Lauraine’s blog
24 March 2010
Two days this week I have found myself in two gardens and it’s only Wednesday!
Both very different, but both with the aim of feeding people with handsome produce…
On Monday, after an early golf match (we lost on the 19th hole), I drove to Mangere in South Auckland and picked a big basketful of the most beautiful tomatoes. The Young family in Pukaki Rd has grown produce for Auckland markets for as long as both my mother and I can remember. Late in summer, their beefsteak tomato crop ripens and on fine weekdays, from 10am to 3pm they open their fields to PYO customers. That may not seem unusual but in this modern age of mass production and cultivation in a controlled environment, there is something extremely special about getting dirt on your shoes, your fingers green from pinching the tomato stalks, and then bottling, saucing or simply eating this heavy sweet ripe fruit that has grown outdoors.
It made me think that we accept produce far too easily that is picked green, carefully transported to markets, distributed and then sometimes re-distributed, arranged on shelves, chosen, and sent through the checkout before we get to take it home and eat it. And sometimes after all this activity we still have to wait for it to fully ripen. At least at farmers markets, farm stands and in PYO gardens we get to eliminate many of these steps and we can choose vine or tree ripened produce. Long may the Youngs continue to cultivate their land, and not succumb to the encroaching suburban sprawl of housing estates that now border their gardens.
On Tuesday, another heart-warming experience. I again drove to South Auckland, this time to the East Tamaki Primary School for the launch of the Garden to Table Trust. Modelled on Stephanie Alexander’s School Kitchen Garden programme, the trust aims to teach children to grow, cook and eat their own vegetables and fruit. I had heard a lot about the hard work that has already got this project up and running in this school and in two more in the Auckland region. Many of my friends and neighbours are involved in a voluntary capacity, many large corporations, companies and charitable trusts have got behind it, and the delight and commitment shown by the school children was fabulous.
Every spare inch of land that is not used for play areas has been turned into gardens. The Year 4, 5 & 6 children tend these vegetables and fruits, then cook with them and sit together family style to share the yummy food they have produced under supervision. The school is part of a now very proud community and the activity has even influenced several of the neighbours to start their own gardens, with much success. Let’s hope it really takes off and more schools not only teach the children about cultivation, but also how to cook, eat and adequately provide for their nutritional needs. There’s real hope for a healthy future with this initiative.
22 March 2010
Talked with Kathryn Ryan this morning on National Radio. Listen and you may be inspired to visit Matakana.
Monday 22 March Food and Wine segment.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/
18 March 2010
Last night I got a cruisy role. Eating, drinking and commenting. Take a peek.
http://tvnz.co.nz/masterchef-new-zealand/s1-e7-video-3418708
15 March 2010
I have become a total farmers’ market addict. I spend almost every weekend in the Matakana region and every Saturday I arrive at the market as close to 8am as I can. I grab a coffee (the clever boys at Matakana Roasters know exactly how I like mine) and check out the fresh seasonal vegetables and fruit, real free range orchard laid organic eggs, artisan products, fresh fish and meat, smoked goodies, and a truly tempting array of freshly prepared ready to eat food. I need to take at least three baskets which I always seem to fill.
(If I do have to stay in Auckland I always head to the Parnell farmers’ market in the car park of the Foundation for the Blind. The vegetables there are superb, and the crowd is much later to arrive than I am used to so it’s really easy to move around.)
This summer has been the best ever for the Matakana market. We’ve seen many new stall holders and every single week there’s a new surprise for those who look carefully. I love the Something Fishy stall, and this weekend was thrilled to see Bluff oysters, meaty chunks of tuna and fresh whole salmon. I bought the oysters, and then found wonderful aubergines, incredibly intense sweet bright orange baby tomatoes and lovely lettuce and rocket with the dirt still clinging to the roots in a nearby veggie stall. And many other things: smoked salmon, baby beetroot, avocados, smoked garlic, roses, green beans, passion fruit, grapes, buffalo fresh cheese, and a jar of locally made mustard.
But what I love most is watching the development of the stall holders. John and Wi of Pak Thai grow Asian produce, and this week John came up with a new innovation. He put together large brown paper carry bags filled with all the ingredients, including a recipe, for a green Thai curry. For $13.50 I got a packet of green curry paste, sachets of kaffir lime leaves, birdseye chillies, those pea-sized Thai aubergines, a can of the best coconut cream I have come across, a chicken stock cube, and large bunches of fresh coriander and sweet basil. I didn’t buy chicken, but instead made a potato and aubergine curry for friends on Saturday night. Lovely!
