Wow what ingredients - wild venison from Red Tussock Venison will be served carpaccio style with sweet beetroot from Wairuna Organics and the delicate yet pungent micro greens from Jane Field Hydroponics. Quick pickled red onions are perfect for scattering in your sandwich, over salads and spicing up leftovers. Brydone Organics have the most perfect red and white onions!

Whilst fresh peppers and tomatoes are in season and their flavour is sweet and juicy this dish is perfect.  It can be eaten as is or with a wedge of good quality bread or try it as we do at Delicacy with free-range pork sausages and a grating of parmesan and basil. Rosedale Orchards fresh apricots combined with fresh walnuts make a wonderful addition to the classic scone, they work with butter and freshly whipped cream.

Just a reminder to start thinking of preserving as this is the time of year to get going.  Only a couple of weeks left of apricots so get bottling!

See you all at the farmers market and of course at the mobile kitchen.

VENISON CARPACCIO WITH WALNUTS AND BEETROOT

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

1 sprig of fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 star anise, ground to a powder

1 kg boned venison loin

2 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish or 1 Tbsp shop made

200 ml half-fat crème fraîche

1 tsp red wine vinegar

60g fresh walnuts, roasted

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 beetroot, grated, peeled or sliced very thinly

1 orange, finely grated zest

Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat a heavy pan until very hot, then sear the venison in a little oil over a high heat until lightly browned on all sides. This should take about three minutes. Remove from the pan.

Mix together the sea salt, star anise, black pepper, rosemary, thyme on a baking tray, then spread out in a 3mm-thick layer.

Roll the warm venison in the spice mixture, making sure it is well coated all over. Wrap tightly in cling film and leave at room temperature for about two hours for the flavours to penetrate the meat, then freeze for at least four hours until solid.

Preheat the oven to 180C

To roast the walnuts, spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and roast for five minutes. Using a tea towel, rub off the excess skin while the nuts are warm, then chop the nuts roughly and leave to cool.

Mix the horseradish into the crème fraîche. Season it well with salt, pepper and the vinegar.

Thinly slice the venison with a sharp carving knife and lay 3 slices on each plate. Dollop a little horseradish crème fraîche on top and sprinkle the plates, with the beetroot and drizzle with a little oil, sprinkling of salt and crack of pepper.

 

QUICK PICKLED RED ONIONS

Pickles are a fantastic way of adding a bit of zing to any dish and these onions will surely do that!

Serves 4 3/4 cup (180ml) white or cider vinegar

3 Tbsp sugar

4 black peppercorns

pinch of salt

1 bay leaf

1 tsp freshly chopped dill

1 -2 fresh chillies

2 large red onions, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings

Method In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt and seasonings and bring to the boil. Pierce the whole chilli a few times with a fork and add to the vinegar mixture.

Add the onion slices and lower the heat, then simmer gently for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Transfer the onions and the liquid into a sterilised jar then refrigerate until ready to use. Storage: The onions will keep for a few months, but I find they’re best the week they’re made.

PEPERNATA

Combing peppers and fresh juicy tomatoes you end up with a very versatile and irresistible dish.

Serves 4-6

3-4 red and yellow peppers, sliced into long strips

2 green peppers, seeded, sliced into long strips

1 large onion, sliced thinly

4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp sugar

4-5 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh basil, leaves torn roughly

Red wine vinegar – drizzle for serving

Method

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. When the oil is almost smoking, add the onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the onions just begin to colour.

Add the peppers and stir well to combine with the onions. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. The peppers should be al dente—cooked, but with a little crunch left in them.

Add the garlic, and sauté another 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle a little more salt over everything and add the sugar and dried oregano. Cook 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, and cook just one minute further.

Turn off the heat and mix in the torn basil. Grind some black pepper over everything. Right before serving drizzle over a little red wine vinegar over the dish.

 

COURGETTES AND CHILLI SALAD

Courgettes and chilli that's pretty much it and you end up with a cracking salad!

Serves 4 as a side

4 courgettes, (mixture of yellow and green)

1–2 fresh red chillies

1 lemon

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

a few sprigs of fresh basil, leaves picked

Method

Using a speed peeler, peel the courgettes lengthways into long thin ribbons, then finely chop the chillies and add both to a bowl.

In a small jug, add the juice of the lemon and top up with double the amount of extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the mustard powder and a pinch salt, then mix well and pour over the salad,

 

APRICOT AND WALNUT SCONES

Scones are irresistible whatever the occasion but when you add fresh Central Otago apricots and walnuts they now become quite special indeed!

MAKES 9 medium scones

3 Cups self-raising flour

50g butter

1 Tbsp sugar

1 orange, zest only

50g walnut pieces

4 apricots, cut into small pieces

1-1 ½ cups milk, extra for glazing

2 Tbsp sugar for topping

Method

Preheat oven 190C

In a large bowl combine the flour and butter.  Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the sugar, zest, walnut pieces and apricots and mix to combine.

Using a bread and butter knife to mix add 1 cup of milk and quickly mix, if the dough is looking to dry then add another ¼ cup or so and mix again. Now use your hands to bring the dough together and tip the mixture out onto a lightly floured bench.  Gently bring the dough together and knead once or twice only!

Roll or pat the dough out so it roughly 2 ½ cm thick.  Cut rounds out with cutter and place onto baking tray.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-14 minutes or until lightly golden.

Remove from oven and cool on rack with a clean tea-towel over them to keep the crust soft.

Serve with plenty of butter. Alison would like to thank the following vendors

BRYDONE ORGANICS – onions

RED TUSSOCK VENISON – denver leg venison

KAKANUI TASTY TREATS – peppers and tomatoes

JANEFIELD HYDROPONICS – fresh dill and micro greens

ROSEDALE ORCHARDS – fresh apricots

WAIRUNA ORGANICS – courgettes

McARTHURS BERRY FARM - beetroot