: connection, belonging and a new start.

Let’s rewind to 2015. Tania Jones was working a corporate job in the software development industry. She watched the Syrian refugee crisis unfolding in the media and felt helpless to do anything.

“I really connected with the issue. It was heart breaking. But I thought—what can one person do?”

Two years later Tania became aware of Defend Europe, a far-right group with the stated aim of monitoring refugee rescues in the Mediterranean. In reality they were actively obstructing non-government organisation (NGO) vessels from rescuing migrants who had set sail from North Africa.

Tania says learning about this was the catalyst. “I knew I had to do something to help, to take action somehow. So I made the decision to stand in my values.” In September 2017 Tania arrived on the island of Lesvos in Greece, ready to volunteer at Kara Tepe refugee camp. On this small island over 10,000 men, women and children from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries are waiting in camps. Moria, the largest of them, has been called the worst refugee camp on earth with over 7,500 people living in desperate and dangerous conditions while they wait indefinitely for their asylum applications to be processed.

Tania soon met locals Nikos and Katerina, who originally started helping by going down to the beach every night with food, blankets and clothes to hand out as boats full of people came ashore. The need was

huge, and before long Nikos and Katerina turned their tourist restaurant into Home For All, a social charity kitchen to support the refugee community.

“Anyone could go to their restaurant and be fed a lovingly cooked meal for free,” says Tania. “Different faiths were put to one side as people ate together. People were treated with dignity and respect, and I was blown away by the warmth and sense of belonging it created.” Today, Home For All is a fully fledged Greek NGO dedicated to giving refugees a break from the stresses of living inside the camps, and a crucial support hub for families and community members on Lesvos.

When Tania came back to New Zealand she wanted to recreate something similar to support our former refugee community in Hamilton. She went to the Red Cross to find out about the gaps and talk about how she could help. “I thought about upskilling people in computer coding, but then found out about a group of women who wanted to cook,” Tania explains.

Left to right: Katerina, Anas, Tania and Nikos at Home For All.

Home Kitchen launched in March 2019 as a social enterprise focused on empowering former refugees to flourish by providing work and training opportunities that showcase their diverse food and cultures.

It began with pop-up restaurant evenings at Yalla Yalla Café and has continued with hugely popular cooking classes and catering services. In-home dining and cooking class options are set to offer even better opportunities for learning and social connection.

Head chef Nikbakht Danish, 32, says working with Home Kitchen has already helped her a lot. Originally from Bamyan, Afghanistan, she migrated to New Zealand with her husband and three children in 2013 as part of New Zealand’s annual refugee quota. “At the beginning, everything was so hard. Communication, transport and the culture were all new. But there is so much opportunity for everyone in New Zealand. We learned English at Wintec and received so much support and encouragement. Now my children are learning two cultures and doing very well

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with school and sports.”

Nikbakht helped start a women’s bakery in Bamyan and volunteers at the settlement centre in Hamilton, but her job with Home Kitchen is the first formal employment she has had. “For the first time I am out of the house every day. I’m learning to manage people, working with the team and independently. I have learned a lot, and I am still learning every day.”

Nikbakht’s dream for her family is to have their own business one day. “I would love to open an Afghan restaurant, to meet other people and introduce them to Afghan food.

I want to be able to give other people the same chance I have been given, for a new start and a bright future.”

When asked what the best thing is about working with Home Kitchen, Nikbakht says it is seeing people happy. “Seeing people happy, and realising that I am able to do something for other people. Connecting with people is my dream.”

The social enterprise model is ‘for profit, for purpose’, meaning everyone on the team of nine is paid a living wage, and all profits go back into growing Home Kitchen.

“Some people thought I was crazy, but I was determined everyone would be paid a living wage right from the start,” says Tania. “A living wage offers people financial independence and the ability to support their families, and although we’ve had to take a more commercial focus to cover that cost, we’re breaking even already which is fantastic.”

The immediate goal is to provide work and training for up to 20 people by the end of 2019. To make that happen, Home

Kitchen needs to find a home of its own.

“We’re looking for somewhere with a commercial kitchen and office space to be our base,” says Tania. “We also want to find unique dining locations around Hamilton that would be suitable for hosting pop-ups, and we’re thinking about a food truck.” Volunteers are needed to help with administration and marketing, and, notably, no one on the team has formal hospitality experience. Mentoring or other support from chefs would be invaluable.

“This is my way of generating more love and empowering people to thrive,” says Tania. “I hope that through our work we can eventually increase awareness and gain more love and support for all refugees everywhere, and offer real opportunities where refugees and former refugees can celebrate their culture, earn a decent wage and feel a strong sense of belonging in their new or temporary communities.”

GET INVOLVED Home Kitchen www.homekitchen.co.nz Home For All www.homeforall.eu Waikato migrant services www.scw.org.nz www.roctrust.org.nz www.shama.org.nz UN Refugee Agency www.unhcr.org

Join Wayne at home for one of his famous Christmas Cooking Classes. $75pp includes welcome treat, coffee, cooking demonstration, lunch and refreshments, plus recipes to take home.

Spaces limited! Book now for classes starting in November M. 021 898909 E. wayne@arkanda.co.nz W. arkanda.co.nz

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FRESH FROM HOME KITCHEN Although the team at Home Kitchen hail from a number of countries, food served at the restaurant and cooking classes has been heavily influenced

by Afghan and Arabic cooking. The catering menu includes food from Burma and Pakistan, and in the future some Colombian dishes will be added to the overall repertoire. Eggplant maghmour and ashak, or vegetable-filled Afghan dumplings, have been crowd favourites and offer a warm introduction to the team’s flavourful cooking.

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ASHAK – AFGHAN VEGETABLE DUMPLINGS Ashak featured in the Home Kitchen tasting menu at Yalla Yalla Cafe over winter and in their popular weekend cooking classes.

Served with a minted yoghurt dressing and drizzled with an oil-based tomato and garlic sauce, these dumplings are comforting, moreish and an absolute flavour sensation. Try serving them alongside the eggplant maghmour for a sumptuous feast.

Yoghurt Dressing ¾ cup yoghurt (substitute with coconut yoghurt if vegan) 2–3 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped salt and pepper to season Mix together the yoghurt, mint, garlic and salt and pepper to season. Set aside in the fridge until later.

Tomato and Garlic Sauce ¼ cup oil 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) ½ an onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp coriander seeds ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp salt Heat oil in a small frypan over medium heat. Add chopped tomato, onion, garlic, coriander seeds, cayenne pepper and salt.

If you’re sensitive to spice, add less cayenne pepper or leave it out. Fry, stirring often, for 10–15 minutes, until soft and fragrant and the tomato has lost a lot of its moisture. Set aside until serving time.

Dumplings ¼ cup oil 3 large leeks, finely chopped 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to season 1 pack of round dumpling wrappers (60 per pack) fresh coriander to garnish Heat oil in a large frypan over medium heat. Add chopped leeks, spring onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for around 10 minutes, or until the mixture is soft and fragrant and has reduced in size by about half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble the dumplings, you will need a small bowl of water and a lined baking tray to arrange them on. Spoon a teaspoon of leek mixture into the centre of a dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and wet the edges of one half of the wrapper.

Fold the wrapper in half to form a semi-circle and pinch around the edges, making sure the dumpling is fully sealed. Set aside on the lined tray and repeat until all dumplings have been filled. At this stage the dumplings can be covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them.

The dumplings can be steamed or simmered to cook. If steaming, arrange the dumplings in one layer in a stainless steel or lined bamboo steamer (not touching, otherwise they’ll stick together).

Steam for about 5 minutes, until the wrappers are translucent.

If simmering, lower dumplings into simmering vegetable broth or water and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until wrappers are translucent. Repeat in batches until all dumplings are cooked.

To serve, spread a small spoonful of the yoghurt dressing on each plate. Arrange dumplings on top of the yoghurt dressing, then top with a little tomato and garlic sauce, more yoghurt dressing, and fresh coriander to garnish.

MAGHMOUR – LEBANESE EGGPLANT AND CHICKPEA STEW Maghmour featured in the Home Kitchen tasting menu at Yalla Yalla Cafe over winter. It has bold flavours with plenty of garlic and spice, tender fried eggplant and the deep, musky flavour of dried mint. Embrace the generous quantity of olive oil used here, it provides depth of flavour and a decadent finish to this traditional vegetarian dish. This generous recipe will serve 8 easily, but you can halve the quantities for a smaller meal or enjoy leftovers for the next few days—they only improve in flavour.

2 eggplants, sliced ½ cup extra virgin olive oil + extra for frying 1 large onion, diced 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 red capsicums, sliced 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp dried mint ¼–½ tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional) ¼ tsp salt 2 cups cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed if canned) 2 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) 1 cup water roughly chopped fresh mint or parsley to garnish Preheat oven to 180°C.

Fry sliced eggplant in a generous amount of olive oil until golden on both sides. Set aside on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Repeat in batches until all of the eggplant is cooked.

