Pre dinner prawns

Tonight the wind is howling, the cat curled up in a blanket on the couch, the fire is white hot and we have had a lovely dinner cooked by our daughter, Holly. (She has excused herself and is now down loading pictures of her amazing tour of Europe).

She cooked beer battered prawns as an entree. The secret is to use a flavoursome beer, preferably a dark one.

Beer Battered Prawns

Any amount of prawns you want to cook – defrost well and thoroughly dry, with a paper towel.

Holly pre made the batter at least an hour before she cooked the prawns.



1 cup self raising flour

½ cup cornflour

1 ½ cups full strength malt beer

Salt and peper to taste

Sift all flours into a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flours. Slowly mix in the beer, stirring only as much as is necessary. Season. Rest before use, at least an hour.

Dredge the prawns in flour before adding them to the batter. Deep fry in hot oil (that is at least hot enough to drop a cube of bread in it first and it browns it within about 15 seconds), making the batter crisp and brown and drain on paper towels before serving. Sprinkle with seasonings of choice, before serving. A tiny pinch of ground cinnamon works well.

Apple Tart

Gaylia came to lunch yesterday and I made a French Apple Tart for dessert. We sat outside in the exquisite sunshine, solving all the world’s problems (and having a good laugh!). One of the best things about having a good friend is that you pick up from the last time you met, as if no time has passed.
I used up the last of my Granny Smith apples to make the topping. The crème patisserie is ideally made in advance and sits well in the fridge for up to two days. I do make my own sweet pastry but if it is not worth the fiddle, buy a prebaked one or make one with pre frozen, sweet, short pastry.

Assembling the tart is simple: into the cooked pastry shell goes the crème patisserie topped with thin sliced half rounds of apple. Cook in a moderate oven until the apples are just turning golden on the edges. Cool completely, then glaze with apricot jam. Eat outside when possible.

Magnificent Magnolia

What is the saying about old ladies and purple hats? My beloved grandmother wore a similar shade of purple in a velvet beret. Whenever, this magnolia blooms, I think of it as Nan’s tree.

There also appears to be more birds in the garden and on the farm, than a month ago. Three large cormorants have been fishing in the stream, ducks were ‘a – splashing’ and I watched little flocks of wax eyes nibbling the grasses, today.

July signals the beginning of spring blossoming and the promise of longer days. But, New Zealand’s fickle spring means we have a lot more dubious weather to endure. I believe when the magnolia is at its most glorious – look out, the big winds will start. So it seems. However, for the moment, the pregnant buds look so soft.

Salad all year round

It is the depth of winter in our sub tropical climate. The coldest temperature so far, has been; -2 degrees Celsius. The skies are amazing. Sunset tonight was a fiery deep pink. The day sky was a brilliant hard blue. The fire is lit and curtains drawn early. It is going to be a chilly night.

But, we have salad! No more nasty packets of mixed salad greens from the supermarket, for us. We have lived off our own freshly picked mix for many months. I threw seeds into the once were, rose bush containers, lightly sprinkled compost and water over the seeds and voila, they grew! We have Kings Seeds’ varieties of mesclun mix, rocket (arugula), fine herbs like cress and coriander and baby basil but that has turned up its toes with the super duper frosts we have had this week. I pick out the coriander for the Asian dishes we enjoy and add cress to egg omelettes.

My favourite salad dressing of the day is an equal quantity of freshly squeezed apple juice and orange juice and a smidgeon of wasabi paste, mixed into it.

For dinner, I am counter attacking chilly temperatures with the last of our Jalapeno chilli.

Plateau and the Chateau

One hour and a bit’s drive from the steaming cliffs of Turangi and you are on the Desert Road. The volcanic landscape and sheer desolation makes one appreciate man’s insignificant power in comparison to the forces of nature.

Mount Ruapehu, is the most active at present and the most popular skiing destination, with two ski fields on either side of the mountain. A magnificent hotel chateau is also located at the bottom of Mount Ruapehu, along with numerous other accommodation facilities, for skiers.

Mount Ngauruhoe, is the conical steep sided mountain in the middle of the trio of mighty peaks and to its right is Mount Tongariro.

At the far end of the Desert Road is New Zealand’s largest army base, Waiouru township. For us, Waiouru marks half way in our drive from Katikati to Wellington. Here, there is a magnificent army museum conveniently located on the outskirts of town. (I am proud to have personal connections associated with the museum and to say, I come from ‘Army Family’. So, I like stopping there, even if is just a wee stop, to visit the spotless facilities – you know what I mean!)

Middle Earth

Roger’s mother is not well, so we drove down the North Island, to Wellington. The drive, for two hours was in fog conditions until we arrived at the town of Turangi, a trout fisherman’s Mecca. The town is also a staging post before National Park. Much snow, skiing delights and tired skiers can retreat to the hot springs and soak wary limbs in the numerous thermal springs in the area.

However, one place is potentially not a retreat where I would sleep comfortably or anywhere near it. At the lookout,below the steaming cliffs, that tower over the road and the little picturesque village of Waihi (seen from afar!). The village flanks the western side of Lake Taupo, on a winter’s morning, for all its swirling, misty waters.

Apparently, a series of earthquakes and the threat of a major landslide had meant the village was evacuated a couple of years ago. The whole place has ‘Lord of the Rings’ written all over it. It is incredibly atmospheric and eerie in a timeless way. The fact casual visitors are not allowed to venture into the village makes it all the more intriguing.

Just for Laughs

“I only go to places to watch other people laugh - to see how silly they are.” I have just heard that on TV. Far out! Where do they live? Who are these people sensors?

