Queenstown Supermarket - McKibbon's of Royalburn

February 6, 2014March 15, 2020

Mauro Viale from the Empanada Kitchen

Mauro Viale grew up in Argentina with his Italian parents. He’s traveled and worked through the Basque Country of Northern Spain right through the hills of Northern Italy. He learned to cook Japanese food in Buenos Aires, Southern Italian food in Melbourne and is now making Spanish food in Central Otago. So, given the international background of many of Queenstown’s chefs, this makes Mauro a typical local.

In closer conversation with Mauro during a recent Raeward Fresh tasting, I found found a complex mix of family tradition, deep cultural connections and an exposure to a super broad list of ingredients – all of which have now made their way into The Empanada Kitchen’s creations. To see the beauty of Mauro’s journey let’s take a closer look at the food he makes.

Firstly, and I guess this is where the action started, we have to look at Mauro’s Empanadas – which he describes as putting all of his international cooking experiences, into pastry. With empanada fillings such as fragrant braised lamb with toasted cumin and coriander seeds, or an angus beef cooked with stout and danish blue cheese, you can see fusion written all over it. Fusion cooking has always been interesting to Mauro who loves the food traditions he’s been raised with, but also enjoys adding to those traditions by cross-pollinating various cuisines from the many kitchens he’s cooked in.

A good example of this is his Chimi sauce. Chimichurri is a traditional green (‘Verde’) parsley and garlic (among other things) marinade from Argentina. Mauro grew up eating this and knew it’s origins well enough to tamper with the rules. His red version now has over 16 ingredients and results in a unique ‘Chimi’ altogether. The same goes for his Bagnetto sauce. This herb and anchovy based green wonder-dip originated in the region of Italy that Mauro’s father grew up in – Piedmont. His grandmother produced the sauce so consistently that Mauro knows it in his bones. From that basis though, Mauro the inventor can push the flavour in new directions, which of course, he has.

Finally, Mauro’s love of local ingredients has created a new Central Otago chili oil called Pica Oil. Made with locally grown cayenne peppers, which have a reduced Scoville heat index due to the milder summers here, Mauro adds another 8 ingredients to the chilis and cold fuses it all for around three months until the colour and flavour are both rich and complex. A nice nod to the colourful man himself. And while I’m nodding, Mauro’s brother and wife deserve credit for the tight design and branding they’ve created for the Empanada Kitchen and its sauces. Come over to Raeward Fresh when you have a chance and have a look and a taste. It’s pretty cool (in a spicy kind of way) stuff.

PS. Here’s a few things you can do with Mauro’s gear.
Chimi Sauce:
– makes a killer marinade for beef, chicken or fish
– makes a nice stir in after the meats listed above have been sautéd
– makes a nice condiment in the place of a typical chutney, like for sandwiches…
– makes a nice additions to soups or straight up on a piece of toast
Bagnetto Sauce:
– makes a beautiful bruschetta base, spread on the toast first
– makes a nice addition to any meat after being cooked
– makes a herby addition to any soups you’re making
– makes a great topping for pasta or cooked veg
Chili Oil:
– wonderful in just about anything you want to spice up with a hit of cayenne
– perfect for creating a tortilla chip dip with a bit sour cream and a tbsp of chili oil
– really nice on toast with roasted garlic and some chimi or basel pesto
For other ideas, you can also visit The Empanada Kitchen in Queenstown and or stay in touch with The Empanada Kitchen’s Facebook page.

November 11, 2013March 15, 2020

Greek yogurt labneh balls

Anne Halson’s greek yogurt labneh balls using Retro Organics whole milk and Basil & Parsley’s herbs. Check out more recipes from Anne at her food blog – Fresh Kitchen.
Labneh balls have a clean, fresh flavour and go oh so well with breads, crostini or bruschetta.

Ingredients:
2 pots of Retro Organics lactose free plain yogurt
1 large garlic clove (grated)
1 small lemon (zested)
1 tbsp flakey sea salt
1 generous cup of fresh herbs (chopped)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:
• Tip the two pots of yogurt into a large bowl and add the grated clove of garlic, lemon zest and flakey sea salt.
• Mix this well and pour into a strainer held over another bowl lined with a muslin cloth.

