26 May Flavour discoveries…
“What’s trending now?” – not a phrase that was once common parlance, but one which reflects the dizzying speed at which ‘fads’ arrive and seemingly equally quickly disappear, driven by social media frenzies. One of the current buzz words in food is ‘street-food’, and there certainly are lots and lots of little corners of the city boldly embracing this term whether they really fit the label or not.
Typically, street food is sold by a vendor from a ‘mobile’ cart or similar and it’s designed for a quick ‘grab and go’ snack or meal on the move. The great thing is that these vendors usually offer a very limited range of food that is cheap, tasty, authentic and highly regional – such as Mexican Chimichanga (filled & fried tortillas), Middle Eastern Shwarma or Falafel, Burek, Tacos, Hot Dogs, Burgers and fries, Pizza, Samosa, Dumplings, Chinese Pancakes and the list goes on and on – all of which I think we are familiar with. There are many delicious examples around town. I find it sad to see so many restaurants now branding themselves as ‘street-food’ vendors, while offering a wide range of dishes off a long menu selection to be eaten at tables, it really undermines the authentic ‘street food’ cart experience that has such a very long history (and is not really ‘trendy’ at all).
Our individual taste preferences are influenced by culture, our early experiences, our genes, travel and our exposure to new cuisines. Like scent, food ‘flavour memories’ can transport you to a different time and place, evoking lots of emotion too. I well remember my first experience of fresh sardines grilled over an open brazier and dressed with a squeeze of lemon from a street vendor in Istanbul in the late 1980’s. All I knew about sardines before that was the tinned version that my dad loved to eat on toast. But those grilled sardines enjoyed on the Galata Bridge, amongst the noise of the ferries, the slap of the Bosphorus and jostled by a tumult of people, was absolutely magical and revealing. Another powerful memory is of eating a large slice of ‘white’ pizza (no tomato sauce) with fresh porcini mushrooms, garlic and mozzarella from a cart near the Arena di Verona. I’d never seen or eaten fresh porcini before, and their intense flavour and slightly slimy texture was intoxicating. These two experiences were on the same trip and it was then that I truly fell in love with the flavours of the Mediterranean basin.
So I think another great aspect of traditional street food is that it’s an easy way to taste different flavour profiles that you may not routinely experience or cook at home where we automatically default to our familiar, quick and easy recipes or flavour palates that we are comfortable with when cooking for ourselves. It’s such fun to try something new and good street food offers one way to experiment without committing too much if you really don’t like it. Diversity of flavour and texture in food is amazing when you’re open to it.
Auckland has just hosted the Writers’ Festival, and I believe that about 60,000 people attended (it seemed to be that way at Scarecrow!), with a very large percentage of attendees coming from outside Auckland (indeed, from all over NZ). It really is great to have the city hopping and we are incredibly grateful for the foresight, passion and commitment of the event organisers, the many talented local folks who contribute so much as writers, interviewers, event hosts and readers; and the talented authors who joined us in NZ from around the world – and of course to the dedicated followers of the festival. I sincerely hope the city will continue to host such powerful events that bring us all together, across diverse interests and cultures, to celebrate and explore the complex world we live in and share. I fear that there will be significant pressures as Auckland Council tightens the purse strings, let’s hope the vibrancy and life is not strangled out of the city.
About to hit our screens is the DocEdge Festival and you should get online to see the amazing array of powerful documentary films they are bringing to our shores this year. For tickets and programme go to DocEdge.nz. This is the 18th year of this international documentary film festival and it is recognised in its status as an Academy Awards qualifying festival.
Brent Harris, artist and print maker, originally from Palmerston North but now living in Australia, has a new exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery, and they are such strong images. A great juxtaposition beside Tate Light which is on for another month or so. Get in to feast your eyes and pop into Scarecrow to restore after you’ve whetted your appetite!
Reminder! We are now open on Mondays – please do come in to see us.
Finally, an old-fashioned lemon dessert recipe for your winter days ahead (maybe your grandma made this?). Harvest the lemons in your garden or in your neighbourhood! My mother-in-law made this and served it with warmed raspberries that she had frozen from her summer garden, and of course a good dollop of cream (they used to keep a ‘house cow’). Sensational. Lots of tangy fruit flavours beside creamy lemon. You can make it in individual pots (shorten the cooking time!).
Old Fashioned Lemon Pudding
Ingredients:
200 gr castor sugar
125 gr unsalted butter
Zest of 1 large lemon
Juice of 1 lemon (some lemons are a bit dry – you need about 1/3 cup of juice)
4 eggs (separated, at room temperature)
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup plain flour
1 1/4 cups of whole milk (or add some mascarpone or cream to 1 cup milk)
Icing sugar to finish
Method:
Heat your oven to 175C.
Grease a large ceramic oven proof dish.
Zest your lemon, put to the side. Squeeze the juice.
In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar and lemon juice together until it’s creamy (yes, an electric beater is perfect for this!), then continue mixing while you slowly add the egg yolks (the mix might look ‘curdled’, don’t worry!).
Now add the milk and whisk again. Fold in the flour and lemon zest. Clean off the beater. In a separate bowl with a clean whisk beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and add a pinch of salt. Fold the egg whites through the lemon cream a little at a time. Don’t over mix! Just fold in the whites.
Pour your mix into the greased oven dish.
Place the dish on a baking tray with sides, pour boiling water into the oven tray to about 1/3 to 1/2 height of the depth of your ceramic baking dish. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden and it is just firm to the touch. The top will be sponge like and the bottom will be creamy.
