Hi there

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle up North, it has been a tough wait & watch from afar. At the time of writing, many of us will still be waiting to hear from many we know, and I know I am wanting to see if our fellow farmers markets, growers, vendors & friends up the line are ok (as communications are down in many regions still). I was up Franklin way a couple of weeks back for the Farmers’ Market NZ annual in person exec meeting where I saw the aftermath of the Auckland wide massive floods.  Evidence was in my old hometown of Pukekohe and the Bombay Hills on my way to Waikato, of rotting onions strewn over the fields. All up North has seen crazy amounts of rain & wind meanwhile we are crying out for just a small amount of rain as everything is drying out down here.  It brings to the fore how precious and fragile our primary production is and how we rely on them for local, fresh and seasonal food (and of course the flow on effect for many products, bread, milk, etc).  Buying & using only what we need in times of crisis (and any time) for fresh water, fresh produce, etc - preserving, bottling, freezing, etc is more important than ever to save wastage.  But in times like these even getting the basics is difficult for many right now.

So….. I feel we are very lucky to have our Little Nuggets of Gold Apricot Festival this weekend.  Our Central Otago apricots are revered here & around the country. Many of our vendors will feature apricots in their menus and products on Saturday to celebrate these little beauties. We are also lucky to have a number of vendors who grow apricots.  Rosedale Orchard have New Zealand’s newest apricot variety called Nzsummer2, it’s free-stone medium orange colour with a red blush (a good-looking fruit & good tasting), Willowbrook Orchard have returnable buckets of sweet ripe apricots where you can meet John Gilchrist fresh off his orchard in Roxburgh (he’s a true-blue Otago Farmers Market founding vendor), Earnscleugh Co Op Orchards have Mooreparks daughter (Cross) and you can sample before you buy, Waitaki Orchards can be found on the north end of the platform with handsome boxes of fruit.

No.8 Distillery have a divine taste of summer with a fresh apricot gin liqueur (I got to trial it this week & it is quite delicious!).  Bagelo’s will have apricot doughnuts, La Crepe are creating a ‘festival apricot jam of the day crepe' along with ‘the apricot winner’, Dunford Grove have their Cromwell apricot muesli, Catlin’s Kitchen are making their famous chicken liver pate (but with apricot & pink peppercorn jelly) & also apricot and dark chocolate pastry straws, Dunedin Craft Distillers have created a special apricot cocktail to taste along with the recipe, Dolce Vita turn their renowned Italian ricotta shortcake peaches into apricots!, Juiced Up will have a blueberry & apricot smoothie called appropriately ‘Special Occasion’, Port Larder have a batch of fresh apricot jam, Maries Plant Based Foods have a apricot low sugar jam with vegan custard & roasted hazelnuts, The Porridge Bar have their dried Central Otago apricots, Breads & More have Central Otago apricot jam artisan rugelach pastries.  There will be free children’s apricots at the Market caravan supplied by some of our generous vendors & growers.  Pat Johnston has apricot shrub to try at the caravan for a little refreshing taste showcasing how to use all your riper apricots, Chef Amy is making a Golden Apricot Tart with sweet apricots gifted from Earnscleugh Co Op Orchards with recipes available at our Market kitchen black caravan at front main gate (we will post the recipe up on next week’s newsletter).  More goodies will be found around the Market as you are entertained by live music.  

Blue Willow Blueberries have finished for their popular Market season, but you can still find blueberries at Ettrick Gardens & Earnscleugh Co Op Orchards. Nice to see Soul Chai & Bagelo’s back on the platform. Meanwhile make the most of the abundance of fresh produce we are lucky to have down here. Our ready to eat & added value vendors also feel lucky to be able to have access & use of fantastically fresh ingredients at the Market too!

