It Always Tastes Better… or, How Sweet It Is?

Food always tastes better when you are camping.  Why?  This has been the new riddle as we embark upon our new voyage of caravanning.

For most people, I know that camp chow means simple – beans and wieners, made-ahead casseroles, and quick-fix meals with few ingredients.  But, alas, we are not most people, and while we enjoy the simplicity of camping, we do not compromise on our meals.  My travelling spice box contains about 50 packets of everything you can imagine, from cardamom pods to whole nutmeg!  You just never know when you might need something!

At ‘home’ we cook up great feasts, every night, using every pot, pan, plate and implement available; messing up the counter top, stove top and every other surface imaginable.  As I’ve written in the past, the meal is always commendable – usually fantastic, occasionally not so much, but always edible, always fun, and always messy.

So, now we are hitting the road in our cherished little British Caravan.  “Camping’” means we have cable TV, WiFi Internet, a gas oven and stove, a small fridge and a very small kitchen area, not to mention a BBQ and large outside prep area, and most campgrounds have well-fitted communal kitchens with everything else you could possibly need.

So, EVERY meal we have enjoyed in our sweet Bertha has been stellar – I mean 5 star, exceptional, craving for more, darned good food.  Whether it has been simply marinated steaks, lamb chops, or grilled salmon fillets…  Just the best!  And, while the BBQ’d treats have been awesome, the stuff we’ve roasted in the communal kitchens’ ovens have been noteworthy, as well.  Go figure?!

And, then there is the clean up.  On the road, everything goes into the orange ‘sink bin’ and gets done when it’s convenient – tonight, in the morning or whenever.  But, there is never that much…  Our two plates, utensils, a serving platter or two, maybe a pot from the potatoes or the rice cooker bowl…  Just never as much as from the kitchen at home. A disposable wipe (I only use them when camping) and the surfaces are sparkly again.  Hmmm… makes me wonder.  Do we over-think or overdo our ‘home’ meals and go more ‘simple’ on the road?

So, what makes food on the road taste SO good?  Are we that much more relaxed?  Is it simpler? Are we planning our meals better?  We are taking advantage of local produce on the road, but we tend to do that at home, too. Or, are we just so happy to be celebrating a stress free life?

So, what is that special ingredient that turns every day food into the food of the Gods and makes it a memory to be treasured, no matter how simple?  Is it the spice of life, the simplicity of being, the sharing of a meal with loved one(s)?  Or, is it just knowing that the damned dishes are going to be quick and easy!!?

Zelnacka, or Spicy, Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup

 We were supposed to go away in the caravan a few weeks ago, but the weather had other ideas.  The day we had planned to leave was very windy, and the next day, we woke up to steady drizzle.  It IS Springtime here in New Zealand, but that generally means the weather is incredibly fickle.  In the last three weeks, we have had a major wind-storm, incessant rains that flooded Little River, and a hailstorm that left about 2 inches of ice and closed roads.  Oh well, that’s what you get when you live in a small island nation in the middle of the roaring forties!

So, a few days before we planned to go, I cleaned out the fridge and pantry in preparation for our intended trip.  Besides finding way too many condiments, I came across some chorizo that was approaching early retirement.  I adore chorizo, but most of the dishes I use it in are cold weather soups and stews.

While having my coffee and being pleased that we had delayed the trip, I contemplated what tasks I should conquer on this chilly, rainy day.  It came to me: Zelnacka!!!  (It is pronounced zel-netch-ka)  The Czech chefs we employed for so many years made this on a regular basis, and I really can’t get enough of it.  So, today would be the day I would make my first batch of Zelnacka, now being chef-less.

The ingredients?

