Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Local Food, wine and cookbooks

Marlborough Farmers' Market: "Local food, wine and cookbooks"

To celebrate Marlborough Wine Festival, Bookworld Blenheim is hosting an evening of local food and wine tasting. Wine critic Belinda Jackson will discuss wine and food matching. Chris Fortune will talk about his enthusiasm for local food and for recipes that demonstrate the unique taste and flavour of Marlborough food; tastings of his recipes will be available. Copies of Chris’ cookbooks, and cookbooks by other local authors, will be on sale.

Taste Auntsfield wines and place an order (at 20% discount!) for your favourites. Taste and buy local food at Bookworld’s mini-market before you visit Marlborough Farmers’ Market on Sunday 13th February at the A&P grounds.

Auntsfield wine
Marlborough cookery and wine books.
Sherrington Grange cheese
“A Taste of Yesteryear” quality jams, chutneys & preserves
Canapés by Chris Fortune

Event opens at 5.30 pm
Talk starts at 6pm
Please ring us by Tuesday 8th February to reserve a place

Bookworld Blenheim
67 Market Street
Blenheim. Tel 03 578 4909
blenheimbookworld@clear.net.nz

Entry by gold coin donation to Marlborough Community Hospice

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Farmers' Market of the Year

Farmers' Market of the Year
The Best Farmers' Market of the year as voted by the consumers of NZ

The Farmers' Market of the Year award is just one of the awards honoring farmers' markets around NZ as we shine the spotlight on the real food producers from the land and sea

“Shining the spotlight onto individual grassroots food producers who use Farmers’ Markets as a venue to sell directly to consumers”

Voting opens in March 2011, pre-register now and be into win a RETURN TRIP TO SINGAPORE WITH FARMERS' MARKETS NZ AND SINGAPORE AIRLINES CLICK HERE
To pre-register your interest in the Taste Famers' Markets NZ Awards 2011

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Meet the queen of beets | Stuff.co.nz

Meet the queen of beets | Stuff.co.nz


Market

Chioggia beetroot has been heaven-sent at the Marlborough Farmers' Market. Those who have only ever eaten tinned beetroot are missing out on a real taste of summer.

The chioggia beetroot is the queen of all beets and can be found on the stall of Sharyn and Neville White, who grow and sell heirloom vegetables and fruits.

An Italian variety that is best eaten raw (the beetroot does fade to light pink when cooked though), it is proving to be a popular addition to the dinner table during the summer months.

Sliced thinly or grated it is a very sweet tasting variety that does not bleed or stain your hands like other beets (10 points already). The young beetroot leaves can be used in salads or cooked like spinach/chard, adding a nice texture to your summer creations.

Chioggia is a sweet, round beet with a smooth, light red skin. The inside has concentric rings of red and white flesh with fluctuations in temperature enhancing these zones of colour.

This little-known beet comes from the coastal region of the Adriatic near Chioggia in Italy, hence its name.

Beetroot is a very highly regarded vegetable throughout the world for its health properties, and can be found in a multitude of colours from red or purple to yellow, with different countries producing different varieties, sizes and colours.

When consumed as a juice, beetroot offers many benefits and has plenty of nutrients including vitamin C, proteins, antioxidants, amino acids, sodium, potassium, silica, phosphorus and iron.

The deep red colour of beetroot is because of the antioxidant betacyanin. This antioxidant is essential for blood formation and a major benefit of beetroot is that it reduces anaemia (when the number of healthy red blood cells decreases).

Consumption of beetroot on a regular basis will help give you a healthy heart as it is loaded with plenty of vitamin C and other goodies.

Ask Sharyn and Neville what their favourite way of using the beet is.

BEETROOT AND PUMPKIN SUMMER SALAD

200g beetroot, scrubbed and grated raw

300g pumpkin, peeled and grated raw

1 large apple or pear, sliced thinly

100g red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Handful of freshly picked parsley and/or mint, chopped

Juice and zest of one lemon

Drizzle of Marlborough olive oil

Sprinkle of Marlborough sea salt

Mix all ingredients well

Chill for 30 minutes before serving with chicken, seafood or lamb.