I have a friend in Collingwood who, each autumn, gifts me with a bag of fresh walnuts from her 30 year old tree. They arrive when the spring- sewn parsley is just coming of age and the December-harvested garlic is still fresh and juicy. INGREDIENTS 1 bunch of parsley which, roughly chopped, will fill two…
Month: April 2020
the winter garden: parsley
In folk-lore, parsley has a long history of magical properties. In medieval Europe, where it was believed only the wicked could grow it, parsley was associated with death and was used to decorate graves. Many types of bad luck are associated with transplanting it. In most of Europe it is believed it foretells a death…
The first pumpkins – Pumpkin Risotto
Pumpkin Risotto with brown sage butter This is a bowl of golden savoury rice pudding comfort food. When the first autumn pumpkin is cut open, risotto is always my go to. What’s yours? I’d love to hear what’s happening at your place in the comments below. The pumpkins were weka-ravaged this year, full of huge…
the autumn garden: pumpkins and squashes
We harvested the crown pumpkins today and put them in a sheltered, sunny spot where they will ‘cure’ for three weeks. This process hardens the skin for winter storage and sweetens the flesh. I’m not sure how the ones with weka pecks will keep so will eat them first. The words pumpkin and squash aren’t…
A Turkish night in
Who is missing their favourite takeaways? This is what my sister’s boyfriend was making in Wellington when we had pre-dinner video drinks the other night and it got me hankering. What street food or takeaways are you missing the most? Tell us in the comments below, I’d love to hear! Felafel Soak 1 cup chickpeas…
Ribollita
A rib-sticking, pot-licking bowl of winter goodness. The hero of this Tuscan peasant soup is cavalo nero, or black kale, and this weekend I picked the first leaves from my teenage plants. A big pot of this bubbling on the coal range for a couple of days only gets better. A few years ago we…
Beetroot soup
A soup as elegant as it is simple and refreshing. Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 800 g beetroot 1 litre water 1 lemon Salt 1 Tbsp finely chopped chives or spring onion Sour cream Grated horseradish if you have any Fresh dill METHOD Peel and dice the beetroot, then boil in the water for about an hour…
A Japanese tasting table
A tasty selection of snacks to put together when you’re missing your favourite street food during lock down. Okonomyaki pancakes: an Osaka style pancake street food, usually made out of cabbage and bigger than this. This is a finger food twist using kumara and asian greens. Tempura dipping sauce Okonomyaki dipping sauce: a weird mix of tomato…
Root veg and beef bone stew
Warm and satisfying for shorter days and chill evenings. See the recipe for Root veg and beef bone stew here
Beetroot Risotto
On Monday at the supermarket Arborio rice was the only type of rice left on the shelves. Don’t let the panic buying beat you! Here is something to make with it. Lusciously silky and sweetly earthy – and what about all that colour that just keeps on giving?! Find the recipe here
food ripe from my garden 