Nourish Magazine BOP Autumn 2023

ICONS NEVER REST

EDITOR Vicki Ravlich-Horan

HEAD DESIGNER Sara Cameron, Minted Design Co.

PROOF READER Nikki Crutchley (Crucial Corrections)

CONTRIBUTORS Denise Irvine, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Liz French, Lynda Hallinan, Kathy Paterson, Harriet Boucher, Fiona Hugues, Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Rachel Hart

COVER IMAGE Brydie Thompson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Brydie Thompson, Ashlee DeCaires, Emma Galloway, Amber Bremner, Kathy Paterson, Fiona Hugues, Vicki Ravlich-Horan

ISSN 2324-4372 (Print) | ISSN 2324-4380 (Online)

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES

Vicki Ravlich-Horan vicki@nourishmagazine.co.nz

0210651537

Here's to Autumn

I know you shouldn’t play favourites, but I always thought autumn was my favourite season. That was until we missed summer. Perhaps I love autumn as it is a lovely extension of summer. After all, much of autumn’s bounty is summer’s harvest – like the gorgeous eggplants gracing our cover along with chillies, tomatoes and the end of berry and stone fruit crops.

In this issue the team celebrates in season grapes (p 67), mushrooms (p 48), kūmara (p 23) and fennel seeds (p 39).

Let’s hope the summer storms are over and autumn brings some more settled weather; our farmers definitely deserve a break! Plus, the next few months sees some great events for us to enjoy, from Whakatāne’s Wild Food Festival, and the Flavours of Plenty Festival, where we have teamed up with Downtown Tauranga to put on a seriously fun night out with the Progressive Dinner. Find all the great local events on our events page (p 74).

I shouldn’t really complain about the stink summer, as in spring I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks soaking up the sun in Singapore and Penang. Read what we loved about Penang on page 52. And this spring I am taking not one but two groups to sunny Sicily. Our first tour sold out, so we quickly decided to add another, which is also filling fast.

The holiday last spring was fitted in to a very busy schedule as we worked on our second Nourish cookbook, and we are excited to launch this in June. If you are keen to be one of the first to get your hands on this beautiful book, we are taking pre orders. See below for more details.

To be honest there is always something going on here at Nourish HQ and like many we have to juggle the workload with family commitments. This is never more evident than during school holidays! On page 46 we created some chocolate spheres, a great hands-on project with the kids, be it to make homemade Easter surprises, hot chocolate bombs or as a delicious vessel for Harriet’s perfect chocolate mousse (p 44).

Vicki Ravlich-Horan Editor

Vic's Picks

DOWNTOWN TAURANGA PROGRESSIVE DINNER

We have teamed up with Downtown Tauranga to create this exciting event for the Flavours of Plenty Festival. Guests at our Progressive Dinner will delight in a night of surprises as we discover some of the CBD’s best eateries. Dine like you never have before as we wind our way from one venue to the next, enjoying a different dish and paired drink at each stop.

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

JOYFUL TREATS

Just landed at Bin Inn Papamoa, Health Labs™ range of purely, joyful treats. They’ve transformed traditional favourites creating a healthy, modern, plant-based twist. This range is plantbased, GMO, and gluten-free. As they say, “Each flavour is rich in one of the most important nutrients of all – pleasure.”

Bin Inn Papamoa

30F Gravatt Road, Papamoa

NOURISH TASTE OF SICILY TOUR

This is quite honestly going to be an amazing tour! I have assembled a dream team with an old friend of mine and Sicilian local, Rosario as our tour guide. Plus, Papamoa local and expert tour leader Phil Borman and myself as your hosts.

Sicily’s complex history has left its mark in the island's architecture, its culture, and its customs, but nowhere is it more evident than in its cuisine. To truly get a taste of Sicily we will visit markets, wineries and farms, salt marshes and more. We will get hands on with cooking classes and enjoy many delicious meals in stunning locations.

Our first tour sold out so quickly we decided we had to put on another. If you have been thinking about joining us for this amazing tour discovering the real Sicily don’t delay, as this is genuinely a small group tour and once these spaces go that will be it.

nourishmagazine.co.nz/sicily-tour

ENJOY ALFRESCO DINING AT THE WHITEHOUSE

The Whitehouse restaurant in Te Puna recently completed their veranda renovations, making this beautiful space weatherproof and the perfect spot to enjoy a long lunch or relaxing dinner. And while Gallery Te Puna may have closed, the pavilion at the Whitehouse is set to play host to pop up exhibitions, so watch this space.

NOURISH COOKBOOK

We listened! For several years people have been asking when we were going to do another cookbook. This June Nourish The Cookbook, Vol 2 will be released. This is a cookbook we hope won’t sit on a shelf, but will remain in your kitchen at arm’s reach. This is the book you will get filthy as you use the recipes again and again. We have filled it with our absolute go to recipes, foundation recipes that you can build on and ones we know will become family favourites.

Pre order your copy before 1 May for just $50 and receive FREE postage (RRP $59). nourishmagazine.co.nz

ELEVATE YOUR GREAT NZ FOOD SHOW EXPERIENCE

Take a deep dive into cuisine experiences with a selection of exclusive masterclasses at the Great New Zealand Food Show this May. Share your love affair for food and learn something new at the show by adding a masterclass to your day, from wine and cheese matching to cake decorating and mastering authentic dumpling dough; get ready to roll up your sleeves and learn from the local experts.

If you really want to indulge, upgrade your tickets to VIP and enjoy access to the lounge, an exclusive goodie bag and a range of other benefits. Only a limited number of VIP tickets are available, and they always sell out, so get in quick!

greatnzfoodshow.co.nz

Claudelands Events Centre, 6 & 7 May 2023

Wright Moves at Clarence

WORDS DENISE IRVINE | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

Chef Simon Wright wasn’t really looking for a job when he noticed an advertisement for someone to head the kitchen at Clarence Bistro in Tauranga.

The ad caught his eye last October when he was buying a Clarence package online for a staff member at Gather & Roam eatery that he and wife Creghan Molloy-Wright were running in Whangamatā. Simon said to Creghan, “Wouldn’t it be nice to work for someone else for a change?” And he followed up on it.

In the meantime, Noel Cimadom, who owns Clarence with wife Kim Smythe, was negotiating with a chef in Mauritius who was interested in the position. So when Simon contacted him, Noel thought, “Well, that throws everything up in the air.”

Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy-Wright are the former owners of Auckland’s award-winning fine dining restaurant The French Café. They owned it for more than 20 years, with Simon in the kitchen and Creghan at front of house, developing a legendary reputation for their exquisite food and exemplary service. They sold it in 2018 and moved to Whangamatā with their two children to “semi-retire”, and started their laid-back (and hugely successful) food truck operation, Gather & Roam.

When Simon investigated the Clarence position, the family was ready for another move and the bigger community of Tauranga and Mt Maunganui beckoned. Simon and Noel met, there was mutual respect and goodwill, Simon took the job, and he and his family relocated to live near the beach at Mt Maunganui. By January, his new dishes were rolling across the pass.

Simon and Noel tell their serendipitous story on a Wednesday afternoon at Clarence, located in Tauranga’s former central post office. The handsome Edwardian building was restored by Noel and Kim a few years back to include the elegant bistro, the supercasual Bar Centrale, and boutique hotel suites upstairs. Noel and Kim also own Picnicka in Tauranga, and the Alpino restaurants in Mt Maunganui and Cambridge.

Before Simon came on board, Clarence Bistro had been closed for seven months, a casualty of nationwide hospitality staffing shortages. “We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Noel says. “No one of Simon’s calibre had ever glanced in Tauranga’s direction before. I’m hoping we can now draw more good chefs and create a great food environment here.”

Simon says that Noel is the first boss he’s had in 27 years; he’s relishing the change, and also the unique premises that include a lushly landscaped European-style dining terrace. “When you’re sitting outside on a summer’s day, you could be in the south of France.”

Which leads us to the menu that he’s developed for Tauranga’s first taste of his bistro style: he describes it as contemporary Mediterranean, his take on familiar flavours and classics from the Mediterranean coastline, with a touch of France as well as the influence of the Middle Eastern shores.

The snacks list includes his old-favourite whitebait sandwich, lamb rib with sweet molasses and dukkah, and wholewheat flatbread with salted fig leaf ricotta and fermented chilli butter. The first course line-up has kingfish crudo, crayfish carbonara, beef tartare, and burrata with heirloom tomatoes, peach, fennel pollen and basil.

There are bigger plates of organic chicken, snapper, burnt eggplant with shawarma spice, lamb niçoise, and beef (dryaged ribeye or sirloin wagyu), all with techniques, twists and flavours devised by capable and confident hands. And using top ingredients, much of it from produce growers and suppliers in Katikati and Whangamatā who Simon previously used at Gather & Roam.

“It’s a cosmopolitan dining style that people enjoy,” Simon says. “I don’t want to do French Café food, but I want it to be special, with different techniques and authentic ingredients. With energy that people keep coming back for, not just as a one-off.”

In the adjoining Bar Centrale, his food is more informal, centred on antipasto, great pizza and pasta, and there is an excellent wine list – and cocktails, beer and other beverages – available in both the bar and bistro.

Simon says it will take a while for his new team to find its groove and balance, and the menus will be tweaked and changed regularly. “You have to find a happy rhythm and then you get consistency.”

He recalls that it wasn’t until he had his own place, The French Café, that he got the full measure of hospitality, the breadth of the work and skills involved. “Before that I was just a chef with a heap of recipes.”

Simon is originally from London. He trained in his home city, in kitchens led by luminaries such as Marco Pierre White. He came to New Zealand at age 23, later went to Australia, returned to Auckland and met wife Creghan in the 1990s when they were on the opening team of Mount Coast Eatery in Ponsonby.

They’ve worked together solidly for more than two decades, and Creghan is now taking a break from hospitality while the family settles into their new home. While Simon is missing her at Clarence, he says there are benefits in working for someone else, pretty much as he envisaged when he saw the job advertisement. He jokes: “It’s awesome. When the dish-washer didn’t turn up, I could pass the problem onto Noel.” Who apparently dealt with it by stepping in and doing dishes himself.

Simon says he and Noel have a common interest in doing the very best they can. Is he nervous? “Of course. You have to be nervous, that’s what gives you your edge. This industry is a humbling mistress.”

Clarence Bistro

The Old Tauranga Post Office

51 Willow Street, Tauranga 3110 www.clarencetauranga.co.nz

The Coromandel had a battering this summer. And this is after some pretty tough years with no overseas tourists! We were lucky to sneak a few days on the peninsula when the sun shone, and we were reminded why this is a favourite spot for so many Kiwis to recharge.

While there we met up with some of the artisan producers who call the peninsula home and are adding real flavour to this region. Check out our map for more great foodie stops.

OMAHU VALLEY CITRUS

British couple Caroline and Simon Marriott arrived in New Zealand just over 20 years ago with their young family. They bought 30 acres in Omahu Valley just south of Thames.

After some consultation the couple planted a portion of the property in citrus, a variety of Yen Ben lemons, Bearss limes, Seville oranges and grapefruit.

Fast forward a few years, when the trees began to bear fruit, Caroline enthusiastically took these to the Thames market only to be underwhelmed by the sales and left with the question of what they were to do with the growing number of fruit their orchard would produce.

Someone suggested making marmalade, something Caroline had no experience with, but she didn’t let that stop her! In fact, after some trial, and the family will say much error, Caroline began producing award winning marmalade – winning both medals in the World’s Original Marmalade Competition along with many local awards.

The self-confessed “enthusiastic gardener” and once novice marmalade maker recently sold the business which makes over 20 products with stockists across the country. Caroline and Simon are both excited for their next adventure and to see how the new owners will grow Omahu Citrus.

BLACKBEARDS SMOKEHOUSE

Jess Jones grew up in Coromandel town and happily admits she loves mussels. Buying Blackbeards Smokehouse, a much loved brand of smoked mussels, was a great decision. The business was based in Whitianga, which saw Jess commuting over the hill before she could build a purpose built factory and shop in Kopu, Thames where she lives.

This handy spot means both streams of traffic, those heading over to the east coast via the Kopu Hikuai Road (when open!) and those heading up the Thames Coast Road can stop in for freshly smoked Coromandel mussels.

While mussels are the core product and these all come from local mussel farms, Blackbeards also produces smoked fish, dips made from the mussels and fish, pies and chowder.

Look out for the smoked mussels in selected supermarkets and food stores.

CATHEDRAL COVE MACADAMIAS

Situated on a picturesque peninsula between Cooks Beach and Hahei, Cathedral Cove Macadamias is home to 1,000 40-year-old organically grown macadamia trees. Jillian and Doug Johnston bought the property a few years ago and currently control the whole process from growing to processing and sell their macadamias. This is no mean feat as these nuts are hard ones to crack!

Demand for macadamias continues to grow, as these tasty nuts, be them raw, roasted or covered in chocolate also make a delicious nut butter and sought after oil. For this reason the Jillian and Doug prioritise stocking local eateries like the Pour House in Hahei, Hot Water Beach Café and, as we discovered, Little Lato Gelato.

The remainder is sold directly through their website or via their orchard shop which is open seven days a week in the summer months. Here you will also find their orchard honey as well as unexpected treasures like the spent shells which apparently make great kindling, and I suspect would be perfect in a smoker.

UNCLE DUNKLE

Kyle Dunkle is a Californian who found his way to the Coromandel originally on a working holiday, cheffing at Luke’s Kitchen before returning in 2016 on a permanent basis.

As a chef at Luke’s, he fell in love with the woodfired oven and its potential to do more than cook pizzas. This culminated in a woodfired chilli sauce range which marries Kyle’s fascination with the wood fired oven and his love of BBQ sauce.

