Nourish Taste of Tours are small group tours (max 12 pax) which give you a real taste of place.
For more details on any of these tours please email vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz or go to nourishmagazine.co.nz
NEW DATES 14TH-19TH APRIL
A fabulous five nights of foodie fun in South Australia with host Julia Clarke
$4500pp (twin share, incl. airfare)
14TH-25TH JUNE 2025
ONLY3SPACESLEFT!
This tour sells out every year! Join us and discover why. We will spend 10 nights immersed in Sicily’s culture and countryside, tasting all it has to offer.
$8995pp (twin share, excl airfare)
20TH -30TH SEPTEMBER 2025
11TH -30TH SEPTEMBER 2025
Join us for the inaugural tour of Sri Lanka where we will enjoy a feast of the senses.
$6995pp (twin share, excl. airfare)
11TH -19TH SEPTEMBER
This brand-new tour will take us to the foodie heart of Italy. We will travel from Bologna through to Milan tasting lasagne, truffles, balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano, Parma ham and more.
$9995pp (twin share, excl airfare)
Our Taste of Northern Italy and Taste of Sicily tours combine for a real taste of Italy. $17995pp (twin share, excl airfares)
Here's to Summer
Wow, what a whirlwind this last quarter has been! The rush to Christmas is always crazy, but this year I was away in Italy for a month, making things very hectic on my return. Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way complaining about spending a month in Italy. I am, in fact, intending on repeating it next year when we take our very popular Taste of Sicily tour again as well as our Taste of Northern Italy tour. You can get a taster of what we have planned for this tour on page 54. And if you are keen to learn more about our Taste of Tours, please email me (vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz) to join the mailing list or follow TasteofTours on Facebook and Instagram.
I can spend a month gallivanting in Italy because of the great team here at Nourish, and I am very excited to announce that Julie Le Clerc has joined our line-up of talented recipe writers. I have long been a huge Julie fan, with all of her cookbooks holding pride of place in my collection. When I owned cafes, her books were always our go-to for inspiration. On page 50 Julie gives us her ultimate hummus recipe, perfect for summer entertaining.
With summer entertaining in mind, the very talented Fiona Hugues has the apéritifs organised on page 46. And Simone from The Trading Post in Paengaroa shows us how to make some seasonal pasta from scratch.
Our summer gardens are about to burst into life, and so Emma Galloway’s gorgeous courgette recipes on page 18 and Amber Bremner’s tomato recipes to ‘wheat’ your appetite on page 32 will be just the ticket. I go bananas with my long-awaited home-grown bananas, and Kathy Paterson provides inspiration for the summer catch.
Also in this edition, Denise Irvine checks out the brand new Reggie’s at Made in Hamilton East, and chats to Mat at Palate, who will celebrate 20 years in business next year. I find out far more than I ever thought I’d need to know about cars with Ebbett Audi and hunt out the best salads in Hamilton central for you. Wishing you and your family a happy and safe new year.
Vicki Ravlich-Horan Editor
1.
THE SWEETEST SPOT IN TAURANGA
Heading to Tauranga over the summer? Make sure you add a trip to But First Dessert to your list. As the name suggests, this place is all about dessert, and why not, you’re on holiday!
Enjoy the full experience with dishes from their dessert menu like their Jelly Tip (vanilla bean parfait, raspberry jelly, berry coulis, chocolate crémieux, chocolate shards and chocolate crumble) and their gorgeous Peaches and Cream dish which looks like a beautiful peach on your plate.
Or do what I do when visiting friends, pop in and choose from a selection of treats from their cabinet to take away. You’ll be the most popular guest when you arrive with that package!
But First Dessert
Elizabeth Street, Tauranga butfirstdessert.co.nz
2.
MORE OPTIONS IN ROTORUA
Rotorua’s The Regent Room has an extensive menu, showcasing contemporary New Zealand cuisine including a plantbased degustation option. Five courses will delight even hard-core carnivores. And this summer what better spot to enjoy a cocktail and some wonderful cuisine than their courtyard, with the Maimi vibes of a crystal blue pool and outdoor fireplace.
regentrotorua.co.nz
3.
BITECONE
I can take or leave ice cream. When my daughter was younger, I was happy enough to eat the remains of the ice cream. This worked fine for me, as the best bit is the cone. Alas, those days are gone, as she easily finishes the biggest ice cream herself.
But Brigid at La Cave has the answer with Bitecone. These little wafer cones are filled with chocolate (milk, dark or white) and in essence what you remember the bottom third of a trumpet being, i.e. the best bit.
www.lacave.co.nz
51 A Riverlea Road, Hamilton
4.
FRESH IN AT BARE
You can now get fresh cold pressed juice from Bare at Made Hamilton East. As you would expect from this no waste retailer they are sold in reusable glass bottles, which you can return when you come back for a refill.
Bare
401 Grey Street, Hamilton East
RIVER KITCHEN NOW AT THE HAMILTON GOLF CLUB
River Kitchen has moved from Victoria Street to Hamilton Golf Club. Owner Maria Senear says she is loving the beautiful view they now have. “How lucky are we to be able to look at that every day.”
After opening on possibly the biggest weekend of the year and with a flurry of festive and end of year events, Maria says, “It has been a baptism of fire, but we are loving getting to know the members, locals and also seeing some old faces come and visit the new space.”
Her famous date and custard scones remain a regular feature in the cabinet along with a changing cafe menu, full cabinet, plus late nights on a Thursday and Friday.
The River Kitchen 64 Saint Andrews Terrace, Hamilton
RAGLAN FOOD CO CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
Raglan-based coconut yoghurt makers Raglan Food Co are celebrating 10 years in business – a significant milestone for the Waikato producers. The company, which was founded by Tesh Hearth (nee Randall) and Seb Walter, has grown considerably since the pair sold their first jars of dairy-free yoghurt to Raglan locals nearly a decade ago.
The range now includes kefirs, hence the name tweak to Raglan Food Co in 2020.
Key to the company’s success has been producing a product which not only tastes good but is also kinder to the planet. “Since the outset we wanted to grow the business with no compromise on taste, planet, health and practices,” says Tesh.
The company was New Zealand’s first carbon neutral yoghurt producer and now is a Toitū Climate Positive organisation and Certified B Corporation – huge achievements in themselves.
Look out for their new dulce de leche caramel yoghurt hitting shelves this summer. raglanfoodco.com
COOK PLATE SAVOUR
Cambridge Primary School have produced a beautiful cookbook filled with favourite family recipes from their school community. Money raised will go towards upgrading their school playground.
Find out more at cookplatesavour.co.nz
REGGIE'S INTRODUCING
WORDS DENISE IRVINE | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES
“You can have anything you want, whenever you want,” says Mat Pedley as he takes a tour of Reggie’s, the bold new addition to the hospitality stable established by himself, John Moughan and Alex Hudson.
Reggie’s is on the rooftop above Made Market, in Hamilton East, occupying the best seat in the house, with a vast deck that looks out to the Waikato River and ample space indoors as well. It opened in early November and the back story is that Reggie’s was born out of the three owners all having young kids and looking for somewhere to take them for a meal: a family friendly outfit with food for all ages.
The trio already owns Hamilton establishments Mr Pickles, Last Place Bar, Neat at Made, Wonderhorse, and Everyday Eatery at Hamilton Zoo. Mat says that nowadays they’ve all got young children and this has changed their perception of hospo. “You’re after some places to take your kids, where they can have a simple cheese pizza without anyone looking down their nose. Where there can be family fun and frivolity.” And lots of flexibility, as per his opening comment.
So the Reggie’s project began and the primo site at Made has been transformed into a warm-hearted Italian eatery specialising in made-from-scratch pizza, pasta, and focaccia (a super-pillowy and airy rendition).
Reggie’s Lager is on tap at the bar, there is a carefully curated list of Italian and New Zealand wines as well as drinks for kids. Reggie’s also has its own-brand canned beer, cans of house-made chilli oil for the tables, and there are Reggie’s t-shirts and caps if you’re up for some cool merch.
While the style is Italian, Mat says it’s more New York Little Italy than Sicily. “It is traditional-ish. We’ve taken some licence with the food.”
The ‘licence’ includes a small plate that is a clever riff on lasagna toppas, the old-favourite Kiwi after-school filler from the supermarket freezer that is typically nuked in a bag in the microwave. At Reggie’s, the toppas are crispy-golden croquettes with house-made cacio e pepe sauce rather than the flabby shapes of mass production. They have potential to be addictive.
There are traditional pizzas, some that veer off-piste and, of course, the simple cheese job for the kids as well as spaghetti and meatballs and cheese ravioli. Kids get their own funky menus with colouring-in artwork and accompanying crayons.
Pasta for grown-ups include a baked dish with spicy vodka sauce and stracciatella, beef lasagna with red sauce and mozzarella, and tagliatelle with lamb ragu and lemon herb crumb. There are also tasty small plates (including the toppas), and mains such as grilled eggplant, crispy crumbed chicken breast, pork and beef meatballs, and chargrilled skirt steak. And if you’re ordering the tiramisu for dessert, the chocolate topping is freshly grated at the table.
“We’re not food snobs,” says Mat. “We have plenty of simple things as well as some ritzy pastas, like the spaghetti with crayfish bisque that is gangsta as f**k. We change things up regularly and we want the food to be excellent and affordable.”
He envisages a variety of customers through the day: lunches perhaps for business people, early evenings for families, and the later hours for a more grown-up experience. There are three separate spaces for feeding and watering: a 40-seater bar, 60-seater interior, and seating on the deck – with a retractable roof and fully enclosed sides – for 80 people. There are comfy booths, high leaners and tables and chairs: take your pick of the places to park
yourself, and you can do takeaways, bookings, or simply walk in.
“You can book different spaces for different things – weddings, parties, family celebrations,” says Mat. “Again, it’s about what people want.”
The interior fit-out is an ideas-collaboration between the owners and Hamilton firm Designwell, a contemporary take on an Italian diner, with timber panelling and furnishings, bold diamondpatterned linoleum, mirrors, greenery, distinctive lighting, a touch of red-and-white gingham, and an Italian trattoria-style picture gallery. Mat says they’ve used local tradespeople and suppliers wherever possible on the project.
The big kitchen was designed by Reggie’s co-owner John Moughan and Mat’s brother Hamish Pedley, in consultation with a commercial manufacturer. An imported Italian Forni Valoriani pizza oven is the kitchen workhorse, an impressive 1.5 tonne beast that was craned over Reggie’s deck in an equally impressive operation. The pasta extruder is pre-loved, formerly owned by Waikato ravioli maker Leondro Parodi of Piu Blu Pasta, the hardworking machine now installed at Reggie’s.
Mat says Reggie’s has been a team effort, from go to whoa, and he and his partners are delighted with staff they’ve brought together to run the show: John Moughan will oversee pizza production, head chef is Issam Pompa with Raz Bayani as sous chef, Mat at front of house with Krista Mangan, Jordan Bellamy running the bar, and Clara Weinzettl as head waitress.
Some of the crew have long been associated with the other businesses owned by Mat, John and Alex. “We make a commitment to presenting hospitality as a career with a great future and not an in-between job,” says Mat. ”We aim to create a culture that people want to be part of.”
As he surveys the ambitious new set-up, buzzing with customers and staff, he says, “It’s terrifying, but you have to be doing cool things.”
Rooftop at Made 401 Grey Street, Hamilton East www.reggies.co.nz
PALATE
WORDS DENISE IRVINE | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES & BRYDIE THOMPSON
Chef Mat McLean is describing his homemade bresaola and the next minute he’s in the kitchen at his restaurant, Palate, assembling a little snack to demonstrate this cured and air-dried delicacy at its best.
He returns with a plate of four or five smoked baby mushrooms, each one topped with shards of pork crackling and his kohlrabi kimchi, sitting alongside the thinly sliced deep red bresaola. These are deeply savoury mouthfuls, beautifully textured and delicious, the lean and tender venison being the hero. I didn’t actually mean to, but I ate the lot.
Bresaola has its origins in Northern Italy, and Mat makes it from scratch at Palate: the cut is from the top (inside) round of the venison leg and it’s cured for two weeks in a dry rub of sea salt, sugar, pepper, juniper berries, bay leaves and kawakawa. Then, Mat says, it’s a waiting game. It takes about six weeks to dry-age. He has it on Palate’s menu as an appetiser, paired with parmesan and gnocchi fritto.
While he talks at his chef’s table, adjacent to the kitchen, there’s a batch of mushrooms smoking on the South American-style asado grill, the big barbecue that’s been the star of the restaurant since Palate moved to SkyCity on Hamilton’s Victoria Street close to a year ago.
