GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

FACES @ GREY LYNN FARMERS MARKET

Sho Kasuya and his business partner, Tony Ross, sell microgreens in the Garden Room at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.

Where did the inspiration for growing microgreens come from? I was living in London in a one-bedroom apartment with my wife and our toddler when the pandemic began. There were long queues for food and often there was very little fresh food left when I got to the end of the queue. We had nowhere to grow food, but I was determined to find a way to provide nutrient-dense food for my family.

How did you solve that? I had studied horticulture at school, so I knew how to germinate seeds and grow plants. Microgreens was the obvious solution in such a confined space.

It must have been challenging being in London during the outbreak of the pandemic. Yes – it was intense. I caught Covid before there was a vaccine and it knocked me hard. I had Long Covid for about six months and I still notice some lingering after-effects. Covid was a big factor in deciding to return home to New Zealand. And of course, when I returned home, I was keen to keep growing microgreens.

What is it about microgreens that is so attractive? They are nutritionally dense, with some having up to 40 times more nutrients than adult plants. It’s mind-blowing to think that each sprout is a whole plant. We grow a range of varieties offering a range of nutritional profiles and flavours. They are tasty and they fit easily into any diet.

Are your products organic? Our microgreens are not certified organic but the microgreens are grown in organic soil mixed with coconut coir, and we practice organic growing. Soil gives us a higher yield of better microgreens with bigger, greener leaves than if they are grown hydroponically. We are always tinkering and testing to improve things.

How has the market helped your business? We have built up a regular following of customers who come back each week. Customers are intrigued to see their food harvested before their eyes – it doesn’t get fresher than that. We love chatting to customers about how we grow our microgreens, and the market values fit well with our personal values.

Tell me more about those shared values. The market has strong community and zero-waste drivers, and so do we. We love how customers bring their clean containers back for a refill. If customers simply return the containers, we commercially compost them and donate 20c/container to Everybody Eats. If we have surplus microgreens left at the end of the market, we donate them to Everybody Eats. And we support Perfectly Imperfect by sometimes bringing along food that they have been given.

What do you do in your spare time? We don’t really have much of that because Tony has a day job as a project manager for NZ Housing Foundation and I am a landscape architect at Boffa Miskell. And we both have pre-schoolers - that doesn’t leave much space for other things.

How did you team up with Tony? I bumped into Tony while I was searching for growing equipment. Tony was looking for the same stuff so we agreed to collaborate. He had studied permaculture and we found out that we lived close to each other, have kids of similar age, and we share similar values. Our families have grown close as this business has grown.

I often reflect that while a great business was born out of the microgreens, an even greater friendship was born.  PN

creativeurbanfarms.co.nz

COME CELEBRATE BASTILLE DAY AT DIDA’S

July the 14th has been an official holiday in France since 1880. It’s a day that marks celebrations across the country as well as being celebrated by French people all around the world.

With our extensive range of French wine - and love of it - it’ll not come as a surprise that Dida’s is joining in the celebrations with a good dash of French flair, as we always do on Bastille Day.

It’s a day for coming together, to enjoy leisurely activities and celebrations while indulging in French wine and spirits.

Just for Bastille Day the team in the kitchen have created two new dishes. These will be matched with French wines just for this special day. And the Champagne will be flowing all day. Why not get a group together and make an evening of it? We can’t wait to see you on Bastille Day.

Hosting groups is something we do very well at Dida’s and there’s a myriad of spaces which are perfect for your next function. Whether it’s under Dida’s in our private cellar, or at the long table by the fireplace, we can create something special just for you.

DIDA’S, 60 Jervois Road, T: 376 2813, www.didaswinelounge.co.nz

Bastille Day special 14th July

WE WILL BE HAVING | TWO SPECIAL DISHES | FRENCH WOM

SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS: VEGAN VIBE - MUMBAIWALA

Bringing Indian street food to the heart of Auckland is one of Ponsonby’s newest additions, Mumbaiwala. With a fresh and authentic menu and stunning atmosphere, the restaurant transports diners and presents the best of Mumbai.

From reviews and word of mouth I’d been hearing and reading about how wonderful this new hot spot was and I knew I had to make a visit.

