19 Jul It’s Event-acular!
Posted at 8:59 AM
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News
by Scarecrow
The year is hurtling by – where do the days go? Our newsletter is full of details for upcoming events for August – and we have even begun Christmas cake planning and booked our first pre-Christmas evening function in Scarecrow!
If you’re looking for a small venue for a sit-down dinner, or a drinks and canapé event, think about Scarecrow. We are really happy that Aurelien, our former head-chef, is back from his trip to France and is ready to roll up his sleeves again in the kitchen! He is planning to work on private functions, either at Scarecrow in the evening or in your home. So, do write to us at events@scarecrow.co.nz if you’d like to discuss your evening event.
Our shortest day passed a couple of weeks ago and along with Matariki comes not just the seasonal cold, but also lengthening days. This weekend, when the clouds were nudged along to make space for a gently warming and sunny lunch outside on our terrace, I was reminded just how attached we are to light and the physical replenishment that comes with the rays of the sun. In fact there was enough stillness and sunshine over the long weekend to enjoy some sunny (rather muddy!) walks. It’s really uplifting to be in the mild winter sun, especially with a warm, flickering fire to greet the evening chill as it falls. I suppose it’s all about the many illusory qualities of light and heat that we are naturally drawn to (not illusory to the anthropologist or scientist). But conversely, those on the other side of the world who are experiencing a burning hot summer, where heat penetrates every corner of their world, are trying to hide from the sun and its power. I’m thinking the heat and dry are likely to hit us quite hard this summer. At least there is plenty of water in the dams and water tables! Far, far too much for all those who are still suffering enormously as a result of this wettest ever recorded period in NZ.
Let’s hope the rains abate for the women’s football, we know this will be a joyful time for fans, family and football lovers around the country! As a non-football fan, I am determined to go to at least one game (I shall report back…)!
Just in time for visitors to Aotearoa, the talented Ali Davies has released a new range of gorgeous New Zealand inspired tea-towel designs, printed on high quality organic cotton that is specially woven for her product. We also have gorgeous new designs from Tanya Wolfkamp, in fact there are a lot of beautiful linens in the store to enjoy in your home every day or to make the perfect ‘memory’ gift, they are very popular and we love supporting these talented local designers.
The Waiheke community is once again battling the passenger ferry service provider, Fullers, who seem to have no problem hiking already expensive fares by almost 20%. The impact on this community and its broad network is significant. Whether you try to imagine the cost to families, commuters, workers, patients, visitors to the island or to businesses, builders and others trying to run enterprises here, it is profound. I feel particularly sad for the hospitality businesses who have had such a painful few years and are making every effort to survive in an increasingly tough economy. I know many readers of this newsletter are based here on Waiheke, and are so vexed by this situation.
Finally, I want to share a classic Levantine recipe with you, Mujadara, it’s a delicious dish that primarily combines rice and lentils sprinkled with caramelised onions. This is a dish that has many iterations, and I am sharing one version. It’s worth reading about it as you might be inspired by other versions of this lovely dish. It’s really the ‘star’ of a meal and is typically served with a variety of side dishes – which would change seasonally. I made it recently and served it beside roasted cumin cauliflower (under-roasted I’m sorry to say) and tahini sauce, a salad with witloof, walnuts, persimmon and dates, and a dish of a variety of beans in a tomato and garlic dressing. In the summer you might make things such as grilled eggplant, peppers, roasted harrissa carrots, or a vibrant tomato dish. It’s also a perfect dish to have with lamb kofte, grilled chicken or slow roasted meats and a yoghurt cucumber sauce.
Mujadara
Ingredients
1 cup green French lentils (you can use a bigger ratio of lentils if you like), washed and drained
2 cups Basmati rice, washed and drained
3 large brown onions
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 vegetable bouillon (stock) cube
Large bunch fresh herbs such as thyme and oregano. Strip them and chop them
1 Bay leaf
1 cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Method
Wash the lentils and put them into a pot of simmering water and partially cook (about 12 minutes). Remove, drain and set aside.
