“As with all good spinach, it’s still got dirt on it”
~ David Schofield

You get people who cook, people who teach others how to cook, and people who are champions of food. David Schofield is all three.

For some, David needs no introduction, having won several awards including NZ Culinary Fare’s New Zealand Chef of the Year 2011. I had not previously heard of David – but following Sunday’s demonstration, will be keen to read/see more of him again.

On Sunday, I yanked myself out of bed a little later than I meant to, arriving at the bustling Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market just minutes before David’s demo was due to begin. When I got there and saw all the great looking stalls, I immediately regretted my laziness, for there was now no time to shop before the demo…

Out in the courtyard, grey clouds gathered and a few tears spilled from the sky, but a small crowd appeared nonetheless. A kind lady wiped the chairs with a tea towel and we all sat down in front of David’s stand/kitchen/screen, eager to see what David would present.

In just two hours (with an intermission in between), David produced five dishes – with yummy samples for lucky us. And I don’t know about everyone else, but I came away with way more than just recipes and good food in my tummy – I also gained tips, knowledge and laughter.

I think the skies liked David’s demo too. It held in the rain.

First dish on the tasty menu: cheese dreams (see above). The name itself was enough to make me swoon; but add in Over the Moon cheese curd, some quality bread, free range NZ bacon and a nicely poached egg – and there you have it; a breakfast to keep you dreaming happily all day. David also got Roland from Over the Moon to chat briefly about their cheese and share ideas on what to do with the cheese curd (pair it with salmon, spinach, roasted veges – mmm!)

Dish #2 involved ginger syrup, honey, some luscious wet and natural jam, strawberries… a sweet dance on the tongue and very pretty to look at.

Next, David whipped up what he calls “a play on French Toast”. He blithely cooked while telling us the truth about bright orange salmon (source of colour: carrot pellets). A not-so-pretty tale behind a lovely colour; a good lesson in deciphering “real and fresh” from “lies consumers believe”, I think! David’s emphasis on fresh and local food came through from start to finish of his demo by way of little facts like the colour we may expect fresh salmon to be – salmon feeding on kura may be reddish in colour, while salmon feeding on seaweed may tend towards white tones, etc.

He reminded us that when we reject fresh and local produce in favour of perfectly shaped, unblemished, brightly coloured produce, growers have little choice but to (1) import from overseas, (2) discard perfectly good produce that doesn’t meet these “ideals”, (3) add additives/modify our vegetables to meet our demands. Sure makes me think twice about how I pick my veges!

He also mentioned another point which I like very much: “Every time you buy an NZ product, it tastes just as good as its overseas equivalent, and it keeps someone here employed”.

The salmon “French Toast” (see above), complete with a lovely tomato paste, was put in the oven just long enough to warm (but not cook) the salmon… it emerged beautifully flavoured, and David paired it with a fennel and mesclun salad. I’m pretty sure this dish could steal a smile from the grumpiest human you know.

During the intermission, I hastened in to look at the stalls… and my eye fell on some Good Things indeed (green apple olive oil, creamy cheese, spicy and sweet ginger syrup – just to name a few!)

When we reconvened, David showed us two lavish and simple (the combination sounds contradictory, but it’s true!) dishes: oyster and spinach with lemon pappardelle, and fresh flounder with broad beans and fresh greens. I didn’t get to try the flounder, but the oyster pasta was precious to sample – just imagine soft, quivering, oyster mingled with gently wilted spinach and fresh, generous wide pappardelle ribbons… it was honest, calming and delicious.

It was a pleasure to watch David cook, and inhale the good smells. Vanilla-toned pappardelle bearing the hallmark of freshness: uneven edges. Broad beans tinkering from David’s fingers into a bowl. The warming, nutty aroma of beurre noisette. The sound of fish sizzling in the skillet. So much colour and freshness.

David’s demo was a display of abundance, a reflection of the truth David mentioned at one point: we live in a country where you can visit your Neighbour with the Lemon Trees or go out with a line and catch an honest-to-goodness fish (so why don’t we realise how lucky we are more often?).