These sauces were originally made at Luke’s Kitchen before he outgrew the space available in this already busy kitchen. The range has two main sauces – BBQ and chilli, and each of these comes in varying heat levels. Kyle says his goal is to make a sauce people will use and “finding that balance between flavours and heat is key”.

OPITO BAY SALT

As you drive into one of Coromandel’s true hidden gems, Opito Bay, you might notice a series of greenhouses on your left. This is not a local market garden but HQ of award winning Opito Bay Salt.

Inside these greenhouses the power of the sun is used to turn the crystal clear water from Opito Bay into pure, natural sea salt that is quite literally a taste of the Coromandel.

FOODIE SHOPS/STOPS

1 Providence Pantry

22 Belmont Road, Paeroa

2 The Cheese Barn

4 Wainui Road, Thames

3 Coromandel Distilling Co.

715 Pollen Street & 110 Kirkwood Street, Thames

4 Coromandel Oyster Co

1611 Manaia Road, Coromandel

5 Blackbeard Smokehouse

1 Kopu Road, Kopu

6 Cathedral Cove Macadamias

355 Lees Road, Hahei

7 Hot Water Brewing

1043 Tairua Whitianga Road, Whitianga

8 Little Lato Gelato

46 Hahei Beach Road, Hahei

9 Salt District Brewing

101B Winifred Ave, Whangamatā

10 Rudi’s

621 Beach Road, Whangamatā MarinaPop up caravan open until ANZAC Day making handcrafted sourdough breads and pastries.

11 La Grignette Artisanal Bakery 1/15 Rosemont Road, Waihi

EATERIES

12 Waiomu Café

622 Thames Coast Road, Waiomu

13 The Refinery

5 Willoughby Street, Paeroa

14 Peppertree Restaurant

31 Kapanga Road, Coromandel

15 Luke’s Kitchen

20 Black Jack Road, Kuaotunu - This super busy spot is also a great place to discover some local brews like Blue Fridge.

16 The Pour House

7 Grange Road, Hahei - Also home to the Coromandel Brewing Co.

17 The Hive 450 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach

18 Mercury Bay Estate

761 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach - Best pizza on the peninsula, plus outstanding wines all with a phenomenal view.

19 Colenso Café

895 SH25, Whenuakite

20 Tairua Beach Club

128 Paku Drive, Tairua

21 Port Road Project

719 Port Road, Whangamatā

22 Falls Retreat

25 Waitawheta Road, Waikino, Waihi - A must stop whenever you are in the area, or perhaps plan your trip around a stay in one of their cabins.

COROMANDEL

COROMANDEL THE PENINSULA

CHARGENET STATIONS

505 Mackay Street, Thames

55 Woollams Avenue, Coromandel

Read more about Opito Bay Salt in our winter edition, out in June. In the meantime you can buy their range of salts, from the original natural sea salt to their award winning flavours like rosemary or smoked chilli salt, via their website or great food stores.

COFFEE LALA

Hidden down an inconspicuous track, just out of Kuaotunu is a Coromandel treasure. Coffee LaLa’s roastery sits beautifully among the bush in an old pottery studio. In true Coromandel style the roaster is a rustic, number eight wire affair that relies on skill over technology to roast their beans.

Owners Mark Tugendhaft and Nedilka Radojkovich began roasting coffee 21 years ago, winning two awards that first year, which have continued to roll in.

SALT DISTRICT BREWING

Coromandel’s newest craft brewers opened their cellar door in late January. Here, locals and visitors alike can come and fill their flagons on a Friday or Saturday afternoon with one of the three main brews (Party Wave Pale Ale, Sea Legs Hazy Pale, or Big Moocher – a big clear IPA) along with an ever-changing range of seasonal brews.

You can also find Salt District Brews at a number of local spots like Craft Haus and Port Road Project.

DRIVE

The Coromandel is known to offer the off the beaten track holiday, and so what better adventure to test the fully electric Lexus UX 300e than on the long windy roads in the Coromandel.

Like many new to electric cars, our biggest concern was charging: how, when and where were all questions we grappled with before setting off. The UX 300e has a range of up to 340kms, but Mike from Lexus Tauranga pointed out it takes just as long for the car to charge from 0–20% as it does 20–80%. The aim, therefore, is to regularly stop and top up the charge rather than running it to absolute empty as I would my petrol car.

Here are our tips:

Download the Charge Net app and plan your trip. This means planning where you will stop for a recharge of the car and a refuel for you.

We found that the car would recharge at the fast charge stations in

the same time it took us to grab a coffee and something to eat. In Thames that was the cute Hi Stranger Café on Pollen Street. Handily, in Whangamatā it was our favourite spot, Port Road Project.

Check with your accommodation beforehand that you can charge the car. We stayed at Tatahi Lodge in Hahei only to find the cord didn’t reach our unit. Luckily a solution was found, with us backing up to the owner’s kitchen and plugging in for the night.

With the Kopu Hikuai Road closed, we were forced to traverse the Tapu-Coroglen Road, but I must say it was a very comfortable ride in the Lexus. And once I mastered knowing when the car was on or off (these electric cars are silent), it was smooth sailing, or should that be driving?

PROGRESSIVE WOOD FIRE COOKING IN AN INTIMATE DINING SPACE

AtoToastCoromandel

RECIPES HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

As we travelled around the Coromandel we collected quite a haul of gourmet treats. Added to these was the number of boutique breweries, delicious wines and stunning gins we discovered, so it was only fitting we create a few morsels to celebrate the Coromandel that are perfectly paired with a tipple from the region.

Pumpkin Fritters

WITH CHEESE BARN HALLOUMI AND UNCLE DUNKLE’S HONEY BBQ DRIZZLE

4 cups grated pumpkin (about an 800g wedge)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped

2 eggs, whisked

½ cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp Cathedral Cove Macadamias Orchard Honey, melted slightly ¼ cup Uncle Dunkle’s Woodfired Chilli BBQ Sauce, chipotle style 200g (approx.) halloumi (we used The Cheese Barn’s)

In a bowl, mix together the grated pumpkin, spring onions, rosemary, whisked eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper until just combined. In a separate bowl, combine the honey and chilli BBQ sauce. Heat a large frying pan with a splash of neutral oil over a medium heat. Add in small spoonfuls of fritter mix, gently flattening them to around 1cm thick. Cook in batches, until golden on both sides. You should get approximately 20–25 small fritters.

Slice the halloumi into thick squares, a similar size to the fritter. Pan fry these until golden on each side.

Arrange the fritters on a platter. Top each fritter with a square of haloumi and drizzle with the honey chilli BBQ sauce.

Salt District Beer Battered Oysters

WITH OMAHU VALLEY CITRUS LIME MARMALADE DIPPING SAUCE

1 cup self-raising flour (ideally cold)

½ tsp Opito Bay Sea Salt

1 cup Salt District Party Wave Pale Ale

¼ cup plain flour

24 oysters

canola oil (for frying)

Opito Bay Sea Salt

Heat a deep fryer up to 180°C. Alternatively, heat a deep pot of oil up to 180°C, ensuring you control the heat once it reaches this temperature. Place the self-raising flour and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl, then slowly whisk in the beer to form a smooth batter.

Lightly coat the oysters in the plain flour, then dredge through the batter and immediately place in the deep fryer. Only do a few oysters at a time so you don’t overcrowd the fryer. Cook until the batter is crispy and golden, then remove from the oil and drain on a wire rack. Season with a pinch of sea salt.

To make the dressing, shake together 3 tbsp Omahu Valley Citrus Lime Marmalade, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tsp fish sauce in a jar until well combined.

Serve the oysters with the Omahu Valley Lime Marmalade dipping sauce and a cold glass of Party Wave Pale Ale.

Blackbeards Mussel Bites

WITH CATHEDRAL COVE MACADAMIA NUT CHEESE

2 cups Cathedral Cove Natural Macadamia Nuts (approx. 250g)

1 tsp salt

4 tsp nutritional yeast

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

boiling water

210g packet of Blackbeards Smoked Mussels

10cm chunk of cucumber

Cover the macadamia nuts in boiling water and allow to soak for 3+ hours. The longer they soak for, the smoother your cheese will be. Drain the macadamia nuts and place into a high-speed blender. Add in the salt, nutritional yeast and apple cider vinegar along with ½ cup of boiling water to start with.

Blitz until smooth, adding a little extra water as needed. Once the cheese is smooth, place into a sieve lined with muslin cloth. Sit this over a bowl to catch any excess liquid and allow to strain for a few hours or overnight.

Cut the cucumber into 10–12 slices, depending on how many mussels you have. Spoon a dollop of macadamia nut cheese on top of the cucumber, then top with a smoked mussel. Store any leftover cheese in an airtight container. It can be used where you would usually use feta.

Flavours of Plenty Festival

Back for its second year, the Flavours of Plenty Festival is living up to its name with plenty on offer for locals and visitors to the region to enjoy.

Oscar Nathan, from Tourism Bay of Plenty, says, “We’re showcasing our coastal region’s world-class horticultural produce and seafood and the skills and flair of our innovative artisans and chefs across forty different events this year.

“We’ve recognised the growing demand for culinary tourism events and experiences, and this festival is also a great way for us to support the hospitality businesses that have faced some really difficult challenges with COVID and staffing over the past few years.”

Festival Director Rae Baker is thrilled at the response she’s had from funders, eateries, event organisers and food and beverage suppliers who are keen to support the festival, and the 2023 line-up of events reflects this with more than double the number that were featured in 2022.

“There truly is something for everyone,” says Rae. “We’re excited to continue to showcase the plentiful produce and talent we have here in the Bay of Plenty.

“It’s great to see a cross-section of events that anyone can get involved in, like the Get Started with Microgreens, Bee-Hind the scenes with Bee NZ, or Local Wild Food Festival, to showcasing some of our superstars like Cherie Metcalf from Pepper and Me with her Long Lunch at Mount Maunganui Surf Club, Kasey and

Kārena Bird at the Kitchen Takeover Ki Tua events, and local Pitmaster Mike Jeffries with his Big Smoke BBQ workshop.

“Our hero events will also demonstrate the routes from education to employment, with Our Future Creative Gifts hosted at Solera, and Battle of the Snack at Saltwater Oyster Bar and Grill.”

LEARN

Get hands-on and learn to ice your own fancy cupcakes, grow your own microgreens, and make sausages. Join The Big Smoke BBQ Co. for their BBQ Class or discover the magic of bees with either Kitchen Takeover and Bee First Apiaries honey experience or the Bee-hind the scenes tour of Bee NZ.

EXPERIENCE

Devour a five-course kai experience that takes you into the immersive world of Māori Atua (gods) and their connection with the natural world with Kitchen Takeover and Kārena and Kasey Bird.

Explore a culinary trail of the Mount’s most popular foodie spots with a six-course set menu roaming lunch.

Enjoy wine, food and cocktails with Tauranga Tasting Tours.

PRODUCERS

Get up and close with some of the bay’s best producers from a tour of Solomons Gold factory to an afternoon at Picnicka to celebrate the wonders of our locally-produced mushrooms.

Tauranga Farmers Market has a special morning tea or you could

enjoy time with Mystery Valley olive orchard and Te Puke Truffles followed by a late lunch at The Trading Post.

DISCOVER

Kitchen Takeover, Stacey Jones is hosting an evening of Food for Thought and Blabla’s Secret Society has a night of tasting, learning and discussions with Whakatāne’s Mata Brewery, Solomons Gold and Goodbuzz Kombucha at Special Mention.

Discover Japanese Omakase with Rika Rika at Benny & Brew Café or the region’s emerging talent at Solera where Toi Ohomai | Te Pūkenga students will work alongside established chefs to create a dinner not to be missed.

LET’S LUNCH

There are plenty of options for long lingering lunches with Sugo and Fife Lane both offering Flavours of Plenty lunches celebrating local producers. Cherie Metcalfe of Pepper and Me will host a Friday beachside long lunch featuring recipes from her new cookbook Together.

The Alpino crew have Fanculo La Dieta planned – a three-hour lunch of traditional Italian recipes and plenty of wine!

PLUS

Enjoy some wonderful days out with festivals within the festival.

First We Eat combines leading Kiwi musicians, boutique food vendors, celebrity chefs, renowned wineries and craft breweries for one huge day out.

Whakatāne’s Wild Food Festival has an action-packed programme which includes a wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls.

Discover the full menu of events here flavoursofplentyfestival.com/events

LOCAL WILD FOOD SERIES

ŌHOPE BEACH

Wild Food Gathering by the Wharf

A multi-course dining experience created by award winning chef, Des Harris, Culinary Director of Fish Restaurant at the Hilton Auckland. Join us on a culinary and sensory journey, celebrating wild food from the abundant Bay of Plenty, set amongst the beautiful scenery of Ōhope. You will be welcomed with a bespoke Wai Mānuka cocktail and canapes, then seated for a three-course meal with matching wines from Mills Reef and the Wine Portfolio, and craft beer from Mata Brewery.

TICKETS $159 FRIDAY 24TH MARCH, 5.30PM - 9PM

25TH MARCH

Local Wild Food Festival

The iconic Local Wild Food Festival celebrates sustainability and the abundance of food available from our local environment. We have an action-packed programme including the local wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls and more!

TICKETS $15 SATURDAY 25TH MARCH, 10AM - 4PM Get

Local Wild Food CHALLENGE

24TH MARCH

25TH MARCH

Create your own unique dish featuring ingredients sourced from the great outdoors - gardens, ocean, bush, rivers or lakes. Get the kids involved too, with plenty of prizes up for grabs.