Annabelle Guinness never fails to surprise me with her wonderfully innovative bowls of food. She started out with sorbets, mayonnaise and fudge, then developed a range of superb soups (the shiitake tea soup is my all time favourite) and now makes ready to eat treats each week. I can’t go past her breakfast polenta topped with poached plums, figs, apples or pears, swathed in cream and honey and finished with a sprig of mint. But she also has potato and mushroom gratin, beans and croutons in tamarind on rice, and other amazing combinations of delicious food.
And it’s been great to see the return of Silvana Silvestro and her husband Mike, who make authentic, inspired Sicilian food including sweet custardy cannoli, a rich lasagne made with Salumeria Fontana sausage, and fantastic rice suppli which Silvana will heat to eat at the market.
These people have all become friends, and as those of us who have long recognised, the connection of grower to consumer is the real strength of a farmers' market. There’s trust, faith and understanding. As much as I love my local New World in Remuera, the amazing Jack Lum and Co, and Remuera Fisheries, it can never be quite the same as knowing exactly who grew my food and presented it to me.
14 March 2010
I can't stay away. I was at Soul, yet again, on Friday. This time to join Jacqui Dixon's 50th birthday celebration. Where have the years gone?
It seems about five minutes ago I visited Jacqui and Phil Dixon's home in Parnell where they had stuffed their garage full of top class superb Italian products. They threw a dinner to showcase pasta, balsamic and other Italian delights at 82 Gladstone and chef Leanne Kitchen cooked up a classy storm that night.
And it's been non-stop since then as their business Sabato has encompassed far more than the best products of Italy. The showroom in Mt Eden is crammed with every luxury thing item from afar and New Zealand that a cook could desire (although I haven't seen caviar in a while.)
And the Soul menu of delicious mozzarella and vine ripened tomato salad, tender juicy duck breast and a tiny creme brulee with raspberries and lemon sorbet made for a deliciously fitting tribute to one of Auckland's food champions.
I have been privileged to share the journey. Happy birthday, Jacqui!
4 March 2010
There’s one restaurant in Auckland that’s light years ahead of the pack when it comes down to knowing their market and dealing to it. It’s Soul Bar and Bistro, which can be found occupying the top position on the city’s Viaduct Basin.
I have always admired owner Judith Tabron as the most sassy restaurateur this country has, and probably has ever had. (Valerie Littlejohn, Madame Louise, Bob Sell and Lada Ourednik were good, but not as good as The Blonde.) She knows how to pull the crowds, she knows her customers and exactly what they want. She instigated witty viral marketing campaigns, has great mates in the wine world, and is not afraid to risk it all for a fabulous promotion that will bring new punters along to the restaurant, sipping and swilling alongside the regulars. Fashion parades, underwear exposés, literary lunches, Melbourne Cup Days complete with the tote, and promos where girls get free Moet all contribute to a constantly moving and developing scene that’s unrivalled in New Zealand.
But this week will be hard to top, IMHO. Tuesday was the annual Soul Bluff Oyster Lunch. Keith Lovatt, the champion oyster opener and fisherman from the deepest South (where they only have two drinks I am led to believe: Speight’s and a frothy concoction of Kahlua, ice and milk, sipped through a straw) was flown up to shuck his way through an impressive 200 dozen oysters in less than three hours. (He had quite some blisters by the end of that performance.)
And more than 230 people fronted up with $130 for the privilege of tasting the first of the new season’s bivalves, accompanied by Deutz Prestige Cuvee or Mumm Champagne. And they were well rewarded as Judith budgeted on about 4-5 dozen oysters per head (yes, you read that right.) We ate plate after plate of freshly shucked oysters, briny, sweet and delicious, and then followed that with half a dozen fried oysters on a minted slaw, a cup of rich satisfying Oyster Broth, and a cute little oyster and beef pie that was superb. (see photo). To wrap up the lunch there were more freshly shucked oysters and a sublime dessert of Peach Melba.
The stars were out in force for this including Kerre Woodham, Marcus Lush and even some Visitors From Wellington and partying continued as long as the oysters lasted, which was well after the sun had set.