For those of you who maybe isolating or homebound we have a few vendors that can deliver to your door during the week, Brightside Microgreens, Gilberts Fine Foods, Ettrick Gardens (vege boxes), Waewae (vege boxes), Ronia & Pippi, Agreeable Nature Eggs, Blue Mountain Butchery, Tartan Sari, Dunford Grove, Evansdale Cheese, Oamaru Organics, Port Larder, Harbour Fish, Havoc Pork, Blueskin Bay Honey, Ginger Fox Foods Peanut Butter, Wild Dispensary, Judge Rock Wines, Hazelnut Estate, Matheson & Roberts, Bennies Honey, Whitestone Cheese, Waitaki Orchard, NZ Nuts, Breads & More, Dunedin Craft Distillery, Princes St Butchery & others.  You can find their details in the ORDER NOW button on our website or in the vendor profiles.

Bring CASH as some of our vendors are cash only.  And remember your containers, produce bags, berry punnets, plant pottles, jars, bottles, keep cup, etc look for the ReUse posters on vendors that accept packaging back.

Remember, that only all our authenticated, verified Otago Farmers Market vendors are all within our gates who have our tick of approval.  Make sure you support them inside the Market carpark & platform & you will get a quality product.  We thank you for your loyal support!

Please respect everyone’s space & feel free to wear your mask.

Shop your way around Otago this weekend…. at the Market!  Hopefully we still might see some of the first-year students and their parents visit this weekend if they have managed to travel, much love to all, kia kaha.  See you Saturday - get amongst it!

Ngā mihi

Michele Driscoll

Market Manager

This Week in the kitchen

APRICOT CAKE

Produce from Agreeable Nature Free Range Eggs Holy Cow Waitaki Orchards Rosedale Orchard Earnscleugh Orchard Willowbrook Orchard

GRILLED APRICOTS AND RICOTTA

Produce from Rosedale Orchard Holy Cow

GRILLED FRESH MOZZARELLA AND APRICOT ON SOURDOUGH

Produce from Gilbert's Fine Food Willowbrook Orchard Waitaki Orchards Rosedale Orchard Earnscleugh Orchard Breads & More Beano's Bakery

BAKED BRIOCHE WITH APRICOTS

Produce from Gilbert's Fine Food Breads & More Waitaki Orchards Willowbrook Orchard Earnscleugh Orchard Rosedale Orchard

LA CREPE SPECIAL 18 FEVRIER 2023 - Apricot Festival!

JAM OF THE DAY: FESTIVAL APRICOT JAM $8

THE APRICOT WINNER: $10

LOW SUGAR APRICOT COMPOTE WITH LOW SUGAR HAZELNUT MERINGUE AND WHIPPED CREAM 

BLUEBERRY DREAM: $13 

Fresh blueberries, butterscotch, with Custard Or Whipped cream

SPECIALS SAVOURY CREPE: $13.00  

-FRESH TOMATO WITH BASIL PESTO, CARCKED PEPPER (VEGAN)

-ROASTED RED PEPPER‘INDIAN STYLE’ WITH DAL CHILLY SAUCE OPTION

-BRAISED BEEF WITH VEGIES AND BLACK OLIVES ITATLIAN STYLE  

With Cheese or Hummus And with Salad & Dressing OR Egg.

Christophe 

No.8 Distillery - Apricot Gin Liqueur!

Tartan Sari - Apricot Pickles!

Ettrick Gardens Market Specials

Buy direct from the grower!!! Better quality at a better price!!

Super sweet sweetcorn

Fresh blackberries and blueberry time! 

Shallots, garlic, and onions

Beetroot: Round, Cylindra, Gold, and Candy - all spray free

Tomatoes - cherry, gourmet, table, all soil grown -spray free

Also, chillies & capsicums are IN SEASON now

Fennel and parsley spray free

Spray-free courgettes & zucchini

Red cabbage spray free

Cavolo Nero and kale spray free

Spray free carrots

Freshly picked - new seasons apples and pears 

Also, greengages, plums, and cherries 

Walnuts spray free: whole and shelled 

Frozen blackcurrants are also available. 

Also, raspberries, boysenberries, tayberries!