To serve:
This is best eaten warm. You can prepare everything in advance except the egg whites, and then give it another stir, beat the whites and mix them in just before you want to cook the desert.
When you remove your pudding from the oven dust it with icing sugar. For added zing, blitz some Viberi to a powder and sift it through the icing sugar. Or warm some frozen berries as my mother-in-law used to and serve them beside the pudding. I like this with mascarpone, but ordinary whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream are more traditional accompaniments.
Bon appetit!
Alison
Savouring the Mediterranean Basin
Speaking of different flavours, have you tried one of our most popular dishes from our Autumn menu yet? Our plate of Warm Farro & Moroccan Spiced Vegetables was created by Chef Aurelien, drawing inspiration from his North African heritage. (One of his last dishes before he headed back to France!) Farro is an ancient type of wheat grain, delicious nutty and earthy, and used in abundance in the Mediterranean basin. Here, the farro has been paired with seasonal vegetables and the warming sweetness of dried figs and dates, toasted almonds and a creamy tahini dressing. Choose to add our slow-cooked pulled lamb for a gorgeous and satisfying meal that will transport you to Northern Africa! Be quick though, our winter menu is coming, and this one may not be available for much longer!
Coming Culinary Delights
We’re in planning mode for the winter season, with plenty of exciting things in the pipeline! First up will be our Winter Menu, which Chef is busy devising. As always, we will be building our menu around the best locally sourced ingredients and creating dishes to reflect and celebrate the flavours of the season. Rest assured, there will be something for everyone, including a good array of vegan and vegetarian meals.
We’re also looking ahead to Restaurant Month 2023, from 1-31 August (not very far away at all!) in association with Heart of the City. An established event on the annual culinary calendar, Restaurant Month showcases dishes from some of Auckland’s best places to eat, with specially created 2 and 3 course menus available at great prices. Stay tuned for our menu this year!
Duck Delicacies…
NZ duck has long been a favourite in the Scarecrow kitchen, and right now you’ll find two new must-try duck dishes on the Daily Specials Board. There’s a French-inspired Confit Duck Leg with Puy lentils, roasted carrots, caramelised onions and a berry glaze, which has been extremely popular, as well as an Autumn Salad of Smoked Duck Breast with radicchio, hazelnut and orange. Both are prepared in-house by our talented kitchen team, using the best quality NZ duck available, and both are absolutely delicious. Come in and try them this week! 
We’re also delighted to be reintroducing some of our duck products to the deli fridge in store. For a simple treat we recommend pairing the duck breast with a wedge of Damson Plum and Walnut Terrine and a piece of crusty sourdough baguette – sublime!
Immune Boosters
It is a great time of the year to be enjoying the benefits of nutrient-dense dried fruits. Whilst many of our favourite fresh fruits are out of season, you can still get your fix from the dried alternative. Packed with natural immune-boosting qualities, here are a couple of our favourites – both in plentiful stock at Scarecrow!
Viberi
One of our favourite Kiwi products, 
Viberi produces delicious and healthy organic dried fruit – you’ll likely know them for their blackcurrants. Their berries are grown on a certified organic farm in South Canterbury and are carefully picked and freeze-dried, Viberi preserves the natural flavour, colour and nutrients of the fruit making them a nutrititious, easy, on-the-go snack. And great sprinkled over a bowl of granola or porridge!
Little Beauties
Another product we like to have close to hand at this time of the year is Little Beauties. Kiwifruit, feijoas, 
boysenberries and more are picked from local orchards, then gently dried to preserve natural sweetness and flavour. The ‘beauty’ of these lies in the convenience – keep a packet in the car or sports bag and get all the natural nutrients from just a couple of slices. Be warned – these are super more-ish (have you tried the chocolate covered options?)!
Try a New Brew…
Next time you’re in for a hot cup of something at Scarecrow, take a closer look at our hot drinks menu. There’s our beloved Kokako Organic Coffee of course – and so much more on offer!
Like the Hakanoa range of gorgeous, warming chai syrups. Ask our barista for a Spiced Chai Latte, or try the Lemon Honey or Ginger if you need a morning pick-me-up. Hakanoa is a brand we’ve loved for many years now and a great example of a NZ success story.
Or, for something different but equally delicious, try a Misty Day Plant Potions Organic Shroom Latte. This is a rich, earthy brew that combines the benefits of mushrooms with soothing herbal properties to give you a natural boost to overall wellbeing. 
These products have gained immense popularity over the years and can be found any time you like – over the counter at Scarecrow! So, with conditions all over the place – some days we have sun streaming through the windows, on other days we get sideways rain tearing past the door! – we invite you to come into Scarecrow and enjoy a new brew, whatever the weather.
Go Plant-based
Here’s an event this week which has grabbed our attention! This Saturday 27th May at the Te Atatu Library, the Vegan Society is hosting what will be a really interesting discussion all about making the switch to plant-based eating. At Scarecrow we are hyper-aware of including a broad range of vegan and vegetarian dishes on the menu, and we constantly endeavour to do even more. If you’re interested in health and sustainability, head across to the Te Atatu peninsula this coming Saturday evening and get informed! Find out more at https://vegansociety.org.nz/
We’re Open 7 Days!
Don’t forget – we are back to being open seven days a week! This is a real milestone for Scarecrow, and one we hope to continue – with your support! Please call in for your morning coffee, pastry, brunch or lunch on the go from the cabinet or menu. We’re centrally located at 33 Victoria Street East, just across the road from Albert Park. See you soon!