19 Feb Love Local 💞
I can’t believe it’s mid-February already – I hardly dare say Happy New Year as truly it has been a bombshell of a summer, so much suffering for so many people. I’m writing this as the prospect of monstrous cyclone Gabrielle weighs on our minds. We all know about the wild weather and the impact on homes, but there is also devastating consequences for various sectors we work with: for example, vineyards, struggling with humidity, lack of sun and too much water for ripening grapes, beekeepers whose bees cannot forage successfully in high wind, pouring rain and cooler temperatures, crops hit with flooding that gouged them out of fields. All this adds to increasing food costs, you can quickly appreciate that this is going to be a complex dynamic for months (years?) ahead in the market.
There is always a bright side! The cows are loving the plentiful grass and artisan cheesemakers are enjoying the deluge of fresh milk. There is a wonderful cheese selection in our retail fridge, come in to feast your eyes and take some home to share with friends.
These biblical floods are a salutary reminder of Climate Change and our need to get prepared. Water knows no boundaries and we have a lot of work to do across the country to address critical infrastructure, I sincerely hope this work gets going soon!
Despite the agonies of the weather Scarecrow has been busy. January we opened refreshed from our holidays and were very surprised by the huge numbers of people in town! To use an industry term, we were ‘slammed’. Kiwis from across Aotearoa were here in droves to enjoy the Frida Kahlo and Robin White exhibitions at Toi o Tāmaki Art Gallery. It was a significant boost to our usual January (we know Frida Kahlo was particularly popular as the cafe quietened by about 35% when it closed). “Light from Tate” is the next exciting exhibit to open at the end of this month with over 70 works from London’s Tate Gallery coming to town, another highlight for the season. Happily, many tourists also came to our shores, and we have enjoyed hosting them as they discovered Albert Park, the gallery and the many pleasures of our harbour-side city. This so clearly illustrates to me the importance of the arts to the city centre economy.
Valentine’s Day is next on the agenda and we have some lovely offers for you! We are also running a special menu from 14 – 19 February (check it out in the newsletter).
We are fortunate to have great drainage in our vegetable garden, so there has been a continuous supply of vegetables at our house – while the rain poured down the plants soaked it up! Sometimes I wondered how to use all the produce. Some things do get a little too big (zucchinis and beans bolt very quickly!). Here is a wonderful recipe packed with summer produce that is delicious, comforting and nutritious (it’s also vegan and gluten free). Most of the ingredients are vegetables – don’t be alarmed by the long list!
Rustic Italian Bean Stew with Garden Herbs
Serves 5 – 6 people
Ingredients
1 x large brown onion, diced
4 x chopped celery stems (or similar – I used Parcel, a mix of parsley and celery which is very easy to grow. I chopped the leafy green heads as well)
5 x fresh garlic cloves, chopped finely
6 – 7 x medium size Agria potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
3 x zucchini sliced into 1cm thick diagonals, then chopped through
Beans – pod any beans that have got too big, or slice green beans. A mix of various beans is great. You need about 2 cups of beans.
1 x tin of white cannellini or butter beans.
Tomatoes – about 1 cup of roughly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup of whole cherry tomatoes. (I’ve been including tomatoes that are not fully ripe – they are delicious and the colour is great).
Chilli peppers – according to your taste. I like a little heat but this is not a dish for ‘hot’ flavours. Fresh or dried peppers is fine.
1 x bunch of finely chopped leafy greens (spinach or kale)
Fresh garden or dried herbs: Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme, Parsley (keep some chopped parsley aside for garnish). Be generous with your herbs – dried herb mix would be about 1 heaped tablespoon, chopped fresh herbs about 2 heaped tablespoons.
¾ – 1 cup roughly chopped olives – black and green mix is great. (Have you tried the Elysian olives – we stock them at Scarecrow and we think they are amazing!)
1 x lemon, roughly chopped (remove the seeds)
¾ cup olive oil
Freshly grated Parmesan optional for serving
Method
In a deep pan (heavy based stove top casserole dish is ideal), warm most of the olive oil. Reserve ¼ of a cup. Put in the onion, lemon, celery and allow to soften.
In a pot of lightly salted water simmer your potatoes for about 10 minutes (they should be only partly cooked). Remove with a slotted spoon (keep the water) and rinse them in cold water, then dice to about 1.5cm cubes, add them into the gently cooking mix, increase the heat a little to colour the potatoes (5 minutes or so). Add a generous teaspoon of flaky salt. Stir.
Now add your zucchinis, herbs, olives, garlic, chilli, tinned beans and fresh tomatoes. Gently toss through. After a couple of minutes, turn down heat, cover with a fitted lid and and continue to cook gently.