Most of our vegetables are spray-free! Our courier service to your door is available anytime. Or “click & collect” from us at the Otago Farmers Market or our Ettrick shop. Email j.hpreedyege@actrix.co.nz for our latest order form and we can add you to our weekly update.

Ettrick Gardens: On your right at the main gate, or rapid 5104, state highway 8, Ettrick. Central Otago. 03 446 6863 or 021 151 8203. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook.

Earnscleugh Orchards Co-Op

Hi, we look forward to seeing you all at the market on Saturday! Look for the BIG RED VAN on the platform. 

TRY before you BUY. We have FREE TASTING of all of our fruit. 

CHERRY'S (Final weeks): Staccato cherry

ORGANIC APPLES: Sunrise apples  

SRAY FREE greengages, Louisa plum, Fortune plums, and Omega plum 

LAST CHANCE to stock up! 

BLUEBERRIES...SUPER SPECIAL buy 3 punnets and get the 4th punnet for FREE...stock up the freezer now (freeze free-flow) limited stock... A Great deal grab it this Saturday. Remember you can text order. 

Stonefruit is ripe and delicious (FREE TASTINGS at our stall).

Greengages, peaches, apricots * Mooreparks daughter (Cross), Flat peaches, nectarines, Fortune plums, and Freedom plums.

Plus JAM APRICOTS (half price) it's best to order....these sell fast. Text 021 455341 by Friday lunchtime to order. Feel free to mix the SAME PRICED fruit to get a delicious fruit mix. Remember if you can't get to the market until later your can text your order and we will pack and hold it for you..(pick up by 12:30 pm)

Thanks, Rob, Sher and family. 

The Port Larder - Fresh Apricot Jam!

Stonehurst Gourmet - Herb of the Week

ROSEMARY (Rosemarinus officinalis)

The origins of its name come from early on with the plant having been called "dew of the sea" or ros maris [latin] reflecting that it loves to live next to the coast. Later it was called Rose of Mary (or rosemary) in honour of the Virgin Mary. It is said that rosemary strengthens memory and at some stage over the centuries became an emblem of fidelity of lovers thus why it is often included in wedding bouquets. The branches can be used as an aromatic framework for wreathes etc or the stripped sticks can be used as kebab sticks, if thrown onto the BBQ smoking rosemary can help discourage insects.

If you boil a handful of rosemary leaves in approx 475ml water for 10 min it creates an antiseptic solution for washing the bathroom OR as an antiseptic gargle & mouthwash (spit out). Leaves added to a bath help stimulate blood circulation which can help aching joints & rheumatic pains. Use as a facial steam and/or use the cooled liquid as a rinse for dark hair. Both the leaves and the flowers are used for culinary purposes, and rosemary is great in helping fat digestion - due to the intense flavour only small amounts are needed.

Rosemary loves the heat and the full sun. It is ideal for containers and is perfect for low hedges or topiary as it responds well to clipping. Avoid cold winds and wet ground. Green narrow leaves year-round, usually blue flowers but pink & white types are available. Both upright & spreading varieties.

Marie's Plant Based Food Specials

ALL VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE (may contain traces of gluten). Free Delivery in Dunedin for orders of $30 minimum. Email: mariech123@icloud.com or text 0225228599. Facebook @Marie’s plant-based foods. Pictured: our last creation: lacto fermented plum. It is delicious with everything! I will have some to sample. Our last market will be the last Saturday in February. We still have all our products available for now. If you have some more jars to recycle, you are welcome to bring them until my last market. See you there, Marie 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:  Dear Customers & friends, I am about to take a 6 months break (more or less) from the Otago Farmer’s Market to visit my family in France and help my sister to build her house in Britany. I plan to have my last market at the end of February. If you would like to keep in touch while I am away and know when I will come back, please follow me on Facebook Marie’s – plant-based foods, I will post some updates. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support. I could not dream of a better place to sell my products and have loved to meet you every Saturday for the past three years. Keep well.