Along with the laughs (on David’s generous “pinches” of salt and “pats” of butter, etc), we also gleaned a gallon of great kitchen/food tips from David. I’ll share a few here:

• On de-veining spinach: fold the spinach leaf like you’d fold a heart (vertically), then gently tear away the stalk.
• On shucking oysters: grip the oyster with a dish towel, and hold a shucking knife in your other hand. Run the knife along the opening, and pry the shell apart. Open the oyster over a bowl so you don’t lose the juices. (Use the juices in the dish too).
• On fresh vegetables: better with dirt and insects than bleach (another “lie consumers believe” = clean, sparkling leaves with a sanitised smell are fresh and good… not true).
• On pepper: it is not a season, but a spice – it alters flavour.
• On fish fins: snip off with scissors prior to cooking, as they burn quickly in the pan.
• On removing fish skin: make a cut under the fish skin, dab on some salt to give some grip, then use your thumb and pull the fish skin off.

Here is a picture of David showing us how to take the bone off… admittedly I didn’t see how he did it: one blink, one lift and the bone was out!

David was as generous with food samples as he was with taking questions, and people gathered to ask more questions at the end:

I regrettably had to dash off while David was still taking questions. Late in the afternoon, I came home to my market/NZ produce-lunch – not quite David’s fare (yet), but delicious in my hungriness nevertheless: fresh sourdough topped with Over the Moon black truffle brie (triple cream brie with truffle in the middle… it is every bit as good as it sounds), J. Friend and Co Northern Rata honey (sweet, gently earthy and delicate), and a spicy hot toddy made with Hakanoa Ginger Syrup (the BEST). I look forward to cooking a few things based on David’s recipes soon!

- – -

Thanks for stopping by Mel, it was great to have you there, braving the weather.. we were equally amazed at the amazing food that David cooked, and at how easy he made it look – definitely some cooking inspiration for everyone who was lucky enough to be there! David really wasthe perfect finish to the Out Standing in their Fields tour, with his passion for all things fresh and local. No wonder he’s Chef of the Year! – Kylie + Blair -

Colin Ashton, owner and executive chef of Food at Wharepuke, Kerikeri, was the first chef of the day, cooking up some beautiful beetroot gnocchi – I cant beleive the colour of these things! combined with the herb pesto cream, they were absolutely to die for: If you ever get the chance to stop by his restaurant, it would be well worth a visit.

Organic ricotta and beetroot gnocchi, with a herb pesto cream

• 1.5kg Organic ricotta – firm (Mahoe Cheese)
• 2 cups flour
• 8 heads beetroot — salt roasted (Robinson, Marty)
• 1 egg  (Ohaeawai Chicken Co)
• salt
• pepper
• 500g very old edam – grated (Mahoe Cheese)
• 100g very old edam – shaved (Mahoe Cheese)
• 500ml cream
• 500g mixed herbs — basil, Italian parsley (Kuklando Ltd)
• 500ml extra virgin olive oil (L’Olivetto Olive Oil)
• 1 clove garlic – minced (Frear, David)
• 1 small bag micro herbs (Mighty Mushrooms)
• 1 lemon (Orira Orchards)

Wrap the beetroot in some foil, season with salt, and roast in a moderate oven for 40 minutes until tender.

Remove and let cool, peel beetroot and place 3/4 into a blender with 1 egg and 1/2 a cup of water and blend until smooth, and dice the other 1/4 and reserve.

In food processor place beetroot puree, ricotta cheese, 1 cup grated edam, and salt an pepper to taste.

Blend until smooth and well combined. Transfer to a bowl and mix in 2 cups of plain flour.

Let rest in the fridge for 1hour and then place the dough on a floured surface.

Take some mixture and roll into a 1 cm thick sausage, cut into 1cm x1 c m lozenges and blanch in boiling salted water until they rise to the surface.

Take lozenges out and refresh in iced water, repeat with the rest of the mixture.

To make the pesto cream, toast the macadamia nuts to release the oils and cool and roughly chop.

Wash the herbs, an blanch in boiling water, for 5 seconds, and refresh in iced water. Squeeze out excess water and place in a blender with 250 mls of extra virgin olive oil.

Blend until a fine puree, then add crushed macadamias, grated aged edam ( or parmesan), 1 clove of minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pulse, still retaining some texture, not too fine.

In a pan reduce the cream by half and add in the pesto, warm and season.

Place the gnocchi, and the diced beetroot on non stick paper in a tray, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 10 minutes.

Once warmed through place in a bowl with some of the pesto cream, shaved edam, and top with micro herbs.

