As we head into Autumn we are picking the last of our summer crops still- tomatoes, tomatillos and chillies. But also already harvesting autumn fruits- figs, apples, quince and pumpkins. Fig harvest Graeme loves to make apple juice! It is his "thing", mainly I think because it is an excuse to us...

New Zealand has gone into a total lockdown in an attempt to eliminate the Covid19 virus. Like a lot of other people I am choosing to call it a Rāhui rather than lockdown. This Maori concept is like to "tie ho". It is used to prohibit access to a natural resource temporarily, in order to preserve it....

Time to rejuvenate, relax and feast! The Portage in the stunning Kenepuru Sounds is joining with Ground to provide a Rejuvenation Retreat in August. This weekend is for the foodies; with gourmet dishes from around the world served at each meal. The weekend also includes a somatics session and a yo...

Marlborough Feijoas Yes it is that time of year again. Feijoas lying on the ground at all the local bays, at the mercy of roaming wekas and possums. Unless I can get there first. This lot were from Pam's at Ohingaroa and they include some of the biggest feijoas I have ever seen! Big Feijoas He...

One of the things I fell in love with at our new home in the Marlborough Sounds, was the huge fig tree at the end of the deck. By the end of summer it was completely covered in masses and masses of figs. I had dreams about all the things I was going to do with kilos of ripe, luscious figs come aut...

While staying in the Hinterland of Byron Bay, Australia, I visited 3 different farmers’ markets- heaven. Two of them had this weird looking thing on display at different fruit and vegetable stalls. I assumed it was a kind of potato or yam, but it turns out it is more like a fruit. It is sometimes ca...

Kiwi, Korean and Japanese influences all paid a part in the creating of this dish. I had been on a bit of a Korean gochuchang binge anyway, loving its umami bite. And I wanted some soba. I had a bit of a hankering for my time spent living in Japan- truth be told. And with steaming hot days, cold s...

The year of the Monkey has just begun in the lunar calendar. Often called Chinese New Year, it is also celebrated by other Asian countries to various degrees. I have been lucky enough to have been living in China and Korea at different times, and have celebrated this amazing holiday in both cultures...

I know that fermented food is good for you. It is all the rage from kombucha to kimchi, sauerkraut to sourdough, kefir to kashk. People have got the fermentation bug. I absolutely hate sauerkraut, but adore kimchi. Go figure; both are variations on fermented cabbage. I guess I need that chilli hit...

Having bought a packet of fresh curry leaves from my local Indian supermarket, I was determined not to waste any. You can’t get fresh ones all the time (usually only dried) so I wanted to make the most of them. Fresh Curry Leaves Curry leaves do not taste like curry. They are called curry leaves...

I was given a box of tomatoes by my friendly herb dealer. They were the last of the season (in the middle of winter mind you) and as such were a bit mushy. A friend lent me her tomato press so that I could make passata with them. This machine takes the whole tomato in through a funnel and spits out...

I make my own cheese, which produces a lot of whey. But rather than tip it out, there is so much that can be done with this “by-product”. When you make cheese, enzymes added to the milk causing it to separate into solids and liquid. The solids, or curds, are strained and become the cheese. The rem...