This is the third incarnation of Palate in the city, after Mat opened a 45-seater in the south-end in 2005 and then relocated to bigger premises in Alma Street in 2012. Mat and his business partner (and Palate sommelier) Larissa Muller are both pleased with their shift to the CBD. It’s a nice place to work, they watch the world walk by, and it’s been an opportunity to change things up with a more flexible menu and different dining spaces.
On the latter, four different areas have been created: the streetfront courtyard, two indoor rooms, and another nook in the SkyCity atrium, directly under the unique (and magnificent) glazed roof dome, a design feature of the building that was once Hamilton’s Chief Post Office. The atrium seating includes Palate’s chef’s table, which is in direct sight of the kitchen, the engine room designed by Mat from the ground up.
Mat and Larissa’s work was rewarded in September with a coveted hat at the country’s benchmark 2024 Cuisine Good Food Awards. Larissa – who curates Palate’s excellent wine and beverages lists – also won Cuisine’s special category award for Villa Maria Sommelier and Wine Experience of the Year. The recent wins add to the many titles that Palate’s collected over nearly 20 years.
Mat says the wood-and-charcoal-fired grill has been the gamechanger at Palate III. “It’s the showpiece. It’s compact and powerful. I like the fire. After cooking on coals I’d never go back to gas. It’s so much fun and there’s so much more flavour. It makes gas seem sterile now.”
The food off the grill is simple – minimum fuss, maximum flavour and character – and the menu gives customers licence to design the way they want to eat. Maybe doing oysters, bubbly and some small plates, or cocktails and shared grazing plates, or the full a la carte and wine list.
The fire is lit in the morning, with wood at the base and charcoal on top. Mat likes the mix of fuel. The charcoal creates stronger flavours but wood is better for smoking. At present, he’s using coffee charcoal from coffee bushes that have been pulled out for replanting and the timber subsequently recycled as charcoal. “It produces rich and aromatic flavours that are beautiful for venison and beef, and everything really.”
During service, the fire is blazing as it deals to the orders flowing into the kitchen. In down times, the heat is lower, maybe used for smoking mushrooms and other vegetables.
Another essential piece of kit, although not as conspicuous as the barbecue, is the Italian pasta extruder. This underpins Palate’s excellent selection of homemade pasta, such as local duck tagliatelle, potato gnocchi, and casarecce (a Sicilian short pasta) plated with octopus, kingfish, chorizo and fennel.
It’s a given that Mat sources his raw ingredients from producers with sound sustainable practices, and he’s built relationships with a number of them. His fish suppliers include Haku Kingfish at Ruakākā in Northland and Seafood Bazaar in Hamilton, and his oysters are from Coromandel; he buys Greenstone Creek premium beef, vegetables and fruits through Waikato quality produce supplier FED Foods; and cheeses from Meyer, Over-the-Moon and Mercer, and so on.
“It’s nice to keep it in the community if you can. I used to buy European stuff and I no longer do that. We have some great artisanal producers here. It makes it easy to put together a menu.”
Palate’s menu changes with the seasons and because of this it is always flexible, a work in progress. In spring, Mat got the first pick of asparagus from Bill and Irene Cummings’ Greenfern crop at Bruntwood. “I couldn’t wait. I miss it so much and there is only about a 10-week window.”
So how is he cooking it? He nods at the barbecue (of course). “On the grill. It tastes great.”
His made-from-scratch ethos is seen from go to whoa on the menu: the whoa being in the form of his own ice creams and sorbets. As he talks, he plates up a taster of liquorice ice cream and an insanely fruity tamarillo sorbet, both with perfectly balanced flavours.
I didn’t actually mean to, but I ate the lot.
Palate
Skycity Hamilton, 346 Victoria Street, Hamilton www.palaterestaurant.co.nz
ANGELA FINNIGAN
BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE AGENT
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Outdoor entertainment is the supporting star. A loggia for alfresco dining; sun lounge with filtered shelter from louvre roofing and the lure of a swimming pool. Saltwater kindness, water jets and bure sunbathing all add up to lingering days smooching in the sun. Summer’s almost here - the timing couldn’t be better.
Phone me today for further information or to arrange a viewing 021 623 550!
CBD Summer Salad Trail
Summer is here so we are celebrating the salad. Here’s our round up of some must tries around town.
1. THE HELM - 22 Ulster Street
The Helm have hit the trifecta with this one – summer, New Zealand lamb and salad. Their lamb salad features sliced lamb rump, mesclun, tomato, red onion, sliced cabbage, beets, feta and cashews, tossed together with a herb vinaigrette.
2. SENTINEL - 586 Victoria Street
Sentinel always have a regular salad bowl on their menu made from local greens grown by Tomtit Farm.
3. MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN - 43 Bryce Street
You can’t go past a classic like a Greek salad, especially when tomatoes are at their best, and where better to get one than the Mediterranean Kitchen.
4. KAPADOKYA - 264 Victoria Street
Kapadokya have a complete salad section with a choice of chicken, lamb, falafel, halloumi and dolma salads – there is literally something for everyone.
5. SCOTTS EPICUREAN - 181 Victoria Street
Scotts’ chicken salad is a fusion of much-loved Kiwi flavours with chicken and kūmara bound with a miso and ginger dressing.
6. MADAM WOO - 6 Sapper Moore-Jones Place
It’s a staple on their menu for a very good reason, Madam Woo’s Malaysian slaw is the perfect side to share or turn it into a complete dish with roast duck or chicken.
Cabinet Salads
If you’re after something quicker, check out these cafes who always have a selection of tempting salads in their cabinet.
7. Wooden Spoon - 169 London Street
8. Plus 91 - 3 Ulster Street
9. Cucina - 7 Thackeray Street
10. Frank - 220 Tristram Street
11. Feedzone - 800 Victoria Street
12. Cream - 14 Garden Place
ROSTREVORST
There’s
Courgettes are one of those things that if you grow your own, you’re constantly on the lookout for new and creative ways to use them up. They are one of the easiest summer vegetables to grow, and while they do require a decent amount of space, you’re always rewarded with more courgettes than you’ll know what to do with. If you don’t have a garden, pick up fresh, locally grown courgettes at a great price from your local farmer’s market or supermarket over the summer months.
Harissa-roasted Courgette with Millet + Coriander Dressing
A beautiful flavour-packed way to use inseason courgettes. Here I’ve served it with millet (a protein-packed gluten-free grain), but cooked brown rice would also work. To make this dairy-free and therefore vegan also, omit feta cheese and use olive oil when cooking the millet.
SERVES 4–6
4 medium courgettes, halved lengthwise
2 tbsp harissa paste (I used a rose harissa paste from Vetro) juice ½ lemon olive oil
crumbled feta cheese, to serve, optional
MILLET
1 tbsp ghee, butter or olive oil
1 cup hulled millet (available from Bare and Vetro)
fine sea salt
CORIANDER DRESSING
1 cup coriander leaves and tender stalks, roughly chopped + extra coriander leaves for serving
1 clove garlic
½ green chilli, de-seeded if less heat is desired
¹⁄³ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1–2 tsp raw sugar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Preheat oven to 200°C. Use a sharp knife to score the inside of each sliced courgette, in a crisscross pattern, making sure you don’t cut right through to the other side. You can cut each courgette into 8–10cm length if you like, or leave them as halves. Transfer to an oven tray. In a small bowl combine harissa paste and lemon juice, then liberally spread or brush onto the scored courgettes with a pastry brush or spoon. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, or until golden and tender.
Meanwhile, heat ghee/butter or olive oil in a saucepan, add millet and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes until it smells toasty. Carefully add 2 cups of water (it will splutter a bit so be careful) and a pinch of salt. Cover the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 20 minutes, by which time all the water will have been absorbed and the millet will be tender. Remove from the heat, keep the lid on and allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork.
To make the coriander dressing, place ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and emulsified. Taste and add a touch more salt, if needed.
To serve, spoon millet onto a platter, top with harissa-roasted courgettes, scatter over crumbled feta (if using) and reserved coriander leaves and drizzle generously with coriander dressing.
Roasted Courgette Pesto + Tomato Pasta
This is the perfect way to use up all that beautiful summer produce. The courgettes add bulk and a delicate sweetness to this simple pesto. For a dairy-free/vegan version, omit parmesan and add 1–2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead.
SERVES 4
2 medium courgettes, sliced into 1cm rounds
250g cherry tomatoes
olive oil, salt and pepper
2 tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
2 cloves garlic juice ½ lemon
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese + extra shavings to serve, optional
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves + extra to serve
250g dried penne pasta (I use Ceres gluten-free quinoa penne)
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place sliced courgettes onto a lipped baking tray/roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 15–20 minutes or until golden and tender. Halve cherry tomatoes, place on another tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 20–25 minutes or until slightly dried but still juicy in the centre. Remove both trays from the oven when done and set aside.
Once courgettes have cooled, transfer three-quarters of it to a food processor (reserving some to toss through the pasta), along with the toasted pine nuts/almonds, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan and basil. Blend until a chunky pesto forms. Season to taste.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions. Once cooked, reserve half a cup of cooking water before draining pasta into a colander. Stir through pesto, reserved roasted courgette and roasted tomatoes. Add a touch of the reserved cooking water to loosen the pesto pasta a touch, if needed. Serve topped with extra basil leaves and parmesan shavings, if desired.
Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Emma Galloway mydarlinglemonthyme.com
@mydarlinglemonthyme
@tahu.ceramics
Best-selling author of three cookbooks and award-winning blogger, Emma Galloway is also a chef, photographer and budding potter. After years of living overseas, she has settled back in her hometown of Raglan, where she is inspired by the seasons and her extensive veggie garden.
SUMMER FISH
RECIPES & IMAGES KATHY PATERSON
Thankfully buying fish with its skin intact is now commonplace.
Aside from the skin being a joy to eat, it also keeps the fish moist and juicy during cooking, whether on a barbecue or in a frying pan.
I’m a big fan of fish fillets cooked in oil and butter and seasoned with lemon juice, but sometimes in summer we all need added flavours to excite our taste buds – try these recipes.
BBQ FISH ‘N CAPSICUM BLEND
A simple sauce adding some summer sunshine to your barbecued fish fillets.
SERVES 4
1 red capsicum, core and seeds removed, roughly chopped
1 shallot, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ tsp smoked paprika, preferably bittersweet
3 tbsp olive oil
4 firm white fish fillets, skin on, bones removed 1–2 knobs butter
Put the capsicum, shallot, garlic, smoked paprika and a little salt in a small food processor or mini prep and process until you have a rough paste.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small frying pan or small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the paste and pan-fry until aromatic and any excess liquid evaporates (about 5 minutes). Stir occasionally and keep an eye out.
Meanwhile, heat a barbecue hot plate over medium heat. Grease well to prevent sticking.
Pat the fish skin dry and using a sharp knife, score each fillet 3–4 times just through the skin. Put skin side down and barbecue for 2 minutes until the skin is beautifully golden. Turn the fillets and dollop with the butter so it melts over each fillet. Barbecue for a further 1–2 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish fillets.
Stir the remaining olive oil through the sauce and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed.
Serve the fish with the capsicum sauce and the potatoes and peas (recipe below).
POTATOES & PEAS
600g small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half if on the larger size
1 cup frozen green garden peas
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 handful coriander leaves, chopped
Cook the potatoes in lightly salted simmering water for about 15 minutes. Drain and put into a glass or ceramic bowl.
Cook the green peas in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well then add to the potatoes.
Add the cumin and lemon juice and gently toss. Sprinkle over the coriander and serve straightaway.
TIP
For added flavour, toast and grind 1 tsp cumin seeds rather than using already ground cumin.
Fresh peas are fantastic with the potatoes – I like them left raw.
FRESH FISH ‘N HERB CRUST
The herb marinade adds great flavour and you don’t need to be fussy about patting it evenly. Just lightly flour the fish – it gives a great little crust.
SERVES 4
FISH
1 small handful parsley leaves
1 small handful coriander leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 lemon, juice only
4 firm white fish fillets, skin on, bones removed ¼ cup plain flour, or more if needed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 good knobs of butter
SALAD
3–4 large ripe tomatoes
½ telegraph cucumber
4 spring onions, trimmed
4 small zucchini, trimmed ½ cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped or slivered, optional extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Put the parsley and coriander leaves, garlic and chilli in a small food processor and process until almost a paste (or chop by hand), moistening with a little of the lemon juice and adding a little salt.