Add half a cup of olive oil to the pan. Fry onion and garlic until golden, then add sliced capsicum, tomato paste, dried mint, cayenne pepper and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until flavours have combined—about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and water and simmer for 15 minutes.

In an oven dish, spread half of the chickpea mixture evenly and layer with half of the eggplant slices. Top with the remaining chickpea mixture and arrange the remaining eggplant slices on the surface. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes before serving.

Garnish with fresh herbs and serve with flatbread to mop up the juices.

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

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Five food-fuelled days in

WORDS KATE UNDERWOOD

If you asked me about Chicago six months ago I would’ve had two things to say about this city: deep-dish pizza and the Chicago Bulls.

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cheese, crowded with pork fennel sausage, green peppers, onions and mushrooms, all smuggled beneath a chunky tomato sauce and help-yourself Parmesan and chilli. One piece was absolutely enough. And the wait? … worth it.

But when your first few hours in a place involves balmy temperatures, five-dollar negroni slushies, a smoky fried chicken sandwich and the outdoor courtyard at Parsons Chicken and Fish—you can guess you’re in for a pretty good time. After five days of investigating this city’s swoonworthy vista and thriving culinary scene, the tagline on a trendy gift shop tea towel summed up my trip pretty well … ‘Things to do in Chicago: eat, eat again, continue eating, see ‘the bean’, resume eating …’

2. A Dash of Culture – Several selfies later we were positively wooed by the mirrored steel surface of the aforementioned ‘bean’, the iconic Cloud Gate sculpture housed at Millennium Park. Wandering through the expansive public parks, we sheltered from whistling winds and spent several enthralling hours at the Museum of Modern Art Chicago. A further meander, this time by bike, had us riding parallel to the teal waterfront of Lake Michigan towards the Field Museum of Natural History and a rather daunting dinosaur skeleton.

1. Chicago Style Deep-Dish Pizza – Some call it a pie, some a cheese lasagne, but whatever you call it, tackling the extravagance at Giordano’s is no easy feat.

After ditching the first packed-out location, we were welcomed to the second with a mere 45-minute wait. Thankfully ignoring the advice of the waitress, we refrained from appetisers and opted for the ‘small special’.

Perched on its own table stand, the deep bread-like crust encased a canyon of stringy

3. Pie and Biscuits – We were tempted by several different graham-crusted pie combinations at Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits from key lime to orange-blossom honey custard and an oatmeal ginger pear number. With a few days up our sleeves, I justified the acquisition of all three. The Bucktown neighbourhood joint served sweet American pies with pizzazz and somehow a fudgy ginger molasses cookie made its way into my mouth that day and

NOURISH | travel

my life has been changed for the better.

4. Skyscraper Views – Thanks to intel from a resident local, we found ourselves 96 storeys high up the John Hancock Centre observing an unrivalled view of the Illinois horizon. We rewarded our ear-popping elevator climb with a locally-brewed Goose Island wheat beer in the Signature room, with no tourist lines to contend with.

5. Donuts – Forced indoors by soggy Chicago streets, our donut trawl began with a lemon pistachio old fashioned from Stan’s Donuts & Coffee. I’m still not sure whether it was the sweet dough ring itself or the rainbow display of KitchenAid mixers that won me over here. But there was no question we were ordering the carrot cake donut from Firecakes: moist crumb, cream cheese frosting, orange zest and candied toasted walnuts. I only take my carrot cake in donut form from now on. Perched in Logan Square Park we devoured a pandan sugar-coated donut filled with passionfruit curd from the Bakery at Fat Rice—a selfprescribed funky Asian bakery where ‘fusion’ looks like a Ceylon snickerdoodle cookie with salted yolk custard and a Macau rice crisp where marshmallow, pork floss and seaweed meet fish sauce caramel.

Equal parts quirky, strange and undeniably delicious.

6. Coffee – Several caffeination moments involved cortado’s (a strong, baby flat white) at suburban roaster Ipsento coffee and single origin filter brews from nationally recognised Intelligentsia, with locations dotted throughout the city. Though it was at Printers Row Coffee Co where we became acquainted with (and enjoyed) the millennial milk of the moment—‘Oatly’ oat mylk. In the West Loop, Sawada coffee served an intriguing brew by way of a military latte, where high-grade Japanese matcha met a shot of espresso. classics with a modern twist, the diverse table spread involved blueberry pancakes with vanilla malt butter, a Korean inspired bibimbap vegetable bowl and a triumphant and considerably sized cinnamon bun.

7. BBQ Meat – Sharing a space with Sawada coffee we found Green Street Smoked Meats dishing up a monumental selection of smoked proteins. Highlights were the chicken leg, saucy pulled brisket and an innocent pottle of creamy elote-style corn with a kick of spice and hint of lime. It was thanks to a tip-off from the crew at Mr Pickles in Hamilton that I discovered a glorious plate of pecan smoked BBQ ribs with garlic buttermilk potatoes. The small restaurant, Giant, is making big waves in the Chicago dining scene and stealing hearts (possibly just mine) with its king crab saffron tagliatelle.

8. Dinner and a Show – Nabbing a lastminute seat to Hamilton (and a better deal than most NYC shows) at the CIBC theatre was a brilliant result. We preluded the award-winning Broadway performance with a Mediterranean meal at Ēma. Involving the revelatory combination of hummus, lamb ragù, spicy harissa and za’atar flatbread (no mashed spud in sight) and was educated about the joys of adding cracked pepper to Tanqueray gin.

10. Chicago Architecture Tour – It only took 90 minutes to make me fall in love with buildings, specifically the architectural gems along the riverside. Aboard the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Tour, our dynamic guide shared an unparalleled knowledge and a memorable soundbite about how “buildings are a way that generations speak to each other”. It probably comes as no surprise that the corn cob lookalike Marina City buildings and the ex-meat works were personal favourites.

What stood out across the plates of this place was a playfulness in flavour and a commendable execution of the often ‘trashy’ American classics. At the start of spring, this place was pretty hard to fault. And perhaps the most magic and surprising element of the windy city were its friendly inhabitants, each exuding a warm generosity and hospitable charm. I’m going back, just armed with pants that give a little!

Kate Underwood Relish the memory @relishthememory Read more of kate’s picks at nourishmagazine.co.nz/Chicago

9. Diner Breakfast – An obligatory postshow breakfast was consumed at all-day eatery Little Goat Diner, part of the ‘Goat’ empire run by renowned female chef Stephanie Izard of Chicago. Serving diner

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Cookies RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

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NOURISH | recipes

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES The original chocolate chip cookies were invented in the 30s by American chef Ruth Graves Wakefield from the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. The recipe for these cookies, where Ruth had added pieces of a Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate bar, first appeared in her recipe book Toll House Tried and True Recipes in 1938.

With World War Two raging at the time, legend has it soldiers from Massachusetts would receive homemade Toll House cookies in their care packages and share these around. This led to soldiers writing home requesting Toll House cookies and in turn Ruth was inundated with requests for the recipe.

The worldwide popularity of these cookies is hard to deny. In 1997, Massachusetts even declared the chocolate chip cookie as their official state cookie!

My recipe (to the right) is very similar to Ruth’s, which she apparently sold to Nestle for just $1. I prefer a good quality dark chocolate like Whittakers 50% dark or Callebaut 70% dark callets from Vetro Tauranga. Omitted from many modern recipes, mine, like Ruth’s, dissolves the baking soda before adding. Ruth used water, I use milk—the result is the same, no awful baking soda aftertaste.

Apparently, the original Toll House version called for half a teaspoon of dough per cookie. I’m not sure that would be classed as a cookie in my house. I also think a slightly bigger one yields the perfect texture: crisp on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside.

Chilling the dough before baking was also a key step of the original recipe and a step I can highly recommend. Chilling the dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. Chilled dough also results in browner cookies with a superior texture.

The good news is the recipe below makes 40-50 cookies. I will often make a batch, roll and chill a tray or two and then freeze the rest. This means you have fresh homemade cookies at a moment’s notice.

225g soft butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 1 tbsp milk 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 2½ cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 250g chocolate Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk then add to the beaten butter with vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating between each. Finally, mix in the flour and chocolate chips until well incorporated.

Roll tablespoonfuls of dough (approx. 25g each) into balls and place well spread out on a lined baking tray. Chill for at least 30 minutes or if possible, overnight.

Bake (in batches) at 180°C for 10–12 minutes.

NOTE – you can bake frozen dough balls. Simply take them out of the freezer and place on an oven tray. By the time the oven has heated up, they will be ready to bake.

OAT AND RAISIN COOKIES

1 batch of the chocolate chip cookie dough. Replace the chocolate chips with: 1½ cups rolled oats 1 cup raisins (or cranberries work well too) ½ tsp cinnamon

OTHER VARIATIONS Replace the chocolate chips with M&Ms

Replace the chocolate chips with ½ cup of cocoa and 1 cup peanuts Use a mixture of white, milk and dark chocolate

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HOMEMADE MALLOWPUFFS As a child bought biscuits were a real treat and they didn’t get any better than the MallowPuff!

The key to these is the marshmallow, and I confess I got the recipe for this marshmallow from Ashleigh Brodie, ex Gather Foodhouse in Hamilton.