• Leave to strain on the bench for a couple of hours then drain off the whey as necessary (you can save this to use in baking or smoothies if you like). Next, cover the mix and put in the refrigerator over night.

• The next day, chop a good cup of herbs finely (any soft herbs will work, I chose chervil and chives this time but tarragon, parsley and a little thyme or maybe lemon thyme, mint, dill, or fennel tops would all work).
• Take smallish teaspoons of the labneh mix and roll them into balls, then roll through your chopped herbs to coat. It seems to work best to leave these to set for a while before putting them in a jar.
• Place the herbed balls in a jar covered with a good layer of oil. For the oil you want a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Consider the flavour of the oil, the herbs you intend to use and how you plan to eat your labneh balls when making your selection.
The labneh balls are ready to eat straight away but also will keep in the fridge a week or more (remember that the olive oil will set in fridge, so you need to set the jar out at room temperature for a while before use). These are great on any antipasta plate or as a spread on your favourite bread or crackers.

Cooking demonstration with Master Chef contestant Sushil Ravikumar
Join us this Saturday, November 16 at 6:30pm
(you can book by calling 03-442-4161)
Sushil will be cooking an Indian inspired menu including:

Chicken 65, a spicy, deep fried chicken dish from South India served with a mint yogurt chutney.
Goat Rogan Josh curry, an aromatic and flavourful meat dish from Northern India.
Veg Pulao, a fragrant rice cooked with onions, tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes & whole garam masala spices.

The menu will be accompanied with a variety of Northburn wines, carefully selected for each course and introduced by Paul Tudgay from Northburn Station.

Day 1 of our 10 year anniversary celebrations!

Our 10 days of anniversary celebrations are under way! Our bakers Jenny and Anova made a wonderful 10 layer cake which we enjoyed with a lovely Brut courtesy of Quarts Reef Wines. A number of our favourite suppliers were also sharing their fine foods in tasting demonstrations throughout the day, including Provisions, European Bakery, Quina Fina, Waitiri Creek Wines and Pigeon Rock Olive Oil. From today until November 20th, we’ll be highlighting different wines, cheeses, meats and a host of other goodies. Come by and have a taste – especially of our chocolate cake which happens to be AMAZING!

October 12, 2013March 15, 2020

Jenny Lamond’s Scroggin Biscuits

As promised, here’s Jenny Lamond’s yummy scroggin biscuit recipe:

Makes around 20 biscuits

Ingredients:
DRY
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sultanas
1/4 cup toasted almonds (whole)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar

WET
1 egg
75g unsalted butter (melted)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
• Preheat the oven to 180˚C

• Mix all the dry ingredients into a bowl.

• Add the melted butter, vanilla essence and the slightly beaten egg – mix well until the dough is smooth.

• Roll the biscuits into golf ball sized spheres and place on a greased or baking paper lined tray and flatten slightly into a disc around 2cm high.

• Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.

July 10, 2013March 15, 2020

Lamb Salad from Chef Anne Halson

Anne Halson’s Lamb Salad with Chermoula Dressing

While visiting Leelands Lamb last week, Sue French kindly gave us a few cuts of their thick flank mini roast to create some deliciousness with back at Raeward Fresh. Our in-house chef Anne Halson (an expert in creating deliciousness), came up with this wonderful lamb salad. Marinading takes a bit of time and slow roasting may test your patience even further, but the tasty results are well worth it. Especially when using meat of this quality (see last weeks post for the story). Anne’s zesty Chermoula dressing adds a delicious finish – topping off the beautiful array of spring vegetables complementing the salad. Check out more recipes from Anne at her Fresh Kitchen Blog.
Lamb Marinade
Ingredients:
2 tbls olive oil
4 anchovies
1/4 preserved lemon finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh origanum
2 cloves of garlic
Handful of capers

Method
• Put all the ingredients in a pestle and mortar (or food processor) and crush / chop together coarsely.
• coat the lamb and marinade for at least one hour, or up to 2 days if you can.
Cooking the Mini Roast
• Bring lamb and marinade up to room temperature, or if marinating for a short time, leave at room temperature.