Cut each fish fillet into large pieces and put onto a tray (you will find pieces simpler to handle when turning on the barbecue). Pat the herb marinade onto the fish, cover and put in the fridge while you make up the salad plates.
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices, arranging on 4 individual plates as you go. Thinly slice the cucumber and arrange over the tomato slices.
Finely slice the spring onions and sprinkle over, then using a vegetable peeler, cut thin strips from the zucchini, dropping them straight onto the salad. Sprinkle over the olives, if using.
Drizzle each salad with olive oil and the remaining lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a barbecue hot plate over medium heat. Grease well to prevent sticking.
Put the flour on a large plate. Dust each herb coated fish fillet in flour, coating both sides, putting onto another large plate as you go. Drizzle with the olive oil. Put onto the hot plate, preferably skin side down, and barbecue for 2 minutes. Turn and dot the fish with the butter and barbecue for a further 2 minutes. (Timing is a guide as depends on the thickness of your fish fillets.) Serve on top of the salad.
TIP
Remember it’s best to slightly undercook fish, as it continues to cook once removed from the heat.
Add a bowl of boiled new potatoes or flat bread to your meal.
Kathy Paterson
A plentiful herb garden, citrus trees and a trial and error vegetable garden give Kathy the starting place for her recipes along with her love of the classics with a modern twist. Named one of Aotearoa NZ’s Top 50 Most Influential & Inspiring Women in Food and Drink 2024, Kathy is a food writer, recipe developer, food stylist and photographer. www.kathypaterson.co.nz
LEADERS IN BESPOKE CABINETRY
With over 60 years of experience, Treetown Designer Kitchens is a trusted expert in creating custom kitchen and interior joinery solutions for homes and commercial spaces in Cambridge, Hamilton, and the greater Waikato region.
Several years back I began my quest to grow bananas in the Waikato.
The palms flourished, in fact, too well, growing over three metres tall. Too tall to protect from the inevitable frost which decimated them. I went up to Northland to seek advice from the guru himself, Hugh Rose, who pointed out the obvious “grow smaller bananas!”
Armed with a number of different varieties, I headed back to Hamilton to try again. My banana grove is now flourishing in its sheltered spot beside the house, and this year I produced two big bunches of lady finger bananas. The challenge was then to eat them all!
Banoffee PIE
Caramel and banana are a winning combination. Over the years I have made many different versions of banoffee pie, from little pastry tartlets in my catering days to bigger versions for family get togethers. Store bought caramel makes this an easy dish to throw together.
In this version, though, I make the caramel, similar to one you would make for a caramel slice. It is then baked in a biscuit crumb base. Before being topped with a generous amount of banana and lashings of whipped cream.
2x 250g packets of Chocolate Wheatens
100g butter, melted
395g can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
¼ cup soft brown sugar, firmly packed
75g butter, cubed
5–6 large bananas
300ml cream, whipped to soft peaks chocolate shavings for garnish
Crush the biscuits or put in a food processor and whizz until they are fine crumbs. Mix in the 100g of melted butter then press into a lined 18cm spring form tin. Be sure to create an edge around the tin from biscuit crumbs to contain the caramel.
Place the condensed milk, golden syrup, brown sugar and 75g of butter in a saucepan and cook over low heat until melted and well combined, stirring the mix constantly to prevent it from catching.
Pour the caramel over the biscuit base and bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes or until the caramel starts to bubble and turn golden. Remove from the oven and cool.
Layer sliced bananas over the caramel, then top these with whipped cream. Finally, finish with some chocolate shavings for garnish.
Banana FRITTERS WITH GINGER SYRUP
These cute little fritters are perfect if you have grown the finger bananas. But never fear, if using store bought bananas either opt for the Bobby Bananas or simply slice large ones in half.
6 baby bananas (approx.)
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup soda water (cold)
neutral oil
icing sugar for dusting
Whisk the soda water into the flour until you have a smooth batter.
Heat the oil to 180°C. If you are not using a deep fryer, use a heavy based pot and fill this to a depth of approx. 10cms or halfway. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil is at temp by carefully dropping in a little of the batter, if it bubbles and rises to the top you are good to go.
Dip the bananas into the batter and then into the hot oil. You probably want to do this in batches, so they have room to move and not get stuck together and to ensure the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop dramatically.
Cook for 4–5 minutes, turning halfway through to ensure they are golden all over. Using tongs, remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the ginger syrup.
GINGER SYRUP
While delicious poured over these banana fritters, this ginger syrup also makes a mean Moscow Mule – simply add vodka, a squeeze of lime and sparkling water. Or omit the vodka for a refreshing home-made soda.
1½ cups water
1 cup sugar
250g fresh ginger, roughly chopped peel of small lemon
Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan along with the ginger and lemon peel. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce to approx. 1 cup of syrup. Allow to cool overnight before straining the syrup, which is ready to use or can be stored in an airtight bottle in the fridge.
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GOING NUTS IN THE GARDEN
WORDS LYNDA HALLINAN
Some habits are hard to crack. Every year, until they were well into their nineties, my grandparents would arrive at our family farm on Christmas Day with the same festive contributions: a sherry trifle, a cold supermarket rotisserie chicken and a huge glass jar filled with nuts and raisins.
Did anyone ever eat those nuts? I can’t recall, but I can say with certainty that Grandma and Grandad went home every year with more nuts than they’d turned up with. That’s because, along with the ubiquitous Griffins Sampler Biscuit Box, their grandkids dutifully presented them with many a wee sack of mixed almonds, Brazils, hazels and walnuts.
Forget underpants, socks and scented sachets for your linen cupboard: those little mesh bags filled with rancid nuts, shipped in specially for the holiday season, must rank as the most unfestive gift of all.
Let me tell you that until you grow your own nuts, you truly don’t know what nuts are supposed to taste like. Homegrown almonds, for instance, have a flavour profile as sweet as marzipan, while walnuts cracked fresh off your own tree are creamy and tangy without any of the sourness that spoils their oil content once cracked, bagged and stored for any length of time.
About 15 years ago, I went more than mildly nuts and attempted to establish a paddock-sized nuttery on our farm, planting 40 almond trees (I had high hopes for homemade macarons), a trio of pecans, a hedge of hazels, a stone pine (Pinus pinea), five walnut trees and a clutch of chestnuts.
I’m yet to see a pecan, the stone pine succumbed to an unfortunate mishap with the mower and the coppiced hazels produce more plant stakes than nuts, but the walnuts, chestnuts and almonds have soldiered on, even if rats beat me to most of their harvest.
I planted five varieties of almond (Prunus amygdalus), all of which blossom generously in early spring, though only ‘Monovale’ crops reliably. Unfortunately, this variety also happens to have the hardest shell, requiring a hard tap with a hammer to liberate each delicious kernel.
In my former city garden, I grew the dwarf almond ‘Garden Prince’, which is a delightful little tree that’s happy in a large pot. It only grows 1–1.5m tall, with an attractive moptop of green leaves. Like all of its peachy cousins, it is susceptible to leaf curl fungus, though two sprays with copper (in autumn and winter) keep it at bay.
Nuts are, genetically speaking, tree seeds. If you source fresh nuts and crack them open gently, you can sow them; both walnuts and almonds sprout readily if you soak the nut overnight prior to planting.
Although ‘Rex’ is the most commonly grown walnut tree in New Zealand, for the skite factor, I prefer ‘Wilson’s Wonder’. This variety sports huge gobstopper-sized nuts that, miraculously, have such soft shells that you can crack them open by hand.
In December, when walnuts are still embryonic, you can pickle the green fruit in booze to make Italian nocino liqueur. Wearing gloves (they’ll stain your skin black otherwise), use a meat cleaver to quarter the unripe nuts. Pack into a 1-litre jar with a few whole cloves, a cinnamon stick, star anise (optional), a double shot of espresso and the grated zest of a lemon or orange. Top with vodka and steep for a month, shaking every few days, then strain through muslin cloth and sweeten with caster sugar to taste.
For an alternative Christmas tree, pot up a European stone pine from your local garden centre. The trickiest part of pine nut production isn’t growing the chunky little trees to fruiting age –that simply requires patience – but finding a way to get the seeds out of their hard shells. But, given that they take at least 10 years to produce cones, at least you’ll have plenty of time to nut out a solution.
Lynda Hallinan
Waikato born-and-raised gardening journalist
Lynda Hallinan lives a mostly self-sufficient life in the foothills of the Hunua Ranges, where she has turned a former sheep paddock into an organic no-dig vegetable garden at Sweetgum Cottage. Her garden is open to the public by appointment.
Skycity Hamilton
346 Victoria Street, Hamilton
palaterestaurant.co.nz
Welcome to the Cambridge and Hamilton Farmers’ Markets.
Summer is coming (so they tell us!) and that means the most exciting time of the year for fresh produce and fruit. It is also the start of summer entertaining, which means that tasty local food is on the menu.
At our markets we have lots of fresh artisan food that can help you create platters or easy meals. These are made from local ingredients and taste amazing. Think cheese, eggs, bread, pesto, sauerkraut, chutneys, jams, sauces, nut butters, nuts, avocados, tomatoes, salami, salmon, microgreens, salad greens, asparagus, kettle korn,
Little Dairy Co cheese, Basecamp Salami, cherry tomatoes and fresh microgreens
Platter using Volare baguettes, Sunset Orchard Avocados, Small Batch roasted beetroot and ginger Streichcreme, and microgreens. Also try Small Batch peanut butter stirred with cinnamon and raisin and top with banana slices.
chocolate and of course fresh berries. Also, we have fresh fish, oysters, mussels, sausages and meat for BBQ’s as well. Check out the images and products below to inspire you to shop at the market. What will you create using beautiful, local fresh ingredients?
See you at our markets and have a safe and happy festive season.
CAMBRIDGE AND HAMILTON MARKET STALLHOLDERS AND TEAM.
Foraged in Raglan has a new Infused Chilli Oil which is great as a dip for fresh sourdough.
Quarter Acre Kitchen makes the most delicious Tomato Relish using her homegrown tomatoes.
And here’s some fresh inspiration:
Other ideas for platters include: GoodBugs pesto & sauerkraut, Du Pain & Du Pain sourdough, Rakaia smoked salmon, Over the Moon cheeses, Mama Kali’s microgreens, Top Notch macadamias, Uncle Dunkle’s woodfired chilli sauces and Raglan Kettle Korn popped straight from the kettle.
Think cherry tomatoes, avocados, blueberries, strawberries, capsicums, beetroot and asparagus.
tomatoes: The Taste of Summer
When I moved to New Zealand from Canada 12 years ago, one of the first things I noticed was the tomatoes. So juicy! So sweet! Sure, I was taken with the beach and the view from the Mount, but the tomatoes simply blew my mind.
I briefly wondered what made my new home’s tomatoes so much better than those of my childhood. I never looked into it; I just enjoyed eating and growing them, and eventually ended up taking them for granted. But now, with another tomato season upon us, it’s time to finally get to the bottom of this delicious mystery.
So what makes New Zealand tomatoes so different? I’m from Toronto, a land-locked city with long, cold winters and plenty of snow. Our supermarket shelves are filled with fruits and vegetables imported from the south – America, Mexico, and even further afield in South America. Because they have a long distance to travel, tomatoes are often picked before they are ripe, stored in cold conditions during transit, and then ripened artificially.
Now, let’s compare that to a sunny Kiwi summer. Tomatoes thrive in the Bay of Plenty’s warm, temperate climate, which offers sun-soaked days and plenty of rain. During the summer, they are grown locally and left to ripen on the vine. The long stretches of sunshine and ample hydration allow the fruit (yes, botanically, tomatoes are fruit!) to develop naturally, resulting in popular local varieties like hearty beefsteaks and flavourpacked Romas.
Then there’s New Zealand’s rich, volcanic soil. Brimming with minerals, the soil here nourishes the plant while adding a depth of flavour that is missing from greenhouse-grown or artificially ripened tomatoes. This natural environment also impacts their nutrition: when tomatoes are picked early, they miss out on full nutrient development, and the longer they’re off the vine, the more their nutrient content breaks down.
Our summer tomatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium, and contain smaller amounts of vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and magnesium. They’re about 95 percent water, and they are high in dietary fibre, which supports digestive health. But their biggest nutritional claim to fame is their high concentration of lycopene – the pigment that gives tomatoes their vibrant red colour.
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against free radical damage, which can contribute to heart disease and certain cancers.
Tomatoes are one of the best sources of this antioxidant, and – good news if you have a bumper crop this year and plan to make your own passata – cooking tomatoes actually boosts their lycopene levels. So you can feel a little less guilty the next time you pass on the salad and opt for another serving of pizza or pasta.