Roughly chop one onion and reserve. Slice the other two onions in rings. Heat most of the olive oil in a pan to quite a high temperature and cook the onion rings, stirring frequently, until they are quite dark. Take them out of the pan and ‘dry’ them on a couple of layers of paper towel – give them some space!
In a large pan (I use my deep ironware pot), put in the remaining olive oil, heat and add the chopped onion. When it’s softened add the crumbled stock cube, generous teaspoon of cumin (or crushed cumin seeds if you have them), the washed basmati rice. Keep stirring. After 3 minutes or so add the lentils and enough cold water to just cover the grains, add the herbs and whole bay leaf. Bring the pot to a simmer. Cover the pot with a folded clean tea towel so you have a double layer of fabric, then put on the pot lid. Allow the rice to cook very gently for about 15 minutes. Take off the lid to check – if you are low on water add another ⅓ cup or so, stir the grains with a fork, and continue your ‘sealed’ cooking as before. Check the rice again after another 8 minutes or so. It should be light and fragrant, not wet or sticky. Toss it with a fork. Add salt to taste. Put it into a warmed dish for serving, stir through the chopped parsley if you are using it (or finely chopped spinach leaves), pile the rice in the centre of the dish and then sprinkle on the onion rings (crunchy or soft caramelised – either is good!).
Bon appetit!
Alison
| Tāmaki Makaurau is going off this July and August with a spectacular series of arts, cultural and food events for the entire community to enjoy, locals and visitors alike! With so much to celebrate at Scarecrow, and in our beautiful surrounding city, we invite you to dive into the details right here in our latest newsletter. From culinary delights, to music and light shows, cultural showcases and of course, global sporting spectacles right here in our back yard, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. And you know us – any chance to celebrate and support our beloved Auckland City! There is so much to experience, so read on to find out more. |
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 Here is some wonderful news we just have to share… Metro Magazine has just released its 2023 Metro Top Cafes, and guess who made the list? Scarecrow is thrilled and honoured  to have been named, alongside our coffee partner Kōkako (for their Commercial Bay café) – it’s a real tribute to our hard-working staff, and testament to our commitment to serving up the best, whether that’s organic coffee, tea and hot chocolate, some of NZ finest wines, beautiful fresh cabinet food or nourishing, seasonal deliciousness from our a la carte menu. Our thanks to Metro, and to our fabulous team & partners such as Kōkako for the great work and commitment! Do come in and see what all the fuss is about – you won’t regret it! |
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Firstly, we hope you had a wonderful Matariki long weekend. It is such a special and unique holiday, our second time celebrating it together as a nation. It was so lovely to see festivities up and down the country to mark the occasion and our city centre looked very festive indeed.
Here’s to many more Matariki celebrations in the years to come – we have a feeling this uniquely Aotearoa public holiday will quickly establish itself as an annual highlight that is celebrated widely. |
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O ur big focus right now, and a topic of much excitement at Scarecrow, is our inaugural Sunday Night Sounds with Luke Hurley Live every Sunday evening throughout August. We’ll be transforming our daytime space into a cosy live music venue from 5.30pm, with the sultry sounds of Auckland’s very own singer/ songwriter Luke Hurley, and food and wine from our Restaurant Month menu. With tickets starting at $65 for a two course menu, including an appetiser and glass of Elephant Hill Le Phant Merlot Blend on arrival, these evenings will be fun, so do come and join us! Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages too, where soon we’ll be running a very special giveaway! Be sure to book tickets – either via email @ orders@scarecrow.co.nz , or give us a call on 09 377 1333. We’ll have vegan and gluten friendly options available, so please indicate these dietary requirements upon booking. |
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August is Restaurant Month
Not only will we be celebrating music in 
August, we’re very excited to again be participating in Restaurant Month. Our Chef has devised a beautiful, seasonal two and three course menu, with wine pairing from the renowned Hawkes Bays Elephant Hill. We highly recommend booking in advance during the month of August, whether for Sunday Night Sounds, or to enjoy our Restaurant Month menu. Scarecrow can get busy and we don’t want anyone missing out! Just give us a call on 09 377 1333 or email events@scarecrow.co.nz.
