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Hi there
It feels like we are still in summer time mode with autumn weather slow to show up. However in a fortnight when daylight savings stops and some after work activities get curtailed it will quickly become apparent that the seasons are changing. We will notice it also on market day as the mornings will be lighter again and customers will start coming earlier than they have been in recent weeks.
It has been a tough week for us all, but particularly our Muslim community. The market is a place where people can come and feel included, respected and supported. At no time was this more apparent than last Saturday, and it was incredibly uplifting to see this spirit in action.
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We want to start taking space on our social media and in our newsletter to share the stories of the people who make the Otago Farmers Market such an incredibly special place. People like Market Chef Kate Woodhouse. Below is a little bit of a conversation we had with her last week.
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‘So Kate, what made you decide to become a chef?’
‘I have always enjoyed food! I enjoy eating it, I like playing with it, and I like feeding other people. So, it’s just been a lifelong obsession, and every time I think I’ve had enough, and I would like to do something else, I don’t seem to have the same passion that I do for food.’
‘What do you think of the local food scene here?’
‘I think it’s amazing! I think we’re so lucky. We have so many amazing local producers, and I just feel incredibly lucky to be able to have a job where I can play with their food and experience it and share it with others. Yeah, we’ve just got so much variety, and so many talented people. It’s great!’
‘Could you tell me a bit about a day in your life as a market chef? Especially being a mum to 3 kids as well!’
‘Well, it certainly makes it interesting, because at this point I’m not like other chefs in that I’m not full time in a restaurant, you know, feeding adults all the time. So, I joke that I have some of the biggest critics available! I do like to try things out and my kids do have days where they probably wish that I didn’t try out such interesting dishes on them (laughing)! But it certainly makes it interesting, and I love the fact that I get to come to the market and I get to talk to other passionate people who enjoy food. And then I also get to spend some time at home during the week with my kids. So I think it’s an amazing balance. I love it!’
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This Week in the kitchen
We have a mouth watering assortment of recipes crafted by Chef Kate Woodhouse this week! The smell of slow cooked brisket will be wafting from the market kitchen, and if you're not in the mood for meat, she is also whipping up some delightful fennel and pear salad as well as salted butterscotch and apple scrolls. Yum! Do pop by the market hub Saturday morning to have a chat and pick up the recipes to try at home.
If you're in need of some fresh inspiration this week, check out our recipe page below...
https://www.otagofarmersmarket.org.nz/recipes
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It’s bye from us
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This week will be OCHO’s last week at the market.
Now that our new factory in Roberts St is finished and operational we are consolidating our resources here. We’ve started running tours and Saturdays are proving very popular and we’ll have a ‘cellar door’ at Roberts St for chocolate purchases as well. We’re also now stocked in a number of Dunedin stores so there are no problems getting your chocolate fix when it’s needed.
The Otago Farmers’ Market is most definitely the best in the country and it’s been a fantastic springboard for OCHO as we got up and running. One of the goals of the market is to help get new businesses established and it’s certainly done that for us. Our first market was in August 2013 and we’ve been there nearly every week since then. In that time we’ve met lots of great people and built a loyal regular clientele. Our two current market salespeople, Claudia and Anneloes, are turning into tour guides and will be telling the OCHO story and doing chocolate tastings at Roberts St every second Saturday.
Thanks to you all for your support over the last 51/2 years and thanks to Kate and the team in the market office who have been wonderful to work with. All the details about tours and where you can buy OCHO are on our website www.ocho.co.nz
Liz Rowe
OCHO
Pic caption
FLASHBACK: Our first market on a brisk winter's morning in 2013
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Waitaki Bacon & Ham
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Pork & fennel sausages - $10 bags
Ham steaks –$5- $8 packs
Gourmet bacon – “Gus eye Manuka smoked packs - 3 for $20
Bacon Baps –made 100% market produce $8 Brioche and $10 Loaded ciabatta
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La Crepe
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La Crepe Special 23 March
Jam of the day: pear & vanilla $6
Sweet crepe: nectarine dream
nectarine jam
poached market nectarine
with confectioner’s custard $10.50
or with whipped cream $10
Savoury crepe:
Vegan pesto with fresh organic market tomatoes from waikouati garden (vegan)
or zucchini, corn, silverbeet & tomato sauce with or without feta
or wild venison & vegetable with red wine
with cheese or hummus
and with salad & dressing or egg $10.50
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Ettrick Gardens
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New products this week
Beurre Bocs, Beurre Hardy, honey pears, Kidds Orange Red, Pacific Beauty, Brightlights silverbeet
Fresh “in new seasons” now
And so super sweet
Blackberries & Raspberries
Strawberries & Blueberries
Luisa & Black Doris plums, apples & pears
Broccoli, red chillies, cauliflower, Supasweet sweetcorn, potatoes, parsley & capsicums, coloured carrots, daikon, tomatoes, garlic, kale, cavolo nero, red cabbage, courgettes, green cabbage, cherry tomatoes, & tomatoes, carrots, 3 types beetroot, parsley & spinach, shallots, silverbeet, walnuts, Bushfire squash.
