How to make a man cry

I  have found the perfect reason to cry. If you are going to cry, it had better be for a good reason, and one good reason is the new-season white pearl onions from the Marlborough Farmers' Market.

If it is from the farmers' market, that must mean it has been grown in our region (good to keep the money and jobs local), it must be sold by the producer (tick that box – Steve is the man who made me cry), and it must be edible (that's my favourite part).

For a sweet little onion, the white pearl packs a punch, reducing a grown man like me to tears in a matter of minutes as I stood at the bench peeling them in preparation for the potato salad.

The white onion is popular raw or sauteed in salads, as it has a higher moisture content than normal onions and is somewhat sweeter. It is also just as good roasted in its skin (ahh, no more crying).

The onion has been traced back as far as the Bronze Age and was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, and eaten by the Israelites during their bondage in Egypt. Onions were rubbed over the muscles of Roman gladiators, used to pay rent in the Middle Ages instead of money, and were highly praised for their culinary contributions.

No good kitchen today would be without onions in the pantry, so how do we enjoy their oniony goodness with reducing ourselves to tears?

Here is the easy of why we cry: when you cut into an onion, its ruptured cells release all sorts of goodies like allinase enzymes and amino acid sulfoxides. The former breaks the latter down into sulfenic acids.The sulfenic acids, unstable bunch that they are, spontaneously rearrange into thiosulfinates, which produce a pungent odour and get the blame for our tears. But there is more. The acids are also converted by the LF-synthase enzyme into a gas called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, also known as the Lachrymatory (crying) Factor. Syn-propanethial-S-oxide moves through the air and reaches our eyes. The first part of the eye it meets, the cornea, is populated by autonomic motor fibres that lead to the lachrymal glands. When syn-propanethial-S-oxide is detected, all the fibres in the cornea start firing and tell the lachrymal glands to wash the irritant away.

Our eyes automatically start blinking and producing tears, which flush the irritant away. Of course, our reaction to burning eyes is often to rub them, which only makes things worse, since our hands also have syn-propanethial-S-oxide on them. It only takes about 15 seconds to start crying after the first cut. That's all the time needed for the syn-propanethial-S-oxide formation to peak.

WARM POTATO AND ONION SALADAnd you thought onions were just another simple vegetable! So bear up and just slice into them, and remember that Steve, who grew the onions, has to pick and harvest tonnes of them at a time. A little bit of Lachrymatory Factor never hurt anybody.

600g potatoes, unpeeled

4 bacon rashers (Premium Game do great wild pork bacon)

5 Tblsp Marlborough olive oil

1-2 medium-sized sweet onions, sliced into rings

1-2 garlic cloves, minced (Marlborough, of course)

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 Tblsp wholegrain mustard

Marlborough flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chopped fresh parsley or other soft herbs, chervil, chives etc

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water just until tender (about 20 minutes); do not overcook.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the bacon, onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is golden and caramelised.

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the onion and bacon and chopped herbs to the warm potatoes. Pour over the dressing and toss the potatoes to coat.

Eggs Anybody?

You can tell a lot about a person by the type of eggs that are sitting in their fridge.

Are they free range? SPCA approved? Organic or barn raised, battery/cage? Or, these days, even vegetarian (funny, I had always though that chickens ate a diet of grains and cereals but when you think about it, free-range chooks eat worms, insects and other small creatures in their habitat).

Mass-farmed chickens will also be fed certain amounts of fishmeal, bone meal or animal byproducts (don't ask too many questions), so it all depends on what side of the chook yard you sit.

New Zealand exports more than 2 million free range eggs a year and has just developed a technique to differentiate free range eggs from cage eggs by using isotope analysis, ie the difference in the carbon and nitrogen found in the hens' diet which makes up the isotope fingerprint of the egg let's keep it simple.

Now this is really interesting stuff because we will soon be able to buy a gadget that sits on our kitchen bench, which we can use to test our eggs, green for free range eggs and blue for battery or cage eggs.