Chorizo, cut into small bits

Bacon (sort of optional)

An onion, chopped

about a dozen mushrooms (also, optional)

2 or 3 potatoes, diced

1 can (7oz) sauerkraut

a few Tablespoons of flour

2 –3 teaspoons of sweet paprika

2 or 3 Tablespoons of Caraway seeds

salt, to taste

You must remember that this is solid, Eastern European peasant food – hearty, cheap and made from ingredients always on hand in that part of the world.  It is what I call a ‘Nana’ recipe – there are as many versions as there are ‘Nana’s’.

My base recipe called for rendering some fat from the bacon, then add the onion, chorizo and mushrooms, and sauté in the fat until the onions are tender.  Well, I didn’t want to use the bacon, so I started the onions and such in some vegetable oil, instead.  I cooked the mix until the onions were translucent and the chorizo had given up some of its fat.  The Man tells me that our Czech boys would let the onion cook for a very long time, until almost caramelised, and then add the mushrooms and chorizo.  I also believe that they would have added a fair amount of garlic – these boys eat garlic on their cornflakes, along with caraway seeds!!!

Next, I sprinkled a few tablespoons of flour onto the mixture and stirred it in.  This is basically like making a gravy base or a roux, as it thickens the soup.  

Once the flour has cooked through for a few minutes, add the potatoes, sauerkraut, paprika and caraway seeds.  At this stage, I added a bit of smoked paprika to make up for the lack of bacon-y smokiness.

Then, let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.  That’s it!!!!  One pot and simple!  Did I mention how good it smells when cooking?!  Oh, and the flavour – if you like sauerkraut, you will love, love, love this!  It tastes almost like a Reuben Sandwich in soup form!

While the soup was simmering, I made a batch of Caraway Rye Bread http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caraway-Rye-Bread/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Now, there is a funny story about this dish.  We decided to put it on the menu at the cafe one season, as we did try to always have a few Czech dishes on the menu.  It drew in the local Czech population and was interesting to other visitors.  But, since no one has ever heard of Zelnacka, we would have to explain it.  It just so happened that The Man had recently had some dental issues and was missing a front tooth.  It was going to take a few months to get that fixed.  So, for several months, he was challenged with “Zelnacka?  Oh, it ith a thpithy, thaurkraut and thauthage thoop.”

Feats, Fetes, and Finally, Finding Our Way…

Our life has taken a numbers of turns in the past three months, literally and figuratively.

Back in July, the darkest and coldest part of our New Zealand winter, a young couple (backed by her parents) made an offer on our business.  It was low, but given the economy and recent earthquakes, we knew it was reasonable.  We accepted, and six quick weeks later, we left the Hilltop for the last time as proprietors.  Having poured our hearts and souls into turning that old pub into a respectable bar and café, I thought the moment we handed over the keys would be bittersweet, but honestly, it wasn’t.  Between doing a final inventory, paying off creditors, preparing the final payroll and figuring out final tax payments, it just came and went with very little hoopla.  In the days that followed, I think we began to realize just how burned out we had become.  While we had loved the challenges and loved chatting with our customers, it really was hard work and a lot of responsibility.

But, now the question on everyone’s mind, including our own, was “What are you going to do, now?”  Obviously, we had discussed this, but not knowing when exactly the question would present itself, we didn’t have an answer!  We did know we wanted to take a bit of time off, relax, get the house up to scratch and get our garden ready for summer.  We considered a holiday – maybe Fiji, or Thailand?  But, we also realised that we have not seen a lot of this beautiful country that we now call home.  I suggested a motorhome, but when we began looking, the prices were daunting.  Then, one day, sitting at my desk, I saw a car go past, towing a small caravan!  BINGO!  We didn’t need another vehicle; we needed a caravan!  After much thought, we decided that we would be frugal, take the summer off (more or less) and enjoy a non-working summer as gypsies in New Zealand!

Well, one thing led to another…  We flew to the north island to pick up a Range Rover that we got a tremendous deal on (The Man wasn’t sure our car would pull the caravan very well), and drove it home.  The Rover is a man magnet – no joke.  Everywhere we go, we get comments – “Is that a V8?”.