FREE SATURDAY 25TH MARCH, 10AM - 1PM

FIND ALL THE ACTION AT WHARFSIDE, 340 HARBOUR ROAD, PORT ŌHOPE

www.whakatane.com/wildfood

PULL UP AT Deckchair

If location, location, location is the number one rule of real estate then Deckchair Beachfront Café at Mt Maunganui gets a very big tick.

It is slap-bang opposite the Mount’s main beach on Marine Parade, in a “city central” dining strip with enviable sea views, generous frontages and outdoor tables; a magnet for people ambling up from the surf for coffee or brunch, and oceans of atmosphere. Deckchair has had a long run on this site, and nowadays it is owned by two Aussies and an American, who saw the potential late last year to buy a slice of Mount dining history in a top spot.

The Aussies are Nick Potts, from Melbourne, and Perrin Yates, from the Sunshine Coast, and the American is Jay Thomas, ex-North Carolina. The three of them are now comfortably at home in the Bay of Plenty, and well connected in local hospo: Nick, a trained restaurant manager, and wife Chloe Ashman, own Solera wine bar and eatery in the Mount’s main street. Jay, whose background is in IT, owns the nearby Saltwater Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, and Perrin, former executive chef at Clarence Bistro and Picnicka in Tauranga, oversees Deckchair’s kitchen.

Jay is the one without hospo on his CV but he brews his own beer, does the administration for Saltwater and Deckchair, doubles as a handyman, and on some busy nights he’s been spotted in Saltwater’s kitchen washing dishes or peeling prawns. He lives within handy walking distance of Saltwater, Solera and Deckchair. “I leave the car at home.”

On this Tuesday morning, with the white-topped waves rolling in, the trio sit across the road at the refurbished beachy-blue Deckchair, and they’re pretty pleased with their pre-Christmas purchase. “It’s in an almost-too-good-to-be-true location,” says Nick.

He says there was the added bonus of the adjacent premises becoming available as well. They quickly reinvented the former ice cream parlour as Sundowner Beachfront Bar, now a casual outdoor space for summery cocktails, wine, beer and bar snacks (from Deckchair’s kitchen). “It was the perfect off-shoot.” Sundowner is open from midday, with prime drinks time between 2pm and 8pm, and the long-term goal is to develop the bar’s interior with more seating and facilities.

Perrin has put together new menus for both places. At Deckchair, he aimed for a contemporary, approachable all-day line-up. “We wanted to lift things up a notch. Pretty much everything is made in-house. We don’t do our own bread but we use local Mount Sourdough. It’s all the good stuff. We smoke our own bacon, brisket and salmon, make the pastry, sauerkraut and condiments, and use Bay of Plenty fruits for juices and smoothies.”

The smoked brisket and sauerkraut come together neatly in a Reuben sandwich with Russian dressing and pickle. Local mushrooms are the stars of another dish, served on toasted brioche with hazelnut, parsley and garlic. There’s also a smoked beef hash benedict, smoked salmon bagel, and vegan souvlaki, as well as a Mount burger, fish burger, salt and pepper calamari, and fish and chips. (How could you not do fish and chips when you’re in sight of sea, sand and seagulls?)

There is cabinet food as well, and Perrin says they’ve happily retained Deckchair’s “world famous in Mt Maunganui” date scones, using the original recipe, and they’ve added newcomers such as beef, kale and mushroom pies, robust sausage rolls, lemon meringue pie and banana bread.

At little sister Sundowner, bar snacks include barbecued sweetcorn with chipotle mayo, pecorino and lime; cured meats with sourdough and pickles; crayfish roll; parmesan churros; freshly

shucked oysters with shallot mignonette and lemon; and macarons or Eton mess if you fancy something sweet.

Nick says that given the other commitments that he, Perrin and Jay have, it’s been important to build a strong staff team on the waterfront. Key appointments are Jana Puri, front-of-house at Deckchair, chefs Matiu Kaihau and Thiago Ferreira Lopes in the kitchen, and Léa Vallé at Sundowner.

Their customers are a mix of holidaymakers and locals, and Nick adds that the locals are an important market in themselves. “We want to give them good places to eat, year round.”

The other day, I bagged a sunny outdoor table at Deckchair, enjoyed a Spanish omelette with chorizo, smoked paprika, and a killer salsa verde, watched the waves roll in, batted away a squawky seagull or two, and all seemed well with the world. The two Aussies and the American are making the most of their prime slice of Mount real estate.

Deckchair Beachfront Café & Sundowner Beachfront Bar

2 Marine Parade, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand deckchaircafe.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

COOKING WITH KŪMARA

Kāore te kūmara e korero mō tōna ake reka –the kūmara doesn’t speak of its own sweetness.

We understand the sweetness of kūmara, that is, we hear its sweetness when we eat it. I’ve used two varieties of kūmara here – the redskinned kūmara (Owairaka Red), with its creamy white flesh, and orange kūmara with its rich orange flesh. The orange kūmara has a softer texture once cooked and is the sweeter variety.

Look for firm, smooth kūmara and buy regularly, about enough for one week. Store in a cool, dark place.

Kūmara can be unpeeled, simply scrub well.

RECIPES & IMAGES KATHY PATERSON

Kūmara, Cauliflower and Fennel Citrus Salad with Seasoned Fish

Loaded Kūmara

You need to balance flavours in this recipe. Squeezing over lime or lemon juice adds acidity, along with the sumac, and red chilli flakes add heat, with the fresh herbs adding freshness. Adding salt will balance acidity.

SERVES 4

4 small-medium orange kūmara (each weighing about 200g), scrubbed olive oil for drizzling

salt

1 cup pearl barley (available at Bin Inn Papamoa and Vetro)

1 small red onion

1 tsp sumac (available at Bin Inn Papamoa and Vetro)

½ telegraph cucumber, cut in half lengthwise (seeds removed, optional), and thinly sliced

2 oranges, segmented and juice collected juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon, or more to taste

a good pinch of dried red chilli flakes

1 handful each of mint leaves, parsley leaves and coriander leaves, torn if large

Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a shallow roasting dish with baking paper and put in the kūmara. Prick each one with a small sharp knife a couple of times. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Put in the oven and roast for 40–45 minutes until completely tender. Remove from the oven and using the base of a small saucepan, smash each kūmara to flatten a little. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pearl barley in boiling water for 20–25 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to cool a little before transferring to a large bowl.

Very finely slice the red onion and put in a small bowl. Add the sumac and toss well.

When the kūmara are ready, add the cucumber slices, orange segments, about 2 tablespoons of the collected juice, lime or lemon juice, chilli flakes and herbs to the pearl barley. Drizzle in a little olive oil and gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Put the kūmara on 4 plates and top with pearl barley salad. (Any extra salad can be served separately or kept in the fridge for the following day.) Top with the red onion slices.

Kathy Paterson

Kathy Paterson is a recipe developer, food stylist and photographer. A plentiful herb garden 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.

www.kathypaterson.co.nz

The juicy flesh of fish works so well here with the zingy, citrus flavoured kūmara and cauliflower salad. As a stickler for pan-frying fish in butter, I have done so but you could use a little olive oil or a mixture of both butter and oil.

SERVES 4

600–700g firm-fleshed fish, such as blue cod, cut into thick strips (just like chicken tenderloins) butter for pan-frying

SEASONING MIX

2 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds

2 tsp bittersweet smoked paprika (available at Vetro) salt and pepper finely grated zest of 1 lemon or large lime

SALAD + DRESSING

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon or lime juice

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (available at Vetro) or use white wine vinegar and a little honey to sweeten

1 tsp Dijon mustard salt

500g red kūmara, lightly peeled and cut into about 3cm wedges or pieces 400–500g cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 fennel bulb with fennel fronds, trimmed

1 lemon or lime, segmented, optional a few sprigs of coriander

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients and set aside.

To make the dressing, put the oil, lemon or lime juice, sherry vinegar, mustard and a good few pinches of salt in a clean screw top jar. Shake well and taste. Adjust acidity if needed or if too sharp, add more salt.

Put the kūmara in a saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover and cook until tender, 12–15 minutes. Drain well, put in a bowl then drizzle over enough dressing to moisten and gently toss to coat. Set aside.

Steam the cauliflower florets until tender to the bite or cook in a little lightly salted boiling water. Drain well and add to the kūmara.

With a mandolin (otherwise use a very sharp knife), slice the fennel bulb paper thin and place onto a serving plate. Scatter over the kūmara and cauliflower and the lemon or lime segments, if using. Roughly chop a few leafy fennel fronds and scatter over before drizzling with enough dressing to moisten.

Rub the seasoning mix into both sides of the fish strips.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a good knob of butter and when it sizzles place in the fish strips, in batches, so not to overcrowd the pan. Pan-fry for about 4 minutes, turning once. Try not to get the pan too hot as you don’t want to burn the spices. If necessary, wipe out the pan with kitchen paper before adding a little more butter and the next batch. Put fish on top of the salad and drizzle with a little more dressing and a few more chopped leafy fennel fronds. Finish with coriander sprigs.

TIP

When pan-frying fish, remove the fish from the pan just before it is completely cooked as it will continue to cook more in its own heat. Buy

Turning Up the Heat

PICNICKA

RECIPES RYAN ALLEN | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

WITH

The food at Picnicka, in Downtown Tauranga’s Thirty Eight Elizabeth, is simple, nourishing, and meant to be shared. The menu plays with the contrast between raw, smoked and grilled dishes featuring distinct worldwide flavours.

Head chef Ryan Allen shared with us his Pickled Chillies recipe –the perfect solution to your abundant chilli harvest this autumn.

Ryan says, “a jar of pickled chillies will service your heat cravings throughout the winter when fresh chillies are out of season, pricey and scarce. Stir them through a chicken tagine or pasta, sprinkle thin slices over salads or on burgers, blitz them into a chimichurri or use them in this Fijian style ceviche recipe below.”

Pickled Chillies

2 litres water

1 tbsp course sea salt

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp peppercorns

1 litre white wine vinegar

1kg chillies (we used red and green finger chillies but any will work) preserving jars

For the pickling solution: Boil the water, salt, coriander seeds and peppercorns in a non-reactive pan. Once completely dissolved, turn off the heat, allow to cool until the water is room temperature, strain through a muslin cloth, then add the vinegar.

Wash the chillies and leave about 2 cm of stalk attached.

Sterilise preserving jars, then pack the chillies in tightly.

Pour over the pickling solution and leave to settle, then pack in more chillies and extra pickling liquid if there is room, before sealing the lid.

Boil the jars for 15 minutes, then remove the jars from the water and turn upside down, this will prevent air pockets forming. Allow to cool. Keep the jars in a cool dark place for at least 3 weeks. Refrigerate after opening.

Ceviche

SERVES 4–6

200g fresh tuna (or fish of your choice), diced 1cm cubes

½ cup coconut cream

2 tbsp lemon juice

zest of one lemon

2 pickled chillies

¼ red onion, sliced very thin

5cm piece of cucumber, diced in 1cm cubes small handful of fresh coriander, chopped with stems salt and pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let the ceviche sit for five minutes then serve.

Serve with crackers of your choice. At Picnicka, we love serving it with our house-made black sesame crackers.

Picnicka Elizabeth Towers Level 1/38 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga www.picnicka.com

Cauliflower

WORDS BY LYNDA HALLINAN

Cauliflower has a lot to thank the low-carb craze for. Before health-conscious foodies started blitzing these blonde-haired brassicas into pizza bases and ‘rice’ dishes, the best a cauliflower could hope for was to be boiled alive and blanketed in a spoonstandingly thick cheese sauce.

When I was growing up, cauliflower cheese was the entirety of my mother’s cauliflower cooking repertoire. I loathed it. I'd slyly secret it into my dressing gown pockets or down the side of the sofa cushions until I was caught in the act, bringing a premature end to TV dinners on the couch. For the rest of my childhood, I begrudgingly consumed cauliflower under parental supervision, though I got quite adept at slipping saucy morsels to our family cat, Biggles.

My taste buds must have matured – along with my taste for aged cheddar – because cauliflower cheese is now the number one culinary reason why I grow cauliflower. Also, I like a gardening challenge almost as much as I like comfort food, and cauliflowers can be as temperamental as Brussels sprouts.

Plant cauliflowers in full sun in compost-rich soil, spacing the seedlings 50cm apart, and feed regularly with liquid fertiliser. In sheltered suburban gardens with raised beds, you've probably still got time to sow a winter crop from seed, but in colder areas, I'd recommend transplanting punnets of store-bought seedlings instead, as seed sown now might not produce a crop until late spring, when you've all but given up hope.

Like all brassicas, cauliflowers grow best in the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring. In high summer they're eaten alive by white cabbage butterfly caterpillars, while over winter, the plants tend to sit and sulk in a holding pattern, producing neither leaf nor head as they await warmer soil temperatures.

Take it from me, you can't rush a cauliflower. It'll form a head when it's ready, and not a day before. Unfortunately, you also can't slow the harvest, although a partial decapitation can buy some time if

too many heads mature at once. Use a sharp knife to cut halfway through the stem about 5cm below the head to slow the sap flow and hold the curds tight for a few extra days. Folding the outer leaves over the head (a friend of mine employs a scrunchy hair tie to hold the leaves in place) also protects maturing heads from weather damage.

Fun fact: Although the name ‘cauliflower’ derives from the Italian cavolfiore, meaning ‘cabbage flower’, those pearly white curds are actually a failed attempt at flowering. Unlike broccoli florets, which are made up of bunches of green flower buds, cauliflower heads are clusters of mutated inflorescence meristems. Rather than forming normal flowers on the tips of these stems, the cells get distracted at a molecular level and keep dividing in fractal fashion to create those distinctive blobby heads instead.