• Cook at 160’c for approximately 2 hours – allow to rest (10 minutes) and slice thinly for salad.
• Alternatively you could sear this and cook till rare – rest well (I suggest 15 to 30 minutes) and slice very thinly for salad (as shown below).

For the salad
Use a mix of your favourite seasonal greens and either steamed, raw or and roasted veg (which you can cook the lamb – either roast or char grilled). For added interest add some feta and pistachios or almonds
Chermoula dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup parsley
1 cup coriander
2 cloves of garlic
Zest and rind of one lemon
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
Method:
• Put into food processor bowl

• Blend and slowly add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of lightly flavoured oil.

Nutritional Advice from Kim Malcolm

Lamb is rich in protein. You and I are literally made of protein from our bones to our muscles, veins, skin, hair, and nails. Our major organs, the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs depend on it because they are built of tissue made of proteins.
Lamb provides you with a complete protein, meaning your body gets all the essential amino acids it needs for optimal health with the addition of iron and B12. Additionally it’s a good source of zinc, a mineral that enables you to smell, taste, see well and helps support the reproductive system.
Naturally raised Lamb will also provide you with essential Saturated Fat. Without this your brain, immune system or your life giving liver do not function to the best that they can.
Eating pasture fed lamb that grazes on rich grassy fields with natural rock fertilisers means ‘health to you’. Because of the diligence of Leelands Lamb you are ensured of getting nutrient dense meat that holds all it’s goodness from pasture to plate.

April 11, 2013March 15, 2020

Basil, Parsley & Partners

More than 20 years ago Bob Tovey left the U.K. for his big OE (overseas experience) looking for an adventure. Traveling on the bus from Christchurch to Queenstown, he was “gobsmacked” by the dramatic beauty of the Lindiss Pass and the Kawarau Gorge. Like a lot of newcomers, Bob worked in hospitality and loved what the region offered – a great place to party and ski like crazy. He was so taken with the area that he started looking for opportunities to stay and began asking some of the local chefs he’d gotten to know what they needed most. The resounding answer – really fresh herbs. Bob had found his niche and his inner gardener went to work.

As a child Bob loved growing stuff. He’s always thrived on learning new ways to grow whatever he could get his hands on. Early on, Bob took a horticulture course in Cromwell – where he also bought a property with three greenhouses, a packing shed, a home and a small swimming pool – all for the price of what a plot of land would cost closer to Queenstown. He started off with tomatoes (the original use of the greenhouses), but after buying a freezer from Bob Colby at Crystal Gardens and checking out their hydroponic system, Bob decided to start growing herbs using a mix of the same greenhouse technologies and some good old fashion dirt based gardening.

Bob’s new business; Basil & Parsley, started off by growing, well, basil and parsley. Humble beginnings but local chefs loved it. Bob was (and still is) nuts about quality herbs and his were fresh as. They didn’t have to travel from up north, and they were exactly what the top chefs at The Rees or Blanket Bay were looking for. Initially, Bob packed his car full of herbs and drove from restaurant to restaurant, meeting chefs and asking what else they wanted. His initial offerings also included thyme and rosemary, but as Bob got around and payed close attention to the requests he was getting, more and more herbs were added to a growing list which now includes over 60 varieties.

After his initial forays into the restaurant world, Bob met Nathan and Grant Imlach who became his first big customers. The Imlach family were running a wholesale produce business in Queenstown, Wanaka and Te Anau at the time and Bob immediately liked their business nous and focus on high quality produce. When Nathan and Angela sold the wholesale side and started the Mediterranean Market (now Raeward Fresh), Bob, like a lot of other producers, kept a direct connection going, largely because of his appreciation for Nathan’s relational approach to suppliers and Angela’s attention to detail on the shop floor, which Bob says keeps things “looking F—–g great” at the Market.

