Hi there

I love this time of year  - there is an expectant air of new beginnings as parents and kids prepare for the start of the school year and worker bees wind up and out of holiday mode. The buzz extends to the market with customers making the most of the extraordinary bounty available at this time of year. Stone fruit is plentiful as are berries, currants and cherries, let alone all the wonderful vegetables and salad greens.

We have pretty much a full contingent of vendors this week. Many of you will be delighted to see the return of The Bacon Butty Station and Blue Mountain Butchery.

Another vendor we will welcome back is Olesia from Dolce Vita. I recently got to visit her at home.

Olesia Ocheretiana is from Ukraine and is on a mission to bring the best sweet things from the globe to Dunedin and boy are we truly fortunate that this is the case. Anyone walking past her stall at the market is immediately drawn in to experience her highly crafted and decorated, yet rustic sweet treats.

Olesia has worked as a chef for many years in various European countries but in recent times she has been researching traditional recipes from around the world and reinventing them using local ingredients. Many traditional recipes use much less sugar than modern recipes and Olesia feels very fortunate to be able to use local ingredients as she believes that here in New Zealand we really do have amazing products including honey, nuts and fruits. She buys many of her products from other vendors at the market.

Olesia likes to make everything by hand and this even comes down to the nut flours she uses. She aims to produce the best quality she can at all times so she blanches the almonds, peels the almonds, roasts the almonds, grinds the almonds and roasts again to reduce the moisture content as much as she can and get the optimum flavour for her almond flour. This 5 step process does take some time!

She finds that many people are attracted to her stall at the market because they recognise treats that they have eaten while overseas. She even gets requests for specific products that customers remember fondly from their travels. Nothing is too much trouble and she willingly researches traditional recipes to find the ideal recipe. Her bookcase is full of books from around the world in multiple languages. She speaks several languages well but finds that she can readily interpret recipes (with the help of YouTube) as techniques are similar around the world. She finds that traditional recipes use few ingredients and is deeply suspicious of recipes that call for 15 ingredients. As she says her grandmothers never had a pantry with that amount of variety.

In Europe people want to buy something special and presentation is very important. They eat with their eyes. Olesia brings an incredibly high standard to her presentation. Many of us would not have ever seen her peach shaped and coloured ricotta filled cakes before. They are little works of art and equally as delicious as they are pretty. We are so lucky to have her at the market!

See you Saturday.

Kate

General Manager

NZ Nuts This Weekend

Apologies I was unable to be at the market last week.  This week I am back with Vina walnuts – some gold size (just found in the shed!) along with the red and green in shell nuts and shelled halves and pieces of walnuts.

I am sorry to have to advise regular customers that Black Krim Tomatoes and Garlic was unable to be planted these this season – and hence will be unable to supply this year – so keep your eye out with other vendors.

This year we look to have excellent crops of chestnuts, almonds and all cultivars of walnuts coming on – it is going to be a busy harvest season in April!  Thus far the weather has not impacted on our crops but it has been an exceptionally challenging season for the cherry growers in our region.

Valda

Ettrick Gardens Market Specials

FRESH IN SEASON NOW

BOYSENBERRIES & STRAWBERRIES.

BLUEBERRIES & PLUMS.

AGRIA POTATOES.

SPRING CARROTS, LOOSE, BAGGED AND BUNCHED.

CHILLIES, BROAD BEANS & CAVOLO NERO.

COURGETTES, BEETROOT, SILVERBEET, KALE,

CABBAGE, WALNUTS, ZUCCHINI, RED CABBAGE,

CARROTS, BROCCOLI AND GOLD & CANDY BEETROOT,

MARIS ANCHOR NEW POTATOES & APPLES.

OUR COURIER SERVICE IS STILL AVAILABLE ANYTIME.

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

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Hazelnut Estate

Hazelnut Estate are excited to be back at the Otago Farmers Market this Saturday.  We've had a well needed break after a very busy end to 2020.  As well as 2 short camping stints we have been working hard to clear shelter belts in the orchard and also getting nuts ready to process over the coming weeks.

As well as our normal range of roasted nuts we have got a fresh batch of hazelnut flour which adds fantastic flavour to baking and well have some tasty baked treats for sampling.  Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Roger and Janine

Marie’s Specials this Week:

The vegan custard (made with fresh almond milk, coconut cream and chia seed) was a great success, so it will stay on the sweet pancake menu.  

You can add it to your sweet pancake sandwiches for $1.50 extra. 

My special of the day is gooseberry jam, vegan custard, and roasted hazelnut for $7.50.  

Tempeh Burger $9: choose between Crunchy peanut sauce, Teriyaki or mild chilly tomato sauce and add some of my popular kimchi, sauerkraut, or pickled vegetable.

Every burger also has an organic fresh Tempeh patty, green salad, sprouts and vegan mayonnaise. 

FERMENTED VEGETABLES 

*Organic Sauerkraut (onion & garlic or just cabbage)

Kimchi - mild, medium, or hot is available (cabbage, onion, ginger, garlic & red pepper)

*Cabbage, #Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin, #yellow beetroot, onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin & mustard seed.

Cabbage, #daikon, *yams, ginger, red Korean pepper, galangal – Kimchi style (medium) 

*Cabbage, carrots, celeriac, brocoflower, lemongrass, fennel & mustard seed 

                * organic   # spray free   

ORGANIC FRESH TEMPEH: French Lentils, White Rice & Pumpkin seeds 

VEGETARIAN / VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE 

Freshly made every week from different beans, cereal and seeds. 

1 packet (225gm) for $8 or 2 packets for $15 

I use this same organic fresh tempeh in my BURGERS. 

LOW SUGAR JAM: Plum, Nectarine, Apricot, Strawberry, Gooseberry, Cherry. Blackcurrant, Rhubarb.

The Community Stall this week is the AQUA VAN from the Marine Studies Centre

This is lots of fun for families!  The Aquavan will “pop-up” at the Otago Farmers Market this weekend to introduce local communities to their marine neighbours.  The Aquavan, with its seawater system and touch tank, is an opportunity to engage families in close discoveries of local marine critters, while learning about the connection between land and sea.  Join staff from the NZ Marine Studies Centre for a marine encounter, close to home.  They are currently planning an Ocean Youth summer course. This is a programme aimed at teens and builds on a variety of skills: conservation awareness, marketing, innovation and leadship (more info about the programme here if you are interested: https://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/learn/ocean-youth-ambassador/). The participants will be getting involved with our citizen science projects and also developing their own tools for spreading conservation awareness which they are raising funds for.  

This Week at the Market L1

Please stay away if unwell (vendors & customers). 

Please only handle food & produce that you are going to buy (& always wash your produce when you get home).

Please bring your coffee keep cups, etc. with you & bottle returns, etc.

We will have loads of fantastic, fresh local produce, products, hot food, coffee, etc. ready for you from 7:30am till 12:15pm around their usual spots at the market.

Cash is still accepted from many vendors. CASH IS KING AT THE MARKET.

QR CODES ARE AT ALL THE GATES please scan yourself in on the official govt Covid QR code.  (You will find them attached to the fence at each of the gates or at the caravan at front entrance). It will be everyone’s responsibility to scan in (incl vendors & staff).  This will be unmanned & is everyone’s responsibility to do so & to sanitize hands at entrances please.

If you can please make sure you have downloaded a Govt Covid diary tracker QR app on your smart phone to be prepared if you haven’t already done so.

https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-novel-coronavirus-resources-and-tools/nz-covid-tracer-app

Remember your charged mobile phones for contact tracing! 

Please sneeze into your elbow.

covid19.govt.nz

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