CAULIFLOWER CHOICES

• Depending on the variety, cauliflowers take 12–16 weeks from seed to harvest, with modern hybrids generally getting on with things faster than heirloom types. The quickest to mature is ‘Phenomenal Early’.

• For classic white cauliflowers, sow the hybrids ‘Snowbowl’ and ‘All Year Round’ (Yates Seeds), or transplant seedlings of ‘White Cloud’ or compact ‘Mini White’ (Zealandia punnets).

For colourful cauliflowers, sow heirloom ‘Green Macerata’ and ‘Violet Sicilian’ (Kings Seeds), or transplant ‘Purple Rain’ or the unusual orange form ‘Cheddar’ (Zealandia punnets).

Lynda Hallinan

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

Looking for the perfect pot for your indoor plants?

These heavy, ceramic designer pots with a unique natural textured finish could be just what you are looking for.

Find these and an array of other beautiful indoor and outdoor pots, available at Pacifica Home and Garden Centre, 112 Tara Road, Papamoa

EAGER FOR EGGPLANTS

WORDS

With their glossy purple skin and spongy beige flesh, eggplants seem to be a love-it-or-hate-it vegetable. But if you’re not a fan, I’d venture you just haven’t found the right way to cook them yet. In New Zealand, eggplants come into their prime in autumn – it’s the perfect time to try your hand at a new recipe and find your favourite way to enjoy eggplants.

Originally from India, eggplants have become a staple for many cultures, with each region growing its own preferred variety. There are the deep purple ones favoured in the Mediterranean; the long, skinny, light-purple eggplants found in China; and the green golfball sized variety common in Southeast Asia. But while their colour, shape and size all vary, all eggplants provide plenty of nutrition.

The eggplant’s peel is chockful of antioxidants, while the seeds within are a great source of fibre. The vegetable has a high water content, which promotes healthy digestion, and the average eggplant only contains around 150 calories. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including manganese, potassium, folate and vitamins C and K. But perhaps their biggest contribution to health is their status as a meat substitute.

Eggplants have the rare ability to give you a flavourful and hearty meal without any meat, making it a favourite among vegans, vegetarians and those simply trying to eat more plant-based meals and consume less meat. Their talent for promoting plant-based eating comes from their firm texture and spongy flesh.

Past the shiny skin, eggplants have a uniquely absorbent interior that soaks up the flavour of its accompanying ingredients like a

sponge. They’re naturally mild in flavour but can absorb and carry the flavour of neighbouring ingredients, whether it’s soy sauce or tahini, garlic or herbs. Plus, eggplants have a dense texture which mimics the mouthfeel of meat, giving you a hearty and filling plantbased meal. By carrying flavours while retaining some bite, the absence of meat will go unnoticed.

The eggplant’s versatility has been appreciated around the world for centuries, and each country has its own distinct way of turning the vegetable into culinary magic. In France, they are known as aubergines, and they play an integral role in ratatouille. In Italy, eggplants are fried and layered with tomato sauce, basil and cheese in the ever-popular eggplant parmigiana. Meanwhile, while Greece and Turkey have different versions of moussaka, eggplant is an essential ingredient in both.

Then there’s baba ghanoush, the deliciously creamy eggplant dip served with pita across the Middle East, and garden egg stew, a much-loved Nigerian dish featuring eggplants. Eggplants are found in Thai curries, Chinese stir-fries and Indian chutneys. And this is by no means an exhaustive list – it’s just a few of the many ways eggplants get baked and blended, sautéed and pickled around the world.

The next time you see eggplants at your farmer’s market or greengrocer, give it a go – even if you’re not yet converted, there’s a recipe out there that will make you fall in love with eggplants!

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.

Skin for life

One size certainly doesn't fit all when it comes to skincare routines that need to fit around your budget, schedule, age and stage of life.

As we go through life our situation and environment changes, as does our skin. Consider the beautiful smell and soft touch of a baby’s skin, isn’t it delicate? Babies rely on us to protect them, so we begin their skincare routine from birth by keeping them clean and dry using gentle products. In the New Zealand sun we slather them in sunscreen and cover their precious little bodies with hats, clothes and shade.

Children (who need to be encouraged into regular showers and applying sunblock daily) quickly grow into pre-adolescent teens (tweens). This is an ideal time to introduce a proper skincare routine for both boys and girls as the pimples start peeking. Then we get the poor adolescents who are tormented by hormonal skin, weather and the environment. They need a perfect balance of moisture and treatment as a quick fix to fit into their busy lives.

By the time we reach adulthood we have decades of skincare ahead of us where new factors need to be considered. Everyone’s skin is impacted by diet, sleep, environmental influences, stress and lifestyle. Hormonal changes are also a major culprit for skin changes, especially for women. In previous articles we have talked about the crucial difference between summer and winter skincare, so this is important too. Everyone stocked up on sunblock for January but humidity was the main issue in the end, causing breakouts and redness as we battled through damp air.

With so many influences on our skin you will find that a consultation with a professional is essential to determine what your skin needs. Don't second guess your products. Our Tranquillo therapists will closely examine your skin condition and type and run through any concerns you have. You may be surprised to find that something you have been struggling with has a solution.

Also, before you buy cheap skincare products to save money, you might find that investing in quality products that use less product and have active ingredients will be more cost-effective in the longer term. Consider the ‘cost per use’ and how your skin will thrive with better products. If you have products that you want to continue with, bring them in and we can analyse how to use them correctly and supplement any gaps.

At Tranquillo Beauty Clinic we have the latest Observ 520x that takes the guess work out of your skin and recommending products. The name is intimidating but we promise it is marvellous! The Observ 520x is an advanced skin analysis photographic tool that reveals your skin in eight different modes, including surface texture, pigmentation and redness. This thorough process picks up what the eye can't and reveals the results to you and your therapist. We love technology like this and our clients are pleased too.

Let's quickly look at make-up. I use the Jane Iredale skincare make-up range because of the high-quality minerals that are naturally healthy for your skin. There is an extensive range of high quality and multi-purpose products (so you buy less). I love the recently launched Glowtime stick that can be applied to lips, eyes and cheeks. How great are these when you are time poor, travelling or budget conscious? Also, Powder-me can be applied to the face and body as wonderful sun protection and it also evens out skin blemishes. Want to learn some clever tips and tricks about make up? We would love to help.

Visit Tranquillo for a wide range of products to suit all skincare needs. Young skin would benefit from Dermalogica Clear Start or Eco organic skincare range. Mature skin thrives with Cosmeceutical ranges, Environ, Juvenate and O-Cosmedics. Want to know more? Contact us at Tranquillo Beauty Clinic for further details.

Fill your rooms with nature’s scents

A diffuser that not only looks gorgeous but is 100% natural – simply Himalayan stones and essential oils. These 'Made by Me' Scented Stones are available from Pacifica Home and Garden Centre, 112 Tara Road, Papamoa.

Sue from Tranquillo Beauty in Tauranga has great advice each season to keep your skin beautiful and healthy.

tranquillobeauty.co.nz

Splurge VS SAVE

Grocery prices are sky rocketing, onions are sprawled over the streets of Pukekohe, eggs are being rationed – what is happening in this world! We are all having to become smarter shoppers, but there’s always something worth splurging on. I asked the Nourish community where they save their pennies and what they won’t sacrifice when it comes to their shopping basket.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER

Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Nourish magazine editor - Forget that chemical essence crap, Vicki always uses proper vanilla extract –almost always Heilala Vanilla. She loves Heilala because she’s seen it being produced in Tonga and loves what they have done with this community just as much she loves the product.

Currently it feels like even the basics, like butter, is a splurge but a can of tinned tomatoes is still a trusty save. With a few additions, a tin of tomatoes can become anything from a tasty pasta or pizza sauce, will bulk out a casserole or mince and even make a half decent minestrone soup.

Kathy Paterson, food writer - Kathy splurges on good quality parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and meat. She saves with a garden bursting with green leafy vegetables, and she tops up her fridge by buying perfectly imperfect vegetables and fruit.

Amber Bremner, food writer - Amber’s family made the decision years ago that fresh produce was not something they would cut corners on. Of course, they'll always buy what’s seasonal, but as a mostly plant-based household, veggies are the cornerstone of their diet. However, she always buys the cheapest legumes available, whether dry to cook from scratch (which is both the cheapest and nicest way to have them) or canned for convenience. You won't find any gourmet beans in a glass jar in their house!

Fiona Hugues, food writer - When it comes to ingredients, Fiona is a firm believer that you should buy the best that one can afford. Inferior old anchovies, tasteless olives, metal tainted olive oil and tired watery mozzarella can completely ruin a dish or meal, so she’d rather leave them out. For this precious reason she’s the gal that buys up all the reduced to clear products to save her pennies. She just loves a bargain and those bright wee stickers beckon her from across the store. The discounted best before products are what she’s after (not to be confused with best by) as they usually have weeks of life left in them.

Kris Beehere, Ambrosia Rotorua - Kris can’t go past Maldon sea salt to season his food to perfection. He spends his money with local butchers, farmers and producers, and keeps his pantry stocked with good quality spices. Kris puts in the effort to minimise food waste and use as much of the product as possible. Taking the time to look after your products and rotate them correctly saves you a fortune!

Liz Gore Cerdeira, Vetro Tauranga - Liz’s splurge would always be parmesan. She means the real good parmesan that comes in from Italy in big chunks! If possible, she’ll go for a Reggiano but is usually happy with a Grana Padano. She’s currently getting budget canned cannellini beans, chickpeas and lentils from Vetro as they had a big stock come in during Covid that has come up to its date. Canned products last well beyond their BB date, so don’t turn your nose up at them!

Chris Gore, Vetro Tauranga - Chris splurges on quality canned tomatoes and pasta. She says there’s a world of difference between the low acid, low seed count, tomatoes grown in the mineral dense areas of Italy, and the rest. A quality can of tomatoes will give noticeable depth, creaminess, and nutrition to your dish. Likewise, always spend that little more on quality pasta. Don’t be fooled by the shiny stuff. The best pastas are dull, so your sauce will stick. Chris always cooks seasonally so rarely buys expensive fruit and veg that has had to be imported. She doesn’t mind ugly fruit, uses broccoli stalks, and if it’s on special will buy in bulk and make up soups for the freezer.

Jo Nolan, Bin Inn Papamoa - Jo always splurges on exotic rice, either Wild Rice, Black Jasmine, or Organic Red rice. She loves the crunch, colour, and flavour of these rices. If you’re going to have rice, it’s worth flashing things up! She saves with the Bin Inn peanut butter. Because you can make your own while in store, you know it’s truly fresh, has nothing extra added, and is totally moreish.

Ian Harrison, Sugo Tauranga - Ian goes cheap on seasonal vegetables and fruit. He keeps berries and tomatoes out of the trolley in winter and makes the most of them in the summer. Ian doesn’t skimp on meat. He only buys free range and grass-fed meats from his local butcher. It costs more, but it has a story and is much better for you.

As for myself, it’s my weekly challenge to keep the grocery bill as low as possible. I write a weekly menu and a detailed shopping list that I stick to, which makes a huge difference. I save on pantry staples, buy seasonally, and work out how I can adapt a recipe if one of the ingredients has an eye watering price tag. Flaky salt is something I won’t compromise on though. I use it far more than I should but you just can’t beat it.

Plentiful Eggplants

While working on these recipes I was stopped in the supermarket by a lovely lady when she saw me reaching for the eggplants, saying she’d never cooked them before, and did I have any tips for her? Firstly I said ‘you’ve asked the right lady!’ before proceeding to tell her all the ways I like to cook them and that the single most important thing to remember is to cook them until tender right through. There’s really nothing worse than rubbery uncooked eggplant. While other countries and cultures have long known how to handle eggplants (often called aubergines elsewhere in the world), it seems many here in New Zealand are still unsure about them. Most eggplant varieties you’ll find in the shops don’t require salting to remove bitterness found in some older varieties; however, if you slice into one and find large dark seeds in the middle (as opposed to light almost indistinguishable seeds that blend into the flesh) you can sprinkle the slices with salt, set aside 20–30 minutes then rinse and pat dry with a clean tea towel before cooking, just to be sure.

Chilli + Soy Eggplant with Tofu

This is one of those easy chop and roast dinners that’s basically ready in the time it takes to cook some rice (aka my kinda meal!). Once roasted, the eggplant and tofu get a quick toss in a pan with the sauce to coat. So simple, so packed with flavour and a really lovely budgetfriendly mid-week meal.

SERVES 2 LARGE, OR 4 SMALLER ONES

2 medium eggplants

300g packet firm tofu

2–3 tbsp olive oil

2 spring onions, sliced thinly lightly toasted sesame seeds, to serve cooked jasmine rice, to serve

CHILLI SOY SAUCE

½ tsp cornflour (gluten-free if needed)

2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if needed) or tamari

1 tbsp black vinegar - available at Vetro Rotorua (use rice vinegar for gluten-free)

1 tbsp maple syrup or golden caster sugar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp ginger, finely grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

¼–½ tsp dried chilli flakes

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper or grease well with olive oil. Cut eggplant and tofu into large bite-sized chunks, transfer to oven trays, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix well to evenly coat eggplant and tofu in oil. Spread slices out in a single layer and roast 15–20 minutes or until golden underneath, swapping trays around after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Flip each piece of eggplant and tofu over and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and eggplant is tender right through. Meanwhile, combine cornflour with ½ tsp water in a small bowl, before adding remaining sauce ingredients and stirring well. Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add a touch of oil and cook the white parts of the spring onions for 30 seconds, whilst stirring. Add roasted eggplant and tofu to the pan. Give the sauce a good stir, then add to the pan. Cook, whilst stirring, for 20–30 seconds or until the sauce thickens slightly and the eggplant and tofu is warmed through. Serve on rice topped with the sliced green ends of spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Za’atar-Roasted Eggplant Salad with Lentils, Halloumi + Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

You can find za’atar (a fragrant Middle Eastern spice mix) at Vetro, or for a simple version combine equal amounts of dried thyme, sumac and lightly toasted sesame seeds. It’s lovely over any roasted vegetable or sprinkled over salads or eggs.