The following week we drove south to pick up the imported, used, renovated UK caravan that we had bought sight unseen in a 1$ reserve online auction.  Again, we got a very good deal.  When we sell the second car, it will more than cover the Range Rover and the caravan.

Bess LOVES it!!!  She has always been a great little traveller, and that fact contributed heavily to our caravan decision to begin with.  The money saved by not having to kennel her would go a long way towards our travel fund, plus she is just fun to have around.  As we visit beaches and forests, she’ll have a great time.  What I haven’t mentioned is, that during the week between getting the Range Rover and getting the caravan, Bessie managed to get out on the road and was hit by an SUV.  Lucky thing that she is, she went under the carriage and escaped with a horrific gash down her back.  No crushes, bruises, or other wounds!  Many stitches later, she was in pretty good shape, but needed her wound cleaned and dressed a few times a day, plus weekly vet visits for several weeks.  Had we planned the overseas holiday, we would have had to cancel or rely on the kennel to look after her – neither of which would have made us happy.  But, with ointments, antibiotics, and home-made ‘sport suits’ to hold her dressings (sanitary pads!) in place, we managed to pick up ‘Bertha’ as scheduled.

So, having hooked up with ‘Bertha’ (she is a two berth) near Dunedin, we headed north and stopped for our first two nights in Timaru.  It was still early spring and a bit cold, but the built in heater kept us warm and cozy.  Too early for BBQing, so we roasted a chicken in the oven and had stroganoff another night.

Timaru is a quaint South Island town with a lovely esplanade running along the bay.  The Top 10 Holiday Park is fantastic.  While located practically in the center of town, it is very private and comfortable.  The communal ‘ablution blocks’ have under-floor heating and good, hot showers.  As is typical of the ‘Holiday Parks’ there is a playground, this one complete with a ‘bouncing pillow’ and flying fox. 

There is a great local park that Bess loves, so she visited it several times.  It is conveniently located next to ‘Briscoe’s’, a home-ware store.  We had packed up pretty well in preparation for meeting Bertha, but now that we knew what she looked like and had spent some time with her, we had a blast shopping for a few bits and pieces.

On Saturday night we went to a local pub and watched the All Blacks’ play in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final and met some friendly locals.  On Sunday, we went to the local Farmer’s Market and enjoyed strolling around in the lovely spring weather.  Later, I taught The Man a thing or two about backgammon!

Once back home, we parked Bertha and powered her up.  We spent some time cleaning, stocking the shelves and cupboards and generally, getting to know her.  Coincidentally, the local Motorhome and Caravan show was that weekend, so we were able to get a better education about all things RV.  We got our insurance sorted, joined a club (AKA, we got our ‘Wings’, which are like a secret handshake!) and after much research bought a small, portable satellite dish and a cute TV that takes our cable smart-card and has a built in DVD player!  I’d also figured out the whole Wi-Fi thing, by now!  All Recipes, Facebook and Words with Friends will not be neglected! 

So, time for our next journey!  We left promptly after Bessie’s vet appointment.  ‘Uncle Richard’ removed her stitches and drains but warned me that the wound might expand and get messy as some of the fatty tissue deteriorated, and I just needed to manage it.  This time we headed north about 3 hours to the seaside town of Kaikoura, famous for its snow capped mountains tumbling into the sea, whale watching and seal colonies.  Again, at a Top 10 Holiday Park, we had full amenities and were very comfy.  It was also full of French rugby fans on their way back to Christchurch, before the flight to Auckland for the lead up to the final against the All Blacks. This park also has a huge, private outdoor hot-tub that guests can ‘book’ and use for free!  We set up the TV, only to realize we’d forgotten the SKY card!  But, that was fine, as we had good ‘freeview’ reception.  Yet again, I was amazed at how huge and comfortable the made-out bed is.  And, there is even a special ‘nook’ for Bess, so we are all happy.

