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When you eat locally, you become very aware of what’s in season. Right now, in mid-September, there isn’t much fruit at the farmers’ market. There’s a new stall selling excellently ripe oranges grown at Ohinewai. There are plenty of lemons, and there are apples that...
The top favourite breakfast in my household is duck eggs. We’re lucky to get them from Ian, who has a property down Matangi Road, not far from where we live. Ian has a small flock of Buff Orpington ducks – free-range, of course. When he has spare eggs to sell,...
The Hamilton Farmers’ Market has recently moved to its new permanent home in Claudelands Park. The stallholders say they’re happy to be in a covered building. There are stalls outside as well, but it will definitely give the market more options in bad weather. Market...
We bought some beautiful feathery red and green mizuna from David of Suncakes Gardens at the Farmers’ Market. When I seized it with enthusiasm, David asked me how I was planning to use it. Mizuna is a mild-tasting member of the mustard/cabbage family. It thrives in a...
I’m very fond of tea in all its forms. (No tea bags in our house!) And I’d often driven past the Zealong tea plantation on the road to Gordonton, but never been there. So when my tea-loving friend Melissa proposed a visit, I was more than happy to agree. On a wet...
A huge daikon radish arrived in the Ooooby box last week. It was over 1kg, with a crown of beautiful fresh green leaves. I have learned to love daikon, but some people have said to me that they’re not sure what to do with it. So, this is a post about what to do with...
One of the biggest practical challenges when eating locally produced food is sugar. It’s an everyday food ingredient that is not grown in the Waikato. This became an issue when I was preserving this summer’s fruit harvest. All my favourite chutney recipes call for...
I’m delighted to report that we can now buy locally grown kiwifruit at Hamilton Farmers’ Market. And it gets even better – it’s superb, certified organic green and gold kiwifruit, at a very good price. This is kiwifruit as it’s meant to taste. Try it and...
The kitchen is full of autumnal produce. In the vege box there are plenty of pumpkins. Also beets, bok choi, feijoas, apples, nashi, and persimmons. Great potatoes, but this year’s kumara harvest is just about finished. A few sun-ripened outdoor tomatoes, eggplants...
There were eggplants galore at Hamilton Farmers’ Market this morning. David from Suncakes Gardens was selling excellent spray-free aubergines grown in Whatawhata, and there were eggplants on a couple of other stalls as well. Eggplant is the name most often used for...
