Ever wonder what the Romans did for Scotland? Well, if you’re talking food, just say ‘Oats!’ Imagine Scottish cuisine without porridge, (vegan) haggis or oatcakes—seems unthinkable, right? This simple yet essential ingredient is at the heart and soul of so many beloved Scottish dishes. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Romans, who had a knack for cultivating oats wherever they roamed. The classic Scottish oatcake recipe consists of oatmeal, salt, water, and occasionally a fat. Like many traditional dishes, variations in oatcakes are extensive. They generally boast a crisp texture and a nutty ..read more

No tomato left behind! That has been our mantra since autumn began in earnest. We enjoyed a great harvest of small cherry tomatoes this year, but even as we tried to force ripen the slightly orange or yellow tomatoes, there were plenty more that were very green. Although the tomatoes largely thrived on their own, and we enjoyed plenty of fresh ones, we felt emotionally invested and wanted to avoid any waste. If you grow tomatoes, or have seen them on a truss, you might have noticed the small, unripe tomatoes at the truss tips. By summer’s end, it was clear these green berries would never ripen ..read more

This month’s picks started with a search for chestnut recipes. They are a relatively new ingredient to me and I have a free supply. Last year I learned how to forage and cook chestnuts, made chestnut flour and made a classic castagnaccio too. I was searching for inspiration and new ways to use chestnuts. For April ’24 – My Favourite cookbooks of the month include a British Malaysian Chefs French cookbook, a London based Kiwi Chef’s Plant Based cookbook and one from Arrowtown’s (now closed) Saffron restaurant. Together, these books blend culinary education with personal and regional storytellin ..read more

Dive into the crunch and savour the kick! Our Crispy Jalapeño and Corn Cheese Balls are a dairy-free wonder, perfectly blending spicy jalapeños with sweet kernels of corn. Ideal as an appetiser or a fun snack. Encased in a crispy crumb, the warm cheesy centre is sweet with the corn, spicy from jalapeños and oozy! Everything you want from a crispy cheese ball – vegan or not. This recipe isn’t a spur-of-the-moment creation – but stock your freezer with a batch (or two) of these cheesy delights, and you’re all set for any occasion. Perfect for warming up movie or game nights, or when you’re cravi ..read more

The summer seemed like it would go on forever, living in a region that is still fairly new to us, we weren’t sure when the summer vegetables would come to an end from our garden. As it turned out, the very first frosts let the plants know their time was up. Even though we’d enjoyed a lot of beautifully ripe tomatoes, the garden was still full of not quite ripe and even very green ones, I hated to think of anything going to waste. Many tomatoes will ripen indoors, there were more than enough for bowls of end of summer tomato soup, others will become green tomato chutney, but I still had a glut ..read more

The early autumn frost signalled that summer has drawn to a close. Yet the garden still brims with tomatoes in various stages of ripeness, though many are dropping from their stems due to the turn in weather. Now picking, or retrieving them from the ground begins in earnest, from the buckets of tomatoes, the ripest ones became an end of summer tomato soup, served with skillet bread rolls. This simple meal is a celebration of summer. Unlike many classic soup and sauce recipes, no mirepoix or stock is used. Instead of a deep hearty flavour, the taste of ripe tomatoes is front and centre stage, a ..read more

We’ve only just come to the end our first Summer eating from our very own garden in Hanmer Springs. Summer was hot and dry, and the vegetable garden treated us to more food than we could have imagined. Even after giving food away, there’s so much left, I couldn’t let anything go to waste. I’m still actively using the preserving advice I got from last month’s cookbooks; the February cookbooks of the month were all about preserving. January was about finding inspiration for all the food we grow. New pairings, sauces and dressings, these books were also helpful when planning the vegetable garden ..read more

Got scallopini!? Wondering how to elevate it? Transform it into culinary artistry with a zesty lemon and caper dressing, where each bite marries subtle smokiness with fresh, tangy notes. Char-grilling scallopini slices imparts a smoky, slightly caramelized flavour, enhancing the natural sweetness. Complement this with an Italian-inspired dressing, bursting with flavour from lemon zest and briny capers. Serve char-grilled scallopini carpaccio with lemon and caper dressing warm or cold. Garnish with fresh herbs or bitter greens and add sprinkle of toasted pine nuts. This is a simple, but elegant ..read more

Egg and dairy free brioche Easter Bunnies are Hot Cross Buns, but in disguise. These spiced brioche buns are spiced and lightly sweetened and formed into little Easter bunny shapes with a few snips of scissors. If you enjoy a chocolate Easter bun, replace a tablespoon or two of flour with cocoa powder and mix through some chopped dairy free chocolate . For a more traditional flavour mix in some candied peel and add some sultanas too. Egg and Dairy Free Brioche Easter Bunnies Ingredients 350g plain white flour 7g dried yeast 30g caster sugar 1 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp mixed spice 1 tsp each ground ..read more

Want a lot of flavour without a lot of effort? A flavour packed dish doesn’t always require lots of ingredients. Often all it takes are just a few good ingredients brought together with the right cooking technique. Roasted tomatoes, dairy free pesto and spaghetti squash is precisely this kind of dish. The mild taste of Spaghetti squash is a deliberate choice. Just like pasta, spaghetti squash, doesn’t dominate – it’s there to support and carry the other flavours. It adds a texture which lets the flavour of the other ingredients shine through. When steamed in a stock it can be shredded into a t ..read more