This will be extremely useful and will sit beside the other great kitchen inventions of the 21st century, including the pizza scissors (for cutting the perfect pizza slice), the frozen ice tray smiles (yes, they do look like granddad's dentures in your glass) and the portable toaster (that fits in your handbag).

Yes, I do look forward to the day that my kitchen bench has in place an egg isotope analysis machine. Until then I will just have to keep buying my eggs from my trusted local egg man whom I look in the eye each week when handing over my cash, whom I know produces the best eggs a chicken can lay, whose reputation relies on good old person-to-person contact that can only be done by buying direct from a trusted food producer.

Try this, the perfect skiing breakfast, for when a hard day on the slopes requires a protein-packed start to the day:

6 eggs, well beaten

2 cups milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Parsley

Tarragon

6 slices cubed wheat bread

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

Chopped meat or veges (optional)

Spray an ovenproof pan well with oil. Lay cubed bread in the pan and any meat or veges you like. Add egg mixture, then sprinkle cheese over egg. Cover casserole and place overnight in the fridge. Bake covered at 350 degrees Celsius for 45min, then 10min uncovered.

The Cook or the Garden

Have a look in the back of your tool shed, in the corner of the garage or at the back of the house and see if there are any tools you would like to donate to the annual tool drive


Everybody thought that the spiced pumpkin soup Marcel served up at the opening of the twilight farmers' market last week was great.

Comments like "Tastes like my mother's" and "Interesting and flavoursome," and "Nearly as good as my wife's" were all testament to Marcel's cooking or were they?

The pumpkins he used for the soup came from the the Marlborough Community Gardens, located at the end of Ralph Ballinger Drive off Budge St. The garlic came from Springbrook in Riverlands and was grown over a long Marlborough spring on the fertile Wairau Plains. The olive oil came from last year's batch of local olives, and pickers are frantically harvesting the new season's variety as we speak.

Thymebank supplied the herbs that topped off the soup, and Marcel used some coconut cream and soy sauce to help develop the body of the soup. Is it the cook who makes food taste so good (yes it is, Marcel) or is it also the quality of the ingredients?

From a winemaker's point of view, all the work is done in the vineyard before the fruit reaches the winery. The winemakers are then the caretakers of the grapes, carefully extracting and building layers of flavour. Of course, some grapes need more attention than others, and this is where the winemaker's experience and knowledge come into play.

It's the same in the kitchen, where a cook takes good-quality products and nurtures them. Or do we need to work hard with different ingredients to produce tasty results?

We would love to hear your feedback. The question is: how much of a role does the cook play in producing a meal, compared with the ingredients 30 per cent, 50 per cent, or more?

While you are thinking of this, why not have a look in the back of your tool shed, in the corner of the garage or at the back of the house and see if there are any tools you would like to donate to the annual tool drive supporting the Marlborough Community Gardens. For more information, go to www.marlboroughcommunitygarden.blogspot.com. This is a way we can encourage more people to grow a diverse range of food products in the Marlborough region.

