Across the BOARD
CREATE LOVELY AND DELICIOUSD
food boards that bring everyone around the table and spark meaningful family-time meals.
Through stunning recipes and hosting tips from Sandy Coughlin, founder of the recipe and hospitality blog Reluctant Entertainer, Big Boards for Families shows you how to artfully craft and serve food boards to your close friends and family.
Piece together these bountiful spreads with a variety of ingredients and options that allow you and your guests to customise every dish.
Whether it’s for a morning brunch or movie night get-together, you and your family will find over 50 splendid food boards to create and enjoy together.
EPIC BAKED POTATO BOARD
My husband is a true Irishman. To him, mayonnaise is a spice, so putting chili and other toppings on a baked potato was a groundbreaking culinary experience for him. I may be exaggerating a bit, but seriously, you can do wonders by adding these toppings to a classic baked potato.
Ingredients FOR THE BOARD:
26-inch food board 10 large russet potatoes Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 to 5 cups (960 to 1200g) Three-Bean Chili (below) 140g mixed spring lettuce
1⁄2 cup (120ml) ranch dressing 1 cup (120g) shredded cheddar cheese
1⁄4 cup chopped coriander or chives
1 cup (140g) cooked chopped bacon 1 cup (240g) sour cream
1⁄2 cup (75g) sliced black olives
1⁄4 cup (40g) chopped red onion 1 pint (300g) cherry tomatoes 1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup (150g) blueberries 16 strawberries
1⁄2 cup (120 g) unsalted butter
FOR THE THREE-BEAN CHILI: 6 Tbsp (90ml) olive oil, divided
1 large white onion, diced
3 large (or 5 to 6 small) cloves garlic, pressed
1 1⁄2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste Black pepper to taste
910g ground turkey
2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp cumin
1 1⁄2 Tbsp chili powder
2 cans (785g) crushed tomatoes
1 can (392g) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (392g) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (392g) cannellini beans, rinsed and
drained
Method THREE-BEAN CHILI:
Heat 3 tablespoons (45ml) of the olive oil in a 7.2-litre stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until the onions are translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onions and garlic to a small bowl and set aside.
In the same pot, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons (4ml) olive oil over mediumhigh heat. Once the oil is hot, add the
ground turkey, making sure it sizzles when it hits the bottom of the pot. Leave the meat to brown, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula, gently lift a piece to inspect the colour. When the meat is mostly golden on the bottom, begin breaking it into smaller chunks and reduce the heat to medium. Add the 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and a few cracks of fresh pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 7 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, beans, and cooked onion. Bring the chili to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
BOARD ASSEMBLY:
Set a hot pad and a large platter in the centre of the board to hold the baked potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 180C, or gas mark 4. Using a fork or small knife, poke small holes all over the skin of each potato. Rub the potatoes with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper (this will create crispy skin). Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack (no sheet pan required) and bake for 1 hour or so, until the skin is crispy, and the centre is tender.
Divide the chili into 2 separate bowls and place one on each side of the board. Arrange the lettuce on opposite sides of the board. Fill a small, spouted container with the ranch dressing.
Fill 6 small bowls with the cheese, cilantro, bacon, sour cream, olives, and onion. Set 3 on each side of the board.
Place the tomatoes next to the lettuce piles. Fan the cucumber slices around a bowl on either side.
Fill open spaces on each side with the blueberries and strawberries.
Right before serving, slice the potatoes open and add a pat of butter, then season with salt and pepper. Place on the platter on the board. — Serves 10
KCDC representation
Some of the key Ka¯ piti Coast District Council’s plans for elector representation at the next local authority election in
October have been either over-ruled or modified following strong community
objections by more than 500 Ka¯ piti submitters. It’s heartening that the Local Government Commission “accepted the strength of feedback” by refusing to amalgamate the Waikanae and Paraparaumu wards, reducing the number of councillors-at-large from five to three, putting more feet on the ground by using one of the reductions in councillors-atlarge to increase the number of ward councillors from one to two in Waikanae and from two to three in Paraparaumu, not only retaining all four existing community boards against a specific starting point by the KCDC to abolish them, but increasing them to five with the addition of a Raumati Community Board for central and northern Raumati.
Much of the criticism against the KCDC’s original plan was its claim of “confusing layers of representation” with no evidence produced to show why it had not worked to identify and reduce any areas of confusion.
No researched evidence was produced to show how the KCDC could justify amalgamating the Waikanae and Paraparaumu wards or abolish all Community Boards.
The Electoral Commission suggested consultation with communities could be improved in developing future formal proposals and that “we recommend the council factors this into its next review”.
Chris Turver Waikanae Beach