Soak the gelatine sheets and set aside.

Using a stand mixer whisk the egg whites on low.

1 batch of choc chip cookie dough minus the chocolate chips.

Mix the sugar, water and glucose in a small pot over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Turn the heat up and bring the syrup to a boil.

Do not stir at this point.

Roll the dough into 20g balls and bake at 180°C for 9–12 minutes.

Increase the speed on the mixer until the egg whites become foamy.

While the cookies cool make the marshmallow.

When the syrup reaches 125°C on a thermometer remove from the heat and slowly pour into the egg white mixture while continuing to beat.

2 egg whites 1¼ cup caster sugar /3 cup water

1

½ tbsp liquid glucose* 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 gelatine sheets*

Add the gelatine to the still-hot pot to melt then add this to the egg white mixture along with the vanilla. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until the marshmallow is light and fluffy and cooled down.

100g dark chocolate

Work quickly now to pipe onto each biscuit.

¼ cup cream

When the marshmallow has set, melt the chocolate and cream together. Allow the ganache to cool a little before covering each biscuit in it. I dipped mine but drizzling it over works too.

* available from specialty stores like Sweet Pea Parties in Hamilton, Red Kitchen in Te Awamutu and The Country Providore

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ICE CREAM SANDWICHES 1 batch of the chocolate chip cookie dough. Replace the chocolate chips with: ½ cup cocoa Roll the cookie dough into 20g balls and bake at 180°C for 9-12 minutes. When cool sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two cookies.

Dip the sandwiches with chocolate, sprinkles or chopped nuts.

Freeze until ready to eat.

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H A M I LT O N E A S T | A I R P O RT | C B D | C AT E R I NG | H A M I LT O N FA R M E R S M A R K E T S

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Smoked Lamb Shank with Asparagus, Feta and Pomegranate Couscous Salad RECIPE AND IMAGES | FIRE & THYME

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NOURISH | recipes

Lamb shanks are a winter favourite. Slowly braised, their meat falls off the bone, making them the perfect comfort food.

With spring here it’s time to put away the crock pot and dust off the BBQ, but that doesn’t mean you have to relinquish the joys of the shank.

With this dish BBQ experts Fire & Thyme have slowly smoked Ovation lamb shanks from The Greenlea Butcher Shop and paired them with a fresh spring salad.

The slow smoking adds flavour while resulting in melt in the mouth lamb.

Lamb Shanks 4 Ovation lamb shanks* olive oil ½ tbsp salt ½ tbsp ground pepper 1 tbsp chopped rosemary ½ tbsp oregano 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp paprika Couscous Salad 1½ cups dry couscous 1½ cups chicken stock 1 bunch of asparagus

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted ½–1 pomegranate 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 100g feta crumbled zest of one lemon ½ cup fresh mint, thinly sliced salt and pepper Cumin Yoghurt Sauce ½ cup Greek yoghurt juice of ½ a lemon 1 tbsp fresh mint, thinly sliced ¼ tsp cumin ½ tsp crushed garlic 2 tsp honey salt and pepper Prepare the lamb shanks by placing them on a board and patting the surface of the meat dry with paper towels. Mix the salt, pepper, herbs and spices together in a small bowl to create a rub, then drizzle the lamb shanks lightly in olive oil and massage the rub all over the meat.

Set up a charcoal BBQ kettle for a low and slow cook via your chosen method, aiming for a consistent temperature of 120oC. Place the lamb shanks on the grill, away from the heat source.

Once the lamb shanks are in position, add your wood chunks to the coal and close the lid.

After the lamb shanks have been smoking for an hour, adjust your spray bottle to a fine mist, open the BBQ and give them a very light spray of water, being careful not to disturb the rub by spraying too directly or heavily. Repeat this process every hour, topping up or adjusting your coal and wood as needed to maintain the consistent temperature of 120oC. Around the 6-hour mark, the lamb shanks should be getting close to being done. The meat should be starting to pull away from the bones, a nice bark (crust) should have formed and the internal temperature will have reached the target zone (88oC through to 102oC). Remove from the heat and cover with foil to keep warm.

Before extinguishing the coals, add the asparagus spears to the direct heat side of the grill and cook them off for 5 minutes, rotating them regularly, until just tender with a nice char. Remove from the heat, and slice into shorter lengths.

While the lamb is cooking, prepare the yoghurt dressing by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl or jar and seasoning to your taste.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the couscous salad by adding the dry couscous to a bowl and adding the hot chicken stock.

Cover and set aside for 5 minutes, before fluffing the couscous up with a fork.

Add the charred asparagus lengths, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, onion, feta, lemon zest and mint to the couscous, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Transfer the lamb shanks to a serving dish, shredding the meat from the bones and piling up the smoked meat if you wish, otherwise leaving them as they are.

To serve, place a generous portion of the couscous onto a bowl or plate, add the smoked lamb shank meat, then drizzle over some of the yoghurt dressing. Optionally, garnish the salad with extra pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and sliced mint.

NOTE: If you don’t have a kettle style BBQ you can cook the shanks in the oven. They will cook the same, they just won’t have the smokey flavour.

Ovation Lamb Shanks are available at Greenlea Butcher Shop www.greenleabutcher.co.nz

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NOURISH | health

Elevating Your Energy WITH HEALTHY MITOCHONDRIA Recently I attended an inspiring postgraduate seminar with Dr Rhona Creegan, a nutritional biochemist. I was there to learn more about our mitochondria and how supporting these can help with our immune systems, fertility, gut health and nutrient status.

Below is a brief overview from her talk, focusing on how to improve your energy levels by looking after your mitochondria, often called the cellular powerhouse.

What are your mitochondria?

Mitochondria are tiny little organelles found in your cells. Their primary function is to produce energy in the form of ATP, which captures chemical energy from food and uses that energy to fuel other cellular processes and your body. Simply put, mitochondria are the part of the cell responsible for turning the food we eat into energy for our cells.

If your mitochondria are damaged or dysfunctional you may experience fatigue and ongoing chronic tiredness.* Your mitochondria can be affected by chronic stress, poor nutrition, genetics and ageing. Free radicals and oxidative stress can also cause damage to your mitochondria. Certain chemicals can damage the mitochondria or you could inherit a pre-disposition for damaged mitochondria.

The good news is that through proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle changes

mitochondria can be repaired; however, the extent to which they can be repaired will depend on the underlying cause. Luckily, there are measures we can take to support mitochondrial function to improve our energy and health.

Tips for increasing energy One way to help improve your energy levels is to look after the health of your mitochondria. If your mitochondria are damaged or dysfunctional you may experience fatigue and ongoing chronic tiredness.* • Take a swim in the ocean; sea water is great for stimulating mitochondrial function and production.

• Move your body; any activity that gets you moving is beneficial. Choose a sport or activity that you enjoy and create a regular routine. If possible start the day with some movement and let that energy carry you through the day.

• Take up yoga or a similar daily stretching routine. Intense muscle stretching and conditioning stimulate mitochondria production.

• High intensity interval training also stimulates your mitochondria.

• Eat like you live in the Mediterranean.

Shift your diet to a Mediterranean style diet. Cut back on sugars and processed grains, and increase your intake of healthy fats, including increasing your

What is fatigue?

If you are feeling constantly tired and/or weak, either physically or mentally, you may have fatigue. Fatigue is more than just feeling tired and going to bed early to catch up, it is a persistent tiredness that can’t be solved by just going to bed earlier for a few nights.

Fatigue can be caused by various factors, including medical conditions, lifestyle, workplace stressors or emotional factors. Fatigue in itself is not a medical disorder, but a symptom of underlying conditions, which may be reversed by addressing underlying issues.

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intake of healthy omega-3s.

• Avoid processed foods; these foods are lacking in vital nutrients that are needed for energy production in our bodies. High carbohydrate, processed foods prevent our bodies burning fat for fuel, and this results in more oxidative stress, which in turn can damage our mitochondria.

• A number of studies have linked intermittent fasting to improved mitochondrial function and reduced damage to our cells. Just be aware that intermittent fasting is not about starving yourself, but rather eating within a set window of time (e.g. within 8–11 hours).

I touched on this in my last article on looking after your circadian rhythm.

Another easy way to maintain your energy levels during the day is to balance your blood sugar levels. Again, avoiding processed foods and choosing lean protein, healthy fats, vegetables and salads will help you avoid the roller coaster of sugar highs and lows that come with a diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugars.

As medical herbalists and naturopaths we can help you improve your mitochondrial function with the use of nutrients, phytonutrients (phyto means plant, so plant nutrients) and phytochemicals. For more information contact our naturopaths directly at The Herbal Dispensary Clinic. *Mitochondrial dysfunction is also implicated in other health conditions that are beyond the scope of this article.

by Bronwyn Lowe Medical Herbalist MNZAMH The Herbal Dispensary 6 Wallis Street, Raglan www.theherbaldispensaryraglan.co.nz

A new chapter for St Kilda living

AN 8 NEW TOWNHOUSE URBAN ENCLAVE

Nestled within the successful subdivision of St Kilda Cambridge, emerges a new architecturally designed townhouse enclave. With a number of lifestyle options, wetlands views and Cambridge’s CBD just minutes away, these 8 well appointed distinctive townhouse’s stand strong as a beautiful place to come home and relax.