SERVES 4

2 medium eggplants

4 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp za’atar

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup Puy lentils (available at Bin Inn

Papamoa and Vetro) or black lentils

200g halloumi, sliced thickly

½ small red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

DRESSING

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp maple syrup

1–2 tsp red wine or apple cider vinegar, to taste

Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper or grease well with olive oil. Slice eggplants into 1.5cm rounds, then cut each into halves or quarters depending on their size. Transfer to oven trays, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over za’atar. Using your hands, mix well to evenly coat eggplant in the spices. Spread slices out in a single layer and roast 15–20 minutes or until golden underneath, swapping trays around after 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Flip each piece over and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden on both sides and tender right through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. As soon as you’ve got the eggplant in the oven, place halved cherry tomatoes onto another tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper and roast 30–35 minutes or until charred and the juices have concentrated. Remove from the oven and set aside with the eggplant.

Meanwhile rinse lentils and drain, cover with plenty of cold water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

Pan-fry halloumi slices in a hot frying pan with a little olive oil until golden on both sides. Remove from the heat and cut each piece in half. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar, adding just enough vinegar to give it a nice edge. Season with salt and pepper. Combine za’atar eggplant, roasted tomatoes, lentils, halloumi and red onion in a large bowl, drizzle over dressing and scatter with chopped parsley. Best served slightly warm or at room temperature.

Emma Galloway

mydarlinglemonthyme.com

| @mydarlinglemonthyme

Emma Galloway is a former chef, food photographer and creator of the multi-award winning food blog My Darling Lemon Thyme. She is the author of three cookbooks, her latest book Every Day was released in April 2021. She lives in Raglan with her husband and two children.

Feeling Fennel THAT

Dried fennel seeds are readily available all year round in the supermarket, but at this time of year I can’t help but be inspired to include these little pods of flavour in my cooking as country roads are literally lined with wild fennel going to seed.

Fennel seeds are delicious with pan fried fish or added to savoury muffins or bread. Here are three of my favourite recipes at the moment.

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN AND HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Fennel Roasted Cauliflower with Burnt Onion Labneh

2 brown onions

2 cups Greek yoghurt

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tbsp fennel seeds

olive oil

salt & pepper

To make the labneh, strain the yoghurt in a clean tea-towel or muslin cloth overnight or for at least a few hours, until most of the liquid has seeped out.

Slice the onions in half from top to bottom, keeping the skin on. In a heavybottom pan or BBQ, over a medium-high heat, place the onion face down and cook for 30 minutes or until the surface has blackened and the onion is completely soft.

Peel the outer layer and cut the bottom root off, then blitz the rest in a high-speed blender until you get a smooth puree. You may need a dash of olive oil to help it blend. Once pureed, set aside to cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Place the cauliflower in one layer on an oven tray, then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25–30 minutes or until cooked and starting to colour.

Mix the labneh together with the onion puree and a pinch of salt, then smear on the bottom of a plate. Top with the roasted cauliflower florets.

Pork and Fennel Meatballs

500g pork mince

1 large onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1½ tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle

1 large apple, peeled and grated

zest of a lemon

1 egg

¾ cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper

In a small pan, heat a little olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds and a large pinch of salt and continue to sauté until fragrant and starting to colour. Transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the pork mince, cooled onion mix, grated apple, lemon zest, egg and breadcrumbs, along with a grinding of salt and pepper. Shape the mix into small meatballs (or patties, sausages etc). Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil. Colour the meatballs in the pan until golden, then transfer to a tray. Place in a moderate oven for a further 10–15 minutes to continue cooking.

Fennel Seed Olive Oil Crackers

These crisp crackers make a gorgeous accompaniment to a cheese or antipasto platter. While delicious with a creamy soft cheese like a brie, I am also known to just munch on them as is.

1½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¹⁄³ cup water

1–2 tsp flaky sea salt

In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder, fennel seeds and first measure of salt together. Add in the olive oil and water and mix until it comes together into a dough. Allow to rest for 5–10 minutes then divide into two.

Roll out as thin as you can! To do this keep flipping the dough as you roll it out to stop it from sticking to the bench. If you can be bothered, you can pull out the pasta machine and run the dough through this to get it as thin as possible. You are aiming for dough 1mm thick at the most.

Place the rolled-out dough onto a lined baking tray, brush the top with water and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 200°C for 8–12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before breaking into shards and storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

TIP – If stored in an airtight container, the crackers will still be fine to eat after a couple of weeks, but you may want to crisp them up again by popping into the oven for a couple of minutes.

Chocolate Mousse HAR R I E T ’ S H O W TO

Chocolate mousse holds a very special place in my heart, or should I say, stomach. I have fond memories of Mum serving up chocolate mousse in her tall sundae glasses with a few berries on top and if we were lucky, a crushed flake. It has consistently been one of my favourite desserts my entire life and despite the extreme amount consumed for this experiment, I still love it.

In my opinion, a versatile chocolate mousse needs to be able to be served as a standalone treat or integrated into a stunning dessert, whether it be layered into a glass or plated. It should be light and fluffy in texture, have a balanced rich chocolate flavour and not be overly sweet. No added sugar is necessary.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

GORDON RAMSAY

I love a bit of Gordon Ramsay, but I did not love his Milk Chocolate and Nutmeg Mousse. This one put me through the wringer. There are four components to this mousse: a pâté à bombe, Italian meringue, whipped cream, and melted chocolate. Pâté à bombe is whisked egg yolks with a boiling hot sugar syrup whipped into it, then beaten until extremely thick and creamy. Italian meringue is the same process but using the egg whites, which are whipped until stiff and cool. Not for the novice cook, this recipe required a stand mixer, handheld beater, two lots of sugar syrups, a sugar thermometer, a double boiler and many more bowls. Once every component is ready, you fold milk chocolate and nutmeg into the pâté à bombe, then fold in the Italian meringue, followed by the cream. After it had set in the fridge overnight, I was buzzing with excitement to try this masterpiece that took an hour to create. I love sweet things, but this was sickly sweet. Nutmeg enhances flavour and it had that exact effect on the already sweet mousse. The texture was very soft and silky as opposed to the fluffy hold I usually love in a mousse. Paired with balancing components, this mousse has potential, but on its own, it was a miss from me!

THE KITCHN

The Kitchn is an American food blog, where I found a TwoIngredient Chocolate Mousse recipe, from contributor Meghan Splawn. You’ve probably guessed it, but the two ingredients were cream and chocolate. First, a portion of warmed cream is used to melt the chocolate and create a smooth ganache. A second portion of cream is whipped and folded into the ganache, giving it the crucial aerated texture. I’ve got to give it to Meghan, this mousse was surprisingly airy and pleasantly rich, although lacked a depth of flavour. The method was simple to follow and exceptionally quick, which always gets a big tick from me. This would be a great recipe to pair with a chocolate torte or if the mousse was one of a few components in a dessert, but I wouldn’t serve this as a standalone, wow-factor mousse.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY

The Australian Women’s Weekly Classic Chocolate Mousse is the recipe that my mum, Tracey, has made my whole life. You could say I was a little biased towards this one from the get-go. I wasn’t the sole test taster though, and the majority favoured this one too.

Egg yolks are folded into melted chocolate along with a knob of butter. Softly whipped cream is then folded into the chocolate mix, followed by whipped egg whites. The method of this recipe meets in the middle of the Kitchn’s and Gordon’s. Despite using its fair share of bowls and utensils, it’s quick and easy. The second time I made it, however, I did run into the problem of my chocolate seizing when I added the cream. Mousse is a bit of a science and Vicki explained to me that this problem would be avoided if I added the egg whites first, which you will see in my final recipe. This classic chocolate mousse is airy with beautiful structure and has a luscious, rich chocolate flavour. While I do love this recipe, a few subtle flavourings would take it up a notch to make the ultimate mousse.

SAVEUR

The Chocolate Mousse in the New Classics Cookbook by Saveur magazine was inspired by Julia Child’s recipe. It starts by melting chocolate and rum together, which later gets butter whisked into it to create a smooth mix. Like Gordon’s recipe, the yolks are whipped with a sugar syrup to create a pâté à bombe, although this syrup uses coffee instead of water. The egg whites are whisked with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff. The chocolate mix is folded into the pâté à bombe, then the whites are gradually folded in. The mousse did set but was silky and flat rather than light and fluffy. I assume this was because it was the only recipe without whipped cream folded through. I loved the addition of the coffee and rum in this one. It brought the extra flavour that I was looking for in the Australian Women’s Weekly recipe. I found using a pâté à bombe unnecessarily sweetens the mousse, so while this recipe had depth of flavour, it was let down by being overly sweet.

My taste in chocolate mousse clearly leans to the Americanised versions rather than the classic French style of Gordon Ramsay and Saveur, with my two favourites being the Kitchn’s and Australian Women’s Weekly. There’s no need for added sugar using a pâté à bombe or Italian meringue as it overly sweetens the dessert and creates a tacky texture.

While the Kitchn’s was enjoyable, it lacked complexity, so my pick of the lot was the Australian Women’s Weekly Classic Chocolate Mousse. In my ultimate mousse recipe, I have used this as a base, but have increased the chocolate and butter quantity and added coffee liqueur and vanilla essence. It makes a large batch of mousse, perfect for dessert with family and friends.

My Marvellous MOUSSE

This mousse will perform for any occasion, whether serving it set in a glass, layered into a dessert, or individually presented. If liqueur isn’t your thing, simply leave it out!

250g 50% dark chocolate

50g butter

3 eggs, separated

3 tbsp of coffee liqueur

1 tsp vanilla extract

300ml cream

Place the chocolate in a bowl, set it over a pot of gently simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once it has almost fully melted, take it off the heat and add in the butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in the egg yolks and set aside.

Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt beyond soft peaks, but not quite at stiff peaks. You want the whites to be glossy, pure white and have a bit of flop in the peaks when you lift the beaters out.

Using the hand mixer again, whip the cream until just past soft peaks so it has a bit of structure. Whisk in the vanilla and liqueur.

Using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mix, then fold the remaining whites in. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the cream mix. Once the cream is fully folded in, set the mousse in glasses or into a container and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

To serve like I have here, pipe the mousse into chocolate spheres (see how to make these on page 46). Allow the mousse to set in the fridge, then place one mousse sphere on each plate and garnish with chocolate pearls and freeze dried raspberries (both available at Vetro).

Harriet Boucher

Harriet is a Waikato born and raised foodie. She is a chef by trade and has worked in a few popular cafes and restaurants around Hamilton. When she isn’t whipping up treats, you can find her enjoying a walk along the river or dining at her favourite local eateries.

RECIPE HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

C HOC O LATE SP H ERES

Some chocolate, a pastry brush and a silicon mould are all you need for some hands-on fun in the school holidays, homemade Easter treats or a special way to plate a dessert, like Harriet’s Chocolate Mousse (on page 44).

RECIPE VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

YOU WILL NEED:

Chocolate, broken into pieces (200g will make 12, 70mm moulds)

Silicon moulds (Sweet Pea Parties has a great range of these)

Pastry brush

Small pot + a glass or metal bowl that fits on top

Place half the chocolate in the bowl. Add a couple of centimetres of water in the pot and place the bowl on top ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer, stirring the chocolate until it melts.

Once the chocolate has melted, take the pot off the heat but keep the bowl over it. Using the pastry brush, paint the inside of the moulds with chocolate. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

Place the remaining chocolate in the bowl to melt and use this to brush a second coat of chocolate on the moulds. Place them back in the fridge to set. If you have leftover chocolate, a third coat can’t hurt, especially if the kids have been helping and there are uneven patches. Allow the chocolate to set completely before carefully removing from the moulds.

To complete the spheres, heat a fry pan. Place the rim of one chocolate mould on the hot fry pan to melt slightly. Then place this melted side on top of another chocolate mould to create a complete sphere. Set and store in the fridge.

VARIATIONS

ICE CREAM BOMB

Place a scoop of ice cream in the middle of one mould before sealing into a sphere. Store in the freezer. To serve, place the sphere on a plate along with a hot chocolate sauce that once poured over the sphere will melt, revealing the ice cream within.

HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS

Use 50mm moulds and follow the instructions above.

Place mini marshmallows and chocolate chips in one chocolate mould. Seal with another mould as per instructions above. Set and store in the fridge.

To make the hot chocolate – place the chocolate bomb in a glass/cup and pour over hot milk and watch the bomb explode. Stir well and enjoy.

AFFOGATO

Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a chocolate mould. Place this over a coffee cup. To serve, pour over a double espresso.

CHOCOLATE BASKET

Use one of the chocolate moulds as a bowl filled with the likes of mousse or fresh fruit for a beautiful plated dessert.

On the Button

I have an abiding love for the fungi kingdom and adore a crispy tempura oyster mushroom or shiitake mushroom broth on a good day, but like most of you, white button mushrooms are the ones I’m most likely to have on hand. Here are two different ways to use them – as a light and moreish antipasto ingredient atop a savoury pastry tart, or as a key ingredient in a deeply savoury and warming vegan korma.

Mushroom Korma

A little secret to making more authentic homemade curries is to blitz your onion, garlic and ginger first, then cook slowly to form the base of your sauce before doing anything else. Don’t be put off by the long list of spices this recipe calls for – my hot tip is to measure them out onto a saucer before you start, so when it’s time you can just throw them in the pan in one go – easy. This spice blend results in a full flavoured korma of low to medium heat (my seven year old is happy to eat it). If you prefer a very mild curry, cut the chilli flakes down to ¼ tsp, and if you like it hot, boost the quantity to 1 tsp.