- – -

makes 24 Dumplings

• 1 pack of Won Ton Wrappers
• 250g Free Range Pork Mince
• 1 Onion (Beaver Orchards)
• ½ Leek (Kuklando Ltd)
• 2 cloves Garlic (Frear, David)
• Piece of Ginger
• Piece of Lemon Grass (NatureZone Gardens)
• Fresh Coriander (Kuklando Ltd)
• Thai Fish Sauce
• Sweet Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Juice of 2 lemons (Kuklando Ltd)
• Salt and Pepper
• Canola Oil for deep frying

For the sauce:

• ½  bottle of Sweet Chilli Sauce
• Large bundle of fresh Coriander (Kuklando Ltd)
• 2 Tblsp Tamarind Pulp
• Juice of 2 limes (Orira Orchards)

For the salad:

• 1 cup White Wine Vinegar
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tblsp Sugar
• 1 Tblsp Turmeric
• ½  Tblsp toasted ground Coriander seeds
• Kaffir leaves
• Lemon grass root (NatureZone Gardens)
• 1 cucumber (M & S Orchards)
• 1 pack of Mung Bean Sprouts (Mighty Mushrooms)
• 1 red Bell Pepper sliced (Oxley Orchard)
• 1 red hot Chilli sliced (Fire Dragon Chillies)
• 1 Courgette, shaved (Willowbrook Farm)

Chop onion, leek, garlic, ginger, lemon grass root and mix with other ingredients through the pork.

Season with salt and pepper.

Put a teaspoon full of the mixture on to the won ton skin and shape, sealing the edges with some water.

Fry won tons in Canola oil.

For the sauce; blend all the ingredients in a food processor.

For the salad; heat the vinegar with the water, sugar, turmeric, kaffir leaves, lemon grass, and coriander.

When boiling, turn of the heat and add the remaining ingredients and cool.

Drain and arrange onto plates

Assembling:  arrange spoonfuls of salad on a plate and put dumplings on top. Drizzle with sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Brioche en Croute with Sautéed Exotic Mushrooms

• 6 Brioche slices
• 3 tblsp olive oil (L’Olivetto Olive Oil)
• 250g Exotic Mushrooms or Field Mushrooms (Mighty Mushrooms)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, crushed, peeled and chopped (Frear, David)
• 100ml white wine (Brajkovich Wines)
• 3 tblsp Cream
• Sea Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped Chives to serve (Kuklando Ltd)

Heat the olive oil and butter.

Add the mushrooms and sauté at medium heat for 8 Minutes, and then add the garlic. Increase the heat; add the wine, double cream and seasoning and toss well until the liquid evaporates and the mixture thickens.

Toast or fry the brioche and serve with the mushroom mixture, sprinkled with chives.

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Thanks for stopping by, catch you all next time for our final Out Standing Farmers’ Market – Grey Lynn. Until then, happy cooking and happy holidays! -Blair + Kylie -

On a beautiful Saturday morning, Parnell Farmers’ Market celebrated their “Hello Spring” event with face painting, Walnut the clown (making super balloon animal hats), Old Macdonald’s barnyard petting zoo and the main course: Julie Biuso’s Out Standing In Their Fields cooking demo.

With 14 books under her belt and a 15th due out next month, Julie wears various foodie hats including writing, radio, television and teaching. I’m subscribed to just one food magazine and Julie happens to be their food editor. Julie is well known for her accessible style of cooking and Taste magazine is my favourite for that same approach to food. Food shouldn’t be fussy!

A little pork goes a long way.

Hot and sour pork salad.

The first dish, a hot and sour pork salad was zingy and smart. Using asian exotics like lime, palm sugar, coriander, mint and fish sauce it has punchy flavours that bring out the freshness of the produce.

The magazine version and a slab of yummy pork.

Julie’s tips: 

• Use soft brown sugar as a substitute for palm sugar
• Refrigerate onions to save your eyes
• Don’t be scared about using fish sauce as a seasoning

Kylie about to offer tastings to a pirate.

Zingy freshness.

Julie has a real passion for fresh food and hammered in the importance of fresh and quality produce. There’s no point in eating your greens if they’re wilted and sad. New Zealanders generally eat too much meat and Julie’s dishes used tasty, moderate amounts of meat and really celebrated fresh vegetables.

Yum!