Features • • • • • • • •

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Location KANIERA TERRACE, ST KILDA, CAMBRIDGE

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stkilda.nz Note: Imagery is an artist impression only and all other information is subject to change.

Angela Finnigan Lifestyle and Residential Sales | 500 Club Achiever P 07 834 3821 | M 021 623 550 | F 07 834 3231 | www.angelafinnigan.bayleys.co.nz Licensed under the REAA 2008

Spring INTO THE

GARDEN WORDS LYNDA HALLINAN

PAGE 56 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

NOURISH | gardening Spring fever: it afflicts us all in different ways. For instance, I'm writing this with a seed catalogue on my desk marked up with three dozen fresh flavours to sow this season, and a pet lamb in polkadot nappies fast asleep in my lap.

In Japan, such is the spring fever for hanami—the meditative joy of cherry blossom viewing—that the Japan Meteorological Agency includes blossom forecasts in its official weather reports.

I reckon our MetService should adopt a similar policy. As well as issuing forecasts for pollen and precipitation, it could predict the emergence of the first asparagus spears (mid-October at my place) or tell us when the soil is warm enough to sow French beans and safely transplant tomato seedlings.

Spring is the official start of the new gardening year and, according to the Victorian-era wellness guru Dr A.M. Woods Hutchinson, it would be “a slander against nature” not to wholeheartedly embrace this time of awakening.

I can't argue with that, although most of us would argue with his outmoded views on plant-based diets. Dr Hutchinson thought red meat essential to “progressive and dominant” societies, dismissing vegetarianism as the diet of “the weak, the enslaved, the stagnant, the uncivilised and conquered”.

That’s poppycock, of course. In spring, it's not the steak on our plates that makes our mouths water, but crisp salad greens, broad beans, fist-sized globe artichokes, fat asparagus spears and pregnant pea pods

swelling with tenderness.

Unfortunately, planning for a constant supply of fresh spring fare from your own backyard isn’t easy. It requires the same sort of dogged determination as giving up carbs in winter so you can fit back into your togs in summer. That's because you need to think one or two seasons ahead for spring harvests, planting Brussels sprouts and broccoli in late summer, and sowing broad beans in autumn. Other crops, like asparagus and fruit trees, take two or three years notice.

Self-sufficiency advocates describe early spring as “the hungry gap” because most of your gardening effort is spent putting things into the soil, rather than pulling things out to eat.

courgettes; don't pop these in before Labour Weekend. · Blank canvases suit painters, not pollinators. Avoid the urge to clear out your entire plot prior to planting. Let seedy crops linger a little longer for bees and beneficial insects to feed on.

The sunshine-yellow flowers of winter brassicas that have gone to seed are nectar-rich for hungry honey bees. · When planting seed spuds, instead of digging deep trenches, mound up the soil first then push the potatoes through into the middle of the mounds. They'll sprout out much more quickly this way than when buried deep down in cold, wet soil.

If you have left your run too late, don't overcompensate and try to jump the gun on summer. Heat-loving crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, pumpkins and zucchini simply won't thrive in soil temperatures below 20°C. Focus instead on fast food: sow radishes, perennial rocket, mesclun salad mixes and microgreens in pots, and direct sow coriander, dill and Florence fennel, as these crops prefer the cooler days of spring to the heat of summer.

Spring checklist

Lynda Hallinan

· Plan before you plant. Draw a quick sketch of your vege patch, noting which crops need more sun, space and water.

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

· Try to ensure that no crop (aside from perennials such as asparagus, strawberries and runner beans) is grown in the same spot two years running. · Leave plenty of room for space-hogging summer crops such as pumpkins and

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WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN

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NOURISH | review

Catherine Bell is an inspiration. As a cook, food writer, businesswoman and mother, Catherine has spent many years encouraging and enthusing people to cook and enjoy good food.

such as the first school principals, specialists and volunteers who have supported the programme for the last ten years. Add to this, Garden to Table’s ambassadors, Al Brown, Niki Bezzant and Dan MacKay, have also shared their foodie insights and green-fingered wisdom.

She owned the Epicurean Workshop, a cookery school and cookware store in Auckland, then went on to establish Dish magazine and publish two cookbooks. Today she owns Epicure Trading, importing a range of ethically produced products from around the world that all relate to cooking or serving food.

Each chapter highlights a particular vegetable group, providing growing information alongside simple and delicious recipes.

Peppered throughout the book are practical facts and suggestions, designed to make growing and cooking both easy and fun. Did you know tomato skins can be dried in the oven and ground with salt to make tomato flavoured seasoning?

Ten years ago she co-founded the Garden to Table Trust which focuses on food education. Garden to Table works by building life skills through practical hands-on, child-centric classes, which are linked to the school curriculum, teaching children how to grow and prepare food, encouraging the eating of fresh food.

To celebrate Garden to Table’s tenth year, Catherine has written Bounty – Cooking with Vegetables, with all profits from the sale going directly to the Trust. More than just a recipe book, Bounty, like Garden to Table, champions growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing vegetable-based meals.

Catherine says, “My primary aspiration is for this book to enable the Garden to Table programme to reach more primary schools and change the way children approach and think about food.

There are still 230,000 children around the country who are not yet benefitting from vital food education, and I hope this will enable the Trust to grow its reach.

“Beyond that, my hope is for Bounty to be an incentive for quality family time, from dedicating time to tending the humble vegetable plot to sharing a nutritious homemade meal at the dinner table.”

Beautiful images from Garden to Table schools bring the book to life which also celebrates some of Garden to Table’s heroes,

Garden to Table Executive Officer Linda Taylor says, “The charity’s end goal is to raise enough funds to ensure all communities are able to take part in the Garden to Table programme.

“When children are taught how to grow and cook food for themselves, they’re gifted an empowered and self-sufficient future, something everyone deserves. We need our programme to reach every primary school across the country to impact the future in the biggest way possible.

“We are very grateful that Catherine has poured her heart and wisdom into this cookbook, with all proceeds going towards giving Kiwi children a chance at a brighter future and promoting family time as the most important part of any day.”

The Garden to Table programme currently operates in 176 New Zealand primary schools, positively impacting around 23,000 children through years 3–6.

Bounty will be available to purchase from November 2019 from all good bookstores for RRP $39.95, with 100 percent of sales proceeds going directly to the Garden to Table Trust. www.gardentotable.org.nz

Come and experience our spring menu

Open 7 days, 8am-3pm | 337 Newell Road, Tamahere | punnet.co.nz | thecountryprovidore.co.nz

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Microgreens SMALL IN SIZE BUT BIG ON FLAVOUR AND NUTRITION Microgreens, not to be confused with sprouts or shoots, are essentially seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested after their cotyledon* or first couple of leaves have developed.

Unlike sprouts, microgreens are grown in the light and a shallow bed of soil. This is significant as it means both the flavour and the nutritional content of microgreens is greater than sprouts. Gus Tissink from Bidfresh in Hamilton says he loves microgreens because “they pack a whole lot of flavour, are visually appealing and allow the chef creative license when plating a dish”.

Purple Shiso

Gorgeous colour with a broad leaf that has a hint of citrus and a mix of mint/basil and even coriander.

Bidfresh source their microgreens from two local suppliers, Kaimai Greens and The Secret Garden. Kaimai Greens specialise in bio-grow organic certified, soil-grown micros while The Secret Garden employs a combination of growing techniques. Both produce micros that are full of flavour with great shelf life.

Studies have suggested microgreens contain considerably higher levels of vitamins and carotenoids, about five times greater than their mature counterparts. This high nutrient level is also why these tiny tendrils are packed with flavour.

The flavour of micros is a consideration you need to make when choosing which you will use. Gus says, “Careful selection of microgreens based on flavour can further elevate a dish when paired well with the components and ingredients that make the dish.” Conversely, throwing a few micros on top of a dish with no consideration to the flavour they will add can be disastrous.

Ice Plant

With its beautiful ‘ice’ crystals this is sure to get people talking. Bite in and you’ll swear it’s frozen.

While microgreens are in no way new, the variety of those available or what comes in and out of fashion keeps things interesting for chefs and those wanting to grow their own at home. Gus says his current favourites are “the sorrels/oxalis varieties, there’s no mistaking you’re eating something citrus”.

But if you are really looking for something different, Gus recommends “begonia leaves, any of the succulents, beach spinach, ice plant … and wild onion flower”. *Cotyledon are the first leaves that a plant produces before producing “true leaves” which reflect final look of the plant/micro variety.

Spring Onion

You know the flavour now try it intensified with feathery light tendrils.