Unfortunately, as a vegan, I missed out on the reputable Dahi Puri which seems to be all anyone can talk about with Mumbaiwala. However, I was pleased to see an extensive and inclusive menu which gave me more than enough options to satisfy my appetite. Mumbaiwala does not let you feel left out as a vegan.

In the interests of research and trying more shared dishes, I bribed a couple of my friends to come with me, which of course wasn't a hard ask. ‘From the streets’ we ordered the Aloo Tikki Chaat - a chaat with potato cutlet, chickpeas and tangy chutneys and the Cauliflower Manchurian - a fusion of Indo-Chinese flavours described as pastry-less chilli and garlic cauliflower dumplings. ‘From the pot’ we got the Vegetable Kolhapuri with some roti and the green apple pickle on the side.

After battling and debating which curry to pick, we were very pleased with our decision to try the Vegetable Kolhapuri. Its thick, spicy and flavourful base made it one of the best curries I’ve ever had. Of course, we mopped it all up with roti until our plates looked like they’d been licked clean.

While the Green Apple Pickle was a yet to be acquired taste for me, the Aloo Tikki Chaat was outstanding with its bold flavours complementing each other beautifully. I’m a sucker for spice so this hit the spot for me, despite some of my friends struggling a bit more to push through with it. The chutneys and yoghurt perfectly balanced the chilli and made it a pleasure to eat. It just… works!

We adored the Cauliflower Manchurian the most. Ordering it, mostly out of intrigue, and not entirely knowing what we were getting, we fell in love with the truly addictive simmer sauce and the chewy bite sized cauliflower. It was perfect and I couldn’t recommend this dish more.

The drinks menu too is worth exploring. I went for a nonalcohol night and got the Lychee Iced Tea which I loved. It was not too sweet like iced tea so often is and was a great pairing with the spice that was later to hit me. The cocktail list looked fabulous, and complimentary remarks were made at the tables surrounding us who ordered them.

Mumbaiwala is for people who embrace spice and love a good flavour bite to a dish. It’s an experience - not just with food but with the whole ambience. With Covid-19 still on our doorstep, I’m not travelling any time soon, but Mumbaiwala gives me the satisfaction of feeling like I’m in Mumbai for one night and is a great new addition to the Ponsonby Road food scene. (SOFIA ROGER WILLIAMS)  PN

MUMBAIWALA, 252 Ponsonby Road, T: 09 213 4152, www.mumbaiwala.co.nz

FRENCH NATURAL AND ORGANIC WINE

The actual percentage of organically certified wine produced globally remains relatively low as a percentage of total wine produced. Look more closely and you’ll see that the major French regions are a step or two behind.

Worth considering that compared to many New World regions, the French do have a lot more red tape to work through to make any change within the appellation rules. Though that of course is not an excuse, merely an observation.

However we are starting to see change, whether driven by customer demand or by a new generation of growers.

The Bordeaux region’s dive into organic and biodynamic viticulture has been much talked about, with ‘big names’ such as Chateau Pontet Canet in Pauillac, and Gruaud Larose in St Julien making the change, but all regions have challenges to overcome when changing their farming methods. The Bordeaux region’s climate does not make it particularly easy, coupled with Vitis vinifera’s susceptibility to both powdery and downy mildew. As climate chaos reins we are seeing more vintages impacted by frost with catastrophic impacts on volume.

Challenges aside, we are seeing an increasing number of very smart Chateaux at all price points crafting wines organically. We have in our direct import range a collection of organic and natural wines from Bordeaux that are well worth exploring.

Chateau Marquisat is in the Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux area; their Marquisat la Perouse is an organically certified and biodynamically managed merlot-dominant property - naturally crafted with no artificial additions to the winemaking process. It’s sleekly smooth and plummy, with a lovely supple quality and great fruit purity.

Chateau Moneins is produced as a second label for the larger Chateau Micalet. The property is in Cussac-Fort-Medoc on the river between St. Julien and Margaux. Chateau Moneins is one hectare in size and has vines with an average age of 30 years, growing in deep gravel soils. The vines are 50% cabernet and 50% merlot. The Fedieu family have never used chemicals on the property and respect the Medoc traditions and are passionately involved with the terroir's ecology.

