Real Food on the Go: Episode 1, Auckland

Alright here it is, the series premier of Real Food on the Go! The adventure begins in Auckland, New Zealand, in a lovely hostel kitchen. It's a work in progress, and much can be imp-roved, but hey, I must start somewhere, no?!

To Katherine and Mike

I told you I'd do it. xxxx

Let's Go Find Us Some Supper, eh?

After a morning full of weeding kikuia—essentially grass on steroids—and planting seedlings in the garden, we ventured down the road to forage for our supper. Turns out that here in Te Mata on the Coromandel Peninsula, if you time your trip to the beach with low tide, you’ll find oodles of mussels.

Find mussels we did! At first all I saw was a bunch of rocks and sand, but then my eyes adjusted (à la the days of the Magic Eye pictures) and I saw mussel shells nestled in amongst the rocks. Turns out spotting them is the easy part; prying them from the rocks required a bit of mussel!…sorry, I couldn’t resist.

I’ve never eaten a mussel, and I was super excited that the first mussels to touch my palate would be ones I collected myself. It only took about twenty minutes for the four of us to collect 100 mussels (you’re allowed to harvest 25 per person), and then that was it. Easy days.

Bruce cooked them in a tomato and onion sauce and served that over rice. I must say, I don’t think Mussels will ever really be my shellfish of choice, but the dish was delicious nonetheless. And you really couldn’t beat the freshness!

The next day I made us mussel chowder for lunch. I used my Grandma’s clam chowder recipe and simply swapped in the mussels (and added some celery). It was quite the hit! Bruce, Rachel, Ian, Louise, and Chris all devoured the chowder, and I must say, it was rather tasty! I’ve left a copy of the chowder recipe with Bruce and Rachel at their request; how wonderful that my Grandmother’s legacy of extraordinary clam chowder has been passed on to Kiwis in New Zealand!! Ah, I love food, the stories behind the dishes, the way you become the most important ingredient in your dish, and how enjoyable it is to share food with others.

Hamilton Farmer's Market

Baaawoooba. Baaaawooooba. A slap of my hand silences the obnoxious noise of the alarm. After taking a moment to wipe the bleariness from my eyes, I bop out of bed, dress quickly in the first moments of dawn, and make my way to the kitchen. Today is a momentous day for me—my first time working a stall at a Farmer’s Market—and I struggle to suppress my excitement.

Meg’s already busy packing the coolers when I get to the kitchen. Date scones, lavender shortbread, whole wheat and rye shortbread, Irish soda bread, Brown Bread, Yorkshire Parkin, Oat Cakes, and Tatty Cakes –all the fruits of our baking labors yesterday—make their way into the Celtic Cuisine van, along with 24 dozen free range eggs, an awning, chalk board, Meg, Karina, and myself.

After the half-hour car journey through the rolling hills of the countryside, we arrive in Hamilton—the fourth largest city in New Zealand—and the home of the Hamilton Farmer’s Market.

By the time 7:30 rolls around, the Celtic Cuisine stall is set up, the showcase bursting with all our delicious treats. I crate the eggs in dozen and half-dozen cartons, and by eight o’clock we’re ready for the market to open!

Honestly, four of the loveliest hours of my life. Everyone was so pleasant and friendly, and it’s amazing how easy it was to differentiate the newbie shoppers from the regulars. And there was this amazing sense of camaraderie amongst all the farmers, it was like we were all in it together, selling products we love and labored over. How sensational it was to be on their side!

I even saw a Trader Joe’s shopping bag at the market! Naturally, this sparked a long conversation with the Kiwi couple about their trip to Trader Joe’s in Los Angeles, how much they loved the store, etc, etc.

The eggs sold and sold, the breads as well. Meg is known for her Irish Oat Cakes, it’s the recipe she hopes to one paten, mass-produce, and sell to supermarkets in New Zealand.

The stall across from us belonged to Jonathan and The Soggy Bottom Holding. He raises rare breed animals and makes them into sausages and bacons (after sending them out to be processed of course!) The pork sausage with olive is particularly scrumptious…not that I know firsthand, but a trusty source told me so. If you visit Jonathan at his farm, you can take a class on salami making and create your own tasty cold-cuts to take home with you. How cool!

There was also Monavale Blueberries nearby, and I can say that their fresh blueberry ice cream is top notch! I also scored some divine apple juice from Jack’s Orchard; simply pure pressed apples, yum.