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Wayne’s Cauliflower

Fried Rice RECIPE WAYNE GOOD | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

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NOURISH | recipes

After recently returned from a month in France with one of our tour groups, I could tell after eating my way through masses of pastries, cakes, tarts, baguettes, and all matter of other delicious things, that I was uncomfortably larger than before I set out. Something had to be done, and after watching a very informative programme on the plane about cutting out ‘bad carbs’, I thought this was worth giving a go.

cooking oil

Everything I heard is right! It works. I feel SO much better; more energy, less weight and my nagging arthritic feet and back are no more!

1 dozen peeled prawns

So what did I cut out? White flour, white sugar, potatoes, pasta, rice, cakes and biscuits. That sounds hard, but it’s not, and I can still enjoy a glass of red wine and dark chocolate.

1 tbsp fish sauce

Now let’s be clear, this is not a diet, it is an eating plan. A big difference in my book.

Here is one of the meals I’m really enjoying. It is so easy, is a one-pan meal and SO delicious.

½ medium cauliflower ½ onion, sliced ½ carrot, thinly sliced ½ red capsicum, diced ½ cup edamame beans 2 cloves garlic, diced 1 red chilli, diced 1 egg 1–2 tbsp good dark soy sauce juice of a lime fresh coriander to garnish (optional) To prepare your cauliflower, you can either process in a food processor until it looks like fine rice or use a curved two handle chopper and do it manually.

In a hot wok, heat your oil until hot. Add the onion and carrot and saute for a few minutes until the onion is clear and the carrots start to soften.

Add the capsicum, edamame beans, garlic and chilli and cook for a few more minutes.

Remove and set aside.

Reheat your wok and add more oil. Sauté your prawns for a few minutes until they change colour. Remove and again set aside.

Now again reheat your wok and add more oil and saute the cauliflower for about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetables and prawns, stirring all the time.

Crack the egg in and cook for a minute, then add the soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice. At this stage taste and add more if required.

Serve immediately garnished with fresh coriander.

Wayne Good is a chef, interior designer and travel guide. Renowned for his hospitality, Wayne’s cooking classes and tours of France are hot tickets!

Discover more at www.arkanda.co.nz

Relish every drop

MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY SPOONFUL

Mix crème fraiche or mascarpone with the last of your jam and use to top pikelets, scones or sandwich between two cakes

Homemade jams, jellies, vinaigrettes, dressings, chutneys, sauces, mustards. Real food made by real people.

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PAGE 63 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

5 ways to teach your children about the environment: 1. Lead by example 2. Start a garden 3. Get outside and experience the joys of nature 4. Feed their curiosity 5. Teach care and respect for self and for others

NOURISH | kids

Kindy Kids

nurturing the future

IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

Teaching children to care about the environment is not only a way for us to create positive change for generations to come, but it is also a great way to raise a generation who are compassionate and caring.

Giving children an understanding of, appreciation for, and responsibility to their environment is at the heart of the philosophy of Kindergartens Waikato and Early Education Waikato. In their 37 centres and home-based education services, respecting the environment forms a core part of the day to day activities of the children. CEO Maree Stewart says, “It manifests itself in how we care physically, socially and respectfully for everything around us, including each other, every day.”

All 37 services have worm farms, fruitbearing citrus trees and ‘edible gardens’ where fresh vegetables are grown yearround. These are tended by the children, who eat the produce with whānau throughout the year, including Matariki celebrations.

Each Early Education Waikato Centre employs an in-house cook who incorporates the food grown on-site to create healthy, nutritious meals. Seeing, growing and eating food fresh from the garden helps children to foster better food choices, connects them with food and where it comes from, teaches them about seasons and Mother Nature while also giving them a sense of pride and achievement.

Children also enjoy visits from local beekeepers where they learn the importance of bees in the pollination process. Hamilton West Kindergarten has taken this a step further, installing an indoor/outdoor bee enclosure to view the bees at work and integrate them into their learning.

At Miropiko Kindergarten, on River Road, tamariki are the kaitiaki (guardians) of Miropiko Pa Reserve. The older children, in particular, visit regularly to learn and take care of the surrounds.

Bush Kindergarten is an important part of a regular activity programme at Newcastle Kindergarten in Ngaruawahia. Here tamariki have been using Pukemokemoke Bush Reserve for more than four years, exploring the ngahere and gifting a weta house. The hole for the weta house was dug and the tamariki lifted it into place— followed, of course, by a celebration of kai, before heading into the bush to explore further.

As the environment forms an integral part of the organisation’s learning programme, it was only natural for them to team up with Enviroschools.

Enviroschools is a nationwide programme where member schools and early childhood centres commit to a long-term sustainability journey. The goal is these journeys will create fertile ground for a range of learning and action.

Through this empowering experience, they will become life-long change-makers. The idea is based on the concept of ako, where all participants are simultaneously learners and teachers, and everybody learns from each other. Caring for our place and the whole planet becomes a living curriculum where skills and competencies are gained through experience and mahi within meaningful community settings.

Each location is unique, with its own ecology, history, culture and community— so Enviroschools looks different in every setting. The journey of connecting with the place and its people is designed and led by staff.

Raglan is a town committed to working toward zero waste, with Raglan Kindergarten focused on getting rid of single-use plastics.

Ideas being implemented include litter-free lunchboxes—using wraps, reusable containers or lunchboxes with compartments; replacing plastic drinking cups with durable glass cups; and extending to using natural art materials— removing glitter, felt-tip pens and plastic beads, replacing them with sand, sawdust, coloured pencils, wooden beads and other natural resources.

The Enviroschools principles are woven

into many aspects of day-to-day learning.

At Pukete Kindergarten, tamariki discovered the name ‘Pukete’ comes from a type of kit or bag (kete) typically filled with hinau berries and submerged in fresh water streams as part of the preparation of the berries for fermenting and preservation.

The area around Pukete Pa, at the northern end of Braithwaite Park, was renowned as a centre for the manufacture of such kits.

From that learning, the children have been busy making their own kete and have been learning a new mat time song called ‘Kai in the Kete’ which is a popular choice.

Rototuna Early Education Centre is one service that can spend time in a bush environment without leaving home, as it backs onto a gully which provides many opportunities for environmental discovery.

Tamariki care for the gully by weeding, and a popular activity is visiting the chickens (owned by next-door Rototuna Primary School) that live there.

For tamariki who will deal with climate change, global warming and the effects of single-use plastics, the more they learn and respect their environment, the better leaders they will become in forming tomorrow’s environment.

Waikato Kindergarten Association Waikato Kindergarten Association/Early Education Waikato is a not for profit trust which manages 29 kindergartens and 7 childcare centres along with Homebased Education throughout Hamilton, Cambridge, Ngaruawahia, Te Kowhai and Raglan.

With the belief high-quality early childhood education makes a significant difference in the way a child learns and develops throughout their life, Waikato Kindergartens and Early Education Waikato are staffed by passionate and qualified teachers.

Caring for children from 3 months to school age, with full day, morning, afternoon and school day sessions available.

Find out more at www.kindergarten.org.nz PAGE 65 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

WORDS EMILY DISCOMBE | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

5 WAYS TO

Spring into Fitness 1. SPRING CLEAN YOUR DIET.

4. JOIN A CHALLENGE.

2. START SLOW, FINISH STRONG.

5. ENTER A FUN RUN.

You spring clean your house, so why not spring clean your pantry?

NOW is the time to really have a look inside your cupboards and cut out anything that will hold you back from your summer body goals. You can donate the food to charities or drop them in the food bins at your local supermarket!

Many gyms and trainers bring out group fitness challenges this time of year. It's the time of year people want to get training because summer is so close. Enquire at your local gym, or if you’re in Hamilton, I can happily help you out.

I see it all the time, people go from doing almost nothing, to 100% in their first couple of weeks, only to blow out and fall completely out of exercise by week 3 or 4. The results from starting slow is totally underrated! Start with 2 or 3 workouts per week. Each week you can add a workout in or up the intensity. Make sure you have set some goals to keep you on track.

Races are great to enter. They motivate you to get up and workout because nothing is worse than turning up on race day, unfit for the 10km run that lies ahead! Popular ones in Hamilton for spring/ summer training are the Hamilton half marathon (29 September) and the Lugtons Round the Bridges run (17 November). There are some good ideas to get you moving!

3. FIND A FRIEND!

Emily Discombe FastFit PT emily@fastfitpt.com www.fastfitpt.com

Friends make it easier to get started and they keep you accountable! It also makes working out more enjoyable, AND it's a great way to catch up with them!

PAGE 66 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

NOURISH | fitness

Meet Emily Emily is our new fitness columnist who will be bringing you her knowledge, tips and advice to achieving a healthier lifestyle every season in Nourish. If you have a question or would like Emily to cover something in future issues please email vicki@ nourishmagazine.co.nz.

In 2012 Emily discovered her passion for helping people with their fitness and health.

After putting an end to her elite rowing career, she decided to run a boot camp in Cambridge for her workmates. They really wanted to lose weight, but they didn’t know how or where to begin.

“We would meet at the local park three times a week where I would run their boot camps and give a little advice on their nutrition,” says Emily. “After eight weeks they had lost a combined 20kgs! I figured this was my calling, so in 2013 I became a certified personal trainer.”

