On to New Zealand
November 21/23 (when we landed in NZ)
The Air New Zealand in-flight magazine had all sorts of articles on wines in New Zealand—very exciting! I also read something interesting about pickled green walnuts (I must try them) and fishing for whitebait--tiny translucent minnow-type fish--and how to cook them (another must-try). We were reasonably well-fed on the plane, and while we coveted the “airbeds” in First Class, the flight was uneventful.
Upon arrival in NZ, though, even though we had been served breakfast in the middle of the night on the plane, Kelly leaped at the opportunity to say, “It’s time for ‘second breakfast!’” Let the Lord of the Rings quips begin.
Once we were reunited with Jeff and Crystal and had made our way through town to their house (getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road all the way), we did get to enjoy second breakfast of local bacon, brightly yolked eggs, pancakes and fresh, sweet strawberries. Yu-um.
We did a bit of driving around town, up along the rim of an ancient volcano (Kelly: "This could totally be the set for Weathertop!"), then stopped at the beach to explore a little cave before heading to my first NZ grocery store. It was here, when I saw more beautiful strawberries, that I decided to make dinner for Crystal that night, starting with a strawberry and spinach salad (I’ve been missing spinach, one of my favourite vegetables, since the whole depressing E.coli issue in North America. I swore on the plane that besides eating lots of oysters, I was also going to eat as much spinach as I could, while it was safe).
I had expected food to be more expensive in New Zealand, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had a large bag full of fresh produce, including strawberries ($1.29/little bucket), purple asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, onions and lemons, for $8.00. I don’t know what I’m used to, but I wasn’t expecting to get a bag full of that much freshness for under $10. My fish experience was similar. I found a hunk of smoked ling cod at a little fish shop, enough for four generous portions, for $10. And did I mention that the exchange is 75 cents Canadian for 1 NZ dollar?
This seemed very reasonable to me—and it all came together, along with some Sacred Hill Chardonnay, to become our main course: seared smoked ling cod on a potato, pear and cheese galette, and rosemary-balsamic mixed vegetables (carrots, zucchini—or courgettes, as they call them here—onions, and mushrooms). It’s a good thing Crystal knows me well enough to step aside in her own kitchen and let me have my head.
Tomorrow Crystal’s hosting a “meet the Canadians” bbq, so we’ll meet some of their friends and then head out to a 1970s dance club for the evening. Dig it.
The Air New Zealand in-flight magazine had all sorts of articles on wines in New Zealand—very exciting! I also read something interesting about pickled green walnuts (I must try them) and fishing for whitebait--tiny translucent minnow-type fish--and how to cook them (another must-try). We were reasonably well-fed on the plane, and while we coveted the “airbeds” in First Class, the flight was uneventful.
Upon arrival in NZ, though, even though we had been served breakfast in the middle of the night on the plane, Kelly leaped at the opportunity to say, “It’s time for ‘second breakfast!’” Let the Lord of the Rings quips begin.
Once we were reunited with Jeff and Crystal and had made our way through town to their house (getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road all the way), we did get to enjoy second breakfast of local bacon, brightly yolked eggs, pancakes and fresh, sweet strawberries. Yu-um.
We did a bit of driving around town, up along the rim of an ancient volcano (Kelly: "This could totally be the set for Weathertop!"), then stopped at the beach to explore a little cave before heading to my first NZ grocery store. It was here, when I saw more beautiful strawberries, that I decided to make dinner for Crystal that night, starting with a strawberry and spinach salad (I’ve been missing spinach, one of my favourite vegetables, since the whole depressing E.coli issue in North America. I swore on the plane that besides eating lots of oysters, I was also going to eat as much spinach as I could, while it was safe).
I had expected food to be more expensive in New Zealand, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had a large bag full of fresh produce, including strawberries ($1.29/little bucket), purple asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, onions and lemons, for $8.00. I don’t know what I’m used to, but I wasn’t expecting to get a bag full of that much freshness for under $10. My fish experience was similar. I found a hunk of smoked ling cod at a little fish shop, enough for four generous portions, for $10. And did I mention that the exchange is 75 cents Canadian for 1 NZ dollar?
This seemed very reasonable to me—and it all came together, along with some Sacred Hill Chardonnay, to become our main course: seared smoked ling cod on a potato, pear and cheese galette, and rosemary-balsamic mixed vegetables (carrots, zucchini—or courgettes, as they call them here—onions, and mushrooms). It’s a good thing Crystal knows me well enough to step aside in her own kitchen and let me have my head.
Tomorrow Crystal’s hosting a “meet the Canadians” bbq, so we’ll meet some of their friends and then head out to a 1970s dance club for the evening. Dig it.
posted by Noelle | 2:19 PM
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