Bob still thrives on working with local chefs and other customers who are as passionate as he is about amazing food. He’s always on the lookout for new things to grow and his mind is full of invention. He’s still up on the hill, skiing as much as he can in winter and he’s out visiting the rest of the world in summer – on the lookout for what people everywhere are growing and eating. Heading back from an overseas trip, he’ll often call up his mates at Kings Seeds and ask if they can supply him with this or that. He pushes their envelope regularly and they tell him which ones can get through bio security.

Like many of the regions innovators, Bob is very very passionate about his work. He employs people who love growing stuff and teaches them everything he knows. The Basil & Parsley crew regularly troll through seed catalogues together to come up with new crop ideas as part of their ongoing learning and collaboration. Bob also taught at the same horticulture class he attended years before which also trained the regions up and coming chefs (who would become his future customers). He loves that he also got truck loads of new plants to add to his budding orchard, and of course, he also wanted to share decades of gardening knowledge with people like himself.

Walking around Basil & Parsley, you get the feeling that you’re seeing Bob’s mind writ large in an eclectic mix of old world gardening sheds and modern technologies. There’s a huge pink and green silverbeet (swiss chard) growing under a hydroponic trough. I ask why and he tells me it’s because a seed dropped there once upon a time. There’s a few eggplant (aubergine) plants thriving alongside the lemon balm. Bob doesn’t sell eggplant, but he tells me “what the hell, the staff can enjoy it”. There’s some gorgeous dill, and I mean, the best dill I’ve ever seen, flourishing just outside the chervil greenhouse on the doorstep, because, well, “that’s where it likes it”. The walkways have mint (spearmint, vietnamese and orange) popping up in amongst the wood mulch and doing as well as in the greenhouse. Mustard streak greens, the beautiful big peppery purple leafed stuff, lives just outside the packing shed, guarded by a happy garden gnome on a stump, watching over all the deliveries. It all makes sense, at least to Bob.

Basil, Parsley & Partners is like Wonka Land for herbs and Bob is Willy working his magic. For example, while showing me his tall aromatic french tarragon running through old-world troughs between even older greenhouses, Bob tucks the tip of one of the taller plants back into the ground claiming that this way, it’ll sprout new plants and keep the crop healthy harvest after harvest. Bob loves these plants, and one gets the feeling that they’re actually growing off some of his energy. His spontaneity and enthusiasm shows up in the random patterns of rows of oregano dotted with tall kale plants. His business sense seems to be revealed in the neatly ordered and plentiful boxes of micro greens and wheat grasses, glistening with freshly sprayed water droplets, looking as happy as can be. One day, when the new greenhouse is finished (his sixth), he’ll enlarge his kale crop and a few dozen other yet to be revealed ideas, because, I think, he just can’t help it.

Raeward Fresh stocks a wide selection of Bob’s herbs. If there’s something special you need, just ask at the store or get in touch with Bob to see if he’ll grow it. Next week, we’ll highlight some of Basil & Parsley’s collection of herbs with our chef Anne Halson.

Nutritional advice from Kim Malcolm
Herbs are medicine
Herbs will jazz up just about any dish with flavour and colour but they’re are also incredibly good for you. Each one provides different benefits for your body, but lets take a closer look at Bob’s namesake, basil and parsley.Basil is such a gorgeous aromatic herb and hailed as a medicine because of its strong anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s rich in vitamin A, K, C, magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium. The next time you’re enjoying the flavour and aroma of basil in your pesto or salads, remember that it’s also working for the good of your body and taking care of your cardiovascular health.
Parsley is really versatile. As well as being a wonderfully nutritious and healing herb, it’s full of vitamin C, which supports your immune system and vitamin A, which actually has been termed the ‘anti-infective’ vitamin. It’s great for cardiovascular and cancer prevention in our bodies due to the folic acid content as well as a plethora of other goodies for your body. All I can say is enjoy these and many other herbs in your food everyday!

March 12, 2013March 15, 2020

Jenny Lamond & Anouva Settin’s Fabulous Creations

Jenny Lamond has been baking ever since she can remember. As a child, she remembers ‘repurposing’ an old wooden apricot box into a makeshift oven with which to ‘bake’ her mud pies. Not quite achieving the flavour she hoped for, she went on at the mature age of 10 to help at her friends, mum’s bakery – where she also remembers making biscuits and custard squares (real ones this time). Eventually, Jenny (born in Cromwell and grew up in Wanaka) went on a four-year baking apprenticeship where she remembers being in an industry of mostly men (it was all about bread back in the day) and making ‘apprentice of the year’ after graduation. In the 30 years since Jenny remembers spending most of them around ovens perfecting that mud pie, now known as her famous Lamond Chocolate layer cake.