Since qualifying, Emily has found herself running more and more group sessions. “I love the atmosphere and friendships made between clients along the way,” admits Emily. “I decided I didn't want anyone to miss out on this lifestyle. With a lot of early mornings and late nights I grew it into a business—Fast Fit.” The mission is to help people create healthier lifestyles through fitness and health. Fast Fit is about creating a community environment where everyone feels comfortable. Various trainers and flexible session times, days and locations mean you can fit exercise in with your life while being part of a community where everyone is set up to succeed.

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PAGE 67 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

My Big Fat

RENO WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

PAGE 68 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Ask me if I wanted tea or coffee in the past few months and you would be met with a blank stare.

Behind my glazed-over eyes would be a creeping feeling of fear: “If I choose tea, what type?

With or without milk? Coffee? Is it instant, plunger or espresso?

What time of day is it?”

Normally a decisive person, my capacity to make decisions had suddenly escaped me. You see, in May we embarked on a major renovation, and while I thought we had researched and planned it to within an inch, I completely underestimated the number of tiny and major decisions that would be coming our way.

What started as the need to knock a few walls down to move our kitchen and bathroom turned in to us having to pack up the entire house and move out for three months while our little house was completely transformed.

I’m lucky enough to know some experts to call on for help. I have worked with the team at Kitchen Things Hamilton (who also own Total Kitchens) for over ten years and so this was the first stop when it came to planning the kitchen. While Matthew and I chatted appliances and the pros and cons of each, Chelsea from Total Kitchens created a plan for my kitchen that would give me the look I was after with the function I needed.

Still a small kitchen, I wanted to maximise bench space and storage so there was lots of discussion on placement of sink and hobs, draws vs cupboards, where to spend the money on inserts and more.

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PAGE 69 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Before

Our New French Doors!

I Love...

• The black undermounted sink. I can easily fit an oven tray in there. I even hide the cutlery caddy in there to make putting cutlery in the wash easy without anyone seeing it.

• The huge pull-out cupboard which holds so much and makes it easily accessible.

• The draws; these are such an efficient use of space.

• Our extra bench/coffee nook. This freed up space from my main bench has space for the coffee machine, USB ports for charging phones etc and is a convenient ‘dumping’ spot.

I chose Samsung appliances, going with a large (but by no means the largest!) fridge freezer. In my line of work, I need a big fridge.

But I loved this one because of the sleek, no handle look. I’m also loving having a freezer in the kitchen and found I use it more now.

Previously I would put food in my freezer to delay its inevitable death. With the freezer in the kitchen and with easily accessible drawers, I can organise and see what’s in there and thus I use the food I freeze. In addition to the freezer, I have a flexi-zone draw.

This is the perfect spot for the beer and wine, but you can change its use to meat or deli storage with a touch of a button.

is why you can wipe the surface immediately if anything ever spills, or as my daughter says, “oversplodes”. It’s also why you can safely put a wooden chopping board on top of it without fear of starting a fire.

Induction is also both fast and powerful but also gives you a lot of control. Mine has a dinky dial to turn up and down the levels from 1–15. At the lower end of the scale, I can temper chocolate directly in a pot, at the top level I can sear a steak or rapidly boil water.

My final appliance choice was the oven, and to Matthew’s dismay, I had little time for all the new-fangled advances in ovens. I want it to heat to temperature and that’s about it. So I loved Samsung’s easy to operate dials—no need for a computer programming degree to operate it. And now that it’s here I’m loving how easy it is to clean.

It has a pyrolytic cleaning cycle which sees the oven lock and then heat to ridiculous temperatures, burning off all your spills, which (once cooled down) you can simply wipe away. This oven also has a quick steam clean option too.

While I spent a lot of time discussing the extractor choices and inevitable noise they produce, I didn’t think of the noise the dishwasher makes. So considering we now have a very open plan space with lots of hard surfaces we were thrilled to discover our Samsung dishwasher is super quiet. In fact, for the first few weeks, we kept checking to see if it was going as we couldn’t hear it at all.

With the kitchen details in safe hands, my next call was to Wayne Good from Arkanda. Wayne helped me wade through the maze that is choosing a neutral paint colour. Who knew there were 100 different whites? Wayne helped me be brave enough to add some character into our white box with wallpaper and warm luxurious curtains. He also helped me feel comfortable in the decisions we were making throughout the house from colours to bathroom tiles. It was a huge relief to know he would not let me make a big mistake while ensuring the house was definitely to our taste.

I went for an induction cook-top and love this for more and more reasons each day. Initially, I chose induction as it is an energy efficient way to cook and so easy to keep clean. I also loved how the flat surface gave me some extra bench space when I wasn’t using it.

Induction cooktops don’t actually get hot; instead, they create heat within the pot with magnets that induce an electrical current. This

We moved back in in late July. The lawn has been replaced with mountains of mud and it’s freezing cold. We have no heating and to flush the toilet we need to blow in a tube. But we are stoked!

The vision we had for our little wooden cottage, when we bought it nearly six years ago, has come true. We now have a home that is truly ours.

PAGE 70 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

My Top Tips 1

WORK WITH PEOPLE YOU TRUST. We were lucky enough to have Thorburn Builders on the job who not only did a great job but made life easier with straight up advice when we needed to make those decisions. The Total Kitchen team’s attention to detail, from the planning to installation was faultless. It was a pleasure working with them as always.

2

SET A BUDGET AND ADD A HUGE CONTINGENCY. Do your research and create a realistic budget, then add some. Things come up you won’t have accounted for and that $500 here, $1000 there quickly adds up. Our theory was it’s expensive to go back and redo it so while we had the skill and labour there, we’d do the jobs that had to be done.

3

PRIORITISE. Our healthy contingency was for the deck we wanted. Whenever there was a decision to make or somewhere we could spend more money I would ask, “Do I want this more than I want the deck?” I really wanted that deck, yet we are sowing grass seed for this summer so re-read tip two and add a bit more in that contingency.

We wanted to preserve the native timber floors so even rooms that were initially not being touched were cannibalised so we could reclaim their floorboards. Not an easy or cheap option but the results are beautiful and our character house retains a good dose of its original character.

When building or renovating you are hit with the reality of waste created, from the amount of packaging (especially polystyrene) everything comes in, to the amount of materials simply thrown away.

While we were painstakingly reusing the original Matai floors, houses around us were being demolished in one day with everything being carted off to landfill.

We became regulars at Demolition Traders as we sold old windows we couldn’t use while buying new (old) doors and windows we needed, both to keep the character in the house but also to reduce the amount of waste we produced.

With this said we also took the opportunity to make our little wooden house warmer and drier and thus more efficient for the next 100 years. The bedrooms, now missing their wooden floorboards, were carpeted, extra insulation was put in the walls and new French doors are all double glazed.

TAKE HOME WITH YOU

a taste of Hamilton Gardens Locally made from produce grown in our gardens, you’ll love our delicious range of jams, preserves, and dressings.

SO LD E XC LUSIV E LY AT HAM ILTO N G ARDENS Hungerford Crescent, Cobham Drive (SH1), Hamilton www.hamiltongardens.co.nz  hamiltongardensnz  hamiltongardens

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Planning that Special Day WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN

IMAGE: Say I Do With Kate - Nita Meyer

PAGE 72 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

NOURISH | tips

Wed in Waikato is a curated group of wedding professionals based in the Waikato with a dual purpose—to help ease the stress for couples planning their special day and to network with their industry peers passionate about weddings to ensure we have the best there is here in the Waikato. Who better to ask for their top tips and advice when planning your big day?

Abbey from Love Club Hire, who hire a range of custom furniture for weddings and events, says, “Weddings get expensive really quick, so draw up a budget and prioritise what’s essential to you— this will really help narrow things down when you are picking the right vendors to work with.” Abbey also recommends “keeping a notepad by your bed. Jot down things you remember when you are trying to sleep. Then deal with them the next day.”

Photographer Ruth Gilmour suggests you stalk your photographer.

“It’s really important to choose someone you like because you’re going to spend your whole wedding day with them. In fact,” Ruth says, “I often spend more time with the bride than the groom does!”

magic with your ceremony content and your guests will be left wondering if you're longtime friends. That is the ultimate goal!”

Kylie points out planning ahead for your celebrations is also key: “If you're having a summer wedding, the height of the wedding season, make sure you book your celebrant as soon as you’ve got a date. Most celebrants only do one wedding a day and dates (particularly Saturdays) in February and March book out so far in advance.”

Kate from Ryan’s Daughter Photography advises you “choose your vendors wisely and then trust them to do what they do best”. Kate agrees with Ruth, pointing out “your photographer will be with you for a big portion of your wedding day and during some of the most intimate moments. You need to make sure you feel comfortable around them and confident that they will do their best for you”.

Being well prepared is make-up artist Abbie Hartland’s advice too. Abbie says, “Great lighting is just as important for your photographer as it is for your make-up artist,” and you should consider this when choosing where to get ready. “On the morning of your wedding day,” Abbie says, “you really want your preparation space to be calm, full of natural light, uncluttered and large enough to accommodate your bridal party, artist/stylists, photographer/ videographer and the extra people that come and go as part of this busy morning.”