The next day, we hit the road heading another 2 hours north to the province of Marlborough, one of the best-known wine-producing regions of New Zealand.  We parked up at yet another Top 10 Park, this one right on the river, but only a minute from the center of town.  Bess loved exploring the riverbank, and true to form, she didn’t harass the ducks when we asked her not to!

The weather was a bit drizzly that first day.  We wandered into town to pick up a few supplies (sanitary pads and leggings to make into ‘sports suits’, for Bess!) and ended up at ‘The Warehouse’, kind of like K-Mart.  They were having a big sale on DVD’s for $3, so we grabbed several and went back to relax and watch a few movies, something we never do at home.  We contemplated going out to watch the All Blacks win the semi-final, but we were too comfy and watched it at ‘home’. 

The following day dawned frosty but clear as a bell, and by 11AM it was warming up pleasantly.  We went to one of our favourite vineyards, Highcliff, for an amazing lunch overlooking the vines.  Bellies full and minds relaxed, Bertha beckoned and we spent the rest of the day relaxing.  For me, cross-stitch and internet.  For The Man, reading, TV and the internet.

A 10am start saw us arrive home about 3pm, just ahead of a massive wind storm!

During the following week and half, we managed to do some much needed redecorating and painting in the house.  We moved into our cottage 2 years into the 7-year Hilltop stint, and while we have put in a new kitchen, carpet, windows and such, we have never really settled in and made it ‘homey’.  Our desks are still in the main room, because it works for us, but my file box has disappeared, and the stuff on my desk is a lot less serious than previous!  

Bess’ weekly visit was a big one.  Richard sedated her and did some minor surgery and gave her a fresh stitch or two, but said she was healing amazingly well.  He told me to keep on doing what we were doing.  Oh, and the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup!

When we first arrived in NZ, almost 10 years ago, we went to all the festivals and markets, as we were trying to learn the culture and regions, not to mention, we had the time.  Well, we haven’t had much time for that over the last 7 years, so we were delighted to find that the Culverden Christmas Fete was scheduled for last Thursday.  We had been once during our first year, and it is definitely one of the best gatherings.  We were even more pleased to know that Top 10 has a highly rated park in Hanmer Springs, about 20 minutes further on.

We’d spent the day before at home, cleaning, cooking, loading and generally getting Bertha ready.  We headed north again, along the coast but turned west about an hour north of Christchurch and continued inland for another hour and a half until we arrived at Hanmer Springs.  Along the way we noticed a lot of hand made signs – Go Black!!!! – not a racist thing at all, just a left over from the rugby, but interesting I’m sure for those who don’t know.

Crossing the single lane bridge that spans the very deep gorge into Hanmer with Bertha was definitely a white-knuckle moment for The Man, but as I wasn’t driving, I was able to take in the magnificent beauty of the river with the majestic mountain backdrop. 

Once we were parked and set-up at the local Top 10, I took Bess out to ‘explore’.  I was delighted to find that we were adjacent to a huge reserve that was dog friendly, with a lovely creek running through it.  There are miles and miles of walking and biking tracks.

So, Thursday morning, we were up and away by 10ish, on our way to the Culverden Christmas Fete.  But, it’s crazy!  Culverden is a small, rural town in North Canterbury, a good hour or more from Christchurch.  A gas station, a ‘tea room’, a café, a pub and that’s about it.  Now, the ‘fete’ is advertised as being in Culverden.  So, we turn left at the café and carry on.   And, carry on…  Several kilometres later, the tar seal ends, but we carry on.  And, carry on, while the road becomes narrower.  Finally, after several bends in the road, we arrive at a huge field and numerous serious looking people in flouro vests waving flouro sticks, gesturing where to park among the 1200 or more cars that are already neatly assembled!

The fete was great!  Lots of stalls and lots of great products on offer, almost all NZ made and of high quality.  Food (preserves and eat now), clothes (mostly woollen), crafts, jewellery, plants, everything under the sun.  