DRY SPICES

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground cardamom

CURRY BASE

2 onions, roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup water

2 tbsp coconut oil (or lightly flavoured cooking oil)

350g button mushrooms, whole if small or quartered if larger

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 x 400ml can coconut cream

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp ground almonds

1 tsp salt

TO SERVE

Chopped coriander and flaked almonds to garnish (optional) Cooked basmati rice

Naan bread

Amber Bremner

Quite Good Food | www.quitegoodfood.co.nz

Start by measuring out the dry spices onto a saucer.

Blitz onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor with ½ cup of water, until it is a thick, rough slurry. Heat a large pot over low-medium heat and add coconut oil. Once hot, scrape in the onion mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and the onion mixture is golden brown. Turn down the heat if it is browning too quickly.

Once the onion mixture is golden, add the dry spices, stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, turn the heat up a bit and cook for another 1–2 minutes to coat the mushrooms in the spice mixture. Season with 1 tsp salt.

Add the chickpeas, coconut cream, tomato paste and ground almonds. Stir to combine, lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes until chickpeas are well heated through and the sauce has thickened a bit and is smelling amazing.

Garnish with chopped coriander and flaked almonds. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

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

It’s cocktail time...

Enjoy a decadent selection of desserts and sweet treats paired with your favourite cocktail! With a scrumptious range of new cocktails to choose from, there’s something everyone will love.

Treat the girls to a mid-week night out with $14 dessert cocktails from 3pm every Wednesday!

Visit us in store: 6/109 Devonport Road, Tauranga- Access via Elizabeth Street www.butfirstdessert.co.nz @butfirstdessertnz

Marinated Mushroom Tart

This tart is a little bit special and a really lovely way to enjoy antipasto ingredients as a meal. A flaky pastry base is topped with caramelised onion and mustard cashew cream, then baked until golden. This is the blank canvas, ready to have all the good stuff stacked on top. Marinated mushrooms are a perfect hero topping, paired with whatever else you have on hand – I went with more caramelised onion, chargrilled capsicum, dollops of basil pesto, and microgreens. Olives, tapenade, artichoke, chunks of roasted beetroot or pumpkin, and any small salad greens or fresh herbs would also work well alongside the mushrooms.

MARINATED MUSHROOMS

200g button mushrooms

²�³ cup apple cider vinegar

¹�³ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of your choice

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

pinch of chilli flakes (optional)

1 bay leaf (optional)

CASHEW CREAM

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for half an hour

1 tbsp dijon mustard

½ tsp salt

½ cup water

TART

2 sheets pre-rolled flaky pastry, thawed

TOPPINGS

1–2 tbsp basil pesto

caramelised onion

marinated mushrooms

chargrilled capsicum, thinly sliced microgreens

Begin by making the marinated mushrooms, so they can soak up flavour while you continue with meal prep. Halve or quarter the button mushrooms if they’re on the larger side, and remove stems if you prefer. Put the mushrooms into a large, clean jar. Put all remaining marinated mushroom ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer over a low heat. Turn off the heat and carefully pour the hot mixture over the mushrooms, tucking the bay leaf into the jar too. Seal with a lid and set aside to cool, giving the jar a gentle turn every now and then. Once cool, store in the fridge for up to a week.

Next, make the cashew cream. Cook onions over medium heat with coconut oil, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add maple syrup and continue cooking for a few more minutes, until the onion is soft, sticky and darkly golden. Reserve about a quarter of the caramelised onion for serving the tarts, and add the rest of the onion to your blender. Add drained cashews, mustard, salt and water to the blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or mustard to your preference.

Preheat oven to 220°C (or 200°C fanbake). Cut the pastry sheets in half so that you have four rectangles. Use a knife to lightly score a border about 1.5 cm from the edge, the whole way around each piece. Spread quarter of the cashew cream thickly on each piece of pastry, within the scored border. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

To serve, dress the tarts with the reserved caramelised onion, marinated mushrooms, thinly sliced chargrilled capsicum, little dollops of basil pesto and a scattering of microgreens. The mushroom marinade is flavourful and a little spicy, so I like to drizzle over a little extra of this liquid too.

Postcards from

Penang

WORDS & IMAGES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN

A short flight from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur (1 hour), Penang, known as the Pearl of the Orient, is one of the most popular tourist spots in Malaysia.

Penang Island is situated on the northwest side of the Peninsular Malaysia and linked to the mainland by two extraordinary long bridges.

WHEN

The perfect time to go to Penang is between November and February. Monsoon season is from June to September, although this apparently is a very mild wet season. Average temperatures throughout the year are in the early 30s, so whatever time you go it will be warm.

We went in October, and it was fairly typical weather with just one day of continual plan-ruining rain. Those plans happened to be a visit to an orangutan sanctuary, and an hour and a half drive away. Malaysians are very philosophical about the rain, and it was deemed unlikely the rain would stick around or that it would be raining in Perak where Bukit Merah Orangutan Island was. Well, it was, and the rain did persist and we didn’t see the orangutans.

WHY

Strategically placed on the northern part of the Strait of Malacca, Penang has a rich history of empires and cultures who have staked their claim, and in doing so left their mark. The streets of Georgetown, the cultural heart of Penang, are literally built on its colonial past. The English ships, which began to arrive in the late 18th century, would come filled with ballast, heavy Scottish stone to weigh their empty hulls down. When they arrived, this ballast was dumped in Georgetown as the hulls were filled with goods to take back.

The ballast was used as the foundation blocks of Georgetown and can still be seen today along with the influences of the cultures and empires that shaped this town, from the architecture to the temples, the tiles on the pavement as well as the food being enjoyed.

FOOD

The rich cultural heritage of Penang is deliciously evident in the food. From Malays, Indian Muslims and Hindus, Thai, Chinese Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Hakka, Hainanese, and British, each have contributed to Penang’s distinct cuisine.

The biggest food dilemma you have in Penang is not finding great food but not having enough time to enjoy everything this Island has to offer. For this reason, I am not going to list the places

you must visit. Instead, here are just a few of the dishes you can’t leave Penang without experiencing.

Char Koay Teow – famous Penang fried flat rice noodles and the dish I crave when back in New Zealand.

Asam Laksa – considered one of the best dishes to eat in Penang. This tamarind-based laksa is more sour than the coconut-based curry laksas popular in Singapore.

Roti Canai – delicious flat bread served with dal is a popular breakfast dish, so forget the hotel’s turkey bacon and eggs and eat like the locals.

Masala Dosa – This Southern Indian delicacy is very much ingrained in Penang’s food scene. These impressive crisp crêpes with accompanying masala are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lok Lok – While there are Lok Lok restaurants with communal tables, I was mesmerised by the street stall versions. Skewered food of every description is on offer, dipped and cooked in boiling water then the sauce of your choice. The sticks are colour coded to show the price of each.

WHAT

The mix of culture, history and fun is what we love about Malaysia, and Penang is the epitome of this. Stroll or take a trishaw around the streets of UNESCO World Heritage Georgetown to soak up the history while spotting some of the many murals and sculptures dotted around. Visit the clan jetties where Chinese clans settled and built their houses on stilts out over the water.

We took a walking food tour of Georgetown, which I would recommend simply because of the information on the history and culture we would never have discovered alone.

Georgetown also offers an array of temples to visit, like the aweinspiring Kek Lok Si Temple (temple of ten thousand Buddhas), one of the largest and most beautiful Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. Avoid the heat and crowds and go early. We visited on a public holiday and spent a lot of time queuing for the cable car to take us to the top.

Forget the fancy spots. The best food is on the street and hawker stalls or small family-run spots.

Kek Lok Si Temple is near the funicular that takes you up Penang Hill (Bukit Bendera). After several failed attempts queuing for this ride up (and the family thoroughly sick of me finding reasons to say funicular), we headed to the botanical gardens for a thrilling ride to the top on a 4WD. Once up you are rewarded with breathtaking views and a number of fun attractions.

If a stunning view is your goal, we loved The Top where the 360-degree views come with the thrill of walking on the glass skywalk 68 storeys up. The Top also includes an aquarium, 7D motion theatre, Jurassic Research Centre and more, all in airconditioned comfort.

With our orangutan plans scuppered, we headed out on a boat to a turtle sanctuary I had discovered. Locals seemed vague about the spot, but I was determined. The family were pleased we didn’t opt for the 2-hour hike through Penang National Park to the sanctuary, as it was very small and simple, just a couple of baby turtles in a tank. The boat ride, which included a stop at Monkey Beach, was nevertheless a fun day out.

Not deterred in our quest to discover more of the natural wonders Penang had to offer, we set off for a big day visiting the Tropical Spice Garden and the Tropical Fruit Farm, where they grew everything from coffee to mace, dragon fruit to giant passionfruit. We also visited the entrancing Entopia Butterfly Farm and made a stop in to learn the art of batik.

Hands down, the best day of our holiday for all was at Escape. And trust me I never thought I would say that about a day spent in my togs! Malaysia’s number one theme park is divided into two sections and although we got there at opening and left at closing, we only managed to enjoy the water park side. The high ropes and ziplines as well as the newly installed artificial ski slope will have to wait until next time.

So eager to ride the Guinness Book of Records longest waterslide that winds you through the Malaysian bush for 1,111 metres, we arrived too early for the chairlift to take us to the top, so opted to walk! This was just the start of our butt and thigh workout day as we climbed up staircase after staircase just to slide down an endless array of water slides, from the sedate to the terrifying.

STAY

With a choice of accommodation from five-star resorts to backpackers, Penang will suit all tastes and budgets.

We stayed at the Hard Rock Café Hotel in Batu Ferringhi, just 17kms from Georgetown but due to traffic this can take between 30 minutes to over an hour by taxi.

With a seven-year-old in tow we chose Hard Rock Café Hotel because of the fun atmosphere and enormous pool, including waterslides. There was an option for the littlest member of the family to have their own room complete with TV, Xbox and soft toys, and although this was a pleasant change to normal hotel rooms with a roll away, a few days in we swapped for a room we could jump into the pool from our room!

Getting around can be hard with limited taxis, especially at night. Make sure you download the local rideshare app Grab.

Fizzing for

As we bid farewell to the final shreds of summer, the veggie garden rewards us with its autumn harvest. Here at The Falls Retreat, this means we are into pickling, preserving and fermenting mode as we attempt to capture all of nature’s goodness and utilise this glut of fresh produce. As we head into the cooler months, our house-made pantry staples, such as our Cucumber and Zucchini pickle, start to feature more throughout our menus while we turn our focus to planting and utilising crops such as carrots, cabbage and daikon radish – meaning kimchi soon becomes our new best friend!

RECIPE BRAD KING | IMAGES BRYDIE THOMPSON

WHAT IS KIMCHI?

It’s a traditional Korean dish made by submerging vegetables in a salt and water (brine) solution. By doing so, harmful bacteria are killed and the sugar and lactose present in the food are then converted to lactic acid, creating tangy and safely preserved vegetables that can be served as a side dish with all sorts of meals. It is traditionally made using cabbage, and each bite provides unique and complex flavours ranging between savoury, sweet, sour and spicy. It also has multiple nutritional benefits as it’s high in vitamins, minerals and fibre and full of live bacteria, which is excellent for digestion.

MAKING KIMCHI

Kimchi is easy to make, it just takes a little time and patience for the magic to occur. It will start fermenting within a day or two at room temperature, depending on humidity and the temperature. The warmer it is, the faster the kimchi will ferment. Once it starts to ferment, it will smell and taste sour! You can test that it has begun fermentation by pressing on the top with a spoon – this will release trapped gases and bubbles from beneath. At this stage, store in the refrigerator to use as needed. Refrigeration will slow down the fermentation process and the kimchi will become more and more sour as time goes on.

Brad's Kimchi Recipe

3kg Chinese cabbage

½ cup salt

‘PORRIDGE’

3 cups water

3 tbsp glutinous rice flour

3 tbsp brown sugar

VEGETABLES

2 cups daikon radish, sliced matchstick size

1 cup fennel bulb, sliced matchstick size

2 cups carrot, sliced matchstick size

2 bunches spring onion, chopped

SEASONINGS & SPICES

½ cup garlic cloves

¼ cup ginger

1 medium onion

½ cup fish sauce or substitute with soy sauce

2 cups Korean red chilli flakes (gochugaru)

3 Granny Smith apples (cored and de-seeded )

Chop each cabbage into quarters, keeping the cores attached. Dunk into a large basin of water to get them wet. Sprinkle the salt in between the leaves by lifting up every leaf and getting salt in there. Use more salt closer to the stems where it is thicker.

Let the cabbages rest for 2 hours. Turn over every 30 minutes so they get well salted. From time to time you can ladle some of the salty water over top of the cabbage ensuring an even process.

Brad's Top Tips

Don’t use iodized salt (table salt), as the iodine inhibits the beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process. Gochugaru can be substituted with regular chilli flakes. Use a decent mandolin to ensure all your components are the same size; this makes for a more even consistency and distribution of flavours.

Use disposable gloves if you have sensitive hands, as the chilli can irritate your skin.

· To keep recipe vegan substitute fish sauce for soy sauce Learn more about cooking from scratch and sustainable living at The Falls Retreat with their range of cooking and gardening workshops.

www.fallsretreat.co.nz/educate

While the cabbage is salting, make the ‘porridge’ and prep the vegetables, seasonings and spices.

To make the porridge, combine water and rice flour in a small pot over medium heat. Mix well and let it simmer for 10 minutes until it starts to bubble. Add sugar and let simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

For the seasoning and spices, use either a blender or food processor and blitz the garlic, ginger, onion, apples, fish sauce and 1 cup of the red chilli flakes till smooth, set aside.

