The Food Farm pizza base

MAKES: 10 medium sized pizzas TIME: 3 hours 800g NZ-grown flour (we use

Milmore Downs)

25g salt

25g yeast

550ml water

50ml NZ-produced cooking oil

Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Put the mixer on slow using the dough hook attachment. Measure the wet ingredients into a jug and put into mixer while running on low. Mix for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, get a large metal bowl and oil well. When the dough is mixed, use wet hands or a dough scraper to scrape all the dough off the hook, before scraping into the metal bowl. Cover with a plate and put the bowl in a warm place for at least two hours. Form the dough into 10 balls and either store in freezer or use to make pizza bases straight away.

The Food Farm fruit tart

Just as wild mushrooms have their moments of abundance and scarcity, so to do many homegrown and wild fruits. Fruit trees often have a biannual cycle, in which a year of plenty is followed by a year of scarcity. Some of our favourite fruit recipes therefore can be used interchangeably with whatever fruit is growing well.

We originally found a version of this recipe in At Home in Provence by Patricia Wells.

COOK TIME: SERVES: 1.5 hours

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST

125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 90g sugar

⅛ tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

180g NZ-grown flour

2 tbsp finely ground almonds

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CREAM

100ml double cream 1 large egg, lightly beaten ¼ tsp almond extract ½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp of honey

1 tbsp NZ-grown flour

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING

750g of seasonal fruit. We recommend fresh raspberries, apricots, plums, figs or even poached quinces or pears. If you’re using figs or apricots, halve them first.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 23cm fluted tart tin with a removable bottom. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar, and mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining crust ingredients (except the ground almonds) and stir to form a soft, biscuit-like dough. Try to not let it form a ball. Transfer the dough to the centre of the buttered tin. Using the tips of your fingers press the pastry evenly along the bottom and sides of the tin. The dough will be quite thin.

Sprinkle the ground almonds over the bottom of the crust to prevent it from becoming soggy. Place the tin in the centre of the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the dough is slightly puffy.

While it bakes, in a medium sized bowl combine the cream, egg, extracts and honey, whisking to blend. Mix in the flour.

When the pastry is slightly puffy, take it out of the oven, but leave the oven on. Starting just inside the edge of the prebaked pastry, neatly overlap the halved fruit such as apricots or figs, at a slight angle in concentric circles, working towards the centre. Pour in the cream mixture and put the tart back in the oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes, until the filling is firm and the pastry a deep golden brown. Take it out of the oven and place on a rack to cool before removing from the tart pan. VARIATION: For berries or poached fruit, make the tart as above but bake fully first without the fruit. After the tart has cooled, add the berries or poached fruit.

ANGELA CLIFFORD and her family run an almost selfsufficient permaculture, no-dig garden and block, milk a house cow, and grow and process their own meat, including pigs and poultry. She’s also the CEO of Eat New Zealand, a not-for-profit collective of chefs, food producers, media, tourism, and event operators promoting the best NZ food, drink, and culinary tourism opportunities to the world. website: thefoodfarm.nz