Spring has sprung!

/

I've been having a wonderful time travelling around New Zealand teaching cooking classes and doing events which include reading from my most recent book Eat Your Heart Out, singing of lost love, wearing Shed Couture clothes, talking about beating things till stiff and explaining why food is love. No trapese work so far but you know how it goes – the only thing I don't have in my repertoire is a dancing dog. Here's what's coming up – please feel free to contact me if you'd like me to do an event in your area. 

  • Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September – afternoon events at The 540 Lodge in Wairarapa – book here

  • Saturday 3 October 12 - 4pm – Cooking class at Main Course in Auckland – book here

  • Thursday 15 October – Lunch event at Mr Pickles restaurant in Hamilton – book here

  • Saturday 31 October – afternoon fundraiser for St Patricks School Inglewood, New Plymouth – contact the school on 06 7567 908 or office@stpatsinglewood.school.nz

  • Wednesday 4 & Thursday 5 November –  lunch events at Otahuna Lodge Christchurch – book here

  • Sunday 8 November  – morning fundraiser for Breast Cancer at Althorp Lifestyle Village, Taurange – book here or phone 07 571 3346

  • Wednesday 18 November – evening at ASB Theatre in Marlborough put together by Jane Hunter of Hunter's Wines – book here

  • Friday 4 December – evening event at Te Aroha Jockey Club, Hamilton. Tickets TBC but keep an eye on my Facebook page.

Phew! Hope to see you somewhere!

Stuffed Artichokes (serves 6)

It’s spring! Get up off the floor, stop hiding and get out into the garden. Artichokes are the edible, immature flowers of a cultivated thistle and they happen to raise their heads in spring. Of a person who goes from love affair to love affair it is said that he or she has a ‘heart like an artichoke’, scattering leaves right and left. 

  • 6 large globe artichokes

  • 6 cups fresh breadcrumbs

  • a head of garlic, peeled

  • a big bunch of parsley

  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • extra virgin olive oil

  1. Chop stalks off close to the base so they can sit flat. Trim tips off outer leaves with scissors so they look neat.

  2. In a food processor roughly blend the bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. You’ll have to do it in several lots.

  3. Stuff this mixture down in between as many leaves of the artichoke as possible. You won’t be able to get to the inside ones. The artichoke finishes up with its leaves sticking out, bursting with the stuffing.

  4. Heat the oven to 180C and place the artichokes in a roasting tray. Drizzle them copiously with olive oil and bake for at least an hour or till tender when a skewer can be easily passed through the base. Baste frequently with the oil.

Lots of our magazines are magically back again plus some new ones. One of them is new travel mag Scout  for which I have written a piece on Tairua in the Coromandel with photos by Sally Tagg. We LOVED Tairua. First issue with our story is out in November. Who knew staying home would be so wonderful and heart-warming?

2020 continues to be challenging but we're sticking together, masking up and getting to know each other all over New Zealand. Can someone tell me how to wear a mask without messing up my lipstick? Happy cooking and eating everyone. Peta x