There you have it – mystery solved! When tomatoes are grown in fertile soil, picked at their peak, and only have to endure short journeys to farmer’s markets or greengrocers, they taste better and are healthier, too. Whatever your favourite way to enjoy these summer superstars, be sure to appreciate just how special New Zealand’s tomatoes truly are.
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.
WORDS RACHEL HART
TOMATOES
RECIPES TO WHEAT YOUR
APPETITE
RECIPES & IMAGES AMBER BREMNER
These summer tomato recipes are very different but have two things in common – tomatoes and wheat are the hero ingredients.
SALMOREJO: CHILLED TOMATO SOUP
Salmorejo is a quick and easy chilled Spanish soup that captures the essence of summer tomatoes straight off the vine. Burstingly ripe tomatoes are blended with stale, good quality bread (I use home-made sourdough), a generous pour of olive oil, and the simple flavours of garlic, salt, pepper and sherry vinegar for a touch of sharpness. The final taste will vary depending on the olive oil you use and the variety and sweetness of your tomatoes, so feel free to tweak it with a touch of sugar if needed, or more vinegar, to suit your taste. Use the most ripe, full-flavoured variety of tomato you have available (no watery, unripe supermarket tomatoes here please!). Traditionally this soup might be topped with ham and hard boiled eggs. I’ve opted for finely diced apple, chives and lemon for a bright flavour. Enjoy as a cool, refreshing starter to a summer meal.
SERVES 4–6
SOUP
850g ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes
150g good quality stale bread, crusts removed
¹⁄³ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½–1 tsp sugar (optional, if necessary)
TOPPING
2 tbsp finely diced apple (or pear)
1 tbsp finely sliced chives
squeeze of fresh lemon
additional extra virgin olive oil
It’s not essential if you have a good blender, but I prefer to blanch the tomatoes and remove their skins. Do this by lightly scoring a cross into the bottom of the tomatoes and dropping them into boiling water for a minute. Drain and immerse in cold water, then slip their skins off.
Cut tomatoes into chunks (remove any tough cores) and put into a blender. Add bread, olive oil, sherry vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, and blend until completely smooth. If necessary, thin the soup with a splash or two of water. Taste and adjust seasoning and acidity to suit your taste. If your tomatoes aren’t very sweet, a little sugar might balance the flavour perfectly. Start small, with half a teaspoon, and go from there.
Chill soup in the fridge for at least an hour (or serve over a few ice cubes).
Just before serving, mix apple and chives with a squeeze of lemon. Spoon a little into the centre of each bowl, and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.
FREEKEH SALAD WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND CHIMICHURRI
Freekeh is green wheat, harvested while the grains are soft and then sun dried. The chaff is burned off, leaving behind slightly smoky, roasted wheat. I love its chewy, substantial texture in salads – similar to using bulghur wheat but heartier. For this salad I’ve tossed it with luscious slow roasted tomatoes, chopped kale and a punchy Argentinian inspired chimichurri dressing. Use ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes of any variety, but keep an eye on them and adjust your roasting time up or down as needed. I used medium sized, fleshy Andiamo tomatoes.
SERVES 4–6
SALAD
500g (approx.) ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes extra virgin olive oil
salt
1 cup freekeh (available from Vetro, The Herbal Dispensary and Bare)
2 cups (approx.) chopped kale (tough stems removed first)
Slice tomatoes in half and remove any tough core, if needed. Arrange cut side up in a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Slow roast at 130°C fan bake (or 150°C conventional oven) for around an hour to an hour and a half, until a bit caramelised around the edges and somewhat dried out (but still tender). (Reduce roasting time for smaller tomatoes and increase for larger tomatoes.) Set aside to cool, then cut into large chunks.
While the tomatoes are roasting, wash freekeh well in a sieve under cold running water. Boil freekeh in plenty of salted water for about 25 minutes, until tender but toothsome (a similar texture to cooked brown rice). Drain and set aside to cool. I prefer to let it steam dry as it cools, rather than cooling under cold water which can give a soggy result.
Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
Once the tomatoes and freekeh are cool enough not to wilt the kale, put them in a mixing bowl along with the kale and about half the dressing. Gently stir to combine (so you don’t destroy the tomatoes). Taste and add more dressing, to your liking. Chill until cold.
Serve with extra dressing on the side, and a scattering of olives or capers for a salty hit, if you like.
Leftover salad and dressing keep well for a few days in the fridge.
Amber Bremner | Quite Good Food www.quitegoodfood.co.nz
Amber Bremner is the author of popular plant based food blog Quite Good Food. Her focus is on family-friendly recipes that are globally inspired and big on flavour, using seasonal produce and easily accessible ingredients.
SUN PROTECTION FROM THE INSIDE OUT
During summer, skin protection is essential, and a combination of topical and internal sun care provides a complete defence. Nutrients like astaxanthin, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, along with natural sunscreens containing zinc oxide, create a multifaceted approach to UV protection, helping maintain skin’s health, hydration, and resilience.
NUTRIENTS FOR SUN PROTECTION
Certain nutrients help defend the skin from UV exposure by neutralising free radicals, which reduces sunburn risk and signs of aging.
Astaxanthin: This potent antioxidant, derived from microalgae, shields skin from within by neutralising free radicals created by UV exposure. Studies show astaxanthin can reduce redness and swelling, making skin more resilient to the sun. For best results, begin supplementation a few weeks before sun exposure and pair it with a natural sunscreen.
• Beta-Carotene: Found in carrots and sweet potatoes, this pigment can reduce sun sensitivity, especially in fair-skinned individuals, making it a helpful addition to a summer diet.
Vitamin C: Known for its antioxidant effects, vitamin C protects skin cells from UV-induced damage and reduces oxidative stress. Foods rich in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and leafy greens, strengthen skin defences and support a radiant complexion.
Collagen: Collagen supports skin repair, elasticity, and resilience, helping to counteract UV damage. By maintaining firmness and aiding repair, collagen minimises fine lines and wrinkles. Supplements or collagen-boosting foods, like bone broth, promote skin renewal and reduce sun aging.
• Vitamin E: Complementing vitamin C, vitamin E keeps skin hydrated and helps prevent oxidative damage. Found in nuts, seeds, and avocados, it aids in moisture retention and minimises sun damage.
• Zinc: This mineral’s wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties make it beneficial for sunburn recovery. Adding zinc to a summer routine supports skin health and reduces sunburn severity.
COOLING ALOE VERA GEL FOR SUNBURN RELIEF
Even with preparation, sunburns can happen. Aloe vera gel is a must-have for soothing inflamed skin, thanks to its cooling and anti-inflammatory effects. Applying chilled aloe vera gel immediately after sun exposure helps reduce redness and speeds healing, making it essential for sunburn relief. Aloe vera can often be found growing wildly in gardens, or alternatively you can buy a pure aloe gel from a health store.
BENEFITS OF USING A NATURAL SUNSCREEN
Natural sunscreens offer unique advantages over chemical-based options, especially for sensitive skin and environmental health. Physical blockers like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sit on the skin’s surface to reflect UV rays instead of absorbing them, reducing irritation and avoiding potentially disruptive chemicals like oxybenzone. Free from synthetic fragrances and parabens, natural sunscreens are also safer for oceans and marine life, as they don’t contribute to coral bleaching. Choosing a natural sunscreen benefits both skin and the environment.
By combining nutrient support, natural sunscreen and aftercare like aloe vera, you’re equipped for comprehensive sun care. This approach lets you fully enjoy summer while keeping skin healthy, strong and glowing.
By Natalie Jacques Naturopath & Medical Herbalist BHSc, AdvDip Herb Med, AdvDip Naturopathy
If you ask jeweller Paul Briggs to describe the magic of diamonds he draws on five decades of experience for his reply: he says they have retained their sparkling allure through countless generations, they are symbols of romance, permanence and enduring love.
They’re known for their indestructibility – the hardest naturally occurring stone in the world – and they have slipped into the language with many diamond-related quotes and phrases on love and strength. Diamonds truly are forever.
“It is a beautiful stone,” says Paul, “and some women may wear their diamond engagement ring for 50 or more years. We have customers now bringing in their mother’s or grandmother’s rings that they’ve inherited and we’re remodelling these for another generation.
“Diamonds are extremely hardy and even if we occasionally get one that has been chipped, it can be re-polished and re-cut. There are not many things that last that length of time.”
Paul shows some of the diamond rings he has designed and custom-made, including a dramatically pointed marquise-cut diamond, a classic solitaire, and a cluster setting, all of them shining in his showcases.
Paul is a manufacturing jeweller – something of a rare breed– and he is the co-owner with wife Suzanne of Midas Diamond Jewellers on Hamilton’s Barton Street. Along with their “amazing loyal staff” they design, make and restore precious pieces for clients, and Paul
and Suzanne (and Midas) have been in business in Hamilton since 1984.
Today Paul is providing some background on natural diamonds, which he says remain top choice for engagement rings and other significant pieces of jewellery.
The precious stones begin life in mines in countries including Australia, Alaska, South Africa and some other African nations, places where there has been ancient volcanic activity. They are found at great depths, where through intense heat and enormous pressure, over millions or billions of years, carbon has crystallised to form diamonds.
“Diamonds are essentially carbon, which is basically coal,” Paul says, “and nature does the amazing job of turning it into a thing of great beauty under pressure and heat.”
He says rough diamonds from the mines are bought in parcels at auction by international diamond cutting companies. Their experts cut and polish them, turning the raw material into the gems used in jewellery. These are sold to diamond merchants, also based overseas, and Paul buys cut diamonds from them, dealing with a handful that he has built relationships with.
He assesses stones for purchase according to the well-rehearsed properties of the four “Cs”: cut and polish; clarity; colour (the whiteness); and carat (the unit of weight for measuring gemstones). Each of the four “Cs” is rated on a numbered scale and Paul’s practised eye and techniques will tell if he’s looking at a beauty, or not.
The cutting, he says, is the thing that makes a diamond stand out, sparkle like a prism. The multi-faceted round brilliant cut displays
WORDS DENISE IRVINE | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES
the most light and is still the most popular, but other cuts like emerald and cushion are also much admired.
Nowadays, Paul says most of his customers do their own online research on diamonds, and become knowledgeable on the subject before shopping for a ring. “But you still need a jeweller’s expertise to assess the quality of the diamond, and if a design is going to work.”
Most of his bespoke rings have a half-a-carat to a carat diamond. He says if you want to show the diamonds off, let them speak for themselves, you need less metal. “You don’t need a big heavy ring if you have a beautiful diamond. A simple stone and band can look stunning. I like to help people achieve something beautiful.”
Paul says a custom-designed ½ carat natural diamond ring that is fine white, flawless, and has an excellent cut could retail between $3000-$7000. There are, of course, less expensive – and more expensive – options, and budget typically pays a significant part in his customers’ choices.
Which leads us to talk about the emergence of lab-grown diamonds worldwide: these are also made from carbon but achieved artificially rather than found in their natural habitat. They look good, have the same optical properties as natural diamonds, are considered environmentally friendly, and are significantly less expensive than natural diamonds.
Paul says they take days to make rather than being blasted out of rocks with dynamite, hence the price difference. “They offer an alternative and that is a good thing. I still prefer natural diamonds but times are changing and lab-grown diamonds are increasing in popularity.”
He recently made a ring for a client with a pear-shaped diamond set beside an emerald cut diamond. Both gems were lab-grown, around 2 carats each. He shows a photograph of the finished work. “It looked spectacular.”
Diamonds are forever: Midas offers a complimentary professional ring cleaning and inspection service for their clients, which helps keep them sparkling and splendid.
__
Midas Diamond Jewellers
307 Barton Street, Casabella Lane, Hamilton www.midasdiamondjewellers.co.nz
Denise Irvine
Denise Irvine is a born-and-bred Waikato journalist and foodwriter. Her work frequently showcases the region's talented chefs and food producers; she says we have the best of the best here.
Open MondaySaturday + Sundays 8th,15th & 22nd in Dec
ELEVATING Transportable Homes
Word of mouth is a powerful tool. I was catching up with Hayley from Treetown Kitchens and, as you do, we were chatting about kitchens. Hayley was telling me about some of the amazing kitchens they have created for Elevate Homes. What piqued my attention was she told me Elevate Homes is a company based in Cambridge building transportable homes.