Jenny’s mother-in-law (Mrs. Lamond) passed down the family recipe which Jenny now uses in her chocolate wedding creations. You have to taste this moist dark cake to believe how sumptuous it is. The texture is spongy and rich in chocolaty flavour, and the ganache a simple, yet heavenly mix of pure cream and dark chocolate. The chocolate layer cake is just one of the many recipes Jenny has gleaned over the years from family, friends and the entire world. Her personal recipe journal has hundreds of stories, ideas and ingredient lists that she calls on every day.

After Jenny’s baking apprenticeship she went on to work in a Wanaka bakery before moving to Queenstown in 1990 with her Jetboating husband Mark. Jenny commuted all the way to Arrowtown for her next job at Leibers (now called the Arrowtown Bakery) until after a few years and two kids later, Jenny started looking into running her own business. Instead, she ran into Angela and Nathan Imlach who brainstormed with her about using the Raeward Fresh’s new kitchen as a joint startup. The store was just about to open (back in 2003, formerly as The Mediterranean Market) and Jenny became the founding pastry chef. Win, win.

Angela and Jenny have been co-creating together for 10 years now. Jenny regularly creates a wide range of lovely cakes (a fabulous carrot cake, a gin and lime marvel and a lovely lemon syrup cake), decadent pies (a creamy banoffee, a boysenberry cheesecake and lemon meringue) and a line of biscuits that literally fly off the shelves. For her part, Angela constantly suggests ideas for new products which comes from magazines, chats with friends and her own tastes. Along with Rebecca Hunter’s regular birthday and wedding cake consultations, Jenny gets constant feedback to decide what’s coming next in that luscious cabinet.

About six years ago, Anouva Settin brought her Brazilian baking skills to Queenstown and joined Jenny in the kitchen. Together, amidst the laughter and brainstorming, these hard working women whip up a huge amount of baked goods every day during their 10 hour shifts. They love it too, which is easy to see as they put together their super fun desserts and elaborate wedding decorations. It’s a pleasure to watch Jenny and Anouva translate their ongoing education (they regularly attend pastry workshops in the region) and their fluid muscle memory into gourmet creations, smoothing on the frostings, piping and primping the decorations atop each cake. At the end of the day, an incredible edible amount of celebration cakes, slices, tarts, truffles, fudges, biscuits and new raw superfood balls shows up in the cafe and on the biscuit shelves.

It’s been quite the collaboration over the years and the Mediterranean Market (now Raeward Fresh) 10 year birthday party highlighted the fact with a bang. Jenny and Anouva created a fabulous 10 layer birthday cake to commemorate the event. The cake was a meaningful tribute to the beautiful partnership and the wonderful eye for desserts both Jenny and Anouva bring to the store. Along with lemon syrup and other flavours, the cake also included Jenny’s chocolate mud, baked this time to a delicious perfection. Having traveled extensively around NZ, I can confidently say that Jenny & Anouva’s cake, pie and slice cabinet would stand up to any in the country. Come in and have a look, or even better, a taste for yourself and form your own memories.

Next week we’ll post one of Jenny’s favourite recipes.

January 11, 2013March 15, 2020

The Mediterranean Market (now Raeward Fresh) turns 10 years old

There’s a nice writeup in the Otago Daily Times about the Market, it’s history and the coming 10 year anniversary celebrations happening from November 11 to 20. You can see the article by clicking here. And, don’t forget to come by the market for a special cutting of the 10-tier, metre-high birthday cake lovingly made by the market’s long-time baker Jenny Lamond (10am on November 11th) and perusing the daily samples and product highlights throughout the following nine days. It’s going to be a lot of delicious fun.

Anne Halson’s Lamb Salad with Chermoula Dressing

Gift Hampers