And to top all that, Soul launched their newest promo tonight, Garden of Soul, with Havana Heaven Party. Loved those mojitos and Kantuta playing!
Xanthe White was commissioned to turn that amazing deck into a garden, complete with fountain and an array of living plants. Over the next few days there will be a Morning Glory High Tea in the garden (Saturday), a party to celebrate the Garden of Good and Evil (late night Saturday Masquerade Party), and a Fire and Brimstone Barbeque (Sunday from 4pm). I’ll be back, although the deck may never be the same without that lush green growth to fancy it up. Judith confesses she’s organised this promotion as she misses arranging the flowers that used to dominate the centre of her previous restaurant Ramses. I thought her mother came in to do the flowers there. Whatever; it is certainly not to be missed, running from 4-9 March.
24 February 2010
My son is getting married this weekend! And so we are celebrating all week long.
Such a special occasion calls for family favourite food, and I have shared two traditional family classics on my recipe page. I prepared both these recipes for a party on Monday night and we're still eating the leftovers. Check them out!
19 February 2010
Chinese New Year is perhaps the most auspicious and important time on the calendar. The celebrations last for fifteen days from the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar until the Lantern Festival 15 days later. It’s time to clean the house, greet friends and feast on special foods that will bring good luck.
In honour of Chinese New Year the NZ Guild of Food Writers (I am the current president) held a traditional New Year Banquet at Grand Harbour restaurant in Auckland’s Viaduct Basin. We planned the dinner to be a cultural learning experience, especially important for us, as predictions are that in six years time every third person residing in Auckland will be of Asian origin and the majority of the group will be Chinese.
Our dinner was an unqualified success. Everyone wore something red, to symbolise the importance of the occasion and to bring luck. Tables were garnished with boxes of sweets and oranges, and as president (supposedly the most important guest) I was given special sweets to bring me the gift of a son in the forthcoming year - I hope it’s a grandson, not a son, and you never know as my son is getting married next week!
Every dish served had special significance and many of the dishes are served specifically for New Year. The twelve course menu was amazing, and a far cry from what most of us would ever order if presented with the wide choice that such large restaurants as Grand Harbour offer to diners.
My favourites were the braised pork tongue slices with dried oysters and black moss, a huge braised crayfish on a bed of tasty e-fu noodles, stir fried scallops in XO Sauce with crispy milk fritters (just wonderful) and a large packet of steamed duck and mushroom rice wrapped in a lotus leaf, which has a small version that I always order as Yum Char lunch.
Jenny Yee Collinson, a long time Guild member and expert on Asian cookery explained each dish to us, and half way through the evening a traditional Lion Dance was performed. How the lion manoeuvred through and around the tables, I’m not sure, but all diners presented the dancers with a lucky red packet in appreciation.
Our dinner finished with Chinese New Year dessert cake, sweet, sticky and superb. I think we will be making this an annual event.
(thanks to William Chen for photo)
15 February 2010
With dismay I read over the weekend that Feran Adrià and his restaurant partner Juli Soler are to close El Bulli, on Spain’s northern Mediterranean coast. (The kitchen itself is far more impressive than the actual restaurant. The chefs cook in an airy space with stunning work benches and art on the walls. The diners eat in a relaxed well decorated series of dining areas that have a distinct country feel.)
The report I read suggested that Feran and Juli had been losing up to half a million euros each season, and so at the end of next year, El Bulli will serve its last degustation meal. I am not surprised about their cash flow, as when we ate there the pair were exceedingly generous, plying us with an almost never ending flow of superb Spanish wines all evening, and only charging us for the food! They are two lovely men, each bringing something truly unique to the art of dining, creating an experience that has seen El Bulli named top restaurant in the world for the past four years.
I wrote about our experience there at the time, calling the story, ‘My Culinary Pilgrimage’ and I share that here:
“The road to el Bulli restaurant twists and turns through uninhabited hilly Mediterranean coastal land near the summer resort town of Roses. The journey is a culinary pilgrimage to this Spanish temple of dining where Ferran Adrià and his kitchen team of 35 chefs and 15 front of house staff deliver an extraordinary experience to 55 privileged diners each night for six months of the year.