Celebrant Kylie McKay believes having a great relationship with your celebrant is also key. “A celebrant will ask you lots of questions to get to know you, so make sure you give them the good stuff! Try and be open with them, even though most of the time you would have only met them once or twice. They will work their

Finally, Abbie says, remember whose day it is. “As a bride you should never be in the make-up chair last! It is easy to underestimate the time it takes for everyone to get dressed and ready. Expect to be in the make-up chair with your hair already styled second to last, if not sooner. As time draws near

WAIKATO’S ARTISAN BEER, CHEESE AND FERMENTED FOOD FESTIVAL SKYCITY HAMILTON

I SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2019

WAIKATOFOODINC.COM/FERMENTFEST R18 FOR THE SERVICE OF ALCOHOL. HOST RESPONSIBILITY LIMITS APPLY.

PAGE 73 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

IMAGE: Make Your Day Events - Erika Jane

IMAGE: Ruth Gilmour

to your ceremony with this often comes nerves, phone calls, questions and other distractions. You want to enjoy your pamper time and avoid a rush to get into your dress. Your photographer will also appreciate this extra time allowance.”

Laurie from Hot Shots Photobooths says it’s important to know “that not everything goes to plan and that’s ok. Relax and just have fun on the day”.

What’s Hot IMAGE: Abbie Hartland Make Up Artist - Sheree Kershaw Photography

Abbey from Love Club Hire says, “A lot of people seem to be into a more chill wedding set up this year—think bar leaners, chill areas or lounges, tapas or a food truck and no sit-down meal.”

The Cocktail Cart is perfect! “Today, food trucks are seriously stylish and increasingly trendy,” says Dorothy from the Cocktail Cart who has taken this idea and given it a fabulous twist! The Cocktail Cart is a mobile bar that offers a luxurious experience, bringing delicious cocktails to you and your guests!

“The Cocktail Cart is compact and can be set up anywhere, from your private house to the hill that overlooks the ocean,” says Dorothy. Another service that can bring a little fun to almost any venue is a photo booth, which also means you and your guests get to have some candid shots of the night.

IMAGE: The Cocktail Cart

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Before your guests even get to your wedding, Kelly from Creative Box says you can set the scene. “You can always have so much fun with your invitations,” Kelly says, “and this season is no different.

From beautiful simple designs with

playful handwritten fonts and monograms, watercolour leaves and bright floral illustrations. For inspiration for your invitations, think about the colours and styles of the men’s suits and ties, bridesmaids dresses, florals, venue and styling and most importantly about what you as the couple like.”

What never goes out of fashion?

Like beautiful invites and stationery, some things never go out of fashion, like personal vows says celebrant Kylie McKay. “Speak from the heart and avoid copy and paste from the web. Don’t worry about what sounds right or what everyone will think. No one else is in this relationship but you two.”

Having a wedding day full of the things you love and enjoy together and not feeling restricted by traditions you have no connection to is Kate’s, from Ryan’s Daughter Photography, advice. While Abbey from Love Club Hire says “good food, plenty of refreshments and great music, either live band or DJ” will always be winners.

Then finally Ruth Gilmour wants you to have long-lasting images of the day you will treasure and says, “Candid documentary-style images that are relaxed and natural are timeless.”

Kate from Say I Do With Kate says, “Remember to focus on you as a couple and what's important to you leading up to the big day.” Sage advice considering this is the day to mark the rest of your life together. www.wedinwaikato.com

Bellini

AN D B LIN I WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

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Bellini

Mention Bellini and I instantly flash back to my London days; I was assistant manager of the Notting Hill Brasserie and we served them by the truckload!

This was a swanky crowd where we served Dom Perignon by the glass, so it was not unheard of for us to add a dash of peach puree to mere Bollinger to make a Bellini.

Known for our Bellini prowess, we were once given a range of exquisite fruit purees to experiment with making Bellinis beyond the traditional peach (something my flatmates all thought needed to be repeated a few times to ensure we got things just right).

The Bellini is traditionally made with Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine)

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mixed with a dash of peach puree. As we discovered in London, this perfect concoction can be varied. I particularly like mango, apricot or raspberry in the summer months.

Puree

La Cave in Hamilton sell a beautiful pink peach puree from France which makes the perfect blush pink Bellini. Although you can make your own very easily. When in season, roast the peaches to intensify their flavour then puree in a blender, sweetening to taste.

Fresh mangoes can be pureed raw, while berries like raspberries are best made into a coulis (cooked in a pot then sieved to remove all pips). And if found unprepared, you can always puree tinned fruit.

NOURISH | recipes

BLINIS

These tiny morsels are the perfect vessel for all manner of moreish toppings. Originating from Russia, these traditional pancakes are over a thousand years old. While we now associate them with cocktail parties, topped with sour cream and caviar or slivers of smoked salmon, they were originally a very humble dish served with jam or honey.

Cook the blinis in a pan with a little butter over a medium heat. A tablespoon of the batter per blini makes the perfect bite-sized pancake.

The beauty of these baby pancakes is they can be topped with so many things while making the perfect 1–2 bite hors d’oeuvre. Unlike the pancakes or pikelets we are used to, blinis use yeast to get a light texture. The addition of buckwheat flour is common and adds a lovely nuttiness to them.

TOP THEM OFF

Once cooled, the blinis are ready to be topped and enjoyed, or at this stage can be frozen.

SAVOURY

Salmon gravlax (see page 31) with dill cream cheese

LOOKING FOR inspiration?

Head to La Cave in Hamilton for everything from French Champagne to pate, pesto to artichokes, luxury jams to cheese and so much more.

Sour cream and caviar

1 cup milk, warmed

Pesto and cherry tomato

1 cup flour

Clevedon buffalo tartine and cucumber ribbons

¾ cup buckwheat flour

Blue cheese and candied walnuts

1 tsp instant active dry yeast

Artichoke puree and prosciutto

1 tsp salt 2 eggs, lightly beaten

SWEET

15g butter

Vanilla mascarpone and fresh berries

In a small pot add the milk and butter and gently heat until the butter has melted. Allow to cool slightly.

Caramel, fresh banana and chocolate shavings

Mix the flours, yeast and salt in a bowl before whisking in the warmed milk and butter and eggs. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest in a warm place for around two hours or alternatively in the fridge overnight.

Chocolate mousse and strawberries Jam and cream

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SCOTCH

K Y S I 101 H W WORDS ASH PARMAR | IMAGES ALEX SPODYNEIKO

Known as the Water of Life, whisky is a drink steeped in tradition. It starts with just two simple ingredients (original malted barley and water) run through copper stills then aged in oak barrels before being bottled and sold around the world to be enjoyed. Be that neat, with ice, water, in a classic cocktail or for some, dare I say it, with coke.

Drinking a quality whisky is an art in itself, but don’t get too caught up, it’s also important to keep it simple and enjoy the experience. Adding a few drops of room

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temperature water will open the whisky up a little. Whisky contains ethanol and guaiacol molecules which stick together but they don’t mix uniformly with water. The higher ethanol concentrates in whisky the more it will benefit from adding a few drops of water—anything 46% abv and above falls into this category.

Ice is a big no in my opinion as it makes your whisky cold and this inhibits its flavours and aromas significantly. But don’t let me stop you from enjoying it with an ice cube or two if it helps you enjoy it.

Especially during hot summer nights.

Ice can play a part, especially if you are going down the route of cocktails.

In my opinion, the best way to enjoy whisky

is with luke-warm water. Cut the whisky with water to the strength you desire and truly enjoy the lovely aroma and taste of a well-crafted drink.

All Scotch whisky has to be: Distilled, aged and bottled in Scotland, and must be aged in an oak cask for a minimum of three years.

Scotch Whisky Blends Scotch Blend is something that a master blender has produced by blending together whiskies sourced from a number of distilleries. A prime example of this would

NOURISH | drinks

be the Johnnie Walker range.

Single Cask Single Malts

regular releases.

A master blender has access to whisky casks from over 20 distilleries and is looking to achieve a particular flavour profile.

Single cask releases are becoming very popular. It is rare for distilleries themselves to release a single cask whisky and, if they do, they tend to be very rare and expensive.

This is where independent bottlers come in.

At Eight Pm we keep an extensive range of Scottish blends, single malts and especially independent bottlings.

Blends can be made from whiskies aged in different cask types or even different types of grains (barley, corn rye, wheat and others), although there are a number of Scotch Blends on the market which are made from just malted barley only whiskies.

These tend to be far more intense in flavour and finish on the palate a bit longer. One famous malt blend is Monkey Shoulder, which is a blend of whiskies from Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie.

Single Malts To be classed a single malt Scotch the whisky must be made from a single distillery from malted barley plus the other rules governing what a Scotch whisky is.

Single malts are technically still blends; they are a blend of whiskies of different ages and cask types from a single distillery.

Thus the reason why they are called single malts.