They practice full organic farming, becoming AB certified with the 2009 vintage, and observe the lunar calendar to set the date of sulfur or Bordeaux mixture treatments (to fight mildew), let the land rest seven days after the pulling out of a vineyard plot (to naturally destroy harmful fungi), and carry out the alcoholic fermentation with natural yeasts. The family use cover crops to promote biodiversity and add no sulfites during winemaking.

In July we celebrate all things French, including these great wines. Pop online or instore to check it out.

www.glengarrywines.co.nz

DRINKING Naturally

Planet-friendly winemaking has a flourishing following, and France has its share of dedicated producers of organic and natural wines

WWW.GLENGARRY.CO.NZ | P: 0800 733 505 | E: SALES@GLENGARRY.CO.NZ

EAT, DRINK + BE MERRY PHIL PARKER: WINE. NOT WINE

This month, first up, I have a fab pinot gris and a riesling, then a pair of equally fab pinot noirs from two premium producers, Rockburn and Pegasus Bay. Then, two new de-alcoholised wines from Giesen’s Zero wine range - a riesling and a merlot.

The low alcohol phenomenon is a growing segment of the beverage market, starting a few years back with reduced alcohol beers aimed at responsible drinkers and dieters alike. Now we have zero alcohol beers such as the (very good, in my humble opinion) Heineken Zero, with Asahi, Macs and even Garage Project joining the throng. Wine producers have been a bit slow, but now we are seeing a wider range of lower alcohol wines offered by NZ producers such as Yealands, The Doctors, Stoneleigh, Selaks and Brancott. Giesen seem to be leading the charge in NZ with their zero-alcohol range that includes sauvignon blanc, rosé, pinot gris, riesling and a merlot.

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 - $40 Young and vibrant, with cherry, plum cassis and a hint of florals, smoke and poached tamarillo. Medium silky tannins and a lengthy finish. A good match with slow cooked beef or a rich ratatouille. Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines, Glengarry.

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Gris 2021 - $27 Lovely pinot gris that has spent time ageing in old French oak and could pass for a fruit forward chardonnay. Integrated flavours of lime, grapefruit, and clover honey with a dash of quince jelly. Soft acids and a yeasty, tangy finish. Fab as a party starter aperitif with appetisers, or with seafood. Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines www.blackmarket.co.nz

Main Divide North Canterbury Riesling 2019 - $21 Consistent producer of fine rieslings, Pegasus Bay nails it again with this crisp and complex wine. Oily, spicy and very rich on the palate with grapefruit, mandarin, beeswax and passionfruit and a hint of roasted pineapple, plus a very lengthy finish. Match with Asian foods, scallops, or slow cooked rich pork dishes. Available: Herne Bay Cellars, Liquorland. www.pegasusbay.com Pegasus Bay Aged Release Prima Donna North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2012 - $130 Lovely aged wine, still showing ripe fruit characters at ten years old. Plum and liquorice with cassis and a firm backbone of umami soy. A hint of sherry sweetness and Christmas cake spice. Food match: venison or rabbit. Veg option – pasta with truffle and mushroom sauce. Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines. www.pegasusbay.com

Giesen 0% Merlot - $20 An addition to Giesen’s range of zero alcohol wines, this merlot shows some real ‘winey’ characters with spice and red plum flavours, all wrapped up in medium tannins. Alcohol is removed with imported spinning cone technology that separates the aromas and liquids from the alcohol – then the ‘wine’ and aroma profile are recombined. My food suggestion – BBQ steak, or a rich tomato vege lasagne. Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines. www.blackmarket.co.nz

Giesen 0% Riesling - $20 Very drinkable and has a lot of the riesling flavour profile despite the lack of alcohol. Typical aromas, backed up with flavours of lychee and jasmine plus subtle floral notes and a hint of moscato and lime citrus. Great with Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines. www.blackmarket.co.nz (PHIL PARKER)  PN

FINE WINE & FOOD TOURS

“No. 2 Auckland Wine Tour” – TripAdvisor

Your host, Phil Parker wine writer.

Affordable tours for small and large groups.

E: phil.parker@xtra.co.nz www.finewinetours.co.nz