The second dish was asparagus, mint and bacon wraps cooked quickly on the BBQ. This is a summertime snack that has wide appeal. Perfect as a pre-dinner nibble with a summery sauvignon blanc or perhaps an icy beer.

Julie wrapping asparagus spears.

Then onto gas.

Turning once.

Two of her summer themed cookbooks were on on offer and Julie reminded us of situation we know well: standing at the BBQ, drink in one hand, tongs in the other and the overwhelming urge to keep the tongs dancing while you’re chatting away. It’s never necessary to turn a sausage 8 times. Resist this temptation. If nothing else, remember this for the coming BBQ season: Don’t keep moving food around on the BBQ. Give it a chance to start cooking.

This recipe is from Julie's book Sizzle.

Spears on a platter, ready to serve to your guests.

Asparagus, mint and bacon wraps.

The rain protection ended up being very good shade.

I really enjoyed Julie’s teaching style. I’ve never really been interested in cooking shows that simply tell you what to cook. You can learn that from a recipe book. Julie teaches people how to cook. Once you learn how to cook, you can freestyle. And freestyling is where the fun begins.

Minty fresh.

The Taste Pantry.

Books ready for buying and signing.

    Thanks so much for stopping by Genie, it was great to have you involved!    Be sure to check out all the videos of the day, as well as Bunny Eats Design.

See you all next time in Kerikeri – Kylie + Blair -

Sustainable, free-range and always fresh.” This mantra, underlying the growing enthusiasm for farmers markets in NZ, is the tag line for the Spring newsletter for local cafe, Zinc. Zinc Chef Chris Scott is proud to produce simple handmade food using the freshest available seasonal produce and ingredients of the highest quality, and Hamilton was even prouder to show off his talents at the Hamilton Farmers Market on Sunday.

Hamilton’s show kicked off with home cook Fiona Sneyd. Fiona kept us amused and riveted by her family stories (her gorgeous daughter was her sous-chef) and fresh, simple concoctions. Having snatched up asparagus and fennel from the fresh produce stalls, lettuce (from the lettuce man) and sourdough from Volare prior to the show, Fiona was kitted out to wow us.

What followed was a feast of Sicilian Fennel with Sourdough Gremolata, Roast Vegetables (including asparagus) with Macadamia Nut & Yoghurt sauce, and a simple fresh Asparagus Salad. After a tasting sample of the Sicilian Fennel dish, I raced off to get my hands on a bunch of baby fennel and a loaf of San Francisco Sourdough. Best served warm, I imagine this is perfect as a side for a summer picnic.

Fiona with her asparagus salad tossed with vinegar-soaked sourdough

I have to say, the showstopper for me was Chris Scott’s Risotto Primavera. In regards to the consistency, Chris explained that the risotto should spread as you dish it up, not stay in a pile, or be formed into fancy shapes (like you see in some restaurants!). The risotto, with broad beans, asparagus, mint and parsley, was most definitely a taste of spring. Another recipe for this week’s menu!

Risotto Primavera

2 cups Aborio Rice
2L Chicken Stock
200g Asparagus
200g Raw Broad Beans
Chopped Parsley
S & P
1/2 Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
12 Mint Leaves
50g Butter
50g Parmesan

This is the “Risotto of Spring” so any spring vegetables in season that catch your eye at the Farmers Market can be used.

1. Blanch Beans & Asparagus in salted boiling water until just cooked, then refresh in iced water to retain colour. Set aside.
2. Heat Chicken Stock in a saucepan & leave on a low heat.
3. Chop onion & garlic finely, melt 1T butter in a thick bottomed pan and sweat the onion & garlic.
4. Add rice & cook until translucent.
5. Slowly add the heated stock a ladle full at a time, stirring continuously until risotto is cooked to creamy texture.
6. Add vegetables, butter, mint, parsley & grated parmesan

My husband and I left the markets clutching our fresh, local produce, our minds brimming with cooking tips and inspiration for some spring dishes.

- Christina {De La Casa}

J and I happened to be in Tauranga in the weekend visiting our dear friends and took the opportunity to get amongst the market action on Saturday morning. It was Tauranga’s turn for the visit from Outstanding In Their Fields so we were stoked to catch celebrity chef Steven Barry of Mount Bistro cooking up some fantastic treats.