A young female duet was performing in the stalls area, while a 4-piece band entertained the crowd that had pre-purchased a tasty picnic lunch that included a delicious glass of bubbles.  

Back in Hanmer Springs, we used the communal kitchen to fry up some lovely lamb chops, rather than spattering grease inside Bertha.  We had to rush though, as Masterchef was starting at 7:30!  The fresh asparagus that we bought at the fete was beautiful!  What a great end to a great day!

After a lazy morning we donned our togs, AKA cozzies, AKA swimsuits, and headed for the thermal pools, Hanmer Springs main claim to fame.  We’d never been before, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  There are great changing rooms with showers, etc, plus lockers and a café.  There are many pools, ranging from adult only giant Jacuzzis that are fairly warm with slightly diluted spring water, rather hot non-bubbling mineral pools that are slightly sulphuric, gentle hot soaking pools and a regular swimming pool.  There is also (for an additional fee) a couple of waterslides that look like a blast!  You can also pay extra for private pools and saunas.  We were there mid-week, so it was rather quiet, but I know this place rocks on weekends and during the summer.  While we were there, we saw a woman with her elderly mother in a wheel chair, and a school group of special needs kids (mostly Down Syndrome) – it was nice to see.

We were having such a great time, and being so close to the awesome reserve, we extended our stay for two more nights!  Hey!  We are gypsies!  We have no agenda!  We spent the bulk of the following day being very lazy!  Nice long dog walk, cross stitch, reading, a great movie I’d never heard of (The Butterfly Effect)…   Oh, this IS the life!

Well, we were up and away by 10am, and home by about 2:30.  We got Bertha all scrubbed up and ready for her next adventure.  We also managed to give Bess a bath and a thorough ‘puppy cut’ to remove the mats that have amassed during her convalescence.  I removed her last stitch, and her wound is now as small as a postage stamp!  She is rabbiting like you can’t imagine and has lost a lot of weight (a very good thing) since leaving the Hilltop.

So, we have achieved feats, attended fetes and finally, at least for the time being, found our way!

Balance and Harmony, or Teaching Your Food to Sing!

I have been asked to explain myself, AGAIN! It seems that I keep making reference to ‘balance’ when discussing making dressings, sauces, and marinades with a certain someone. This came from an e-mail discussion regarding the picture I took of Brad’s Basil Marinade of Love, one of the ‘faceless’ recipes from the recent ‘Marathon of Love’. I mentioned that while the marinade was very tasty and lovely, and had absolutely nothing wrong with it, that it was weird for me to be following a recipe for marinade, as I always shoot from the hip. I know the balance of acid and oil, flavours and herbs that I like, and depending on what my target flavours are (Asian, BBQ, etc), or what ingredients I want to use, I am generally able to throw together a great marinade. I continued on to say, that particularly with Asian flavours, I understood the ‘balance’ of sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Now, my relentlessly inquiring friend wanted to know more about the four ‘S’s’. Specifically, exact amounts of what, as in baking where you have precise ratios of flour:oil:moisture. It’s not quite that simple, my dear, I tried to explain (NOT to imply that baking is simple – it is a skill I have barely mastered!). It depends on the dish. It depends on whether you want fish sauce salty or soy sauce salty; honey, sugar or tamarind paste sweet?Blast your socks off heat, or a pleasant, mild chilli flavour. Sour from lime, lemon or vinegar?I’m afraid there are many correct forms of balance. Then, when you get the herbs and flavourings (garlic, ginger, coriander, sesame oil/seeds etc.) correct, on top of the balance, your dish will sing!

Fifteen or twenty years ago, when I was a young wife and enthusiastically learning and experimenting in the kitchen, I did follow recipes, mostly from Joy of Cooking. I’ve always loved ‘Joy’ because each section begins with “About ….”, giving me just enough info and confidence to tweak any of the following recipes with success. As The Man and I began to travel the world, our palates expanded and we craved knowledge of re-creating the fabulous cuisines we experienced. At this time, our cookbook collection began to expand. Instead of t-shirts we came back from places like Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Ecuador and so forth, with cookbooks, and great inspiration from the great meals we’d enjoyed.