With visions of prefab offices and sleepouts, I wondered why Hayley was so excited about the kitchens Treetown were creating for such a business. That was until she showed me the pictures. Pocket doors, specced out scullerys, stone bench tops, Fisher and Paykel appliances – these are the kitchens of your dream home. And it doesn’t stop there, they even make gorgeous entertainment units for these homes, seamlessly creating storage and style at the same time. A wish list for any home, let alone a transportable one! I am sure I am not alone when the thought of transportable homes has images of prefab buildings, derelict cottages and converted containers springing to mind.
I had to find out more so went and met Kristin and Lee Turner at their office on Hannon Road. Things started to fall into place when I realised the Elevate Homes HQ also doubles as the office for Turner Road Architecture, the Turner’s other business.
Lee is an award-winning architectural designer with over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry. This experience led Lee to see the advantages of offsite construction and the belief that such builds didn’t need to be constrained to cheap, unimaginative homes.
The controlled, offsite construction has many advantages, including avoiding skill shortages in remote or high demand areas (think of the Hawke’s Bay after the cyclones), while resources, including materials and time, are used more efficiently. This bodes well with the couple’s focus on sustainability. “Sustainability is high on our agenda,” says Lee. “We recycle all of our plasterboard offcuts and metal too, which significantly reduces construction waste going to landfill.” Soft plastic waste goes to local company SaveBoard who turn it into a low carbon rigid air barrier (RAB) board that Elevate incorporate into their homes.
What started as a test case 10 years ago with a modest 114 sqm, 3-bedroom home built out the back of the architectural office
WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES
and promptly sold has turned into a business that now offers transportable homes from 70–154sqm.
Elevate Homes offer 11 standard models, but with an architectural and interior design team on hand there is nothing standard about these homes. Clever design maximises space, while the use of different roof lines or cladding material gives each build a bespoke look.
Once the build contract is signed, the process begins with a meeting with the architectural and interior design team. Then once the build is underway, Elevate keep their clients in the loop with regular updates and photos. This is great for those who don’t live nearby. In fact, you don’t even have to be in the country, as was the case with several clients, whose new homes were built while they lived overseas throughout the process.
“We know building can be seen as a stressful process,” says Lee, “so we put a lot of effort in involving our clients in the ‘fun’ stuff
and keeping them in the loop with regular photos, chats and emails – while keeping the inevitable headaches and hassles firmly in our court.”
To mitigate some of these headaches, Elevate have formed great, long-standing relationships with local suppliers and tradespeople, using the same ones every time. Kristin says, “Treetown Kitchens are one of our key suppliers. They always go above and beyond for us, working with our tight deadlines. They are hugely skilled at creating beautiful, functional spaces and always achieve precisely what our clients envision.”
The kitchen is the heart of most homes, but this is truly the case with Elevate Homes, and this can extend to built in bar areas, coffee stations, storage, sculleries and more, all created seamlessly to the client’s brief by Treetown Kitchens.
Because the houses will be transported once finished, additional structural strengthening is designed and built into the homes. Kristin says, “This is constantly assessed as we analyse each building after it is transported to see where there are signs of strain.” The moving of each building is left to expert transport companies. Elevate work closely with a couple of the best in New Zealand to deliver their homes anywhere from Waiheke Island to Martinborough, Cambridge to Cooks Beach.
“I really love textiles,” says Jo MacIntosh, smiling as she selects a fine-textured linen sheet from a neat stack held by an antique French armoire.
“It’s cool in summer and warm in winter. So perfect, and you’ll never go back to regular sheets again. Its monogram speaks of another life it has had, in another country, the care it has been shown between owners and the joy of being loved again."
Everything has at least one story at Cambridge’s Heritage Trading Company; an empty bottle of Tattinger has been repurposed by cutting the top off to create an elegant candle, and vintage champagne buckets, from Jo’s daughter’s recent wedding in France, wait to be used again.
When you walk in the front door of the visual feast that is Heritage Trading Company, veer left to find Helen Marten’s Tuffet & Co. Helen hails from North Yorkshire and loves English country style which emphasises comfort, natural beauty and understated elegance. Here you will find curated collections of homewares atop unique furniture, like an antique Baltic pine dresser, or a grouping of crocks, some beautifully contained by basket weaving, that show signs of age and use yet are sculptural and work in any setting.
Helen says, “I love items that have lived before which shouldn’t be perfect and I look for the stories inside them. Sustainability for me is passing on those marks from previous generations and leaving them for others to enjoy. I enjoy creating new and beautiful pieces of art from discarded furniture so that every piece is unique.”
To the right is Jo’s French Brocante Linen & Stone, laden with authentic treasures that Jo says are what makes her happiest. Favourites include paintings which she finds at markets and bear marks of their past, such as their visible brass tacks. Jo designs her own cushions, taking salvaged antique tapestries and reworking them into a classic but modern design.
Fiona Hugues, stylist and cook for these very pages, loves to source her antique European ceramics, pewter and pottery pieces through Jo. Of these rare pieces Fiona says, “I adore lots of details, and these objects serve as silent storytellers, each with its own voice and history, which add lovely additional layers to my images.”
You may have noticed that Fiona’s signature food shots are atmospherically dark and moody. “I adore the murkiness of antique pewter tableware that uniquely enhances my personal brand aesthetic. I studied sculpture at art school so am naturally drawn to metal work and the patina of well-used charcoal toned pewter plates, vessels and cutlery complement the deep, shadowy tones I favour. The darkness also enhances the colour of the dishes or tablescapes, creating an atmosphere that is both dramatic and elegant.”
Fiona appreciates the enduring value embedded in antiques. “Each scratch, dent, or worn edge on an antique piece is a testament to its journey through time, adding layers of depth and character.
MEGAN LYON | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES
In my styling projects, these elements bring authenticity and a sense of heritage. By opting for antiques, you are embracing a philosophy of ‘buy once, buy right’. This approach is inherently sustainable, as it reduces the demand for new, mass-produced items that often contribute to environmental degradation, making it a choice that is both economically and environmentally responsible.”
A collector in the making is Greta Casey-Kalma, a Year 12 student, whose after-school job is at The Heritage Trading Company. She is grateful to have such unique and interesting work and that the ethos of sustainability spans into all aspects of the business. “I've
got quite crafty at fixing things that have cracked and broken so we can minimise waste. I think all the up-cycling Helen and Jo do with their furniture is so amazing. I often help move new dressers in, and I'm always in awe of how creative they are – my current favourite being a kitchen cabinet that has a bread themed decoupage. I’ve also got extremely good at nagging people to bring their own bags!”
Recently Greta was given an opportunity by Helen to take home a set of drawers to fix up. Unpromising in two halves with a horrible brown hue, Greta’s parents were dubious, but her dad dutifully helped to glue it together and sand it down. Fortunately, she then attended one of the decoupage workshops on offer and was able to take these new skills and have fun by painting them pink. Greta then decoupaged the drawers with a combination of colourful and floral-patterned napkins and the result is stunning.
Helen and Jo are both committed to having women working together collaboratively to realise their dreams. They share an ethos of sustainable living, innovation and a sophisticated response to both upcycling and recycling. At The Heritage Trading Company everything tells a story, and everything is treated as something special.
The Heritage Trading Company Ltd 40 Duke Street, Cambridge 3434 www.heritagetrading.co.nz
Megan Lyon
Megan grew up on the Coromandel with an abundance of freedom and creativity. Studying arts led her to Kirikiriroa, Hamilton where she returned to having run a dealer gallery in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.
Happily stationed in Hayes Paddock, with her husband and two boys, Megan has directed an international arts festival for a decade and freelances installing artwork and writing for several national publications.
the midas touch
Over 42 years of bespoke design, craftmanship and repairs of precious jewellery.
307 Barton Street, Casabella Lane, Hamilton P. 078390039 www.midasdiamondjewellers.co.nz
Audi Innovations
I don’t know about you, but when people start talking about torque, cc’s, wheelbase, and all-wheel drive when discussing cars, they may as well be speaking Latin. Which is why I recently spent some time with Jackson Caffyn from Ebbett Audi. No, he doesn’t speak Latin, but he does speak cars and even more importantly Audi cars.
I wanted to learn more about Audi’s much anticipated Q6 e-tron, a midsize all electric SUV that will hit the New Zealand market in December.
Not wanting to appear entirely ignorant, I did a little research before meeting up with Jackson at Ebbett Audi’s new showroom in Te Rapa. I discovered Audi’s tagline is ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, or ‘progress through innovation’ and was to find this innovation is being channelled into Audi’s electric vehicles as the company not only strives to be carbon neutral by 2025 but lead the way with its electric vehicles. OVERSEAS
According to Audi’s website, “with its pioneering technologies, the Q6 e-tron represents a leap forward in electric mobility.” So what does that look like?
Before we get to Audi and the Q6 e-tron, Jackson showed me some of the advantages of an electric vehicle I had not considered before. No, we’re not talking emissions, quiet engine, no more trips to the petrol station – we’re talking space. Electric vehicles don’t have a drive shaft tunnel. If, like me, you were none the wiser with this revelation, Jackson pointed out the lump that normally runs through the floor in the back seat of a car, making the middle seat only for the littlest passenger, is not there in an electric car. Electric vehicles also have smaller engines, which means less space is needed at the front of the car under the hood, allowing more room for the passengers and storage. Using this space, along with clever design, the Q6 e-tron has a roomy interior with sufficient space for five passengers and their luggage.
MODEL SHOWN
WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN
With a boot capacity of 526 litres, which can almost triple with the back seats folded down, the Q6 e-tron is also a versatile car. Staying with the interior, the Q6 e-tron has a completely redesigned driver’s experience with the Audi MMI Panoramic display. The MMI, or multimedia interface, features a curved screen which integrates the driver’s information and media content, making it easier for the driver to be in control. This is good news for anyone who has problems with passengers thinking they are in charge of such integral controls like the tunes playing or air conditioning!
The Audi Q6 e-tron is the first built on their Premium Platform Electric (PPE) which was jointly developed with Porsche. Previous Audi electric vehicles were based on VW group platforms. For Audi, it represents an important step in becoming a leading provider of electric vehicles.
In a nutshell this new PPE system, along with their newly developed lithium-ion battery has more efficient thermo management. Now stay with me here because you know I asked what that was! In essence it means the battery doesn’t have to work as hard, which results in quicker charging and longer range.
Another advantage of this new system is PPE, about 95% of all everyday braking processes can be covered via recuperation. This brings me to Jackson’s tips for getting the most out of driving an electric car.
By easing off the accelerator and using long, safe breaking you maximise recuperation, which is using friction from the braking to add charge back in the battery. And it’s here where Audi takes things one step further with their predictive thermal management. Using data from the navigation system, the route, the departure timer and the customer's driving behaviour, it calculates the need for cooling or heating in advance to provide them both efficiently and at the right time.
For instance, if a customer is driving to charge at an HPC charging station included in the route planning, the predictive thermal management system will prepare the DC charging process and cool or heat the battery so that it can charge faster, thus reducing
the charging time. If there is a steeper rise ahead, the thermal management system will adjust the HV battery by appropriate cooling to prevent a higher thermal load.
The Audi Q6 e-tron needs just 10 minutes at a fast-charging station (at a maximum charging power of 270 kW) to generate a range of up to 255 kms. This is great if you are out and about or on a road trip, but Jackson says trickle charging your battery is the best way to regularly charge your electric car. By trickle charging he means plugging it in to 240V plug and charging overnight.
Jackson left me with the specs full of details on your wheel options, the advanced augmented reality heads up display, the rear occupant detection, traffic sign recognition, park assist, threezone automatic air conditioning and much more! But my advice is to go in and visit the team at Ebbett Audi for a full run down on this state-of-the-art designed car and, better still, a test drive to experience the difference.
Ebbett Audi
27 Te Kowhai East Road, Hamilton www.ebbett.co.nz
RANGE Of party & cake decorating supplies!
on the corner of Rostrevor & Harwood Streets, Hamilton.
OVERSEAS MODEL SHOWN
Butter me UP
I am not a huge fan of eating corn off the cob – it’s a messy affair! Luckily, the excuse it provides to eat lashings of butter tips this summertime treat in its winning favour. This summer I suggest we crank that butter action up a notch by having some tasty, flavoured butters on hand.
As I discovered, they are not only delicious on freshly boiled or grilled corn but very handy to have on hand, be it when sautéing vegetables, spreading on fresh bread, or adding a medallion to a grilled steak.
WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES
MISO BUTTER
250g soft butter
¹/³ cup miso paste (I used NZ brand Urban Hippie Miso Paste)
1 spring onion, chopped
CHILLI, LIME AND CORIANDER
For a real Mexican vibe, smear grilled cobs with this butter and then roll in crushed corn chips.