FIFA Fever! 🎉
In other event news, you’ll have had to have been in hibernation to miss the buzz around the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – kicking off in Tāmaki Makaurau and across the motu imminently! We are really very lucky to have so many of the world’s finest football talents in our own backyard, so let’s get amongst the vibe and support the teams where we can. We’ve dressed Scarecrow up to show our support and contribute to the vibe in the city right now, so come in and celebrate with us – let us know your favourite team (we’re Kiwi all the way!). The buzz is certainly growing, we hope some of these incredible football stars will find a moment to visit us here at Scarecrow! Top tip: to immerse yourself in all the atmosphere of Game Day, head along to the FIFA Fan Festival at The Cloud. Here you’ll be treated to live entertainment, big screen viewings and the palpable excitement of this FIFA Women’s World Cup. And entry is completely free! So check out the action at The Cloud every matchday between 20 July – 20 August. Let’s go Tāmaki Makaurau!
What else?
Loads! Including ElementalAKL, Auckland’s very own festival of arts, eats and beats, on in Auckland City every Friday through Sunday between 20 July and 13 August. There will be numerous cultural events to check out, a highlight we think will be Elemental Lasers at Aotea Square. This light show promises loads of wow for all ages featuring geometric patterns, 3D characters and neon beams, all lighting up Auckland’s iconic buildings surrounding Aotea Square. Check it out every Friday through Sunday evening during the ElementalAKL festival, completely free!
Last but not least, we wanted to make mention 
of the iconic Food show, in Auckland the weekend of 27-30 July at the Showgrounds. We love to get along to the Food Show each year, not just for the food, drinks, boutique brands and talented producers showcasing amazing things, but to soak up tips and tricks during live cooking demonstrations from NZ’s eminent chefs. Mark the date in your (fast-filling up) calendar, it will be fun!
Spotlight on Chef’s Daily Specials…
Our new Winter Menu has launched with a bang! Thank you for coming in to try our new dishes, we’re delighted with the wonderful feedback you’ve shared. If you haven’t yet seen it, do pop in and try something new! You’ll also find goodness on our Daily Chef’s Specials Board. Chef has been sending out inspired daily specials to complement the menu, so be sure to check it out when you’re next in.
Pictured above: Pan seared monkfish with orange braised witloof, cauliflower puree, cumin crumble and lemon gel.
Left: Spinach Pesto Pasta with Walnuts.
Right: Lamb Racks with Braised Onion Tart, Pickled Onions, Herbs and a Mojo Verde.
Absolutely delicious! Come into Scarecrow at 33 Victoria Street East and try out our Chef’s Daily Special! |
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New Ceramics in Store
 We have new enamelware on the shelves now – and when it’s this gorgeous you’ll want to stop what you’re doing and come straight in! Practical enough to take picnicking or camping (glamping, in this weather perhaps!), pretty enough to serve a cup of organic tea or hot chocolate to visitors.  This range is durable (it will last a lifetime!), oven- and dishwasher safe. Do you have an upcoming birthday gift to sort? Come in and ask the team to put together a beautiful little enamelware package, complete with  your favourite NZ made chocolates and your choice of our range of organic tea leaves, cacao powders, coffee beans or syrups. |
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| There are works outside… but we’re still here! |
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| Works for Te Ha Noa, the Linear Park, are right on our doorstep and we appreciate this can look a little uninviting. But we do urge you to look past the disruption, and make your way through our doors for a cosy, warm vibe shared with neighbours and friends. We are still here! And with the line-up of imminent events and all the surrounding buzz, we know you’ll love your visit to Scarecrow. Come on in! |
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