I loved my time at the Hamilton Farmer’s Market. It felt so great to share our breads with the customers, to share the joy of food with them. Their google eyes and oohs and aahs gave me so much satisfaction; they almost felt as good as the huge wad of cash in my apron!

Something to Aspire to

"When did I first experience the exquisite sense of surrender that is possible only with another person? The peace of mind are experiences on one's own, one's certainty of self in the serenity of solitude, are nothing in comparison to the release and openness and fluency one shares with another in close relationship...when did I first feel so blissfully relaxed in the presence of a man?"

-Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

It's quote time again! I recently finished reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog--it's about time as well, seeing as though I began the book way back in May! I must say it's rather interesting and entertaining, especially if you're of the existential persuasion. Barbery sprinkled many a profound tidbit throughout her novel, and I found myself reaching for my pen on numerous occasions! Here is one particular quote I love, and I hope one day I'll have the same thought.

A Whole New World?...More Like Same Old Same Old

As soon as I found the New World Market, New Zealand’s major supermarket, I couldn't wait to go exploring inside! What would it look like, what would it sell, what new exciting treats would there be for me to eat?

I walked thru the perfectly clean sliding doors and found myself transported...to Ralphs. Or Fred Meyer. There was even a Starbucks Coffee stand inside the store. Deflation.

This is not to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy my two-hour exploration of the place; after all, reading labels fascinates me to no end! Turns out New Zealand produces just as many meal bars, fruit snacks, and frozen dinners as America, the brands just have way more creative names over here.

It seems as though Kiwi’s love making their own yogurt—there was a small section devoted to different mixes of dried yogurt flavors that require a yogurt-making machine and water to make. Very interesting, and definitely something I have never seen before!

The beef selection was also fascinating—labeled out to a tee. The most interesting company to me was one called “New Zealand Angus Pure.” The cuts of meat are solely from naturally aged, grass fed cattle in New Zealand. The fillets were so tender and pink, I was actually tempted to try it! And the prices proved more than reasonable, less expensive than some other brands with ambiguous product origin.

The dried fruit selection however, paled in comparison to my beloved Trader Joe’s. There were only raisins, apricots, and prunes (thankfully!) but all of the above cost way more than they do back home. 250g of dried plums cost about $3NZ , whereas I can buy a 450g for about $2.50US. So I must learn to savor my prunes, which is probably for the best anyway!

I managed to stumble on many interesting treats in the fresh food sections…and the candy aisle. Here’s a short list of yummy tastes New Zealand has to offer:

Plum and Cinnamon Yogurt

Pumpkin, Kumara, and Red Pepper Hummus (SO GOOD!)

Eskimos (stiff Marshmallow candy uncannily similar to Circus Peanuts; quite the exciting find!)

Roasted Chickpeas

I cannot wait to explore New World once their Christmas candies hit the shelves—obviously I need to taste my way thru my first Kiwi Christmas!!

What I Love...

The fact that at Cafe Cezanne, on Ponsonby Road, they serve their Lattes in a bowl. A bowl of deliciously creamy coffee?! Yippie.

A Festival of Roses

What better way to celebrate my return to spring-–and Halloween--than to stop and smell some freshly blooming roses? I went to the Rose Festival in Parnell this past weekend. A mere twenty minute stroll east of the Auckland city center, Parnell is a posh suburb full of lovely homes, boutique shops, friendly faces, and obviously, a rose garden. The festival went on all weekend, and there was a free bus named Doris--need I say how I thrilled I am that New Zealand shares my love for naming inanimate objects?!--that took you from the Parnell Farmer’s Market to Parnell Road to the Rose Garden every half hour. Parnell Road was bustling with Kiwi’s out and about, enjoying the shop sales and free snacks.

After perusing the Farmer’s Market, where I got a beautiful red pepper, and meandering down Parnell Road, I hopped on Doris and ventured up to the main attraction.

Situated atop a hill that provides stunning views of Auckland and the sea, the rose garden was beautifully maintained, with a lovely maze of freshly cut lush grass leading me thru the modest-sized selection of roses. In general, the roses tended to be much rounder than varieties I am accustom to seeing, but they were beautiful nonetheless…although it has nothing on Portland’s Rose Garden!

There was also tent after tent of tasty treat, the most impressive of which was a pizza stand that had a portable wood-burning oven with it!

A brass band played upbeat music next to a dance floor where loads of adorable children moved to their own beat. The other main festival event was an outdoor screening of La Vie en Rose Saturday evening…movies and roses and sitting outside? I love it!!

Getting There