250g soft butter
½ cup fresh coriander, chopped zest and juice of 1 lime
½–1 tsp of chilli flakes
HONEY AND CHILLI BUTTER
250g soft butter
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp hot sauce
ROAST GARLIC AND PARMESAN
This makes great garlic bread!
250g soft butter
1 cup of grated Parmesan
6–8 gloves of roasted garlic parsley or chives, chopped
TO MAKE: Beat everything together until well combined. On a sheet of baking paper, roll into a log. Twist the ends of the paper to seal and chill in the fridge. When cold you can slice into medallions.
The butters will keep sealed in the fridge for a couple of weeks, to make them last longer pop them in the freezer.
APÉRITIF
COCKTAIL HOUR THE FIONA WAY
I recently tragically lost my little terrier buddy Whinny. She’d been my faithful companion for 11 years and was my preferred company to spend apéritif hour with.
At the end of the day we’d wander our grounds and ponder changes in the garden, and she’d flush out and promptly banish any unwelcome hidden rodent visitors. Now with her no longer at my side, and summer entertaining getting into full swing, I’ve complied my top few simple recipes to help you tolerate your own un-banishable guests without a faithful hound to deter them. Ultimately, it’s my strategy to have a charming time pre-dinner in the hour or so that prequels dinner with company, desirable or not.
Apéritif is a French word derived from the Latin verb aperire, which means ‘to open’ and is sometimes shortened to the chic word, ‘apéro’, which is far easier to pronounce even remotely properly. An apéritif itself is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite and is often served with an hors d'oeuvre or amuse-bouche (which literally translates to small bites that ‘entertain the mouth’).
So go forth dear readers, open your doors, open a bottle, or two, and with my ridiculously simple recipes here for stimulating hunger and amusing your guest’s gobs, I reckon it’s a perfect formula for happy holidays that you and I can gladly put up with.
RECIPES & IMAGES FIONA HUGUES
THE DRINKS
FRENCH 75 (IMAGE PAGE 49)
The French 75 is a suave but classic cocktail made from gin, champagne, lemon juice, and a little sugar and a dash of Absinthe if you’re that way inclined. Also known as a 75 Cocktail, or in French, simply a Soixante Quinze (Seventy-Five) it’s one of my favourite things to serve in a fancy flute at this time of year, mainly because I’m a sucker for anything tart and lemony.
This drink dates to World War I and was apparently created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris by barman Harry MacElhone. The combination was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun. Admittedly, the thought of serving someone the equivalent of a bullet does have its wicked merits during the fraught schedules of holiday season, so my friends, serve wisely.
2–3 drops absinthe, optional (in the classic original version from Harry's Bar in Paris)
If using, put 2–3 drops of absinthe into a chilled champagne flute.
Place the gin, sugar syrup and lemon juice in an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
Pour into the primed absinthe glass and top with the champagne and a curl of lemon peel.
*A simple syrup is also called sugar syrup, which is just equal amounts of sugar and water. Stir and heat together for about 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves and a clear syrup is created. Then leave to cool. Voilà – that's it. Store in a bottle in the fridge for a couple of weeks if it lasts that long.
KIR ROYALE (IMAGE OPPOSITE)
Rolling on to another cocktail born in war times into a classic story of stealing someone’s shit then duplicitously owning it – the Kir was created by a lowly bartender named Faivre in the Burgundy region of France during the 1940s. During World War II, the Nazis stole a lot of the red wine within the region, so in a wildly shifty move the blackcurrant liqueur ‘cassis’ was added to white wine to make it more like red wine. This proved an accidentally delicious concoction that rapidly gained popularity. Ownership of the creation was promptly nicked by an undoubtedly slimy Catholic priest and politician, a chap by the name of Félix Kir. He was also the mayor of Dijon, so rather naturally, I presume, named the bevvy after himself and served it at all his pompous soirées.
Quite how the fancier Kir Royale with champagne bubbles was created is still debated, but it’s marriage of the sparkling wine's effervescence with the sweet and tangy crème de cassis created a new level of refinement which still tickles fancies today. Internationally the Kir Royale gained prominence and recognition as an apéritif, served before the best meals to stimulate the appetite and set the stage for delicious dining ahead, and it is still served widely today at all the best French soirées.
Pour one part crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) into a flute and top with five parts chilled champagne.
Add a dash of bitters if you hanker for more flavour complexity.
Salut!
Fiona Hugues | Born in Hamilton, multi-international award winning food stylist & creative multi-hyphenate Fiona Hugues spent her childhood gallivanting around the Waikato countryside on horseback. After Hillcrest High School, Elam School of fine Arts took her to Auckland where she now resides on a rural property with her French husband, teenage children & a plethora of animals. From photographing food, art directing commercial campaigns to designing restaurants, her creative skills have encompassed a multitude of genres. Named one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s TOP 50 Women in Food and Drink to watch in 2024 she brings the beauty of food, the joy of eating and art of making things look good to her many clients, and these pages.
Vintage & Antique Homewares and Jewellery
French Brocante and english country Wares
open 7 days - 40 duke street, cambridge WwW.heritagetrading.co.nz
THE FOOD
ORTIZ TOMATO CROSTINI
My Frenchman detests an anchovy on any given day but this combination of sunshiny tomatoes with the best anchovies in the world he will gladly tolerate. Simple and insanely delicious, this is my number 1 summer tasty treat. Do yourself a favour and use the best ingredients you can afford; it really does make a difference here.
x1 tin of Conservas Ortiz anchovy fillets (available from Vetro) half a baguette, cut into 1cm slices
one large heirloom tomato
½ garlic clove, crushed
1–2 tbsp red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
To make the crostini, brush the slices of baguette with a little olive oil and bake on a lined tray at 180°C fan forced until slightly golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl grate the flesh of the tomato and strain off some of the excess juice with a strainer – you don’t want your crostini to immediately go soggy. Season the grated tomato flesh with the garlic, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper and leave in the fridge for at least half an hour so the flavours get to know each other.
When ready to serve, spoon the tomato mixture onto the crostini and top with an anchovy fillet.
Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
FANCY AF CHIPS (WITH CAVIAR & CREAM)
It seems everyone who’s anyone is bumping some illicit and expensive substance in Auckland these days. Personally, it’s not my rig, but not to be one to miss out and not silly enough to be arrested or bankrupted, here’s my alternative to swinging with the who’s who whilst not being an arrogant dick about it in the process. This, in my opinion, is a lowkey cool version of all that wanky hoo-ha. It’s a simple combination that tastes delicious and is ethically sustainable too. A pimped stock standard crinkle cut chip? What’s not to love?
thick-cut crinkle cut chips, salted
½ cup crème fraîche
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp champagne vinegar
black lumpfish roe (available from Vetro) chopped chives
In a small bowl combine the crème fraîche, onion powder and vinegar. Season and adjust to taste. Spoon small amounts of the cream onto each chip and top with a dash of lump fish roe. Sprinkle with chives and lay on a pretty platter.
FUMÉ FISH PÂTÉ
During the summer I’m usually gifted a smoked fish or two. This is my preferred way to enjoy it, full of crème fraîche, pungent dill and all the lemony notes to cut through the smoky tones. Feel free to tweak it to suit your palate or bach pantry. I sometimes add seed mustard and/or a dash of cayenne rather than horseradish for heat.
200–300g boneless flaked smoked fish fillets
1 cup crème fraîche
small handful of dill, chopped lemon juice and finely grated zest
I tbsp horseradish crème (or less if using fresh grated) salt & pepper
cornichons (baby gherkins) and good water crackers to serve
In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients well to combine and taste.
Adjust seasoning, heat and/or sour notes with lemon juice to suit. Serve chilled with crackers or smear on a baguette for a very good sandwich.
GOOD GRACIOUS GILDAS
I’ve stolen from the Spanish here because the mouthful of delight a Gilda delivers is too good not to share. Named after the title character played by Rita Hayworth in the 1946 film noir Gilda, it’s the OG basque pintxos (tapas/snack) and is simply three ingredients: a Guindilla pepper, an anchovy, and an olive, all skewered together.
Most good food specialty stores now sell jars of Guindilla peppers, so there’s no excuse not to indulge in this perfectly salted and brined accompaniment to your classic apéro cocktails. The Gilda is designed to eat in one bite and generates an immediate reaction from the palate, making it an unforgettable ‘party in one’s mouth’. (A MasterChef contestant I once worked with said that and it still makes me slightly cringe, but the quote seems appropriate here.)
Conservas Ortiz anchovy fillets (if you can get them, in my opinion, the best anchovies)
green pitted Spanish olives
Guindilla peppers
Satisfyingly impale one of each of the three ingredients on a small cocktail skewer or toothpick.
Job done.
The ULTIMATE HUMMUS
WORDS & IMAGES JULIE LE CLERC
There’s hummus and then there’s hummus!
Hummus is a staple dish from the Middle East, where it has been relished since ancient times. Its popularity spread far and wide, and today it’s enjoyed worldwide. The word hummus in Arabic means chickpea, but the tasty dish we know and love is actually hummus bi tahini, made from chickpeas blended with tahini. Although it may seem like a simple dish, there are a few key tricks to making the most delicious, silky-smooth hummus.
According to an old Arabic saying, hummus takes mere minutes to prepare but years to perfect. Inspired by this notion, I set off on a mission to create the ultimate hummus recipe. During my extensive travels throughout the region, I met many people who were convinced that their hummus – or perhaps their mother’s version – was the best. I was fortunate to learn some valuable secrets first-hand from authentic home cooks, which made all the difference to my own version.
My aim to develop the ultimate hummus recipe had two main parts. Firstly, fine-tuning the taste was straightforward because this can be heightened and brightened by adding a touch more earthy tahini, sour lemon juice, pungent garlic, or flavour-enhancing salt, until well-balanced.
Therefore, my main goal was to improve the texture of my hummus and make it as dreamily smooth as possible. There are differing opinions on how to achieve the perfect creamy texture, most of which centre around how the chickpeas are cooked. Some people even recommend peeling the chickpeas, but I feel life is too short for that sort of palaver.
Traditional recipes typically call for dried chickpeas that must be soaked overnight and boiled for a long time until very tender. I wanted to shorten this process for modern day home cooks and discovered that by using canned chickpeas and a couple of surprisingly simple steps, you can still produce hummus with a luscious, super-creamy texture.
Start by cooking canned chickpeas a second time until they collapse easily – the softness of the chickpeas is crucial to a silky result. A little baking soda in the cooking water will soften the skins, so you won’t even need to think about peeling them. Blitz the chickpeas while they’re still warm, as this helps them amalgamate smoothly. The bonus here is that eating warm hummus is a true revelation!
Another tip is to add a little ice-cold water to the hummus at the end of processing; this reacts with the tahini and smooths it out. Finally, to achieve a lovely whipped consistency, be sure to blend everything together for longer than you might expect.
One of the things I love about homemade hummus is that all of the ingredients can usually be found in your pantry, making this an easy dip to whip up for impromptu gatherings, parties, picnics, lunchboxes, and suchlike. Hummus is incredibly versatile too; it can be served warm or cold, as a dip or spread, or as a base for substantial toppings, like shawarma-spiced lamb, to create a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.
HUMMUS BI TAHINI
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¼ tsp baking soda
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
½–1 tsp fine salt, added to your liking
3–4 tbsp lemon juice (from 1–2 lemons)
¼ cup hulled tahini (available from Vetro and Bare)
2–3 tbsp ice-cold water, as needed
TO SERVE:
Extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil, to drizzle
Ground sumac or paprika, to dust
Sprigs of parsley
Put the chickpeas in a pot, add the baking soda and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chickpeas are very soft and their skins are falling off.
Drain the chickpeas and, while still warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender. Process to puree, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. It’s important that the chickpeas form a paste at this stage before the other ingredients are added.
Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and blend well. Add the tahini and blend to combine. The tahini will make the mixture seize up – to thin, add 1 tablespoon ice-cold water at a time and blend for 2–3 minutes more until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to add more than 3 tablespoons water, as too much can split the mixture.
Taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking with a little extra salt and/or lemon juice, as needed, to reach a balanced flavour.
To serve, transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to form a deep swirl on top. Drizzle olive oil into the swirl. Top with garnishes of your choice. Serve with vegetables and flatbread, to dip. Leftover hummus keeps well, covered in the fridge, for up to a week.