FERMENTED VEGETABLES - ALL YEAR ROUND 

- *Sauerkraut (*Green cabbage with onion & garlic $14, or just cabbage $13) for 380g   

- *Kimchi - (*green cabbage, onion, ginger, garlic & Korean red pepper & chilli ). Mild, medium, or hot is available. Please let me know which you like - 380g for $15  

SEASONAL 

- Seasonal Kimchi *Chinese & green cabbage, #Jerusalem artichoke, #carrot, pumpkin, #yam, onion, ginger, garlic, Korean pepper, -only hot is available - $16 for 380g

-#Daikon, #cauliflower, #celery , #beetroot, turmeric, & ginger – 360g for $14.

- Cabbage, pumpkin, #Jerusalem artichoke, #horseradish, garlic, & caraway seeds –360g for $14.

 * organic # spray free 

FRESH TEMPEH: Quinoa, mung bean & black sesame seeds. Freshly made every week from different beans, cereals, and seeds. 1 packet (225g) for $8 or 2 packets for $15 - enquire if you would like more.

GOURMET LOW-SUGAR JAM:

270g: Strawberry ($6) OR Blackcurrent ($8)

1 mix: Gooseberry & blueberry ($7)  

1 mix : Plum & blackcurrant ($7) 

310g/340g jar for $7/$8: Apricot, rhubarb, nectarine, plum

Mixed flavour $8: Pear & raspberry, or rhubarb & nectarine or  

Strawberry & blueberry, or Pear & gooseberry

SWEET PANCAKES SANDWICHES: 

SPECIAL: Apricot low-sugar jam, vegan custard & roasted hazelnuts $9

BANOFFEE: date butterscotch, vegan custard & fresh banana $9

BOUNTY: dark chocolate & shredded coconut custard $8.50 

TEMPEH BURGER $11: choose between crunchy peanut sauce, plum & spices, or tomato and jalapeno sauce. Add some of my popular kimchi, sauerkraut or purple pickled vegetable. They all have an organic, fresh tempeh patty, green salad, sprouts and mayonnaise.

VEGAN CHEESE SANDWICH $8: Choose between pickled vegetables, sauerkraut, or both. Served with salad. 

VEGAN CHEESE: Made from NZ spray-free soybeans & organic chickpeas, and culture. Available with herbs or Kimchi *Spread 180g for $7 *Round cheese 120g for $9

Dunford Grove

Nearly there! If a friend ever calls and says “I’ve got this kit-set glass house, would you give me a hand?” Be a long way away, and as you head for the hills cast these words over your shoulder “If you think that’s a weekend’s work, think again!”

See you on the platform this Saturday.

Did you know?  New Zealand has one of the highest crop yield rates in the world. That explains the bounty we get from our little veggie patch, I am looking forward to the hot-house results.

Celebrate 20 years of fabulous regional produce at the OTAGO FARMERS MARKET LONG LUNCH

VOTE FOR US!!!

Are we still your most favourite farmers market this year?  

Voting for the Coast Kiwis’ Favourite Farmers Market 2023 has begun and runs through until Friday 31 March.  Go in the draw to win prizes!

The page for voting is here https://www.outstandingfoodproducer.co.nz/kiwis-favourite

Kiwi Harvest ‘Pay it Forward Bin’

The crate will be near the Market caravan at the main middle gate - look for a flag on top & if you feel like donating something extra from your shopping then Kiwi Harvest will collect each Saturday lunchtime & it gets distributed out to local charities for those in need this week.

Keeping Well

Everyone welcome but PLEASE STAY AWAY IF UNWELL (vendors & customers).

Please only handle food & produce that you are going to buy.  

Please respect everyone’s space & feel free to wear your mask. 

Please sneeze into your elbow.

Wishing you well!

Feel Free to Share this Newsletter with Your Community.

Communities helping Communities

Support LOCAL Small Businesses

No Dogs allowed in the Market apart from care dogs.

No Fliers / Pamphlets to be distributed at the Market please.