One of our favourite cuisines is Thai, and one of my personal favourite dishes is Yum Nua, or Thai Beef Salad. The recipe that I use, in my opinion, is a classic example of balance and harmony, and to me this dish doesn’t just sing, it performs Arias! The best Yum Nua I have ever had was in Bangkok, and this recipe is spot on. I think this dish, (or at least my making of it), which includes both a marinade for the meat and a dressing for the salad, is the point at which I began to fully grasp the secret of the four ‘S’s’.

So, my dear inquisitive friend, this one is for you:

(WARNING: The following recipe contains coriander!!! If you are even slightly prejudiced, you may want to skip this part!!! It is, however, totally beet-free!))

Yum Nua (Thai Beef Salad)

Ingredients

· 1 lb beef fillet (or any quality steak)

· 10 ounces Chinese cabbage, shredded

· 6 ounces sliced cucumber

· 1 small carrot, shredded or julienned

· 1 cup of fresh coriander

· (optional tweaks: water chestnuts, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper)

·

·

Ma Marinade:

· 2 stalks fresh lemon grass, finely chopped

· 2 inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped or grated

· 6 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped

· 2 shallots, finely chopped

· 4 cloves of garlic, crushed

· Juice of two limes

· 4 tsp of soft brown sugar

· 4 tsp of tamarind concentrate

· 2 tsp of fish sauce (nam pla)

· 2 tbsp chili oil

·

· Dressing:

· 2 Tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

· 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

· 2 Tbsp peanut oil

· 4 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander

· pinch of sugar

Don’t let the ingredient list frighten you. A good Asian market will have all of the ingredients. I am able to buy frozen lemon grass stalks and frozen kaffir lime leaves, so I always have a stash in the freezer. If you don’t have/can’t find tamarind paste, it is only a small part of the marinade, so don’t panic, just add a little extra brown sugar.

Oh, and yes, my dear friend, the 1:1:1 ratio of fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and peanut oil in the dressing is an excellent base to start from…

Marinade Ingredients

Directions

Blend the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and allow the steak(s) to marinade for at least an hour. (You can use a cheaper cut of meat, but I like a good steak. I have also ‘cheated’ and used leftover, bbq’d rare steak, marinated it, and re-grilled/warmed it!)

Blend the dressing ingredients well and set aside.

The Dressing

Fresh Coriander!!!

Toss vegetables together in a bowl. Grill or fry steak until cooked to your liking (I prefer rare-medium). Allow steak to rest. Meanwhile, dress the salad, toss well, and arrange on individual plates. Slice rested steak into diagonal slices and arrange on top of salad. Serve at once

Now, here is where I am going to digress. We have some lovely fresh/flash frozen tuna in the deep freeze that we need to use up, so today, we made some lovely fishcakes out of it. We were pondering what to serve them with... Last week, on a rare but fantastic break, we had lunch at Highfield Winery, in Marlborough. I had Battered Bluenose (a fish) with an incredible Thai style salad. It was beautiful in appearance, it tasted sensational, but it also reminded me of how balance and harmony is important with texture, as well as taste. This salad was a combination of shredded, julienned and shaved veggies and apple, tossed with rice noodles (vermicelli), and dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. It worked on all levels. Sweet, yet tart apples, a bit of fresh chilli flavour from the bell pepper, more, but different sweet from the carrot, earthiness from the cabbage, and the added four ‘S’s’ from the dressing. BUT, it also had the moist crispiness of the apple and bell pepper, the slightly tougher crunch of the carrots and cabbage, all bound together with the tenderness of the rice noodles! SING!!!!

