Sunday food market in Wellington

These pics: about to sample warm from the pan white bait fritter; Ruth Pretty's, Olivo and the french baker with their wares



This was our first weekend in Wellington for two and a half years. A chance to see Roger's Hall's new play Four Flat Whites in Italy meant we would have Sunday exploring the city. The play was fun, poignancy and a reminder of how awful and how lucky we New Zealanders can be when we travel. Leaving teh apartment around 8.30am, Roger, Dianne, David and I walked hrough the waking city to Chaffers Marina. Chaffers park was covered with an ocean of vegetables, herbs, chestnut sellers, and throngs of shoppers. We headed to the fine food market which is now every Sunday morning in Wellington. We were greeted by a feast of colour, tastes, smells, people and enticements. Flowers from Blooms, Nalini and Colin Baruch with their sensational olive oils and olive cuisine from Lot 8, the French baker with his freshly baked breads from Greytown, the sausage makers, exotic cordials from Shott, and a massive range of fabulously presented morsels. Most intriging and exciting, the suppliers and chefs were there to talk about and sell their wares. I bought a tin of ten Spice from Martin Bosely who told me to sear the meat, sprinkle on the spice, then finish the meat off in the oven. This I will do. What a great chance to meet one of the NZ masters of food and have him coach me how to use this exotic spice. Ten spice is a mix of 5star anise, coriander, dried orange peel, cinamon, cloves, vanilla pod and already my mouth was watering. www.martin-bosely.com
Then to a spread of books from Bookfeast in Petone. A Maroccan cookbook with senuous colours, textures and presentation of Moroccan food immediately caught me eye. I could smell the flavours coming from the pages. I recalled I already own three Moroccan cookbooks, and decided to keep moving. Go to www.bookfeast.com to see what delights they have.

Dianne and I had fried halumi, coated with breadcrumbs and coconut, and smothered in harissa.This is served in a tiny fine bamboo boat. Already I was enchanted. The taste - exquisite. I found David at the fine chocolate stall, Esque. He was captivated by their Manuka honey brittle seeped chocolate. Gorgeously presented in a see through burnt gold chiffon sack tied with moss green rope and paua shell tag, it was easy to dream of the treat moments when to have this, and our chocolate loving friends who would love this. www.finechocolote.co.nz and all your christmases will definately come at once. The French Baker from Greytown was there with an array of breads and pastries; the almond croisants and pain au chocolate remain my favourites of all time. You can see how happy I am. Pudding Lane was there with their fabulous pies. And all this by 9am Sunday morning. A chance to sit down with a coffee from Piazza on the waterfront, then Dianne and Roger headed off to Hawkes Bay and we were ready to walk over to Moore Wilsons and the great food heroes fair.

Part of the Wellington on a plate weekend, suppliers from La Bella Italia, Floriditas, cheeses, cafes and speciality providores were there to let Wellingtonians taste their fantastic offerings.

On our way we wandered through the Chaffers vege market, and picked up great bunches of corriander, plump bulbs of garlic, and a butterfly of fresh lamb from the Wai-Ora lamb farm www.wai-orafarmlamb.co.nz I'll be baking this will lemons, and finishing it off with the new 10 spices from Martin Bosely.

Stephen met us at the transformed carpark at Moore Wilsons. Hundres of people; talking, looking, eating. Ruth Pretty with books, condiments for sale and salmon frittata with salad greens to taste, Helen Meehan from Olivo had got up at 6am to bring her fabulous oils here. The apple and pear juice from Mela juices in Greytown was refreshing and sweet. I love anything with pears and this juice had a perfect balance, with the pear coming through. Stephen had fried ZanyZeus Halumi with lemon in french bread. I had a white bait fritter straight from the pan and on a slice of fresh white bread cooked by Adam Newell and his Zibbibo team. Caught in the Waikanae river, this fritter bought back memories of whitebaiting at the Rangitata River in my childhood. Dripping with lemon and butter, sweet, fragrant and light.....heaven.

John Conway was there with his Rosewood chopping boards and one had now found its way to our apartment. The chef from Rempah malaysian foods was making roti. Teasing out the pliable dough into gossimer like huge circles, then twisting the dough before grilling these on a hot plate. I bought a pack together with their famous curry sauce for a spring evening dinner. www.rempah.co.nz

Then we found Francois from La Cloche. Oh la la. A taste of french onion soup was full of flavour. This was morning tea time. La Cloche were serving snails with garlic butter, cassaulet, and succulent cakes, all with simple and tempting packaging. I am feeling we are actually in France and this is in our home city! How wonderful is that. Francois has lived in NZ for 13 years. How lucky are we. We discovered La Cloche is next door to where I have my car serviced! Flooded with memories of fantastic meals in France, already I am planning to breakfast there when I take my car in. www.lacloche.co.nz
There are many fabulous coffees roasted here in Wellington: L'Affare, Emporio Havanna, Supreme. If I am to choose, my absolute favourite is Supreme. They make the best coffee beans in Wellington. Justin, Supreme's master roaster was there making coffee. The Supreme stall had a great competition. With 36 tiny vials of different aromas, we had a chance to smell and guess. Like wine or olive oils, coffee is imbued with detectable aromas. I sniffed the first - light, and fragrant. I guess rose. Hmmm.. not even close....... cloves. Coffee will not be the same from here on as I now ponder what the smells are.

I came home with gluten free pizza bases from 58 Grourmet pizza bases. Amazingly this Pauatahanui company make these with rice flour, potato flour, soy flour and free range eggs and are a perfect size for pizza for one. They went into the freezer.

Wairarapa wines were well represened with Urlar wines, Escarpment, Alana Estate, and Paddy Borthwicks. I love pinot gris and gewertztraminers. Of all the pinot gris produced in New Zealand I think Urlars is close to perfect. And Paddy Borthwick was there with his wines. David loves his chardonnay. I wasn't quite up to tasting at this early hour ............others were. How fantastic and an absolute treat to meet and talk with these fabulous food and wine artisans on a sunday morning.

Inside there were cheeses to taste from La Bella Italia, tables laden with fresh sweet things from Floriditas, 1 litre tins of extra virgin olive oil from Geoff and Brigid Kennedy's grove in Martinborough, coffee and hot chocolate from l'Affare, large containers of dips and spreads from Genoesse; all this spread out invitingly for hundreds of Wellingtonians to enjoy the special delights of our wonderful city. Hundreds of people, yet room to move and a great mix of sampling, things to buy and to catch up with colleagues and friends. Great to see the marketing effort was matched by a fulsome response. Seeing so many producers from the Wairarapa, the Kapiti coast and Wellington this was agreat regional event.