The Marlborough Soup Kitchen

Marlborough Soup Kitchen

Omaka Marae - Marlborough

The Real Local Experience

The Real Local Experience



Once again I have been very pleasantly surprised, yes it does happen now and again, that I find something that I believe is a real asset to the Marlborough community
Slow food Marlborough was hosted by Kiley Nepia at our the Local Omaka Marae’s, and while I have been on many Marae’s before in the North Island this was my first experience in the South Island and what a great experience it was. Hosting our group of 32 Marlborough and international guests, Kylie and his family welcomed us with open arms and I urge all restaurateurs and hospitality people to take a leaf from their book. It is not about the food, or about the wine, it was not about the furnishings, or the heat (or lack of as it was about 2 degrees C) but it was about the welcoming and respect that we learnt for the meeting house and there customs and culture of the Maori people of Marlborough. If this could be emulated into our own restaurants and staff then we would tbe the Official Gourmet region on NZ If only we could all take a little of this back to our own houses and families then I believe that our community would be a stronger place. We paid respect to the ancestors, to the woman and children, to the food and land where we sourced our meal from and more importantly there was the respect to other cultures and people around us who shared the food.
There are two paths we can take, the Americanised path of preserved and processed with little regard to the sustainability or long term harms of the fuel we call food. Or there is the other path which we can take which follows the European and Maori cultures where food is a part of your culture and life, that we sit at the table and communicate, laugh, cry, get angry, be happy, network, negate and love as a family and friends.
It is about balance, about ensuring that people live enriched and fulfilling lives and if we can do that around our breakfast, lunch and dinner tables then we are sure to be building healthy and strong individuals and communities
Thank you to all those people that emailed and phoned in with regards to last weeks photo of the Buddhas Hand. You can buy them from the Devon Nursery in Marlborough. The fruit has a thick peel and only a small amount of acidic flesh (if any) and is juiceless and sometimes seedless. It is very fragrant and is used predominantly by the Chinese and Japanese for perfuming rooms and personal items, such as clothing. The peel of the fruit can be candied into succade. Once again I was pleasantly surprised

Succade of Buddhas Hand
Recipes vary from region to region, but the general principle is to boil the fruit, steep it in increasingly strong sugar solutions for a number of weeks, and then dry off any remaining water.
The high sugar content of finished glace fruits inhibits the growth of microorganisms, and glace fruits will keep for a number of years without any additional methods of preservation.
Fruits that hold up well to being preserved in this manner include buddhas hands, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, pears, starfruit, pineapple, apples, oranges, lemons, limes and clementines

Egg seller voted top stall at market

Happy free-range chickens lay great eggs, and great eggs have made Jono Lovatt's stall at the Marlborough Farmers' Market a winner.

Mr Lovatt, of Manuka Hill Free Range Eggs, was named supreme stallholder of the season by customers who voted for their favourite stalls through the season.

Market manager Tina Fortune said the egg stall was in a three-way tie with Gourmet Deli and Hewton Plants, until one vote on the last Sunday of the season decided the winner.

She said the most common comments about the stallholders were that they were friendly, cheerful, reliable and consistent, and had great products .

The best-chef award went to Margaret McHugh, of Gourmet Deli, who created delicious baked items from local produce.

Most improved first-season stallholders were John Soper and Matt Thomas, of Johns Quality Greens, for their move from the Community Stall to their very own stall with a bigger product range.

The Out-There-Cafe's Ben and Heather McAlpine were named the most steadfast stallholders, because they had been at every Marlborough Farmers' Market from the day it started.

Sherrington Grange was recognised for its commitment to product quality and consistency. The company and owner Lisa Harper has received prestigious awards and featured in magazines.

The unique product development award went to Heaven Scent, owned by Neville and Sharon White, with their gardening philosophy and the creation of their Heritage product range.

Jordan Shallcrass was given the staff award for 2009 because of his ability to work with teenage boys and still smile, his reliability, initiative and punctuality.

The awards came as the Sunday market season draws to a close this weekend, but a new season of Thursday afternoon twilight markets will begin next week.

Held at the Forum in Blenheim, the markets will be held from 3.30pm to 6pm.

Marlborough FM food producers Awards

Press Release
End-of Season Gathering
Raupo Riverside Cafe, Monday, 25th May 2009


The Marlborough Farmers’ Market management team would like to acknowledge the consumers of Marlborough who all play an integral role in promoting local food and produce– by recommending the farmers’ market as the ‘community social hub’ on a Sunday morning and a great source of produce for the weekly shop, to both locals and visitors to the Marlborough region.
Special thanks go to all of our permanent and seasonal stallholders, the businesses and individuals for their ongoing support and the Marlborough Farmers’ Market volunteer committee.
Also, Councillor Francis Maher and his wife Annette, The Marlborough District Council, , Nige & Josh of radio fame - More FM & Breeze, Mike & Leanne of A1 Drycleaning & Laundrette, NZ Home Loans , A&P Marlborough Association committee ,
Alice Boyce of Marlborough District Council , Roz Davenport of Marlborough Express, volunteer Sandra Morritt and
The farmers’ market team of Katrina, Naomi, Jules, Ali and the boys and girls of the very busy breakfast kitchens.