LOADED HUMMUS WITH SHAWARMA-SPICED LAMB
SERVES 4
The creamiest hummus gets even better when loaded with an authentic topping of shawarma-spiced lamb mince. Serve this as a meal, with a salad on the side and lots of pita bread to scoop up every last morsel.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
350g lamb mince (or beef mince, if preferred)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sumac
¼ tsp chilli powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO SERVE:
1 batch of hummus bi tahini (see previous recipe)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
handful torn mint leaves
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley leaves pomegranate arils, if available extra virgin olive oil
pita bread
Heat a little oil in a frying pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes until softened. Turn up the heat to high, add the mince, spices and a little salt.
Cook for about 5–7 minutes, breaking up the mince into small pieces, until browned and cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
To serve, spread hummus into a shallow serving dish. Pile the lamb on top and scatter over the pine nuts. Sprinkle with mint and parsley, and pomegranate arils, if available. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warmed pita bread on the side.
Julie Le Clerc
Julie Le Clerc is a former cafe owner and chef turned food writer, stylist and photographer. She loves creating doable, flavour-driven recipes inspired by seasonal local produce and assorted world cuisines. Julie has written a bunch of best-selling cookbooks that reflect her cafe background, love of baking, and culinary travels. When she’s not in her own kitchen, you’ll find her dreaming about inspiring destinations, near and far, or off on an eating adventure.
A TASTE OF EMILIA-ROMAGNA
A map of Emilia-Romagna reads like a shopping list. This food mecca is the home to many of the foods synonymous with Italy, from Bolognese to Parmigiana, balsamic vinegar to prosciutto.
Bologna, the region’s capital, is the heart of Italian cuisine, but surprisingly often left off tourists’ itineraries. But not this gastro nomad’s itinerary! In fact, this town and those surrounding it offer so much to taste, Bologna was our base for four nights. And while I was there to discover why the town is often called La Grassa (the fat one), I also discovered why it’s also known as La Rossa and La Dotta.
By Italian standards, Bologna is more a town than a city and has a very chilled vibe compared to the metropolis of Milan, where we eventually ended our gastronomic tour, having stopped along the way at wineries, and cheese and ham factories, venturing south to the Piedmont region to enjoy truffles and hazelnuts before driving north, stopping in Turin and then driving through the rice paddies of Vercelli.
La Dotta (or the learned one) comes from the fact that Bologna is the home to the world’s oldest university, dating back to the 11th century. (The ‘world’ claim may not be totally accurate, but it is the oldest in Europe.) The many students add a young, vibrant vibe to the town, especially at aperitivo hour.
La Rossa comes from the red-brick buildings, and there is no better way to take the beauty of these in than to climb one of the towers. Built in the Middle Ages, these towers were used as a form of defence as well as a symbol of prestige by wealthy families. Bologna once boasted over 100 towers, today just 28 remain. The most famous are the Torre degli Asinelli and Torre Garisenda in the centre of the city.
Torre degli Asinelli, at 97 metres tall, is the highest authentic medieval tower in Italy. Sadly for us it was closed for repairs so we didn’t have the option to climb. But if you saw the lean of Torre Garisenda beside it, you would not begrudge such repairs.
Visitors have a number of alternatives if they are keen to climb the heights of Bologna. The San Pietro Bell Tower, the second
tallest tower in Bologna, is built on a pre-Christian tower inside San Pietro Cathedral and comes with an interesting history as well learning the unique local way of bell ringing or ‘alla Bolognese’.
The San Pietro Bell Tower is only open a few hours each afternoon, so we opted to climb the clock tower of Palazzo d’Accursio, which includes admission to the city’s vast art collection. Although only 36 metres tall, you are rewarded with beautiful views of the red city and beyond for only half the climb.
Bologna’s medieval cobbled streets are almost void of cars, as students, workers and families alike opt to walk or use bikes to get around. And all roads lead to Piazza Maggiore, the town square and the perfect spot to stop and watch the world go by, be it with a coffee or aperitivo.
At the centre of the square sits the striking Basilica di San Petronio. Striking for several reasons, partly for its size, partly for its legendary facade that was left unfinished when a 16th-century pope decided it would outshine St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and halted its completion.
Stepping inside, it was hard not to be awe-inspired by its sheer size. The pope may have had a point. I couldn’t help but think this feeling of awe was due to the relatively plain interior allowing you to take in the scale. I say this because Basilica di San Petronio is smaller than the famous Duomo in Milan, but when you step inside that church it is the razzle dazzle of the art and decorations that capture you, not the scale of the building.
Basilica di San Petronio, which incidentally is not the official city cathedral, is home to the world’s longest sundial. Installed by the astronomer Cassini in 1655, the midday sun shines through a hole in the ceiling down onto the meridian line on the church floor indicating noontime every day and what day of the year it is in the Gregorian calendar. During the Middle Ages this is what the Vatican used to determine the date for Easter Sunday.
Basilica di San Petronio is the tenth biggest and the largest brick gothic-style church in the world.
Along with the towers, Bologna is known for its many porticoes, 40 kms of them in the city centre. Dating back to the 12th century, they were a way for building owners to extend their real estate over the public walkways. They vary in size and design from the austere to the elaborate. And as we found out, they also make walking around Bologna in the rain a lot easier!
Veer off the porticoes around Piazza Maggiore and down the medieval alleys of the Quadrilatero and be rewarded with the flavours of Bologna and the surrounding region.
Amongst these tiny streets is Paolo Atti & Figli, the oldest bakery in Bologna. Here the window display, complete with handwritten signs, is filled with tempting traditional sweet treats.
We walked into Drogheria Gilberto to sample some local chocolate but were drawn down to the cellar by the thousands of Italian wines on offer. Talking of wine, a traditional osteria was a place that served drinks, a place to go and play cards and have a glass of wine, where today an osteria often means restaurant. But food was never the focus back in 1465 when Osteria del Sole opened. In the heart of the Quadrilatero you can step back in time and enjoy a drink at Osteria del Sole, the oldest osteria in Bologna, possibly Italy. If you want to eat it’s strictly BYO food.
If food is what you are after, there are many great options. Stop at one of the delis with tables spilling out onto the pavement. Enjoy tagliere, a board filled with local cured meats and cheese, often served with the local bread tigella, with a glass of local wine like the sparkling red, Lambrusco.
This is a wonderful way to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a taste before venturing beyond Bologna to the neighbouring towns of Modena, Parma, Asti and beyond, where you can discover the traditional artisans making these products in the age-old way.
Specialists in the best regional products, we stopped at Salumeria Simoni for an aperitivo and stayed to enjoy our first bite of the real deal lasagne alla Bolognese.
The official recipe for lasagne, which consists of fresh spinach pasta, ragu and bechamel, is held in the Bologna Chamber of Commerce. Bologna, also the birthplace of Bolognese (they call it ragu) is all about fresh pasta. This means you will never find spaghetti Bolognese on a menu, instead it is always served with tagliatelle.
Fresh pasta is such a big deal here many eateries or delis make it behind their front windows to prove it is made fresh and on the premises. For me, the revelation was tortellini in brodo – beautiful fresh tortellini served in a clear broth.
Supposedly inspired by Venus’s belly button, tortellini hail from Emilia-Romagna. Some claim from Modena, others Bologna – so I tried the dish in both towns and enjoyed them equally. The tortellini are filled with local delicacies of pork, prosciutto crudo, mortadella and Parmesan cheese.
Before venturing further into the region of Emilia-Romagna, there was just one more delicacy to try – mortadella. Considered the most famous cured meat from Bologna, mortadella has recently grown in popularity around the world where most of us grew up with its very poor cousin, bologna.
Mortadella was one of the first foods to have its uniqueness tied to its region of origin, now a PGI (protected geographical indication). It is made using mainly pork shoulder meat which is minced and mixed with lardons of fat from the pig’s neck and spices. The sausage is then slowly cooked for several hours until the middle reaches 70°C.
For a modern yet authentic mortadella experience, Mo Mortadella Lab is the place to go. Their hole in the wall sandwich shops serve up all manner of mortadella sandwiches.
Bologna was a treat and a town I can’t wait to go back to and discover more! If you are keen to join me on our Taste of Northern Italy tour next September, it begins in Bologna. From Bologna we will travel through the towns of Modena, Parma, Asti and Alba before we reach Turin then Milan. Along the way we will discover some of Italy’s iconic food and wine, all while enjoying great company in our small group tour.
Email me vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz for more information.
For an authentic taste of Emilia-Romagna in New Zealand, head to Vetro, who stock mortadella, balsamic vinegar from Modena, Parmigiano Reggiano as well as some beautiful regional wines.
SUMMER PASTA
RECIPES SIMONE SAGLIA | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON
Simone and Kylie Saglia own The Trading Post in Paengaroa, where Simone cooks authentic Italian food, including many beautiful handmade pasta dishes. We went along to learn to make two gorgeous summer pasta dishes from Simone, who says he never gets bored making and rolling pasta.
Simone grew up in Alba, a town famous for its truffles, surrounded by the Barolo, Barbaresco and Nebbiolo wineries. We’ll discover both the truffle of Alba and some of the region’s famous wines on our Taste of Northern Italy tour in September. But if you want to join us before then, Simone has created a gorgeous three-course menu for our Nourish Taste of Northern Italy Long Lunch on Saturday 15 February. Details below.
RAVIOLI CAPRESE ALLA NORMA
Like so many Italian dishes, this classic relies on beautiful, fresh ingredients, making summer the perfect time to enjoy it, with fresh tomatoes, basil and eggplants in abundance.
PASTA DOUGH
1 cup boiling water
4 cups flour (500g) pinch of salt
Make a well with the flour and salt then pour the hot water in. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Cover and rest until ready to use.
FILLING
500g ricotta
4 sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
¹⁄8 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Remove the thyme leaves from the sprigs and chop, discarding the sprigs.
Add the thyme to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Check and adjust the seasoning before placing it in a piping bag. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
SAUCE
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 punnets of mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes
1 cup water
2 eggplants
salt & pepper to taste grated Parmigiano bunch of basil
Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with a dash of olive oil and a pinch of salt for about five minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and the cup of water and cook for five more minutes.
With a stick blender, puree to form your base sauce.
Cure the eggplant before frying by cutting the eggplant in cubes and tossing it in a bowl with a handful of salt. Place it in a colander for half an hour to drain the water.
The Trading Post 1 Hall Road, Paengaroa www.thetradingpost.nz
Head to our Facebook or Instagram to watch the pasta making process.
Use a pasta machine or rolling pin to roll out the dough to a quite thin pasta sheet (roughly 1.5mm thick).
With the help of a cutter (round or square or preferred one), mark one half of the sheet.
Pipe out the filling inside the mark then gently fold over the other half of the sheet.
Press around the filling with fingers then cut the ravioli out and place on a tray until ready to cook. (Head to our Facebook or Instagram to watch step by step instructions.)
Pat dry with a towel and fry in hot oil.
TO ASSEMBLE
Cook the ravioli in salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then strain and toss in a pan with the tomato sauce and add grated Parmigiano cheese. Plate the pasta by topping with a handful of fried eggplant some cherry tomatoes and a few basil leaves broken by hand.
lunch with The Trading Post and Nourish
SATURDAY 15 TH FEB, 1PM
The Trading Post 1 Hall Road, Paengaroa
$65pp for 3 course set menu
Matching wines $55pp Bookings at thetradingpost.nz
TROFIE AL PESTO
Hailing form the western region of Liguria, the word trofie (pronounced trof·ee·eh) comes from the Ligurian word strufuggiâ, meaning ‘to rub’. This is a reference to how the dough is shaped by rolling and rubbing on a wooden board.
PASTA DOUGH
2 cups flour (250g)
1¾ cups semolina (250g)
1 cup water
Kneed all the ingredients together into a dough and set aside for 1 hour before use.
Slice the dough and cut into 1cm strips and roll these out into thin sausage shapes, approximately 5mm thick. Cut the dough sausages into 2–3cm pieces. Take each piece and, using your palm, quickly roll it away from you diagonally on a wooden board.
The trofie should start at the centre of your palm and get rolled to the outside of your palm. This motion will create a delicate spiral in the pasta. Alternatively, you can roll it, as Simone does, between your hands. (Head to our Facebook or Instagram to watch Simone in action.)
PESTO
1¾ cups extra virgin olive oil
¹⁄8 cup pine nuts
5 cups basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
½ cup parmesan, grated pinch of salt
In a blender or with a stick blender, blitz oil and pine nuts first, then add basil, garlic, parmesan and salt to adjust the taste.