His first dish of Pasta in Smoked Tomato Sauce was so simple and packed with flavour. The smokey sundried tomatoes were really something different. The Gemelli Pasta from Pastamia had us heading over to the Pastamia stall to check out their other fresh pastas.

We came away with a paper bag of the hugest mushrooms we’ve ever seen, two nests of fresh handmade tagliatelle, and step by step advice from the Italian man on the pasta stall. We were more than prepared to create the perfect mushroom pasta dish. And so we did. Recipe to follow!

- – -

Thanks again Christina, it was great to meet you. Here are Stephens recipes, and be sure to check out the video for all the details!  

Pasta in a smoked tomato sauce with fresh basil

• 1 onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 6 peeled tomatoes (Pilcher Produce)
• 2 smoked sundried tomatoes (Wholesmoked)
• Fresh Basil (Liberty Growers)
• 1 packed Gemelli Pasta (Pastamia)

Finely chop the onion and sweat off in sauce pan with crushed garlic.

Peel tomatoes by removing the core and blanching in boiling water for 15-20 seconds before plunging into cold water, the skin should then peel easily.

Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and tomato paste to garlic and onion turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer. Finely slice the smoked tomatoes and add to sauce. Season to taste. Just before serving stir in some chopped fresh basil.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

I’m using Gemelli pasta as it is easy to eat while standing, this sauce would also be great with fettuccini.

For variations you could try adding sauteed chicken, prawns or salami.

Seared dukkah crusted beef on crostini

• 2 Sirloin steaks (Wholly Cow)
• 1 packet dukkah (Katikati Frantoio)
• 2 loaves baguette (Flaveur Breads)
• Avocado oil (Lamb Organics)
• Red onion marmalade (Millys Fine Foods)

Trim the steaks of all fat and cut into thick 2 cm wide strips.

Thinely slice the baguettes place on an oven tray and lightly spray with avocado oil. Toast in a hot oven until golden.

Rub the strips of sirloin with dukkah and sear in a hot pan until coulored each side and cooked to you liking inside. Leave the meat to reast for 5 minutes before slicing and placing on top of the toasted crostini. Then top with the red onion marmalade.

Fresh asparagus with a macadamia, orange vinaigrette

• 75 g chopped macadamia nuts (Harbourside Macadamias)
• 50 mls orange vinegar (Jenos Homemade)
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 100 mls avocado oil (Lamb Organics)
• Fresh asparagus (Bruntwood Gardens)

Toast the macadamia nut until golden and fragrant, mix with the vinegar, salt and mustard then slowly whisk in the oil.

Trim the asparagus, and blanch in boiling salted water. Serve with the orange vinaigrette.

Sauteed spring vegetables

A selection of fresh market vegetables, washed, peeled and sliced or cut into florets.

I’ve used baby leeks (Amberdale Eggs), fennel bulbs, pak choy (Guy’s Gourmet Produce), courgettes, snow peas and broccolini (Pahoia Fresh Produce).

Sautee the vegetables in a little avocado oil till just cooked, season and finish with a little fresh lime juice.

Honeyed apple & macadamia crumble

• 50 g macadamia nuts, chopped (Harbourside Macadamias)
• 50 g rolled oats
• 25 g flour
• 40 g brown sugar
• 40 g butter

Rub all ingredients together, place in an oven tray and bake till golden.

• 40 g Butter
• 50 g Honey(Kaimai Range Honey)
• 400 g apples, granny smith are best (Devine Fruits)

Peel core and dice the apples then sautee with the butter and honey until softened.

To serve place the apple in a dish and top with the crumble.

Catch you all next time in Hamilton! -Kylie + Blair-

The Out Standing Kitchen was certainly the place to be, with 5 of the stallholders showing us just how good fresh and local food is! We got to try a huge variety of the Markets produce, as well as hear all about the care and attention that these people put into making great products everyday.