Into the pot of reserved ‘potato water’ put the garden beans (podded ones first) – simmer until they are partly cooked. After a couple of minutes add them with 1 ½ cups of their water to the casserole, continue to simmer for about 15 minutes with the lid off, then taste to check your seasoning. Check all the vegetables are cooked through. Add a little more water if it’s too thick (but you are not making soup). Finally stir in your chopped leafy greens, they should only need about 5 minutes to soften. You’re ready to serve!
Serve
Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle over some chopped parsley.
On your table have a warm loaf of sourdough or other favourite bread to mop up the juices. A bowl of finely grated Parmesan is a lovely garnish. Or, use a delicious dollop of Waiheke Herb Spread.
Bon appetit!
Alison
Love Local
With the recent weather devastating so many across the wider Auckland region, our hearts go out to those who have been impacted. More specifically, our thoughts go to our suppliers, many of whom are dealing with further adversity on top of accumulated Covid losses.
As we have discussed, bees have not coped in the wind and rain this summer causing huge difficulty for our honey producers. Similarly, vineyards across the region will endure lasting effects of the seemingly relentless rain, humidity and wind. It will be a tough time ahead with many harvests heavily impacted.
So with Valentine’s Day ahead, and on the subject of love, we ask that you love local. Choose locally made artisan products over mass-produced items. Your support will really help our local makers, growers and producers. 
Take some time to browse our grocery shelves when you’re next visiting us at 33 Victoria Street East in the city to see some of Aotearoa’s finest artisan small-batch, often handmade, products. Choosing these over imported goods is a great way you can show your support to small businesses.
Valentine’s Day at Scarecrow
With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, we’ve put together some lovely little treats and experiences to enjoy with your beloved this year.
Sweet hearts for your sweetheart
Surprise your loved one with a super sweet treat this Valentine’s Day. We have pretty little gift packs comprising Dark Chocolate Hazelnut, and Shrewsbury & White Chocolate Hearts. They’re divine. We also have an extensive artisan offering of NZ made chocolate – real chocolate, ranging in intensity and full of flavour. Take a peek in the cabinet too to find handmade goodies to take home for a little after-dinner indulgence.
Our Valentine’s Menu – bookings essential
Chef has devised a delicious plat du jour that we’ve woven into a very special Valentine’s menu, available for a week from Tuesday 14 February. Call to reserve a relaxed lunch on Valentine’s week with your love, best friend – or just a favourite person! There’s lots of ways to make love go round.
Scarecrow Valentine’s Menu
A glass of Peacock Sky Sparkling Rosé (or non-alcoholic beverage)
Mushroom Duxelles Fettucine with Truffle Oil
To finish, Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Heart & Shrewsbury & White Chocolate Heart.
$80 for 2. (Minimum 2 people)
Bookings essential. Available 12.00 – 2.30pm Tuesday 14th – Sunday 19th February.
Gorgeous Gift Cards
Roses are red
Gift cards are great
Pen some sweet words
To a lover or mate.
Okay, our poetry could be better, but our gift cards are top notch! Words from the heart are a pretty lovely thing. Find our beautiful range of botanical NZ made gift cards in store at Scarecrow.
House-made Scarecrow Range
Our chefs work hard each day to keep our deli fridges stocked with house-made Scarecrow products. In our deli fridges you’ll find our range of ‘heat and eat’ family pies and lasagnes, smoked salmon and other deli specialties. For our wonderful Mt Eden customer base, though our local store is no longer, you can still get your Scarecrow fix by placing an order through the website and picking up from us in the city. We can also arrange delivery if required.
Beautiful Baking
If a sweet indulgent treat is on your mind, 
our house-made Persian Love Cake will tick all your boxes. These are lovingly baked fresh, and so need to be pre-ordered – especially at this time of year! One of our Valentine’s offerings is a special smaller-sized Persian Love Cake gift wrapped in an elegant box for just $40. Call the team on 09 377 1333 to have one set aside.
Perfect Pot Pies
Our new pot pies are flying out of the kitchen almost faster than we can make them! Available in all your favourite flavours, it seems nothing beats the comfort of a Scarecrow pie – try one!
In the most recent iteration of our a la carte menu, we have added a new bistro lunch, which we are delighted to see people enjoying, and coming back time and time again for more. Our clever team is delighted to see it so well received. Pop in this week for a Scarecrow Bistro Lunch!
Fresh Eggs, Bread, Organic Milk and more!
Loads of great product in our retail fridge from olives, spreads, cheeses, 
Durham Farms A2 Organic Milk to our Scarecrow made cakes and meals. Find Wild Wheat fresh bread every day and heirloom tomatoes on our front counter. If you are having trouble finding eggs, we have a quality supply in store, from free range pasture roaming birds. We hope you find the perfect addition to your table at Scarecrow.