Blitz until smooth, but not for too long. Place in an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
TO ASSEMBLE
Cook trofie in salted boiling water for about 7 to 8 minutes. Strain and place in a bowl with a tablespoon of the cooking water. Add a couple of tablespoons of pesto to the bowl and toss through the pasta.
Plate and garnish with basil or boiled green beans
Buon appetito! 122 Rostrevor Street, Hamilton 07 974 0415
SAVOURING FINANCIAL SUCCESS: A RECIPE FOR SMART INVESTING
Is It Time to Move Beyond Term Deposits?
Much like in the culinary arts, finding the perfect balance of ingredients and flavours is key to creating a masterpiece.
For years, term deposits (TDs) have been the go-to recipe for many Kiwi investors as a dependable and steady income-generating investment option. With interest rates at their highest levels in over a decade, TDs have offered impressive returns over the last two years. However, the economic winds are shifting. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has started cutting the official cash rate (OCR), and with more anticipated cuts on the horizon, relying solely on TDs may no longer be the most fruitful investment strategy.
WORDS DWIGHT EGELHOF
Until recently, many banks were offering yields of up to 6% on sixmonth TDs. This has made it easier for savers to earn consistent income.
For example, a $250,000 TD at a 6% rate could generate a pre-tax monthly income of $1,250. However, the landscape is changing. Shorter dated TD rates tend to closely follow the OCR, and with the OCR sitting at 4.75% in November 2024 (down from a high of 5.5% and forecast to drop further), it is only a matter of time before TD rates head downward. Continuing with our example, if TD rates head down to say 4.4%, that same $250,000 will only produce a monthly income of $925, which is a reduction of 26%.
With the RBNZ beginning its OCR cutting cycle, the returns from TDs are becoming less financially appetising. So, then, the question becomes, how soon will the RBNZ cut again and how low will they go?
Just as a good cook must adapt their meals to the changing seasonality of available produce, investors need to reconsider their financial strategies to maintain their desired financial goals and objectives or lifestyle.
So what does this mean for investors? While TDs have recently served their purpose well, clinging to them in a falling interest rate environment could lead to missed opportunities elsewhere. To avoid a potential decline in income, now may be the perfect time to reassess your investment strategy.
Enter a trusted investment adviser – your personal financial chef. Professionals that specialise in creating bespoke investment plans that cater to your unique tastes, lifestyle and financial needs. Like a skilled sommelier pairing the perfect wine with your meal, an adviser, like those at Craigs Investment Partners, can help you develop a well-rounded portfolio that achieves your financial goals.
This is where working with an investment adviser can make all the difference, offering numerous advantages, such as:
• Expertise: Access to in-depth market knowledge, expertise and new issues in the market.
• Personalisation: Tailored investment strategies that align with your unique situation.
• Ongoing support: Regular reviews and adjustments to keep your portfolio on track.
Rather than simply watching your income dwindle, consider sitting down with an investment adviser to build a well-rounded, personalised investment portfolio. A good adviser can help you diversify your portfolio and guide you towards investments that align with your risk profile, goals and lifestyle.
Understanding your personal risk profile is a crucial part of this process. It involves not just your willingness to take on risk, but also your ability to handle it – known as your risk capacity. Your trusted adviser can assess your risk capacity to create a strategy that balances your needs, such as maintaining your current lifestyle while also working towards your long-term financial goals. Whether you’re risk-averse or willing to take on more risk with the aim to achieve higher returns, a tailored investment strategy can be developed to fit your specific situation.
This strategy could consider other asset classes that may present attractive investment opportunities in this environment of declining interest rates. Fixed income securities can lock in higher yields at a fixed rate for several years. Alternatively, there may be opportunities to purchase shares with companies that pay consistent dividends or where there is value in current share prices of companies that have been out of favour.
With expert guidance from an investment adviser, you can diversify your portfolio to include these investment options and make your capital work harder for you.
In conclusion, while TDs have offered reliable returns in recent years, it may be time to rethink your investment strategy. By partnering with an experienced adviser, like those at Craigs, you can create a comprehensive, diversified investment portfolio that caters to both your current and future needs, helping you secure your financial well-being in a changing economic landscape.
If you’ve been relying on TDs as your primary source of income, now is the time to explore new investment options. Consider partnering with a Craigs adviser to create a financial menu that's as rich and satisfying as your favourite culinary experiences.
Contact Craigs Investment Partners adviser Dwight Egelhof for more information – phone 07 981 2556 or email dwight.egelhof@craigsip.com.
Disclaimer: This article is general in nature and should not be regarded as specific investment advice. It does not take into account your financial situation, objectives, goals, or risk tolerance. All investments involve risk and can go down as well as up. Craigs Investment Partners Limited is a NZX Participant firm. Dwight Egelhof’s adviser disclosure statement is available on request and free of charge. The Craigs Investment Partners Limited Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement can be viewed at craigsip.com/terms-and-conditions. Please visit craigsip.com.
Dwight Egelhof
Dwight Egelhof, Craigs Investment Adviser based in Hamilton, encourages locals to reach out for a conversation.
KAI FEAST
When Christall Lowe’s long anticipated second book arrived at my place it caused quite a discussion. I left it sitting on the dining table and my husband was leafing through it. “Is this a Māori cookbook?” he asked. “No, it’s a New Zealand cookbook” was the abridged version of my response.
He may have got a lecture on what Māori food is versus New Zealand food versus Pākehā food, and that New Zealand needs to stop trying to label or define dishes by culture. Look around the world, no one else is caught up in this need for label of origin –except in the supermarket, and I’m in favour of that, but I digress. The point is, Christall has not set out to make a Māori cookbook, she just happens to be of tangata whenua decent and thus her food heritage, like many Kiwis, is intertwined with smoky flavours from the hangi, fresh seafood, and delights like that of fry bread. And this is what makes it a true New Zealand cookbook, full of food
memories and recipes that can only come from a Kiwi, from Nana Rata’s pikelets served with golden syrup to ham hock soup, feijoa fritters to creamed paua pies.
This book speaks to our food heritage as a nation as well as its future, as Christall adds dishes and flavours that would be new to her pop, who the book is dedicated to.
Christall says it best: “My ultimate desire is to take readers on a journey, deep into the heart of our kai, through storytelling that uses both words and imagery to convey a kōrero that resonates with people. Recipes and stories brimming with nostalgia, seasoned with history, whakapapa and mauri, imbued with timehonoured traditions. These stories are all woven and held together by a central thread – that kai connects us. All kai connects people to each other, to the land and creates a sense of place. Every person, from every culture, has a food story. Stories about who we are, where we are from and where we are going.”
This book will take pride of place in my collection, not just for its recipes but for what it represents – the coming of age of New Zealand food.
WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | RECIPE & IMAGE CHRISTALL LOWE
KŪMARA GINGER CRUNCH CHEESECAKE
This is what I consider the cream of the crop when it comes to dessert. Sweet orange kūmara meets cream cheese, orange zest, crushed Gingernuts and golden syrup in this wonderful mash-up of a classic cheesecake and a Gingernut cream log. (Remember those?! Bring back the 90s!) Kūmara cheesecake with a ginger-crunch twist? Pure nostalgia in every bite. Move over pumpkin pie: kūmara pie is in the whare.
FOR THE CRUST
500g (2 packets) Gingernut biscuits
200g butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
2 medium orange kūmara (450g), to yield 2 cups cooked, mashed kūmara
250g cream cheese, softened
¾ cup plain Greek yoghurt
¼ cup icing sugar
1 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
FOR THE GINGER CARAMEL
75g butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp golden syrup
½ cup cream
½ tsp salt
1–2 tsp ground ginger
Peel and cube the kūmara and boil in a saucepan with water until tender. Drain off the water, mash with a masher, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. It’s important that the kūmara is not hot when making the cheesecake.
Prepare a 22–24cm springform pan by greasing the sides and lining the base with non- stick baking paper.
To make the crust, working a third at a time, crush the Gingernut biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs, in a food processor, blender or Nutribullet.
Put crushed Gingernuts into a bowl, pour over the melted butter, and mix until combined.
Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the base and sides of the prepared pan, then smooth and compact it with the back of a spoon.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric beater, beat together all the filling ingredients until combined and smooth. Spread the filling evenly into the crumb base.
To make the ginger caramel, place all the ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes until thick and syrupy.
Pour the ginger caramel over the filling while still warm, then cover with cling film or tinfoil and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours, or until ready to serve. You can refrigerate the cheesecake for up to three days.
When the cheesecake is ready to serve, carefully remove it from the baking tin and gently transfer to a serving plate. Cut into slices and serve immediately with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or yoghurt, if desired.
Kai Feast: Food stories and recipes from the maunga to the moana by Christall Lowe, photography by Christall Lowe, published by Bateman Books, RRP $59.99, available now.
WAIKATO FARMER'S MARKETS
Where local and convenience collide, the Waikato Farmer’s Markets are on every weekend come rain, hail or shine.
Cambridge Farmer’s Market, every Saturday 8am–12noon, Victoria Square Hamilton Farmer’s Market, every Sunday 8am–12noon, The Barn, Claudelands www.waikatofarmersmarkets.co.nz
NYE AT FALLS RETREAT!
A four-course immersive dining experience to ring in the new year. Price includes a complimentary welcome drink on arrival. Optional wine match available. $125pp | Tuesday 31 December www.fallsretreat.co.nz
LUNCHTIME LIVE MUSIC
Fridays 12.30pm – 1.30pm Garden Place | Free event lovethecentre.co.nz
18 January, 1 & 15 February, 1, 15, 29 March | 10am – 11am Garden Place | Free event lovethecentre.co.nz
CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL
Head to the CBD for a fantastic evening celebrating Chinese New Year with a dragon dance and lion dance, magic show, live cultural performances, and food stalls. 22 February from 6pm Garden Place, Hamilton Central www.lovethecentre.co.nz
FLAVOURS OF PLENTY FESTIVAL
Celebrate Coastal Bay of Plenty’s worldclass food scene, showcasing the region’s horticultural heroes and weaving a powerful connection from our place to your plates in the second annual Flavours of Plenty Festival.
27 March – 13 April www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com
FESTIVAL OF WEIRD
Various central city locations 5 – 12 March | Free event hamiltonfestivalofweird.nz
HERITAGE TRADING WORKSHOPS
DECOUPAGE
When Thursday 20 February, 7.00pm
Cost $100pp
SIMPLE UPHOLSTERY
When Thursday 13 February, 7.00pm
Cost $100pp
HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR OWN DECORATING STYLE
When Tuesday 18 February to Tuesday 11 March (4 weeks), 7.00pm
Cost $275pp
FRENCH LAYERED MAKING
Create three personal cards that can then be used as art pieces using old French holy cards, photos, lace, stamps, fabric, paper etc.
When Thursday 20 March, 7.00pm
Cost $75
Where 40 Duke Street, Cambridge Book heritagetrading.co.nz
FALLS RETREAT WORKSHOPS
THE FULL MONTY EDIBLE GARDENING WORKSHOP
Nurture your passion for gardening on this one-day course with our resident gardener, Nicki Murray-Orr.
When Sunday 2 February, 2 March and 6 April
Cost $150pp, includes morning tea and nibbles on arrival, workshop with take home instruction book/notes and a delicious shared lunch.
COOKING WORKSHOPS WITH BRAD KING
These interactive workshops include morning tea and nibbles on arrival, workshop with take home instruction book/notes and a delicious, shared lunch.
When Bread Making Workshop – 2 March
Pickling and Preserving Workshop – 2 February
Pasta-Making Masterclass – 6 April
Cost $165pp
WILDFLOWER ARRANGEMENTS WITH SWEETPEA & JASMINE
Join Shontelle from Sweetpea & Jasmine for this wildflower floral bouquet demo and workshop. Morning tea on arrival, lunch and guided tour of the gardens included.
When 30 March
Cost $165pp
Book fallsretreat.co.nz
MARKETPLACE
TASTE OF TOURS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Join Julia Clarke for our third Taste of South Australia tour.
14 – 19 May
$4500pp (twin share, including airfares)
SRI LANKA TOURS
Wanderlust’s 2024 most desirable Island, Sri Lanka will delight and surprise.
14 – 25 June with Vicki RavlichHoran (just 3 spaces left)
30 August – 10 September with Emma Galloway Cost $6995pp (twin share)
NORTHERN ITALY
From Bologna to Milan, this tour takes you through the heart of Italian food, from lasagne to risotto, Parmigiano to truffles, balsamic vinegar to Barolo.
11 – 19 September
$9995pp (twin share)
SICILY
Our flagship tour sells out each year. Find out why and join us for 10 magical days in Sicily.