It is a meal like no other on the planet, an adventure of feasting on an array of more than 30 innovative and original tiny courses (with no meat) that left us happy and satisfied but neither groaning or overfed. Adrià is a master of taste and texture, a magician who creates truly remarkable food that had us intrigued, amazed and sometimes puzzled.
A large scented red rose (to excite the senses) accompanied by a tall glass of hot and chilled Roses ginger, honey and peach tea kicked off the meal. Paper thin crisps of lemon and black olive, brittle toast with an accompanying tube of peanut butter, rabbit ear crackling, a tin of caviar fashioned from ripe melon so that it looked like salmon roe, and lemon rind tempura with the aroma of licorice followed in quick succession.
The chefs spend their winter devising and dreaming up these culinary quirks of imagination and each season open with a menu that is more inventive than the previous.
The ninth course, four perfect fresh almonds: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, presented on a granite slab with accompanying shot glass of ice cold water really focussed our attention and brought the realisation that Adrià was literally playing with our senses. We tasted mint, coconut and curry candy floss, foie gras ‘water’, crab cannelloni that was shrouded in thin avocado slices, ‘sunburnt’ sardines, veal bone marrow with black pepper, parmesan cheese spaghetti where the pasta was made from cheese, and gnocchi made from water on a bed of lychee soup. But it was the foam that he has perfected, a glass cylinder filled with carrot froth like sitting above a spoonful of bitter coconut milk that captured our attention most for the sheer brilliance of colour and intense flavour.
Desserts were equally stunning and the frozen loaf of white chocolate and yogurt was unbelievably standout, rather like a sophisticated version of pavlova.
In a world where dining experiences are measured by Michelin stars, this added up to an experience that deserves the invention of an fourth star as it is unprecedented and worth every penny of the round the world air ticket to get there.”
Even now as I sit at my desk five years later and look over the menu from that evening, I can conjure up most of the colourful dishes. As you can see, at that time the foam impressed. It is probably Feran’s gift to the world which has been the most emulated and the most abused.
But, sadly, we won’t be going back, and foodies who dreamed of such a pilgrimage will not have that experience either.
25 January 2010
This list is the first of several “My Favourites” I plan to compile over the next few weeks. Products, restaurants, books, wines, and more to come….
Aromatics “Hamming It Up” ; The talented Noel Crawford hit the jackpot with his fabulous glaze and baste for our Christmas and summer ham. Spicy, sweet and delicious. And so easy!
Mandy’s Horseradish; We couldn’t be without this spicy condiment in our refrigerator. Perfect for roast beef, sausages and smoked salmon
Seasmoke Cold Smoked Salmon; This particular smoked salmon produced by Regal is miles ahead of the pack, and there’s always some in my frig. A Norwegian visitor this summer declared it the best she’d ever tasted and I agree.
Proper Hand Cooked Potato Crisps; I love the way these potato crisps from Nelson are packaged with the name of the person who hand made them, and with the potato that was used. (I hadn’t even heard of Lady Rosetta potatoes!) They’re the most more-ish potato crisp and nothing artificial about them.
Purewasabi; Grown in Canterbury and wonderfully pungent and creamy. Already mixed with a little lemon, oil and salt it has been an essential addition to our sashimi this summer at the beach, and puts the artificially coloured Japanese tubes to shame.
Piako Yogurt; Thank goodness Nosh opened in Matakana in December so I can get my fix of the mango flavoured yogurt, although my friends prefer the passionfruit version.
Waiheke Island Herb Spread; Hand made by Wendy Kendall with 12 different herbs and Waiheke olive oil, this spread has appeared on almost every meat I’ve barbecued this summer and was superb with fresh kingfish.
Diehl’s Breads; We plan our trips north to suit the opening hours of Diehl’s German bakery in Hillside Rd, Glenfield. Dark chewy rye, a lighter caraway seed loaf, yogurt bread and much, much more.
Mahurangi Oysters; These sweet creamy oysters have been fabulous, shucked in front of my eyes in the Matakana farmer’s market each Saturday. They’re spawning right now but as soon as the weather starts to cool, I will be right into them again.
Montebello Sugo di Pomodoro al Basilico; I always thought the absolute best product stocked at Sabato was the Salvagno Pitted Olives in evoo. But now I think this amazing tomato sauce from an organic company in Italy is equally addictive and has a depth of flavour I can hardly produce in my own tomato sauce. A store cupboard essential!