Age Statement Scotch whiskies, whether a blend or single malt, usually have an age statement on them. For example, when you pick a bottle of Glenfiddich 12-year-old, the youngest whisky cask that was used in the making of this barrel was 12 years old. There can be whiskies older than 12 years in there too.

There are many blends or single malts on the market without an age statement—these must be a minimum age of three years old.

Some very interesting single malts are offered by distilleries without an aged statement. While they are aged for significant lengths of time, the age is not the selling point.

For example, Laphroaig PX Cask is a whisky aged for much more than three years. The focus though is on the PX cask which refers to the whisky being additionally aged in PX ‘Pedro Ximinez’ sherry casks. Here, their aim is to provide a unique flavour profile rather than focusing on the age statement.

An independent bottler doesn’t make whisky, they are in the business of buying whisky casks from distilleries. They will then take them away and release them at a certain age statement or alcohol by volume (ABV). They also sometimes run mad experiments by ageing them in different cask types.

Quite often independent bottlers will release casks that have been aged for significantly longer than the distillery themselves would.

Whisky vs Whiskey The Scottish spell it ‘whisky’ and the Irish spell it ‘whiskey’, with an extra 'e'.

The difference in the spelling comes from the translations of the word from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms.

Whiskey with the extra 'e' is also used when referring to American whiskies.

So you can safely say Scotch is whisky while bourbon is whiskey.

What creates a cult following for some releases?

Pure marketing genius is what drives sales for most popular brands. This unfortunately confuses customers significantly and I fear puts them off whisky. The biggest mover and shaker in the last 12 months has been the Diageo and Game of Thrones partnership, which saw them release a special limited-edition Johnnie Walker and other single malts. Whiskies sold in these bottles weren’t necessarily any better than usual releases but scarcity and misinformation around the bottlings drives the price up significantly.

Want to discover more about whisky? Join us for one of our tastings and follow us on Facebook. Or go online to buy a special bottle and start enjoying the journey.

Ash Parmar is available to consult with before your next precious purchase. Better yet, why not hire him for a private evening of whisky discovery with some friends or work colleagues.

Get in touch for a bespoke private tasting experience. www.eightpm.co.nz

LADIES WHISKY TASTING Discover the delights of whisky with Ash from Eight PM at Mavis & Co, Hamilton East.

Thursday 24th October, 6pm Includes five different whiskies to try and interesting canapes Tickets $65 $10 from each ticket will be donated to Waikato Breast Cancer Research Trust

Most official releases from known distilleries are very big, in several thousand bottles. But quite often they will release very small parcels, where they might have done a mad experiment, like using a particular barley source, yeast type, or even a particular barrel. This always drives a lot of excitement and several big distilleries do PAGE 79 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

Nourish Dinner

with Hayes Common WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES MELODY LETFUS

Lisa, Brent and the team at Hayes Common love putting on a party.

They break out the good crystal and napkins from Royal Laboratorie, they pick fresh flowers, devise a gorgeous menu and source delectable wines. With this in mind, I was looking for an excuse. I told Lisa it was our tenth birthday and she agreed this was a milestone worthy of celebrating.

We set the date and got organising a great night which quickly sold out.

Turns out Nourish is only nine years old! But hey—who needs an excuse for a great night out celebrating fresh local flavour?

It’s a cold Thursday night in August but Hayes Common in Hamilton East is humming. This is the essence of a local eatery, a place locals can come together for great food, wine and company, a perfect partner for Nourish.

We started with a glass of bubbles and canapes: duck parfait with pinot jelly on Volare fig and walnut toasts, lemongrass chicken meatballs with miso mayo and a Korean dipping sauce.

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When we take our seats, we share plates of broad beans, hot smoked salmon with cilantro goats’ cheese, dukkha and mint along with Clevedon buffalo mozzarella, bresaola, mushrooms and truffle.

The main is a tough choice between Waratah pork belly with cauliflower puree, crispy Brussels sprouts, garden chard and mustard cider, or Awhi Farm’s sumac spiced lamb rack with roast butternut, date labneh, puffed grains, cavolo nero and harissa. Both of which are served with Hayes famous miso potatoes and a seasonal salad of kale, pear and pine nuts.

Dessert is served, a tart made from neighbourhood citrus and served with crème fraiche, cilantro cajeta and toasty meringue. The dessert is paired with a whisky (The Singleton, a 12-year-old single malt from Dufftown) carefully chosen and provided by Ash from Eight PM. If this was our ninth birthday celebration, I can’t wait until we turn 10! www.hayescommon.co.nz

EVENTS LONG LUNCHES AT ALPINO Once a month the Alpino crew make it easy with their fabulous Long Lunch. Enjoy three delicious courses including a Peroni and Louis Roederer drinks package.

43–45 Victoria Street, Cambridge 20 September, 25 October and 22 November Phone 827 5595 or email eat@alpino.co.nz

LADIES WHISKY NIGHT Join Ash from Eight PM at Mavis & Co for a night discovering the delights of whisky. $65pp includes 5 whiskies, nibbles PLUS $10 from each ticket sold will be donated to the Hamilton Breast Cancer Research Trust.

Thursday 24 October www.eightpm.co.nz

TASTE OF WAIKATO Experience the ‘Taste of Waikato’ Six-Course Degustation Lunch at The Red Barn.

Sunday lunches on 22 September, 20 October, 12 and 15 December. Plus dinner on 13 December $115pp www.redbarnexperiences.nz

TAURANGA ARTS FESTIVAL The Tauranga community will come together and the city alive over 10 days for the Tauranga Arts Festival. Performances and exhibitions from the Carrus Crystal Palace, Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, the Tauranga Art Gallery and throughout the streets plus a number of venues in greater Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Waihi Beach and Te Puke regions.

24 October – 3 November www.taurangafestival.co.nz

FERMENTFEST Celebrating all things fermented from beer and cheese to sauerkraut.

FREE entry Saturday 28 September, 11am – 5pm Sky City Hamilton www.waikatofoodinc.com/fermentfest NOURISH COOKING CLASSES Join Vicki in her kitchen for a little fun food and inspiration Brilliant Brunch – 13 October, 11am Mid-Week Magic – 26 September, 6pm Spring Entertaining – 3 November, 11am $65pp Training your Teenager Series Perfect for beginner or novice cooks.

10, 17th, 31st October and 7th November $65 per class or book all four for $220. www.nourishmagazine.co.nz/cookingclasses HAYES COMMON MEET THE MAKER Sparkling wine with Chris Ayson from Cave du Cochon, purveyors of the finest Champagne.

Wednesday 16 October, 6pm Early bird ticket release available to Waikato Foodies members.

General public tickets available from 16 September.

Cnr Plunket Tce & Jellicoe Dr hello@hayescommon.co.nz FALLS RETREAT WORKSHOPS Bread Making Workshop Wednesday 25 September - $75pp Fermenting Masterclass – Kombucha, Kimchi & More Wednesday 2 October - $75pp Full Monty Garden Workshop Wednesday 2 October - $125pp Pasta Masterclass – From Zero To Hero Wednesday 9 October, 6.30pm - $75pp Spring Seasonal Cooking Workshop – Seasonal cooking classes that take you from garden to the dinner table.

Wednesday 16 October - $150pp www.fallsretreat.co.nz/educate PAGE 82 | WWW.NOURISHMAGAZINE.CO.NZ

FESTIVE COOKING CLASSES With Wayne Good. Join Wayne in his home as he shares with you some inspirational recipes for your festive table this year. $75.00 pp includes welcome treat and coffee, demonstration, recipes, lunch and refreshments, plus the recipes to take home.

Commencing second week of November with weekday and weekend classes.

To book, email wayne@arkanda.co.nz SCARECROW FESTIVAL It’s time to get creative! Entries are now open for the Scarecrow Festival held at Hamilton Gardens.

Sunday 3 November, 11am to 3pm.

Prize giving at 2pm. Free entry. www.facebook.com/ hamiltonscarecrowfestival STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL Fun for the whole family at The Strawberry Farm, Punnet Café and The Country Providore Saturday and Sunday 9th & 10th November.

LOCAL FUN RUNS Join Fast Fit PT at the Hamilton Half Marathon, 29 September or Round the Bridges, 17 November. www.fastfitpt.co.nz NOTHING BUT DREAMS TOUR Join NZ music icon Tina Cross, and Kay Gregan, Travel Designer from NZ Travel Brokers, on their ladies only tour of Adelaide and beyond.

March 11–16 2020 For more details go to www. thetravelbrokers.co.nz/kaygregan or email Kay.Gregan@thetravelbrokers.co.nz

DIRECTORY

TR Y S O ME THI NG A LI TTLE Different.

GENUI NE ADVI CE. HUGE RANGE.

se.

P R EMI UM WHI SKI ES | GI N | WI NE

milton

6B Princes Street, Hamilton | 07 838 9383 www.sweetpeaparties.co.nz

www.eightpm.co.nz  

new dream.

ed a la carte dining exceptional service.

es, beers, cocktails and mocktails.

N - FRI 7am to Late | WEEKENDS 9am to Late

9 e. eat@embereatery.co.nz www.embereatery.co.nz

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