Fresh picked Royal Gala & Sweetlady, Fiesta, Cox’s Orange & Peasgood Non Such cooking apples
Bon Cretien & Star Crimson pears
Check out our “clip on” reusable shopping bags only $2 each,
Clip them onto your purse, jeans, key ring ??? Lots of fab designs
Or calico tote & paper carry bags for sale also
Super special’s this week
Cauliflower, strawberries, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and red chillies
Ettrick Gardens
On your right at the main gate, or
Rapid 5104, State Highway 8, Ettrick.
Central Otago. 03 446 6863
Follow us on Instagram & Facebook
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Dunford Grove
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We employ industry best practice with pruning, irrigation, care and attention in the grove. As well as the grove we have a few trees along the drive and around the house, these we've never touched so, how is it that their crop is heavier and the fruit larger than all the other trees?
Esther is on the platform this week with all your oils and hazelnuts covered.
Did you know?
Choosing between all those Olive oil bottles on the store shelf can be challenging!
With so many choices we are faced with at the grocery store, it’s especially hard to choose a good olive oil when we are bombarded with confusing terms that are sometimes misleading. When in doubt, look for clearly labeled country of origin, seals of authenticity, and harvest date. That will help you differentiate between the real Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the maybe not-so-real stuff.
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Kapowai Brewing Co.
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Farmers Market Special - Passionfruit & Goji Kombucha
Our market special this week features FRESH PASSIONFRUIT which I scored from Taste Nature last week (omg!!). I’ve combined them with goji berries on an oolong kombucha base. The fragrant tropical tang of the passionfruit is mellowed by the deep, earthy berry flavour of the goji. The result is light and refreshing and packed full of antioxidants. Recipe on our Facebook and Instagram.
Kombucha on Tap (BYO Bottle)
Our tap options this week are:
- Kawakawa & Thyme (tonic from Wild Dispensary)
- Reishi Chai (Reishi from Botanical Kitchen)
- Rhodiola Rose
You can bring any bottle to fill - it doesn't need to be one of ours.
~Heidi & Dave
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Otago Organics at the Market this Week
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We will be featuring our popular autumn fruit the Medlar this week. Come and taste some jelly made from these fruit and pick up a recipe sheet to make your own.
A Few Facts About Medlars:
Medlar is a fruit related to quinces and apples, and part of the rose family. They were originally found in Persia but were spread all over Europe by the Romans.
The fruit is picked in the autumn when the leaves start to fall off the tree. You pick them right after the first frost, when they are still hard. At this stage, they are both too sour and too hard to eat. The fruit needs to rot a bit first (this is called "bletting") before it is actually considered "ripe" enough to eat. This takes about 2 to 3 weeks in storage, or upside down on a plate. They will become soft, mooshy brown, sweet and tasty with a flavour close to applesauce or cider. If the word "rot" is too indelicate, you could always say that they need to mature, like a wine or cheese.
Cooking Tips for Medlars:
You can eat Medlars out of hand, or make a thick sauce out of them which you then pour into a pie shell and bake. You don't eat the skin: peel the stem end and squeeze the flesh out.
Medlar is very high in pectin. Good jellies and jams can be made from it.
Storage Hints for Medlars:
Store in a dry place.
Also this week we will have the last of our Heritage apples, plenty of courgettes and cucumbers, Kale , rhubarb, salad mix with edible flowers , mixed microgreens, and delicious crisp organic lettuces.
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2019 French Film Festival
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The French Film Festival will be holding a community stall at the market this Saturday! This event has grown to become the foremost French cultural event and the second largest film festival in New Zealand and we're excited to have them at the market. Do stop and learn about the festival and maybe even take in one of the films over the weekend!
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Red Puppy Appeal
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The Red Puppy Appeal will be collecting at the market gates for the Blind Foundation this Saturday. Please take a moment to stop and hear about what they are doing!
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