In trying to see some positive after our tumultuous summer, I am enjoying the early lime season (all that rain I’m guessing), our coriander has flourished as has the mint.
In preparation for a winter of expensive vegetable prices my dried out summer cosmos flowers have been replaced with spinach, cauliflower, rocket and broccoli.
Currently our feijoa trees are dropping mountains of lovely fruit and although it is fabulous, I do need a plan to fight back against the guava moth next season, ugh.  I am so happy with our feijoa shortcake and if anyone has any wonderful feijoa recipes to share then we would love to see them.

There is something quite lovely in the transition from winter to spring, while all seasons have their charm, this year more than others I am so ready to ditch the casserole dish and light up the barbecue.  Asparagus is making its way into our stores although it will be a few more weeks before most of us will be dunking our spears in melted butter.
After many false starts we have 2 food focussed cycle tours between now and Christmas.  One is Nelson Great Taste Trail and the other Hawkes Bay, both have 2 spaces and I know they will be great fun.  It is more about the delicious food than it is about serious cycling. Please do email me with any questions.
Happy Cooking!

While I love summer I am finding the transition to autumn and all that goes with it quite calming after the summer heat.  Our feijoa and quince trees have all had masses of fruit and now it time to move towards citrus.  Our lemon meringue pots being a dessert to look forward to.
With Easter around the corner we are looking forward to our homemade marshmallow Easter eggs, they are the absolute best! he marshmallow is fluffy and luscious.
This week I made the most of autumn outdoor tomatoes and made a batch of tomato sauce, in other years I have doubled the recipe but this year’s single brew was much simpler to manage.
Happy Easter!

As we head towards summer and reduced restrictions for those in the Auckland area I am guessing there will be lots of enthusiasm for some socialising. Our Finger Food recipe selection has some fantastic ideas.  Arancini are probably the most popular of them all, a bit time consuming to make but I prep ahead of time and then freeze.
Quick Pickled Red Onions are so easy to make, taste great and look very pretty.
Remember if you have any questions or advice to offer then come and visit our foodlovers discussion forums.
Happy Cooking!

Here we are back in lockdown again and let us hope that it isn’t for too long.
My garden is now getting some much needed attention, the tuis are squabbling in the prunus blossom and our highly fragrant almond blossoms are a sign that spring is on its way.
As well as looking forward to our Hawkes Bay cycle trips in late September I am alway planning meals that come from the house. Minestrone Soup using just whatever I have on hand is nutritious and delicious especially with a slab of Parmesan, Rosemary and Garlic Beer Bread or a hot Cheese Scone.
For those on their own then do come and chat on our forums, there is plenty of good company there.
Happy Cooking!

having just completed a wonderful 5 day cycle tour of Hawkes Bay I am once again reminded of just how beautiful this country of ours is.  The scenery, food, wine and people were all wonderful and with so many km of cycle trails, it is a safe and scenic destination for cyclists.  I am repeating the trip in September and hoping that we will be wowed with beautiful blossoms, Eat, Drink and Cycle Hawkes Bay.
Tray bakes are occupying my cooking time at present, the type that you just pile ingredients onto a tray, into the oven and 30 minutes later dinner is ready.  Ed particularly likes our Bacon wrapped Chicken and Vegetable Tray Bake.  Please do leave comments on our recipes as you make them, we hope they are good but appreciate all feed back.

This month is a big one for me as I cycle the Alps to Ocean, eating delicious food along the way of course.  I had great intentions of being cycle fit but a few weekends blocked out cooking for a school fundraiser and rowers at the lake has meant I am not quite where I want to be.  At least the scenery, people and food will be fab.
A couple of new recipes include our Ultimate Caramel Slice, the photo shows just how thick that layer of caramel is, it is decadence in a bite.
Easy Cheesy Asparagus Tart Recipe is exactly as the title says.  Super easy and deliciously cheesy.
As the party season kicks into gear check out our range of Finger Food Recipes.
Happy Cooking!

I am currently finding joy in simple things such as planting my All in One Almond trees just before the rain came to water them in.  The addition of these trees takes our fruit (and nut) tree tally up to 20, not bad for our inner city garden.
Our Yen Ben lemon tree has so much fruit that even though I am trying not to add to my Covid kilos I am going to make a lovely moist Lemon Syrup Loaf this afternoon.  We will share it with our elderly neighbours.
For those looking for something fun in November then how about coming along on the Alps to Ocean Cycle (e-bikes) with me?  It will be delicious, scenic, good fun and of course exercise.  Currently there are 3 spots left (numbers are capped at 14).
Happy Cooking!

For many of us this year has meant a reduction and income making it all the more necessary to spend wisely.  We have put together 20 of our favourite economical tasty dinner recipes that will hopefully give you some winter inspiration but without breaking the bank.  We also welcome your suggestions of course.
Have you tried Barker’s of Geraldine’s Tomato Sauce yet? In my post-Covid considered shopping I am happy to be supporting a Kiwi business using NZ-grown tomatoes, glass instead of plastic and the reduced salt and sugar are a bonus too.
Happy Cooking!

Life is certainly throwing us a curved ball at present.  Lockdown here in NZ for the next so many weeks and many of us seem to be spending more time in our kitchens.
I was delighted to come home from a morning walk to a batch of beautiful warm Cinnamon Brioche that Daisy had made.  The teens have been experimenting a bit with yeast baking, their Pizza Bases were a resounding success and these homemade Fresh Bread Rolls with bacon and eggs are heavenly!   Next on the list to make is Doughnuts but thinking there is a bit more walking to do first…
Happy Cooking!

With teen rowers, summer is a busy time for us and a time when I work on my cooking for the masses skills.  While this is generally fun it does come with its challenges, particularly when we had a 7 hour power cut and I had 12 legs of lamb to roast….
Thankfully a neighbouring property had a large gas oven so a mad dash into town for sausages wasn’t needed!
One of our most popular rowing desserts was Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortcake which is also a fab dessert or afternoon tea for family and friends.  The same recipe can be used with other fruit such as sliced plums or strawberry and rhubarb.
Happy Cooking!

Happy New Year and I hope you managed to have some lovely relaxed time over the holiday break.
We are leaping into the year with some new exciting ventures.  Hosting tours is a passion of mine and I am now in my 7th year of doing this.
Late April we are off to Mexico and there are still spaces available, late in August we are heading to Croatia, the first of our foodlovers tour to this destination.
Both I am sure will be amazing, I guess Mexico has a special place in my heart as I have such wonderful memories of previous trips.  I know that Croatia will do the same.
For those of your happy to travel vicariously then we are sure to have stories and recipes to share.
Happy Cooking!

There are so many things to love about spring with strawberries and asparagus being top of my list.
A party in New Zealand just wouldn’t be the same without a chicken sandwich and nearly everyone I know has a recipe or knows of one that is simply the best.  We decided to get some of these ideas together for our Best Chicken Sandwich feature.  There are also a few jars of mayo and aioli up for grabs, courtesy of our good friends at Best Foods.
Bookings have started to come in for my Tour of Mexico, leaving late April 2020.  I know this will be amazing as Mexico is a country of wonderful flavours, sites and experiences.
Happy Cooking!