Otago Farmers Market Recipes
Waitaki Pork fillet, lemon, and sage
Serves 2
1 pork fillet, trimmed of any silver sinew
1 lemon, zest and juice
¼ cup white wine, chicken stock or water
8 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves garlic,
Sea salt and cracked pepper
Good olive oil, knob of butter

Method: Simply cut across the fillet into 6 even size pieces. Push the meat gently into little medallions. Season the pork with salt and pepper, lemon zest, rip some sage leaves and add a little drizzle of oil, rub into pork and let marinate for 10 minutes. Place pork into hot pan, do not turn over until pork has started to go golden brown - 3 minutes. Turn over, add the remainder of the sage leaves and cook for a further couple of minutes. Remove pork from pan and keep warm, return pan to heat and add a good squeeze of lemon juice and add ¼ cup of either chicken stock, white wine or water. We are wanting to get all the juices and sediment from the base of the pan so we form a great tasting base of our sauce. Let reduce so it starts to thicken. Add knob of butter and remove from the heat, swirl around the butter add a good crack of pepper, taste for seasoning - add more salt or lemon if needed. Pour over your pork and enjoy….great with spinach, straw fries !!

How to cook spinach? -wash well and drain, heat a pan up really well and add a drizzle of good quality oil, add a few slivers of garlic a sprinkle chilli flakes(optional) heat until garlic turns light brown. Add the spinach, season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Stir briefly and remove from heat once has started to wilt. Eat immediately, especially good with some Waitaki pork.

ROSEMARY STRAW POTATOES WITH LEMON SALT
Lemon salt- zest 1 lemon and 4 Tablespoons sea salt
Sunflower oil
800g potatoes - peeled and cut into fine match sticks.
Few sprigs fresh rosemary

To make your lemon salt, bash and mix together the lemon zest with the salt in a pestle and mortar until the salt is flavoured, coloured and fine. Place in a dish. Use whatever you need straight away or allow it to dry out for a couple of hours before storing it. It might go hard, so just crush it up a bit before putting it into a jam jar.

Heat 6–8cm/2–3 inches of sunflower oil in a sturdy pan and bring to deep-frying temperature. You can do this by using a thermometer, or by placing a small chunk of potato into the cold oil before you begin to heat it. When the potato is floating and a dark golden brown the temperature will have reached 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and you’re ready to begin frying (remember to remove the piece of potato before you begin).

Pat the julienne strips dry with some kitchen paper to remove any excess starch. Making sure you’ve got a slotted spoon or spider (which is like a flat colander with a handle) and a big pile of kitchen paper to one side, carefully place some of your potatoes into the pan of oil (don’t overcrowd it) for a couple of minutes until golden brown and crisp. Cook the potatoes like this in batches until they are all used up. Add the rosemary for the last 30 seconds. Remove the chips and rosemary to the kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and then dust with your lemon salt. Serve straight away.

FRESH CORN FRITTERS
salt and pepper
3 cobs of corn
1 cup self-raising flour,
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
½ cup buttermilk or milk
¼ cup good quality oil
Method
Peel husk off corn and holding at the top of the corn, run a knife down the corn so the kernels come off (good to do over a bowl).
Heat a couple of teaspoon oil in pan and cook corn until it goes a glossy golden yellow. Remove and cool down.
In a good size bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients, add the egg and milk/buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the corn and chopped chives. Season well with salt and pepper. Use a good size heavy based fry pan, add the remaining oil and heat gently. Add spoonfuls to hot oil and cook until lightly golden on both sides - 4 mins approx.
Serve whilst hot, sprinkle with sea salt.

Carrots and turnips? This is the season for these under valued, versatile veggies.
1kg carrots, trimmed and cut lengthways in half
50g butter
1 Tablespoon honey
50ml water
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Sea salt and black pepper

600g turnips, peeled and halved
50g butter
1 Tablespoon honey
50 ml water
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1Tablespoon chopped parsley

Put all the ingredients for the carrots except the vinegar and parsley in a heavy-based pan and place over a high heat until the mixture is simmering away. Add the turnips and turn the heat right down, covering the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, frequently checking and stirring the carrots to make sure they don’t stick and burn. When the carrots are almost cooked, uncovered the pan, increase the heat slightly and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Cook for 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.



BLACKBOY PEACHES - WOW!! Elderslea Orchard
Simply cut in half the peaches and remove the stones, heat a griddled pan to very hot. Place the peaches cut side down and grill until marks appear and flesh is softening. Turn over and cook a further 2 minutes. Remove and place on a platter sprinkle well with sugar or ideally vanilla sugar, it is optional to sprinkle over some grappa or other great liqueur. Cover tightly with glad wrap and let the heat, mingle with the sugar etc and watch the delicious natural juices seep out. Simply serve with cream or crème
fraiche and drizzle over the juices of course!


(background info of vendors)
Waitaki Bacon and Ham - From Gate to Plate
Family focus business. Sue and Gus Morton have been involved in the farming industry for 25 years. Been raising pigs on the farm for 20 years. Very proud of the consistency of their pork, they Do Not use Growth Hormones or promoters. 100% grain fed. Produced according to NZ animal welfare standards.
Farm is located 15 minutes north of Oamaru, located on the banks of the mighty Waitaki River.
All cuts of meat available - old fashioned hams, bacon, roasts etc


BRYDONE ORGANIC GROWERS
Nigel - Farm Manager - Proud to be Certified Bio Grow and totally seasonal
Farm and Shop is located south of Oamaru in Totora.
Exceptional quality and fantastic variety available - calvalo nero, corn, potatoes, beetroot, turnips etc etc

GODDARDS - Ray Goddard is one of the founding trustees of the farmers market
Has been at the market since it began seven years ago.
Infamous for his high quality of his potatoes especially his Jersey Bennies!
Family business, located in Sawyers Bay

JANE FIELD PEONIES AND HYDRO GREENS
Rodger Whitson-owner
Located in Mosgiel
Has been a regular at the market for over five and half years
Huge variety of spray free lettuces, spinach, bok choy and herbs.
Available all year round.
Specialising in Peonies

ELDERSLEA ORCHARD
Margaret and Alex Gordon
30 years of experience
Located at Roxburgh east
Seventh season at the farmers market
Produce wide variety of stone fruit (including black boy peaches) pears, apples and quince.
Next year will have hazelnuts back and different varieties as in between planting.