Bluenose with Thai Salad and a beautiful Chardonnay

The Man had 'Steak, Bacon & Black Pudding with Courgette Wrapped Potato Salad' and a lovely glass of Pinot Noir

So, tonight we are having the Thai Steaks, but I am experimenting with the salad to see how it will work with the Fishcakes. Tonight, I am using cabbage, carrot, a bit of green bell pepper, chopped coriander, chopped mint and a not too hot red chili pepper, as well as a julienned Granny Smith apple off of our tree. I tossed everything with the dressing while the steak cooked. When I tasted it, I realized that I had forgotten the pinch of sugar! It was clearly out of balance! I tweaked my seasonings, and ‘La dee da’ I plated the salad while the steak rested, and, we were most pleased with the results! I will add a bit more mint to the final dish tomorrow, and then it will truly belt out a good tune! This not only works with the Yum Nua, but will be a perfect partner for the fishcakes!

Salad Veggies and Apple

Rice Noodles

So, tune up your taste buds, tweak your seasonings, balances your ‘S’s’ and get your food singing a happy tune!

Can you guess who my dear, inquisitive friend is, or will she willingly ‘out’ herself!?

We Can and We Can!, or Preserving and Persevering!

PREAMBLE: Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to everyone in Japan – and around the world – who have been so deeply affected by the recent earthquake, tsunami and impending radiation issues. I have had this blog post in the works before our recent quake, and today just finally felt like the right time to get it off my chest. I mean no disrespect, and while Christchurch has gone through a hell of a time, it pales in comparison to what our Japanese friends are going through… NO, it isn’t all about me, this is just my perspective…

Exactly three weeks ago today, I was sitting in this very spot, feeling more positive and cheerful than I had in a long time. Summer was rolling along, not great but steady. The bank account was slowly creeping up and the bills were slowing going down. The Man’s copious pepper crop was starting to ripen, the orchard across the road was selling box lots of seconds suitable for preserves, and I was keeping a close eye on our very own apple, peach and crab-apple trees, hoping to beat the birds to their offerings.

Ironically, we had recently noticed lots of grapes on our ancient vine, and they, too, were beginning to ripen. During the five years we have lived here, we have never had a single grape from this plant, as the little waxeye birdies always beat us. But, since the September 4^th earthquake, these poor little dears have all but disappeared from our yard, even leaving a half eaten suet on the bird tray.

So far, I had bottled poached pears and rather unsuccessfully made a peach jam, that was more akin to peach flavoured applesauce, but something that could certainly be used as the base for something else.

Poached Pears

I was finding these old fashioned tasks therapeutic in light of the September earthquake that hit us on top of a very poor economy. Plus, on that day, we had a large corporate lunch booked for later in the afternoon, the Ellerslie Flower show in two weeks (which brings heaps of people to the province) and the Rugby World Cup Games in another 6 months. Right, we can and we will persevere – we might just squeak through!!! I had even written the tile of this post down on a slip of paper and stuck it in the back pocket of my jeans...

So, here I was sitting placidly, paying bills and sneaking at peak at the Buzz. I had showered and dried my hair, as I was planning to go to the Hilltop just before 2:00 to help with the corporate booking that was promising to be quite lucrative. At 12:52, I began to hear and feel the all too familiar rumbling of yet another aftershock. “Sheesh – when will they stop? Hey, wait, when will THIS one stop?” I dashed to the doorway just as a few things started to crash from shelves and Bessie began barking. I huddled in the doorway, near tears, trembling like a leaf, cuddling my dog. I tried to pull myself together. I wanted to go outside but the gate was open and I knew Bess would dash onto the road, so I reluctantly left her inside while I quickly closed the gate. By the time I got back to the house, I had decided I needed to go to the Hilltop and be with my people. Just as I was changing into old jeans and throwing a bra in my handbag, the cellphone rang (the power had gone out during the crashing). I knew it was The Man – I said ‘I’m coming up!’