After 2 hours, wash cabbage quarters a few times under cold running water to remove the salt and any dirt. Cut off the cores and place in a strainer to drain well.

Pour cooled porridge into a large mixing bowl, add garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, and the last cup of red chilli flakes. Mix well with a wooden spoon into a thin paste.

Add the vegetables to the porridge and spice mix and mix well.

Cut salted and washed cabbage into desired pieces and place into a large bowl. Pour over vegetables and spice paste. Mix and massage into cabbage, thoroughly coating every piece.

Place kimchi into jars or a plastic container.

REDUCE AND REUSE

Get your hands on a reusable container. We are rewarding reusers with each refill!

10% off Atmos Canisters

til the end of March 2023.

A LIFE WITHOUT Onions

Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilisation without onions.” As I write this, onions are sprawled over the streets of Pukekohe after approximately 10 tonnes were washed away in the Auckland Anniversary weekend storm. But while you stew in a panic of how you’ll survive if there’s an onion shortage, I’m laughing on the sidelines.

You see, my partner Taylor has a fructose intolerance and can’t eat onion, along with a long list of other things. When I first discovered his intolerance, my head was spinning. What are we going to eat?

Will I ever be able to cook my favourite dinners again? How can I share dining experiences without indulging in onion-laced meals? He’s worth sacrificing onions for though, and now I have a niche skill up my sleeve – cooking onion free!

I’ll admit that certain classics can’t be made without onion – French onion soup, beef bourguignon, caramelised onion – basically anything with onion in the title. So let’s put those on the back burner until the supply is replenished.

Where you would usually sauté an onion to start a saucy dinner, such as a Bolognese, slice up a chunk of leek instead. Leeks have

been my saviour. They’re slightly milder but still bring the onion flavour you’re craving. Despite what you may think, there’s nothing wrong with the green tops. They may be slightly on the rubbery side, but waste not want not. Leek is more expensive than the humble onion, but you can get 2–4 onions worth out of one leek, so it all balances out in the end.

Celery is where I look to next for an onion alternative. I’ve realised that it feels wrong if you don’t start cooking certain meals without sautéing an onion, but celery (and leek) gives the same satisfaction. Celery is perfect in anything from stir-fries to soups. It softens down to a melt in your mouth texture, quite the opposite to its stringy raw form. You certainly get your money’s worth from a head of celery too. Trimmed stalks will stay juicy and crisp in a glass of water for weeks, just refresh the glass every few days.

Spring onion adds fresh pungency to salads, slaws and broths where you might have used a finely shaved red onion. Toss large chunks in with stir-fried veggies or blitz into punchy dressings. They’re also easy to grow, even if you’re a novice gardener like me. There’s no need to cry if onions become scarce. A life without onions is all about adapting. Simply assess your recipe, replace the onion with a readily available alternative and you won’t notice its absence.

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER

Spoil Mum IN

DOWNTOWN TAURANGA

Thank Mum for being there for you unconditionally, for putting up with you during the terrible twos, those hormonal teenage years, for being your personal taxi driver, to Nana of the year to your kids – now that it’s your turn.

Mother’s Day only comes once a year (Sunday 14th May), but Mum’s never stop.

Mother’s Day gives us the opportunity to say thanks – whether that’s with breakfast in bed, dinner at one of the delicious eateries here in Downtown Tauranga, or perhaps she’d enjoy one of the treats below.

Island Hydrating Wrap – 90 minutes

Hydrating the skin and detoxifying the system, this treatment will leave Mum’s mind renewed and her body restored. Her skin will be gently dry brushed and then warmed oil containing vitamins and antioxidants will be applied before being wrapped. To add to the relaxation she’ll enjoy a warm oil scalp massage and mini cold stone facial to relieve all tension.

$175

Breathe Salon & Spa, 75 Grey Street, Tauranga

Relaxing 1 hour Massage

Give Mum the gift of relaxation with a 1-hour massage voucher.

Price: $89.50

Tranquillo Beauty Clinic, 76a Grey Street, Tauranga

The Last Days of Joy by local author Anne Tiernan

As Joy hovers between life and death, the siblings must come together to face their past. It's the only chance they have of unlocking the future. A stunning novel about complex family dynamics, the intricacies of motherhood, marriage, and infidelity, and the lingering power of past trauma, which echoes down generations.

$37.00

Books A Plenty, 74 Grey Street, Tauranga

Rialto Cinema Gift Voucher

Looking for the perfect gift for Mum? A Rialto Cinemas gift card offers her a world of opportunities to escape and take time out. Put it towards tickets or popcorn and other delicious movie treats. It's the outing anyone would love!

$25–$150

Rialto Cinema, 21 Devonport Road, Tauranga

Express Manicure and Express Pedicure

Pamper Mum with a manicure and pedicure and enjoy a hand and foot massage. She’ll leave relaxed with beautifully polished nails.

$91.00

Allure Nail Studio, 35 Monmouth Street, Tauranga

Hydrating Facial + Lash, Brow Tint and Shape

Pamper Mum with the ultimate hydrating facial – perfect for all skin types. She will then be treated to a lash, brow tint and shape leaving her feeling and looking great.

$185

Caci Clinic, 21 Devonport Road, Tauranga

BE FLOORED IN YOUR KITCHEN

WORDS LEANNE RICH

The kitchen is the heart of the home – that is true now more than ever. Kitchens are more than just the cooking zone, they are often a hangout hub, a homework station and the socialising epicenter. If you are planning a kitchen renovation or starting new, it’s important to get the look and feel right for this busy space and the flooring is a great place to start.

We talk with the experts at Gerrand Floorings about some common instore questions.

LOVE THE IDEA OF TIMBER?

The feeling of real timber underfoot is what many aspire to, and with a raft of timber widths, board grades and surface finishes you can always find a product to tick the box for your own needs. All modern prefinished timbers are pretty easy care with a lacquer or oil finish with a daily static mop and suppliers having matching and specialist weekly care products.

Timber is a premium flooring offering, so if you love the look but don’t quite have the budget to stretch, there are a raft of synthetic wood-look options from a traditional sheet vinyl through to a design vinyl wood plank with embossed timber features.

LIFETIME VALUE

There are pros and cons between real timber options versus a manmade looking style vinyl. Real timber products can be resurfaced in the years ahead giving you a complete refresh or total new look. Synthetic products are not able to be resurfaced but for the upfront investment you can pretty much uplift and fully replace this option in the years ahead with a completely new option for about the same upfront cost as a timber today.

LOVE THE IDEA OF CORK?

Just like timber the feeling of a solid cork floor underfoot is homely, friendly on the feet and body, cool in the summer, warm in the winter and again comes in a range of natural and coloured options and a mix of sizes to suit both modern and traditional homes and interiors. With cork being a little softer, it will be a little easier damaged than a hard surface.

WANT THE BOUJEE LOOK FOR A BUDGET INVESTMENT?

The reality of life is sometimes what we’d love is just a little out of reach – or the needs may be for a more cost effective option. The good old traditional sheet vinyl now available replicates everything from a historical mosaic heritage look through to checks, timbers, polished floors, bolds and all things in between.

LOVE THE IDEA OF SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT?

If you want to retain a flooring product that is not cold or hard but keen on something a little outside the box, some food for thought is woven tiles, colourful marmoleum sheet vinyl, rubber or making your own design floor with a specialist design vinyl custom product.

HAS THE NEW E3 INTERNAL MOISTURE CODE LIMITED OUR OPTIONS?

The newly introduced code is welcomed to the industry to ensure homeowners are having the correct product installed correctly to their wet areas, including kitchens (carpet in the scullery anyone?) and this is fantastic.

Sadly, with this there are some who are of the understanding your kitchen flooring is purely limited to polished concrete, ceramic tiles with a maximum water absorption or traditional sheet vinyl. Please be assured this is not the case, you can absolutely still have your other options. It is simply a case of your architect or builder submitting your plans to council correctly with other products being submitted as an alternate solution and with any accompanying paperwork if required. There are a couple of additional processes for your specialist providers to ensure correct preparation and installation, but it does not restrict you from having that amazing timber flooring throughout!

OUR TOP PICKS

Designer Vinyl Flooring

Globally renowned Amtico First.

Next level – Moduleo Moods Luxury Vinyl Flooring range lets you take the creative wheel. From Chevron patterns to parquet and more.

Timber

Oak Elegance from Godfrey Hirst – With a real European oak surface, true-to-life distinct knots and grain variation, Oak Elegance has the timeless look and feel of luxury.

Next level – Massimo by Quickstep.

Cork flooring

Environmentally friendly, cork flooring is resilient, comfortable underfoot and a stylish addition to your kitchen

Top pick: Pure Cork flooring.

Oak Elegance

Moduelo Moods

Make a Date

Pipped to be one of the on-trend foods for 2023, dates have been growing in popularity for some time. Often referred to as nature’s candy, dates are the go-to for raw food enthusiasts and those avoiding refined sugars. They are even reputed to induce or help in labour, although from experience I am not sure I agree!

WORDS VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Traditional bakers love dates too. After all, who doesn’t love sticky date pudding or a good old date scone?

Dried dates – Found in the baking aisle these are the dates we grew up with. Store them in the pantry and pull out to add to baking.

Medjool Dates – Find these in the fridge in the produce department of green grocers. Bigger, softer and with wonderful caramel flavour, making them perfect in raw dishes and smoothies.

Deglet Noor Dates – These semi-dry dates are slightly crunchy yet still soft and pliable. Popular in the US, they are not as sweet as the Medjool.

Date Syrup – Available in specialty stores like Vetro, date syrup is a great alternative sweetener with less sugar than honey or maple syrup. Use it as a topping on pancakes or in baking.

Snickers Bites

Perfect for the mid-afternoon slump, these bite-sized treats are reminiscent of the classic Snickers bar.

15x Medjool dates (available at Bin Inn Papamoa and Vetro)

¼ cup peanut butter

½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

1 tsp coconut oil

flaky sea salt – optional (I used Opito Bay Sea Salt)

Cut a slit in each date and remove the pit. Fill each date with around ½ tsp peanut butter.

Place the chocolate and the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring between each. It shouldn't take longer than 1–2 minutes total.

Dip each date into melted chocolate until completely covered then place on a tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt. Set and store in the fridge ready for when you need a sweet pick me up.

Teriyaki Salmon

I’m a sucker for teriyaki, and this recipe is based on a family favourite, chicken teriyaki (which you’ll find in our new Nourish cookbook – out in June). But in this recipe I swapped out the brown sugar for date syrup, with marvellous results. The date syrup is a less in your face sweetness and adds a lovely caramel note.

Here I have served it over salmon, but it will work just as well over chicken and even deep fried cauliflower florets.

3 tbsp date syrup (available at Bin Inn Papamoa and Vetro)

¼ cup mirin

¼ cup cooking sake

¼ cup soy sauce

500g salmon fillets

3 tbsp rice flour oil

spring onion, chopped (optional) sesame seeds

To make teriyaki sauce: mix date syrup, mirin, sake and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Cut the salmon into your desired size pieces and dredge through the rice flour.

Heat a little oil in a pan over medium-high heat and place the salmon in.

Cook the salmon for 2–3 minutes and flip to cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes.

Carefully add the teriyaki sauce to the pan and cook until the sauce reduces slightly and the salmon is cooked through.

Serve with cooked rice, and garnish with chopped spring onion and sesame seeds.

Date and Orange Pinwheels

MAKE 36

A cross between a pastry and cookie, these date and orange pinwheels will be a hit with anyone partial to a date and orange scone.

DATE AND ORANGE PUREE

2 cups dried dates, chopped zest and juice of an orange

½ cup water

PASTRY

2½ cups flour

220g cold butter, cut into cubes

250g cold cream cheese, cut into cubes

Icing sugar

To make the puree place the dates, orange and water in a small pot, heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for approx. five minutes until the dates have broken down and liquid has evaporated. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

Combine flour, butter and cream cheese in a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times, then allow the processor to

run until the dough forms a ball.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured bench and divide into four equal pieces. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can also freeze the dough at this point if you like.

When ready to shape the pinwheels, take the pastry out of the fridge and place on a floured bench. Roll each piece of dough into a square measuring 21cm x 21cms, trimming the edges to keep it neat.

Divide the rolled out square into thirds both across and lengthways, leaving you with nine equal sized squares. On each square cut a line diagonally from each corner, leaving enough space in the middle to place a dollop of the date puree.

Fold one corner from each cut piece towards the centre and over the date puree before placing the pinwheel on a lined baking tray. Repeat with the remaining square and bake at 180°C for 12-18. minutes.

Allow to cool, sprinkling with icing sugar just before serving.

Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.

GRAPE-NESS

In 1817 novelist and poet Thomas Love Peacock wrote, “The juice of the grape is the liquid quintessence of concentrated sunbeams.” And as I nurse a fresh throbbing wasp sting on my hand, I can’t help but agree.

Harvesting a few bunches from my own vines for this shoot was not without risk, such is the wondrous flavour of these nectareous orbs of historical significance. Apparently, we’ve been growing them since 6500BC; they feature strung between ancient drawings in far off places, wrapped around the wanton marble brows of ripped muscular gods, and this all before we even get to overflowing chalices of their juice lovingly made into wine and morsels of deliciousness wrapped in their baked leaves.

However you like them – crushed, stolen from swarms, or peeled and dropped into one’s mouth by a bestowed lover – they are undoubtedly the joy of early autumn. These are some of my favourite ways to eat them fresh, frozen, roasted and dried.