STALLHOLDER AWARDS FOR 2009

BEST CHEF: Margaret McHugh, Gourmet Deli - recognising innovative use of local produce to create delicious baked items

MOST IMPROVED FIRST SEASON STALLHOLDER: John’s Quality Greens, John Soper & Matt Thomas - Recognizing development from the Community Stall to an individual stall site, increased product range and presentation

STEADFAST STALLHOLDER: Out-There-Café, Ben & Heather McAlpine - Recognising true loyalty to customers and the Marlborough Farmers’ Market by attending every Sunday from the first day the market opened in Blenheim

COMMITMENT: Lisa Harper, Sherrington Grange - Recognising commitment to product quality and consistency. Attaining national recognition through prestigious awards and most favoured by magazine photographers.

UNIQUE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: Heaven Scent - Neville & Sharon White - Recognizing development of a unique Heritage product range whie remaining honest to their gardening philosophy


STAFF AWARD FOR 2009

Jordan Shallcrass recognising reliability, punctuality, initiative and the ability to work with a team of teenage ‘boys’ and still smile!


STALLHOLDER of the SEASON 2008-2009
As voted by the customer

A 3-way tie ensued until one vote on the last Sunday decided the leader. Those stallholders were Margaret McHugh of Gourmet Deli, Richard Grylls & Dai of Hewton Plants, and Jono Lovatt of Manuka Hill Free Range Eggs

The voters common comments for these 3 stallholders were; Friendly, Cheerful, Great product, Reliable and Consistent

The overall winner was:
Jono Lovatt of Manuka Hill Free Range Eggs


Tina Fortune, Market Manager
Manager Marlborough Farmers Market
021 024 23496 fax (03) 579 3598
manager@mfm.co.nz
www.marlboroughlocalvore.blogspot.com
www.mfm.co.nz
www.farmersmarkets.org.nz
www.marlboroughcommunitygarden.blogspot.com/

Twilight Farmers Market - What will they think of next?

Local Locals

What up with this whole local thing?  Only in America do they take things to the extreme, food miles are not measured in Meters – how far did the cow travel to get to the restaurant dinner table?  How many meters were the winter spuds grown from the restaurant kitchen.  Yes you are right it is all getting just a little bit OTT

But wait a minute – you are happy to buy plums in winter time from Chilli, 10,000 km,  and  happy to purchase Garlic from China, 11,000 km so you tell who is a little bit OTT. Right lets meet in the middle and lets think about the middle ground.  Do you think you could eat well if you only purchased NZ grown and produced fresh product ?(I am talking about fresh only not processed goods).    Now that would be interesting, you would have to eat seasonally, no more strawberries in winter time, no more rockmelons in winter time from Australia, you would have to find NZ tree ripened Pears,  feijoas, persimmons, Oranges, Passionfruit, Bananas (yes they do grow in NZ), cranberries, grapefruit etc etc etc

Yes could be interesting, now the first thing that you going to say is where do I find all of this fruit throughout winter time, golly gosh I would have to start thinking about it, I will have to start keeping a calendar!, it all sounds to complicated and a lot like hard work – which is what we really don’t want to be doing in the kitchen after a hard days work.  Rest assured there will soon be a way to find all of the NZ produce with the touch of a button.

