Blueberry Yoghurt Fools
Fruit, cream and meringues – what’s not like about this sweet and lovely combination.
500 grams frozen blueberries, thawed with their juices
2–3 tablespoons of honey or more to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup cream, softly whipped 1 cup thick plain yoghurt 8 purchased meringues
fresh blueberries, to garnish, optional
Place the blueberries and honey in a medium saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes until the blueberries are soft and the juices are syrupy, gently crushing half of them with a fork. Add the lemon juice and set aside to cool.
Fold the cream and yoghurt together in a bowl.
To assemble: For each glass, crumble in 1 meringue then top with a spoonful of cream then the cooled blueberries. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another layer. Top with fresh blueberries, if using. Serves 4
Slate board from Citta (cittadesign.com). Bowl from Father Rabbit (fatherrabbit.com). Kinto bowl from Taylor Road Homewares (taylorroad.co.nz). Kartio glasses from Studio of Tableware (thestudio.co.nz).
Tiro servers from Country Road (countryroad.co.nz). Marble bowl and throw from Citta. Wooden plate from Taylor Road Homewares.
Blue Bison bowl from Bob & Friends (bobandfriends.co.nz). Kartio glasses from Studio of Tableware. Coaster from Country Road. Bowl from Miss Tash Ceramics (misstashceramics.bigcartel.com).
Bison plate from Bob & Friends. Glasses and carafe from Citta. Basalt salt bowl from Indie Home Collective (indiehomecollective.com). Back Bison plate from Bob & Friends. Placemat from Country Road. Glasses from Father Rabbit. Kinto oil bottle and wooden plate from Taylor Road Homewares. Bison plate and bowl from Bob & Friends. Glasses from Everyday Needs (everyday-needs.com). Placemat from Country Road. Cutipol Goa brown cutlery from Studio of Tableware. Lime line tumblers, small and large, from Tessuti (shop.tessuti.co.nz). Plate from Richard Naylor (richardnaylor.co.nz). All uncredited props throughout from The Props Department (liannewhorwood@gmail.com). Grab a bottle of Pedro Pasión Navarra Tempranillo Merlot 2015 ($18.99) to sip with these tacos. Navarra is one of Spain’s northernmost and oldest wine regions. Truckloads of cherry, blackberry and cocoa and a sniff of coffee give this warmly textured blend a sexy edge. Buy from stvincentscave.com.
Pan-fried Chicken Thighs with Mediterranean Salsa
The tanginess of this salsa, slathered liberally on to sizzling chicken thighs, makes me want to reach for a crunchyfresh, lemony, plucky pilsner. The Kaiser Brothers Pilsner 500ml ($5.99) has clean bitterness and bite – so it’s the perfect partner. Buy from finewinedelivery.co.nz.
Asian Brown Rice and Prawn Omelette
I’m a sucker for sparkles with Asian-inspired, omelette-based dishes because the nutty, yeasty, biscuity aromas and soft citrus work so well and it’s a happy mystery as to why. The Pask Declaration Hawke’s Bay Methode Traditionelle 2009 ($40) is a great sip with anything eggy. Buy from pask.co.nz.
Herbed Chickpeas, Yoghurt and Poached Eggs
The spicy creaminess of this recipe lends itself to a nutty, creamy wine like the Halliday Family Estate Lone Gum Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 ($19.95). Ben and Lisa Halliday had grown grapes on their Lone Gum vineyard for years until they were convinced to have a crack at making their own wine. Thank heaven they did because it’s the perfect partner. For stockists, email nicky@nickyparish.com.
Zucchini Noodles, Raw Tomato Sauce and Halloumi
Beautifully sunshine-like in the glass, with a lift of green apple, crushed shell, preserved lemon and all sorts of shiny, dry goodness, the Maxim Wines Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2016 ($28) is super-nice with these vege noodles. For stockists, email hello@maximwines.nz.
Pork Larb Salad Bowls
The Bushmere Estate Gisborne Gewurztraminer 2015 ($23) is a fresh, tangy, spicy style with all sorts of mischief jostling around in each glass. The ginger, musky notes, poached stonefruit and hints of pepper work perfectly with spicy pork larb. Buy from bushmere.com.
Clam and Asparagus Risotto
The Jackson Estate Grey Ghost Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008 ($29) is sweetly toasty, with roasted almond notes, marzipan and passionfruit pie. Juicy, tropical and slightly smoky, with a beautiful grainy texture. Available via the cellar door, ph 03 572 9500 or email cellardoor@jacksonestate.co.nz.
Blueberry Yoghurt Fools
I think a tiny little snifter of the ridiculously gorgeous Bodegas Olivares Dulce Monastrell 2013 500ml ($63) is perfection with this creamy treat. The blackcurrant intensity and spicy, caramelised characters, result in a richly sweet, indulgent dessert red wine you must try. Buy from stvincentscave.com.