A few extra zingy ingredients give the traditional corn fritter a real flavour boost. Here in the heart of our wee rural Taranaki village there is a woman who has three acres of land and on it every year she grows the most delicious spray-free sweetcorn. As the summer wears on, I find myself taking … Read more
Get your hands on some sourdough starter and get crack(er)ing on this recipe. There is something magic about a sourdough starter – the life it contains, the life it gives and the potential held within it. I have been making sourdough bread for myself and my family for almost two years now and we are … Read more
Ditch the limp mesclun and supermarket dressing: this is a salad that doesn’t muck around. This salad is a riff on an Ottolenghi recipe and is a wonderful combination of sweet and sour, crunchy and creamy. And what’s more, it gives silverbeet a whole new lease on life as it’s finely shredded and used as … Read more
When you’re hot and thirsty after a long day of doing not a hell of a lot because it’s the holidays, you’ll praise last week’s you for having the foresight to make these bad boys. These ice blocks are the perfect balance between sweet and tart. The classic combination of lemon and ginger is made … Read more
Whip up these easy, classy ice blocks at home and save yourself a trip to the dairy on a stinking hot afternoon. These ice blocks came into being just at the right time, at the start of the summer, enjoyed in the heat of the afternoon as we gazed admiringly over our ever-expanding vege garden … Read more
These are perfect as a gift or to keep on hand to impress impromptu Christmas visitors with. Or, you know, just eat them – it’s Christmas! With our eldest now at school, baking has found a regular place in my life. I take pleasure from the simple task of making something not only to fill … Read more
A very tasty breakfast treat that makes a very charming Christmas present. With Christmas mere weeks away, it can be easy to get caught up in the commercial hype of it all. Resist, I say, and make this orange and ginger muesli instead. It’s simple to make and can be whipped up weeks in advance, … Read more
When you need dessert that’s more than an ice cream from the dairy but less than a Great Kiwi Bake Off technical challenge, make this. Sometimes it’s not necessary to labour things, and this recipe is a good example of that. Fried simply in butter and brown sugar, the pineapple turns a lovely golden colour, and … Read more
With a bit of low-effort forward planning, you can make ice cream at home in mere minutes. As the temperatures rise and the days stretch out further into the evenings, a dessert like this really hits the spot. Quick and easy to make, it’s a great one to have in the repertoire. Thinly slice any … Read more
A weekend breakfast treat, perfect for using up leftover roast pumpkin. Lucky for us, last year’s summer garden offered forth an abundance of crown pumpkins, self-seeded down the back underneath the dappled shade of the pear trees. They’ve done us well and just as I notice we are down to our last few, I see … Read more
Get your fill of the glorious green spears because they’re here for a good time, not a long time – and they make a damn fine addition to a classic carbonara. You know that summer isn’t too far around the corner when asparagus makes an appearance on the supermarket shelves. I love the versatility of this vegetable. … Read more