Well this is where we can help, eating and cooking should be a enjoyable experience (keep that mental picture in your head when it is -2 degrees ) and it does not matter what time of the year  it is there will always be NZ products available.   Look in your own backyard first you may be surprised that there really is a hidden localvore in us all

Poached Persimmons

6              x              Firm-ripe  persimmons,

1/2         cup         Dry white wine

3/4         cup         Strained fresh orange

1/4         cup         Sugar

1              tsp          Minced peeled fresh gingerroot

1/4         tsp          Cinnamon

Method :

Stem and peel the persimmons, discard any seeds, and cut each persimmon into 8 wedges. In a saucepan combine the persimmons, wine, orange juice, sugar, gingerroot, and cinnamon, bring the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the persimmons are tender. Transfer the persimmons with a slotted spoon to a bowl, boil the syrup until it is reduced to about 1/2 cup, and pour it over the persimmons. The persimmons can be served warm or chilled over ice cream, rice pudding, or bread pudding.

What do you mean you are a localvore?

Now you may think that this is just a phase and if you close your eyes really tight it will go away,  that when you wake up there will be no more new silly words to describe something that is so blinding obvious and  that you would have to be a fool to think any different.   We are all Localvores at heart but there is something that makes some of want to go that little bit further.

I only buy NZ fish that has been caught and processed in NZ – you may (or may not) know  that a large % of our seafood is processed and value added in china and then shipped back.

I only buy NZ Olive oil that has been grown and processed in NZ – you may (or may not) know that a very large % of imported olive is  rancid and thinned out with Canola Oil

I only buy NZ Lamb and beef  - you may (or may not ) know that when I first arrived in Marlborough nine years ago the butcher would send me Australian beef and lamb because that is what everybody else in town was using

I only buy Marlborough Garlic – you may (or may not) know that a very large % of imported Garlic is bleached white and has no flavour or aroma

I only buy Marlborough Mussels and Salmon – you may (or may not) know that we have one of the worlds best sustainable aquaculture industries, the quality and taste speak for them selves

I make lots of decisions daily as to what I purchase and buy from individual companies and business in the Marlborough region.  While I am not a mateyer and will not die for my cause (so please don’t take away my Italian Arborio  rice or French de puy lentils) I strongly believe that the money that I spend in my local region benefits the families  and people of my region and that is more important to me than supporting large multi global empires and business’ with no names or faces to them  who have different goals and objectives

Yes I hear you say, sounds good, but local products are much more expensive and I don’t have the time – well if you eat seasonally from your local region and use what is plentiful at that time of the year then it is cheaper and if you plan your meals and put the same amount of energy into them as you spend deciding what beverage you are going to drink or sport to watch on telly then time becomes irrelevant.

A real localvore is not just about somebody who eat local food but it is about a person who  has a appetite for supporting all things local – locally owned shops, local events and organisations, local neighbourhood groups and local projects.  Most importantly a localvore is somebody who is proud of there region and the people who live in it

Local Feijoa, pear and crystallised ginger jam

Feijoa, Pear and ginger are great partners. Crystallised ginger imparts a zing and flavours that will make this jam a family favourite.

 

 

1.5 kg fresh pears, peeled, cored, diced into 1 cm cubes

1.5 kg Feijoas

225 g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

2 kg sugar

zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 cup water

 

Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a large pot. Simmer for approximately 2 hours or until the jam sets. To test for setting point, pour a little jam onto a cold plate, let it cool for several minutes, then run your finger through it – there will be a trail left through the jam if it is ready. Pour into sterilised jars and seal

About us

LOCALVORE: A person who eats locally grown and produced food

To Vote for Marlboroughs Best Stallholder 2010  Click here

A Localvore is committed to learning and food grown within their region and supports local food producers

A Localvore recognizes there are multiple benefits to eating food grown close to home

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Contact

Tina Fortune

Manager Marlborough Farmers Market

03 579 3599

 

021 024 23496

Email  manager@mfm.co.nz

Website  www.mfm.co.nz