Sally from Woodburn Venison cooked up a Spiced Vinson Leg with Onion Couscous:

Spiced Venison

- 1 Denver Leg or Leg Fillet

- 1/2 Tbsp Cumin

- 1/2 tsp Chilli powder

- 1/2 Tbsp Paprika

Couscous

- 1 cup dry Couscous

- 1 cup stock

- 2 Tbsp Village Press Olive Oil

- 2 sliced Onions

- 1 Tbsp Thyme

• Place couscous in a bowl and add boiling stock, cover with plastic wrap and stand for 5 minutes.
• Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat, then add thyme and onion, cooking until onion is well browned.
• Combine spices and toss venison to coat.
• Denver leg: brown on all sides, then finish in oven for 7 minutes (oven time can be calculated by: grams x 2.5 = time in oven) OR Leg Fillets: cook steaks for 1 – 2 minutes each side, depending on thickness.
• Place cooked couscous in pan with onion and warm through.
• Slice the venison and serve with couscous and rocket leaves.

European Gourmet showed us all the tricks for a great Pumpkin and Carrot Risotto:

Ingredients

- 100g butter

- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil

- 1 onion, chopped (Krismaw Gardens)

- 2 carrots, diced (Krismaw Gardens)

- 3 cloves of garlic (Krismaw Gardens)

- 100g Pancetta (The Deli)

- 1 litre European Gourmet Stock, warmed

- 280g arborio rice

- 2 cups diced, pre-cooked pumpkin (Krismaw Gardens)

- 100g grated hard cheese (Hohepa)

• Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan, fry pancetta, carrots, garlic and onion until the onion is clear.
• Add rice and stir over a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Add one ladle of stock and stir until liquid is absorbed. continue to add stock in this manner for 20 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, add cooked pumpkin.
• once rice is cooked, add cheese and stir.
• Garnish with Rocket leaves from Epicurean Supplies and St Andrews Lime Dressing.

Lemon infused Pasta from Pasta Love was definitely the highlight of this incredible dish – Lemon Pasta with Fresh Asparagus and Herbs.

Ingredients

- 1 packet Pasta Love Lemon Pasta

- 1 bunch fresh Asparagus

- fresh herbs

- lemon rind

- Olive Oil

- small knob of butter

• Cook and drain pasta in a big pot of salted water (8 minutes).
• While this is cooking, fry asparagus, fresh herbs and lemon rind in a a mixture of olive oil and butter.
• When both elements are ready, combine with fresh lemon rind and white pepper.

Anne from Orcona Chillis whipped up Harissa Coated Lamb on a Fresh Farmers’ Market Salad with mint and Chilli dressing – Yum! We’re both suckers for spicy food so she had us at Chilli Check out the recipe below, and the video for all the details:

Ingredients

- Harissa Paste (Orcona Chillis)

- Butterfly Lamb Rump (Ti Kouka)

- Salad Greens (Epicurean Supplies)

- Olive Oil (Village Press)

- Strawberries (Mountain View )

- Mint n Chilli Sauce (Orcona Chillis)

• Mix a little olive oil into Harisas and rub on lamb. leave for at least 10 minutes, or overnight.
• Heat pan and sear the lamb on all sides to a lovely golden colour (approx 5 minutes each side). Remove from heat and rest in a warm oven (130 degreees) to finish cooking and relax the meat.
• slice salad ingredients and lay on a large platter, drizzle with Mint n Chilli sauce.
• After 10 minutes, remove meat from oven and slice thinly.
• Place lamb slices over salad, season with salt and pepper.

Thanks for stopping by, catch you all next time in Tauranga!  -Blair + Kylie-

There was quite a crowd at the Market to check out the culinary skills of Chris Fortune, and taste some of the delicious Wanganui produce on offer, which certainly didn’t disappoint.
A brief aside = I am totally converted to the Dotto Sauces which were provided by Jane, our fantastic kitchen volunteer – if you ever get a chance, try her Casablanca Sauce!! Jane runs Dotto Catering, so if you are ever hungry in Wanganui then her Gourmet Sandwich stall is the place to visit – find them at the River Traders Market on Saturdays, or on Main Street during the week. There was a great range of other products available too, some of which were brand new to me :

All around, a wonderful day in Wanganui: Check out the recipe below and the video for all the details of what Chris Fortune created from the uniquely Wanganui produce. Until next time! -Kylie + Blair-

Hester: “These recipes are only a guide as so much depends what is available on the day. I try to use local products and just adapt everything.”

Salad of Smoked Chicken with apple, celery and tamarillo vinegar glaze.

For the salad you will need 1 smoked chicken breast, sliced on a diagonal, 2 stalks celery, peeled and cut on a fine diagonal, 1 red skinned apple(Benefield’s Orchard) cut in wedges and finely sliced, a handful of toasted cashew nuts or almonds (Tony Chestnut) and some chopped parsley.

