From Source to Table
- Julie James
- Nov 13, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 14, 2024
"Nature's bounty is for a limited time only. And this fact makes it all the more precious". Anthony Barrett
In a world increasingly reliant on processed and packaged food, there’s something wonderfully grounding about sourcing ingredients directly from nature. Foraging, fishing, and harvesting direct from the garden not only connects us to the earth but also introduces vibrant, fresh flavours that commercial food production simply can’t replicate.
When you cook with ingredients sourced directly from nature, the concept of “fresh” takes on a whole new meaning. The flavours are brighter, the textures more dynamic, and the aromas deeply evocative. Each bite tells the story of the landscape it came from, in our case this is the beautiful wild and rural Far North of New Zealand.
This blog explores the recipes we create using ingredients gathered from this wild, abundant bush garden, the ocean and fresh local produce gifted from our friends.
Harvesting from the sea
We are blessed to live on Whangaroa Harbour nestled on the Far North rugged coast of New Zealand’s North Island a harbour where nature’s beauty and bounty converge. In the harbour the sea is a tranquil mirror of shimmering blues and greens, reflecting the surrounding, rugged, tree covered volcanic landscape.
The harbour’s depths teem with life – snapper, kingfish and trevally pass through the currents below, while schools of kahawai can be seen breaking the surface.
Early morning as the sun is coming up we are ready with the aluminium 'tinny' to make the short drive down to the harbour.
Setting off early from the wharf the dawn mist lifts and we drift the harbour in search of slimy and yellow-tail mackerel for bait then onto catching fish for the table.
Early morning in the harbour is quiet and tranquil with just the cries of gannets, Terns and gulls and the gentle slap of waves against the hull of our small boat.
Fishing is a new experience for me and, if you excuse the pun, I am ‘hooked’. As a nature lover the thrill of the catch is enhanced with the appreciation of connection to the wild, untamed spirit of the sea and the far-reaching views of the natural landscape.
The pull of the line and the fresh snapper brought carefully to the surface brings a sense of satisfaction and the reward - the promise of a wonderful meal that night.
We love our snapper panfried or beer battered with home cooked chips and peas – served with a side of sriracha mayo but another favourite dish Steve creates, is Asian spiced snapper with stir-fried noodles.
Steve's Asian spiced Snapper with Stir Fried Noodles
How we cook it......
Lay the snapper fillet on a large square of foil.
Add a dessert spoon of light soy sauce over the fillet, then add 2 slices of fresh ginger, a clove of garlic (sliced), half a chilli and a kafir lime leaf (optional).
Make a parcel from the foil (so the fish can steam), place on a tray in the oven for 15 mins (200 degrees).
Serve the snapper with anything you fancy. We serve with a soft noodle stir fry....
In a wok heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, add 1 inch square of finely chopped ginger, 1 chopped chili, 3 cloves of garlic chopped and fry for 2 mins.
Add pre-cooked soft noodles, toss and cook through.
Add vegetables of your choice and cook for 2/3 mins then add 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and quarter cup of cold water.
Stir, cover and bring to the boil, and allow to steam for 3 mins. Next dissolve half teaspoon of cornflour into cold water and add to the liquid in the wok – pushing the veg to one side. As the sauce thickens stir everything together, add a handful of beansprouts and serve.
Sometimes we just pan fry the snapper and serve with the noodles - quick and simple but equally delicious.
Garden bounty
The New Zealand garden is a lush, colourful fusion of dense native bushland, wild tropical palms, cultivated grassland and boarders, herbs and spices, wildflowers, fruit trees and areas of untamed, tangled natural beauty.
Every ingredient in the garden is a gift to the senses, each herb, spice and fruit has its own story of sun, soil, and care and together, they create an outside pantry that is as visually beautiful as it is delicious, with endless possibilities for fresh and flavourful cooking, all just a few steps from the kitchen door.
There is something very special about gathering herbs and spices from the garden as part of preparing an evening meal, adding warmth, and depth to favourite dishes.
Walking round the garden late afternoon, the choices are bountiful - chilli plants bear fiery red and green peppers, lemongrass, a tall, slender plant with graceful, pale-green stalks with long arching leaves, add a lush, tropical feel to the garden and when cut or crushed, lemongrass releases a wonderful fresh lemony aroma. Fresh basil unfurls rich green leaves, peppery and sweet, perfect layering into salads or adding to sauces. Delicate flowers of lemon thyme grow in clusters nestled in the wild garden alongside glossy, green kafir lime leaves.
Our regular bounty is often the base of Steve's fabulous Thai red chicken curry served with rice.
Steve's Thai red chicken curry
How we cook it.......
We use, 2 inch lump of fresh ginger (chopped), garlic, 6 finely chopped kafir lime leaves, 3 finely chopped lemon grass stems, a spring of lemon thyme, 3 finely chopped green chilli's, 1 finely chopped red chilli and 3 finely chopped basil sprigs. This gives us the heat we like but you might want to adapt to suit your own taste.
In a wok heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. Add 2 tablespoons of red curry paste then all the chopped ingredients and fry.
Add 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, a can of coconut milk and simmer gently. Once the sauce is simmering, add chopped chicken thighs and simmer for 15 mins.
Serve with boiled rice, crispy poppadoms and home made flat bread
Fruits of the forest
In the garden nothing much compares to the joy of stepping out and plucking ripe, sun-warmed fruit straight from the tree or vine.
Picking fruit from your own garden is not just about freshness; it’s about nurturing a relationship with the land and enjoying the many and varied rewards it gifted throughout the year. This garden is blessed with a huge abundance of fruit; lemon trees, plum trees, golden fig trees, passionfruit, oranges, mandarins, limes, bananas, feijoas and persimmons. If that isn’t enough, local friends enjoy swapping and sharing their own bounty, either freshly picked from their garden or in jams, chutney, pies and more.
I am discovering the delights of bottling plums, making jams and baking cakes but I have so much more to discover and learn.
With lovely large rustic lemons picked from the lemon tree and eggs gifted from our friends chucks I adapted a Mary Berry recipe to make a fabulously moist and tangy lemon drizzle sandwich cake with a cream and lemon curd filling.
Lemon Drizzle Sandwich Cake
With a whipped cream and lemon curd filling, calorie free of course.
As the season changes and the New Zealand summer approaches, the garden will give an ever changing abundance of produce for us to add to our meals and I cannot wait to try out new recipes using these delicious gifts of nature just a step away from the front door.
As I grow and learn how to make the most of what this amazing garden produces I will continue sharing and please leave your favourite recipe ideas in the comments....
Steve's recipes cooked November 2024
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