Plum gummies
I’ve been making superb plum jellies and gummies with my seasonal abundance of backyard plums.
There are plums galore at the farmers’ markets at this time of year.
Magic milk cultures
My two favourite milk cultures are kefir and Caspian Sea yoghurt. I’ve been making both regularly for about ten years. They are easy to make and almost foolproof.
Cabbages: the raw and the cooked
I’ve been appreciating cabbages recently – raw, cooked and sauerkraut. Richard Cato has been selling superb savoy cabbages at the local farmers’ markets. And also at the market, there’s Marea Smith’s delicious GoodBugs sauerkraut.
Parsley and her cousins
I have a favourite plant family. Apiaceae or Umbelliferae – both names are commonly used.
So many plants I love to grow and eat belong to this family.
Free fruit – foraging ethics
I’ve just come home with a bag of superbly ripe mandarins. And they were free! Foraging isn’t a normal thing in New Zealand. We think of food as something we buy, if we haven’t grown it ourselves.
Black garlic magic
One of my favourite treats is black garlic. The grey, slightly soft garlic heads don’t look appetizing. But inside, the bulbs are dark and soft and deliciously sweet.
The mighty quince
There’s a garden in my neighbourhood with a quince tree on the front lawn. At this time of year it’s festooned with fat golden quinces.
Chestnuts – catch them while you can
We’re in the middle of the brief and glorious chestnut season in the Waikato. In this post I share a couple of my favourite chestnut recipes. Including the most divine chestnut-chocolate pudding.
Plum bounty
At this time of year, plum trees are laden with fruit in the Waikato. But, these are backyard plum trees. It’s hard to buy locally grown plums. There’s only one kind of plum (which definitely isn’t local) at my local fruit shop, and none at the supermarket. The Divine...
Festive fizz
Seven gorgeous alcohol-free summer drinks. This summer, try making some of these delicious and interesting beverages. Most ready-made drinks (healthy and otherwise) are very sweet. When you make them yourself you'll know exactly how much sugar you’re consuming. And...
Asparagus: love it while it lasts
It’s the middle of the brief local asparagus season. We’re incredibly lucky to have superb local asparagus at the Waikato farmers’ markets. Bill and Irene Cummings of Greenfern-Les Asperges have been growing their certified organic asparagus since 2003. And they also...
Jersey Girls update
I’m a big fan of Jersey Girls milk. It’s locally produced, by a small herd of A2 jersey cows, on a family farm near Matamata. It’s fully certified organic. And, it’s superb milk. Here’s a post I wrote a while back about the Jersey Girls story. Jersey Girls - legends...
In love with tarragon
After I wrote the post about herbs and spices in the Waikato, my husband Matthew immediately said, “but what about tarragon?” Tarragon is his favourite herb. He means French tarragon of course. See further down this post for more about the different kinds of tarragon....
Better butter
Writing about butter is close to the top of my list of interesting things to do. After eating butter. It has always surprised me that the Waikato doesn’t have a premium iconic butter product. Our beautiful grass-fed dairy cows produce so much milk and cream, but up...
Living herbs and spices
My life would be boring without fresh herbs and spices. Here’s my guide to what herbs and spices you can (and can’t) grow in the Waikato. And also, where/ how to get them. This is a follow-up to Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Here’s a link to that post: Home-grown...