ICED POLEAXE GRAPES

Back in the day, my parents used the term ‘poleaxed’ to refer to staggery drunk people, as in “Oh look, that person’s completely poleaxed”. I use it to remind myself that these lovely wee alcohol-soaked crunchy frozen treats pack a surprise if one overindulges. Perfect on a sunny afternoon. White wine, eau de vie or any clear coloured booze that takes your fancy

Fresh grapes, well rinsed

Cover grapes in your choice of tipple and soak covered overnight in the fridge. Add a little sugar if your grapes are on the tart side. Next day lift out the grapes, place in a lined tray and freeze until solid. Serve straight from the freezer.

RECIPES & IMAGES FIONA HUGUES

VINEYARD CHICKEN

Here’s me being a scintillating tart again, adding spark to my two decades plus marriage by adding fruit to our roast dinners. I love apples with pork and chook dishes, but getting grapes in there is something superior, especially at this time of year when the weather is cooling and flavours become more sunburnt, robust and wholesome. This dish is a doddle to make. Lay most on a baking tray and the chook in a pan, leave it to do its thing then whack it all together just before serving. Easy.

10–12 small gourmet potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

10 baby carrots

3–4 shallots, skin on, cut in half lengthwise

1 garlic bulb top cut off horizontally, reserving the tip bits

6–8 chicken thigh cutlets, skin on a dusting of plain flour a decent knob of butter

300mls wine (I used rosé but any drinkable white wine is fine) a drizzle of runny honey

5–6 small bunches black grapes olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar salt & pepper fresh herbs to serve (I used chervil, but parsley works well too) crusty bread to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C and on a lined baking tray lay out the potatoes, baby carrots, and shallots cut side down. Add the cut bulb of garlic cut side up, reserving the tips. Drizzle olive oil across the lot and season with salt and pepper. Bake for around 20–30 minutes until softened and golden.

Season and dust the chicken cutlets with flour. Heat the butter and a lug of oil in a large heavy bottomed oven proof pan over medium heat. Fry the chicken portions skin side down until golden.

Flip over, fry a little more then toss in the garlic tops, the wine and a drizzle of honey. Turn down the temp slightly, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, add the grapes and continue to cook with the lid off, reducing the liquid, for another 15 minutes.

Tuck in all the cooked veggies to the pan, drizzle the lot in balsamic vinegar and give it 10 minutes in the oven for everyone to get to know each other.

Season and sprinkle with fresh herbs and eat with crusty bread to squish the garlic into and a fat leafy salad on the side.

GRILLED COS WALDORF SALAD

The Waldorf salad is named for the WaldorfAstoria Hotel in New York City where it was created to feed attendees at a swanky charity ball. These days it’s more associated with dingy motel buffets inside rather rank musty dining rooms, completely edible, but demoted to a rather lack lustre sloppy side dish. I have put the original 1896 chic back into it by licking lovely cos lettuce over the grill and plating it simply rather than stirring it all together. The creamy caramelised crunch with tart little pops of glorious grape is a thing to behold on a late summer’s day.

2 small cos lettuce, cut into quarters lengthwise

1 stick of celery, cut into long bite sized slices

a small handful of walnut halves, lightly toasted and crushed

1 cup or so of fresh seedless grapes, some whole some sliced

1 large Granny Smith apple, sliced

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp crème fraîche

150ml (approx.) mild extra virgin olive oil

a tiny drizzle of honey

salt & pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together, season, taste and set aside in the fridge.

Quickly sear your lettuce cut side down on a hot grill just to colour it. You still want to keep the crunch.

Cut the apples and celery and place in a bowl – spoon over a little of the dressing and toss to coat everything well.

Arrange the grilled cos, dressed apple and celery on a serving platter.

Add the grapes and walnuts and dollop on the rest of the dressing. Season again with lots of black pepper and serve immediately.

EXPERIENCE FALLS RETREAT

Dining, getaways, special celebrations, cooking & gardening workshops

BOOKINGS 07 863 8770

info@fallsretreat.co.nz

www.fallsretreat.co.nz

WARM GRAPES & LEAVES

It’s well known amongst my friends and followers that my darling consort doesn’t like fruit in his salads. I’ve had such delight testing these recipes, my wicked fruit eating ways being legitimised rather than seen as devious ploys to sway him. This salad of sorts I created on a whim, all my favourite flavours – salty, sweet and tart – together for a lunch made in heaven. Serve with crusty bread to smear up the very last bits.

small bunches seedless grapes

3–4 slices pancetta (available at Vetro)

1 medium red onion, cut into wedges

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp fine caster sugar

handful of rocket or mesclun leaves

1 ball fresh mozzarella (available at Vetro)

¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper

good quality balsamic vinegar

rustic bread slices to serve

Preheat oven to 190°C fan bake. Lay small bunches of grapes and the pancetta on a lined baking tray, drizzle grapes with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Bake the lot for 6–10 mins until pancetta is crispy and grapes slightly blistered. Set aside.

Place the red onion in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar, sprinkle over the caster sugar and zap in a microwave for 1 minute on high. Set aside until cool.

Arrange leaves on a plate. Tuck the grapes, pickled onions and tear the mozzarella and get it in there too. Crush over the crispy pancetta and lay the blistered grapes on top.

Shower over the toasted pine nuts then drizzle the lot in a little balsamic (if it’s a good barrel aged syrupy one, go nuts) and lots of extra virgin olive oil.

Season and devour with sliced baguette.

MY KNOCK OFF MUSCATELS

I love a dried fruit whatnot on my cheeseboard. There’s something particularly fabulous about plucking dried muscatels from twiggy branches whilst enjoying good wine and cheese. However, I’m bamboozled by the cost of them. One almost needs to harvest an organ to pay for 200 grams at fancy food stores. But fear not fromage loving friends, swanky cheeseboard style help is at hand. These are your stock standard supermarket grapes dried slow in a home oven to dehydrated deliciousness, and I can confirm almost better than an exorbitant muscatel because there’s no choke worthy seeds.

Fresh seedless grapes, well rinsed, drained and cut into small bunches.

I sit the bunches on a cake cooling rack on my oven tray. This is so the grapes have air circulating underneath.

Place in the oven for 5–6 hours at 80–100°C fan bake until withered and firm but still a little soft when squeezed.

Cool and store in airtight containers for just over a month.

Award winning food stylist, designer & creative multi-hyphenate Fiona Hugues spent her childhood gallivanting around the Waikato countryside on horse back. After Hillcrest High School, Elam School of Fine Arts took her to Auckland where she has lived ever since and now resides on a rural property with her French husband, their three children & a plethora of animals. She’s an entertaining expert, sourdough coach, art director and gourmand and it’s said in dire circumstances she would possibly trade one of her children for a bottle of Pinot Grigio & a good burrata.

www.deckchaircafe.co.nz

Fiona Hugues

MOUNT MAUNGANUI’S PREMIUM BEACHFRONT CAFE

Dukkah WHA T W E D O WITH

WORDS HARRIET BOUCHER | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

I’ve never been confident in the spelling of dukkah. But I learnt the hard way that if you spell it as ‘dukkha’ in a google search, you will be inundated with information about the Buddhist concept of dukkha, which translates to ‘suffering’, as opposed to the Egyptian spice mix that I’m talking about.

The word dukkah is derived from the Arabic word meaning ‘to pound’. A mixture of nuts, seeds and spices are pound together in a pestle and mortar to create a chunky savoury topping. My first memory of dukkah was when I was 11, on holiday in Australia. We picked up a bag of it at the Eumundi Markets, along with Turkish bread and olive oil and, until the packet was empty, I snacked on bread dipped in oil then dipped in dukkah. You could say it’s rather addictive.

Dukkah is generally a mix of nuts, sesame seeds, coriander and cumin, often with the addition of dried herbs and other spices. But no two recipes are the same, which gives you the creative freedom to change the flavours to your liking. It packs a surprising amount of flavour and brings life into middle eastern dishes and more.

Brigid Sullivan, from La Cave European grocery in Hamilton, loves to sprinkle dukkah on her avocado on toast. She’s not alone. Taria Given from Magills Butchery also dabbles in a bit of dukkah with smashed avo to start the morning right. If you’re going to take their advice, up the spices in your mix with a few chilli flakes and extra black pepper to bring life to the otherwise bland avo.

Speaking of breakfast, Jana Hart, owner of the Bikery in Cambridge, told me her chefs topped their coconut chia porridge with a sweet superfood dukkah, and their Turkish eggs with a sumac version. These were both winter menu items so my fingers are crossed that these are used in their summer menu.

To make a sweet dukkah, follow my recipe for dukkah praline on our website, or simply stir through a little brown sugar, and swap intensely savoury spices for warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Sprinkle sweet dukkah on ice cream, waffles, creamy iced coffee, chocolate mousse or carrot cake. You’ll love the nutty savoury crunch it brings to baking and desserts.

Paul Menneer from Peplers Fine Foods rolls labneh balls in dukkah. This is the perfect canvas to go crazy with dukkah flavours, both

sweet and savoury. Serve as a canapé, on a cheese board or as a dessert.

Taria also loves sprinkling dukkah over hummus and baba ghanoush to “make it look a little bit more fancy”. You’ll get a big tick for presentation as well as a boost of flavour and crunchy texture. Pair a carrot hummus with a dukkah packed with caraway seeds; the two will complement each other and you’ll look like a true professional.

Amber Bremner let me in on a hot tip: Brush oil on tortillas, sprinkle with a fine dukkah, cut into wedges and fire in the oven until crispy. The same works for flatbreads, and I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Kathy Paterson tells me that dukkah is magic spread over ovenbaked fish fillets and chicken schnitzel. She simply spreads a small amount of mayo over the top of each fish fillet or chicken schnitzel, then sprinkles with a generous but even layer of dukkah. Drizzle a little olive oil over, but mostly around the edges of the meat. The dukkah adds flavour and texture, and makes it look amazing too.

Kathy’s ways with dukkah remind me of my all-time favourite canapé that my dear neighbour Bernadette makes. She rolls small chicken pieces in dukkah, bakes them in the oven, then serves them hot with sweet chilli sauce; they’re succulent, mouth-watering and I hope she never stops making them.

Dukkah will bring texture and pops of flavour when you need to elevate salads, roast vegetables or cauliflower steaks. The same goes for meats from barbequed to braised; use it liberally, you can’t go wrong.

Whether you diligently follow a recipe or go wild with the spice rack, you’ll soon be sprinkling dukkah on everything.

SPRINKLE DUKKAH ON … salads

• roast veggies

cauliflower steaks

• meat

• fish

• eggs

porridge

• ice cream

• waffles

• cheese

• dips

EVENTS

TAURANGA FARMERS MARKET

Where local and convenience collide. The Tauranga Farmers Market is on every weekend, rain, hail or shine.

Saturday 8am–12noon

31 Fifth Ave, Tauranga

www.tgafarmersmarket.org.nz

SUGO’S BOTTOMLESS BRUNCH

Bottomless drinks and Italian brunch styled menu.

Every Saturday, bookings essential.

$59pp | www.sugosugo.co.nz

FALLS RETREAT COOKING WORKSHOPS

Pickling, Preserving & Fermenting

19 March

Sourdough Bread Making

2 April

GARDENING WORKSHOPS

Full Monty Organic Gardening Workshop

19 March or 2 April

All workshops are $150pp and include morning tea on arrival, a delicious shared lunch and take home notes.

www.fallsretreat.co.nz

ARKANDA LIVING AND INTERIORS

Interior Design and Decorating Workshop Wayne will share some of his 28 years of knowledge on fabrics, drapes and furniture.

21 March, 6.45pm | $85pp

Middle Eastern Cuisine Cooking Demonstration

Delve into the exotic world of Middle Eastern and North African Cuisine.

25 or 26 March, 9.30am | $85pp

Spanish Tapas Cooking Demonstration

Back by popular demand, sample some of the delicious tapas Wayne and Taran enjoy when travelling in Spain.

15 or 16 April, 9.30am | $85pp

128A Whitikahu Road, Gordonton. Call 021898909 or email whgood1200@gmail.com for bookings and details.

OUTDOOR MOVIE SCREENING

FREE outdoor movie on Tauranga Waterfront, screening

The Secret Life of Pets 2

24 March | 7.30pm

www.downtowntauranga.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.

24 March – 2 April

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

FIRST WE EAT

Combining New Zealand’s leading musicians with delicious creations by boutique food vendors, celebrity chefs, renowned wineries and craft breweries. Dine, drink and dance all day long!

Wharepai Domain

25 March, 12pm–7pm | $69pp

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

LOCAL WILD FOOD FESTIVAL

The action-packed programme includes a wild food cooking challenge, demonstrations with food tastings, an interactive mystery box cooking challenge, live bands, a craft beer garden, food and market stalls..

25 March, 10am–4pm

Port Ōhope | $15pp

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

DOWNTOWN TAURANGA PROGRESSIVE DINNER

Delight in a night of surprises as we discover some of the CBD’s best eateries. Dine like you never have before as we wind our way from one venue to the next, enjoying a different dish and paired drink at each stop. Brought to you by Nourish magazine and Downtown Tauranga.

29 March, 6pm

Starting on Devonport Road | $199pp

www.flavoursofplentyfestival.com

LEXUS URBAN POLO

An unforgettable day of music, fashion, food and sport.

Register your interest in our VIP Lexus marquee tickets at polo.ebbett.nz

VIP Lexus Marquee $350pp, GA $98

1 April | Tauranga Domain

www.urbanpolo.co.nz

THE GREAT NEW ZEALAND FOOD SHOW

Let The Great New Zealand Food Show take your tastebuds on a culinary journey. Experience a fantastic day out with family and friends, sampling the latest foods, wines and delicious products.

6–7 May

Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton

www.greatnzfoodshow.co.nz