As I went around one of the first bends, a campervan was stopped right in the middle of the on-coming lane, and some young folks were pulling rocks from a small slip out of the middle of the road. But, seeing as how they were in the middle of the road around another down hill bend, it might not have been the wisest thing. Happily, when I got around that bend, another uphill traveller had stopped and was ready to slow down other down-hill drivers.

When I got to the Hilltop, brooms were out, dust pans were filled with broken quiche dishes and other crockery. The bar floor was sticky from the crashed Sambuca, and the chill room looked a lot like it did back in September. BUT, everyone was okay, if not quite rattled. Fortunately, and strangely, we had no customers in at the time the latest earthquake struck.

The Grand Old Dame (The Hilltop) can rock and roll with the best of them. One of her recently repaired cracks by the front door opened up, and all the new plaster upstairs is back at square one, but by and large, there appears to be no structural damage.

We came home and, as it was a lovely day, decided to work in the garden where we could listen to the car radio (we still had no power). As we listened, we realized the full devastation of this event. Frequently, the car would bounce on its tires with the aftershocks. Unlike September 4^th, when everyone was tucked away safe in their beds, this new quake hit on a busy weekday right at the end of the lunch hour. The epicentre was much closer to the central business district and was pretty much right by the little hillside village of Lyttleton that is our main port. Our power, unlike so many others) was restored in a few hours and we dashed inside to see the first images coming over the TV and get glued onto our computers. Familiar buildings were hardly recognizable, streets were buckled and our initial fears for the safety of our citizens were being realized.

For the first few days, we did not open the café. We would go up for a bit each day, clean up and try to work in the beer garden (after all, we did have a wedding scheduled for the following weekend, didn’t we?). We watched the road traffic and there was none, apart from what appeared to be locals relocating away from Christchurch.

We finally re-opened on the Friday, more for our own mental health than anything else. We needed to DO something. By this time, I had identified a few charities that I felt I could help. Cash donations were out of the question at this time, but we had inventory and we can cook. I found out the ‘The Christchurch Baking Army’ was a Facebook network supporting ‘Comfort for Christchurch’ AKA The Comfort Crusaders. Each day, Facebook posts listed what they (the Police, The Student Army {now that’s another story, entirely} and those without power, water and/or sewerage needed.) Early on, I saw a request for Gluten Free stuff. I knew we had several boxes of Bakel’s GF bread mix, baking mix and pastry mix, which we weren’t really using very much. We also had a mountain of zucchini, as we do this time of year, so I had Chef Vojta make as many of our GF Zucchini Tarts as we could. I sent an e-mail to Bakel’s explaining that we wanted to help but couldn't really foot the bill for too much. Lo, and Behold, I got a phone call the next day from ‘Steve’ and the following day I had 6 boxes of bread mix and 6 of baking mix!!! Boy, have our bread makers and ovens been busy! Better yet, you should the faces of the organisers when you turn up at the drop site with boxes of GF stuff!

We are still baking and donating, but things are starting to come more under control. Day by day we get more familiar with the ‘new normal’. We are back at work with reduced hours and staff, running at about 30 – 50% of what we could expect. The wedding, at least, has been rescheduled for this weekend. Sadly, the Flower Show and most other major events have been cancelled.

So, on Tuesdays, like today, we are off. The peaches are ripe and are our best crop ever. The grapes yielded 8 cups of juice!!! Even, The Man is making an awesome Sweet Chilli Jelly with a peach base (aka the failed peach jam), and bottling it!

Grapes Ripe on the Vine

Large Ripe Juicy Peaches!

Bakel's Generous Donation!

Gluten Free Multi Seed Bread Loaf, one of many!

HABANEROS!!!

Peach Salsa simmering

Peach Salsa All Bottled Up

Grape Jelly, and LOTS of it!

Somehow, doing these old fashioned things with the many gifts from our garden is still reassuring. Flo and Myrtle are still delivering their daily finest of eggs, having set up a new nest in the shed. Even though my slightly confident attitude of February 22 got knocked right off its shelf, we can, and we will persevere!