Layer the ingredients on a large platter and drizzle with a squeeze of lemon juice and season lightly with New Zealand sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Finish with a swirl of extra virgin olive and for the piece de resistance, spoon over some tamarillo vinegar available from Eclectic Country.

I have made raspberry vinegar in the past and the tamarillo vinegar has the same fresh light flavour that enhances the style of today’s cooking so well.

Roasted Asparagus served with Lardons of Crisp Bacon and garnished with Quail’s Eggs.

Snap the ends from the asparagus and toss in New Zealand sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a generous squeeze of lemon. Oven roast in a single layer in a preheated oven about 180°C about 5 minutes. Meanwhile cut the bacon (Bulls Bacon) into strips and fry in a heavy based pan until crisp. Remove and drain. In the remaining fat from the bacon, gently fry quails’ eggs, spooning over the bacon fat until the eggs are just cooked. Arrange the asparagus on a platter, sprinkle with bacon and then top with the fried quail’s eggs. Serve with a loaf of bread made from kamut, an ancient grain, which has a fine texture and a nutty flavour (Wholegrain Organics).

Pan fried Snapper served over lettuce, garnished with lemon and dill, finished with Lime and Chilli Dressing.

Firstly cut the snapper into medallions and pan fry in oil. Always cook the first side longer so the second side takes but a couple of minutes. Serve over fresh watercress or blanched asparagus.  Finish the dish with a quick glaze made by deglazing the pan with water, adding a generous dash of Chilli and Lime dressing (Eclectic Country), reducing the two together  over a high heat, and then adding a generous dollop of butter to enrich the sauce. Spoon over the sauce and sprinkle with dill and shredded lemon rind just prior to serving.

Sauteed Breast of Chicken served on a Bed of Roasted Parsnips, Broccoli with Chili and Capsicum Glaze.

After blanching the parsnips, they were then oven roasted in butter. The broccoli too was blanched, then refreshed and put aside. Meanwhile split a chicken breast (Chitz Chicken) in half sideways to give you two thin pieces of breast from each breast. Gently sauté in a preheated pan in a little butter or olive oil. Once the chicken is cooked, remove and let rest for five minutes before slicing on a diagonal. Casually place the sliced chicken, parsnips and broccoli on a platter. Drizzle with Chilli and Capsicum sauce (Eclectic Country) and sprinkle generously with herbs freshly chopped.

Stir fried Venison (or ostrich) with Sautéed Leeks and Watercress served over Pasta.

The leeks were first thinly sliced and gently oven roasted to bring out their natural sweetness. The pasta was cooked, drained with a tablespoon of cooking liquor reserved to encourage the sauce.

The venison was trimmed and cut into small steaks (Edelweiss Smallgoods Ltd). Sear over a high heat until barely cooked through, remove from the pan and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Deglaze the pan with a slosh of red wine (Paulownia Estate) and then add a good dash of tamarillo chutney or plum sauce. Add the leeks to the cooked pasta, with the reserved liquor, the washed and trimmed watercress, and lots of chopped herbs. Place the steaks over the top of the leek pasta and finally spoon over the sauce.

Catch you all next time in Whanganui! -Kylie + Blair-

The Kumara Salad was my person favourite: delicious and simple, and definitely something I will be tackling over summer! Check out the video for all the details, as well as some of the days hilarity:

Kumara and Tangello Salad, with Toasted Coconut and Spiced Broad Beans.

INGREDIENTS – Quantities to Taste

- Kumara (Awatotara Kumara)

- Curly Kale, sliced (Natural Lea)

- Tangellos (Natural Lea)

- Radishes (Longlife Farm)

- Coconut Flakes

- Dried Spiced Broad Beans

- 2 Tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce

DIRECTIONS

- boil whole peeled kumara, being careful not to overcook them (otherwise they will fall apart!)

- Chop Kumara into bite size peices

- Toast Coconut in a dry pan,  until brown (check out the photo above)

- Peel and chop Tangellos, combine with chopped Kumara, sliced Kale, sweet chilli sauce and dried broad beans.

- Enjoy!

Many Thanks to the team at Farmers’ Market Taranaki!  See you all next time when we visit Fielding Farmers’ Market. -Kylie + Blair-