Balsamic Vinegar

Words Vicki Ravlich-Horan, Images Ashlee DeCaires Growing up I think there were only two types of vinegar in my parents’ pantry, malt and white. In comparison, my pantry contains a whole shelf of vinegars – white wine, red wine, chardonnay, sherry, rice, Chinese black vinegar… OK, so my pantry may not be a good example, […]

Baked Aubergines with Salsa Verde

Words and images by Fiona Hugues Sometimes all you need is a hero vegetable prepared deliciously to wow your guests. These small aubergines grilled until soft are fabulous on their own as a light lunch or as a side to grilled meats. Just add some leafy greens on the side. 3–4 small aubergines, halved Extra […]

Caponata

Serve it with pasta, on its own, or as part of a charcuterie board; in Sicily caponata goes with everything. I think breakfast time was the only time we weren’t served this sweet and sour eggplant dish. Every restaurant and nona has their own recipe, resulting in different degrees of sweetness.  After asking almost everyone […]

Ceviche

Recipe Harriet Boucher, Images Ashlee DeCaires Serve this ceviche as a starter for your alfresco summer dinner after a day’s fishing. Adjust the lime juice to your preference – don’t let it overpower the sweetness of the melon. 2 cups watermelon, cubed (about a 600–700g wedge) 400–500g white fish, cubed 1 small shallot, finely diced […]

Clam Chowder

  Recipes by Neil Sapitula from Saltwater Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar, Images by Brydie Thompson Our play on New England clam chowder and a favourite amongst New Zealanders. We use the tuatua clams, but if you can’t source these any clams will do. 500g tuatua clams 2 litres fish stock 1 litre cream 300g […]

Kokoda

Recipes by Neil Sapitula, Saltwater Seafood Bar a& Grill,  Images by Brydie Thompson As we move into spring we get very excited that raw fish dishes come back into season and there’s none better than kakoda. The perfect dish to serve as an entrée at your dinner party. The recipe states that at the end […]

AVOCADO AND BROAD BEAN PANZANELLA

Words and images by Amber Bremner This loose interpretation of panzanella (Italian bread salad) is my idea of spring on a plate, though I’d be delighted to eat it any time of year. Toasted cubes of sourdough are tossed with chunks of avocado, podded broad beans, spring onions, salad greens (I used pea tendrils from […]

FAUX ROQUEFORT TERRINE

Words and images by Fiona Hugues Look at me all brave and eating blue cheese! To be fair this dish doesn’t scream the pongy blue of old, mainly because I’ve toned it down a tad with cream cheese, but it still has wonderful depth, and added celery gives these little terrines unctuous springtime crunch. By […]

Cauliflower Nuggets

If you’ve been looking for a way to get the kids to eat cauliflower, this is it. These cauliflower nuggets are easy to whip up and go with almost any dipping sauce you can imagine. If serving as a canapé for adults, try a blue cheese sauce or a herby mayo. 450–500g of cauliflower vegetable […]

Curry Cauliflower Soup

I love making a big batch of soup every weekend and either freezing it in portions or having it for week-day lunches. This curry cauliflower soup will be on repeat this winter in my household! 1 large onion, sliced 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped 3cm thumb of ginger, finely grated (about 2 tbsp) […]