Laughs – Roger sent me a transcript of a girl in Ireland ringing a demolition company – “Could you please, be blowing up my school, with all the teachers in it, I live in Dublin; they give us extra homework on Fridays and everything.” Hoax, for sure. But after my blog yesterday, life in paradise, violins humming – that evening’s NZ newspapers were full of bad people doing bad stuff, whatever age and more frequently, than they used to. God does not smite them down like he did in my day, or so it seems.

My favourite joke – a man drives into a town and he has a trailer hitched on - full of penguins. The car and trailer break down and a Good Samaritan stops. The parties agree; the kindly soul will take the penguins to the zoo. Two hours later, the man sees a line up of penguins outside the movie theatre. He stops and asks the Good Samaritan, “What is happening?” He replies, “Well you gave me enough money to take them to the zoo and the movies too!” Lame, I know, but clean.

Tauranga for lunch

After a sparkling, crisp start to the morning, Viv and I departed for the Mount. We pass joggers in all their earnestness, by the droves, and walkers of all ages. What a beautiful holiday destination it is, in all seasons.

photo from: davidwallphoto.com

Some hardy folk were camping under the lee of the mountain. Those of a certain age; the retirees, choose to holiday in large vehicles. You know, the RV’s with ‘Dunroamin’ or ‘Lazydayz’, emblazoned across the front. They all look so happy, clutching their corrugated cups of latte.

So, off we trot for our fix of a cup full of flat white; meeting up with a school friend of Viv’s and her sister too. When someone is home to New Zealand from abroad, the conversation twists a little and I start to reflect on how we are so very lucky. I appreciate the temperate weather that allows flowers to blossom, all year round. But, most importantly, the freedom we enjoy in our slice of paradise.

photo from: here

I came home and noticed the winter flowers in bloom; pansies, cactus, jade plant, roses, camellias, violets and day lilies, in my garden. And some weather confused avocado trees and cherry blossoms that should not be out in flower, for at least another six weeks!

Our daily bread

My sister Viv stayed the night recently. She came down from Auckland with two loaves of the most delicious Pandora Auckland produced French bread. It was pre baked and needed just 10 minutes in a 180 degree Celsius oven, to bake off completely. So I served it with the Fielday’s soup, I have made a few times now, because it is a total no brainer.

Potato and Cheese Soup

• 500gm peeled golden potatoes, diced

• 3 cloves of crushed garlic

• 1 onion – diced

• 25gm butter

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• 1 litre of chicken stock

• 100gm tasty cheese

• Cream to taste for those with no cholesterol problem

Chop up the onion and garlic and add the pinch of cayenne pepper to the butter and sweat them off for 5 or so, minutes. (I do it outside on the BBQ gas ring, because onions and leeks do have lingering smells, if cooked in the kitchen.)

Then add the potatoes and stock. Simmer until tender. When cooked, blend with a stick blender. Add the grated cheese and reheat. And cream, if you dare.

Bevan’s Party

Our neighbour, Bevan, turned 80. The ‘Village’, as we call it, is had a little party for him. I volunteered to do nibbles and the dessert cake. It was a cold day with a dark threatening sky, shopping bags full of stuff I do not normally buy, the wailing cat and an excuse to turn the oven up high? I was not unhappy.

So, on the menu; 1980’s Asparagus Dip, an absolute favourite, with lots of people but a total non real, foodie treat, I am almost embarrassed to admit to trotting it out for friends to share. Next, I make a 1990’s, Salmon Mousse with amazingly; fresh dill and fresh lemon juice.

photo from here

Asparagus Dip
• 1 packet Onion Soup mix (cringe)
• 1 tin of asparagus spears (double cringe)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 250gms cream cheese
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Place in food processor until smooth. Serve with melba toast.


Salmon Dip
Pay a packet and buy a fresh salmon fillet, poach it gently, until there are about 2 cups of salmon
OR, get real, and buy a tin of nice salmon, remove the skin and bones and drain the juices

photo from here

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Splash of Tabasco sauce
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 1 Tbsp finely grated onion
• 1 cup of firm, until peaked – whipped cream
• 1 Tbsp gelatine
• ¼ cup salmon juice
• 1 cup of boiling water

Process the can of salmon and finely fork it over and put it in the fridge.
Then, whip the cream until soft peaks form and put it in the fridge.
Make up the mix of onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, paprika, dill.
Take the salmon juice and tablespoon of gelatine and gently stir until the gelatine is dissolved. Cool until room temperature. Add the cup of boiling water. Cool and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Gently fold in the onion dill etc. mix and add salmon flakes and whipped cream and fold through. Place in a terrine tin until chilled.

I served the terrine on a bed of fresh baby salad leaves with a few caper berries on top.

Elephant Mint

Roger loves mushy peas with plenty of butter and mint. So, the night before the trio of frosts, I happened upon a strange stem of mint. It is six times bigger than all of the surrounding plants and yet still delicate, not woody and tough. I am trying to get it to form roots and who knows; maybe I might make my fortune at the Farmer’s Markets?

I joked to my neighbour that this place was a ‘Findhorn’, with gigantic vegetables and kindly spirits that tend the crops. Until, I Googled references to Findhorn and all my memories of Psych 301 and Maslow’s theories bit me on the nose. I read in Frank MacHovec’s review, that the prefix ‘eco’, was considered a chameleon word and that new age theories had been responsible for the demise of folk attending churches and political forces existed in the community of Findhorn. Heavy stuff!

All very interesting - if existentialism is your bag.