Nothing says summer like a fresh, vine-ripened tomato. The kind that arrives on your kitchen table still warm from the sun; the kind that’s packed with home-grown flavour and so juicy that you’re picking seeds off your shirt for the rest of the day. Bliss.

Finally - after months of anticipation and careful tending - tomato season has come to the Market. We’ve got heritage varieties like 1880 and Green Zebra, plus hybrids and modern performers like Super Steak from our three dedicated growers. All are sun-ripened, super-fresh and delicious. Make the most of them with the following simple recipe ideas (not to be attempted with insipid, tasteless, ‘fake’ tomatoes):

- Thickly slice a loaf of quality soft bread (ciabatta from the Wild Wheat
stall is perfect). Brush slices with a good fruity olive oil (visit Barry at River Estate for the perfect match), rub with a cut garlic clove and grill lightly. Remove from the grill, take a cut tomato and rub it all over the slices, squeezing so the juice and seeds are soaked into the bread. Re-grill until the edges are crisp, then serve. Simply divine.

- Got a glut of homegrown tomatoes? (Lucky sod.) De-core them, chop them roughly and hurl them into a baking dish with several chopped garlic cloves and a good slug of olive oil. Roast on a low heat for a couple of hours, or until the tomato sauce reaches the consistency you like (we like it thick and pulpy). Toss through pasta with plenty of pecorino cheese and torn fresh basil (both available at the market). Serve, and watch your guests be transported to Campania.

BIG, HUGE, HAIRY NEWS

Buffalo cow and calf at home in Clevedon

But if you really want to give your tomatoes the chance to shine, you’ll need to pair them with some fresh buffalo mozzarella. And we mean fresh - not imported-as-
quickly-as-possible-
from-Italy, but straight-from-
the-farm-to-you fresh. Because the Clevedon Village Farmers’ Market is about to become the first-ever stockist of NZ’s first-ever homegrown buffalo mozzarella.

The Clevedon Buffalo Company took delivery of their second shipment of buffalo on Christmas morning (after much stressful red-tape and a lengthy quarantine period), and their 18 pregnant heifers and one handsome bull are thriving alongside the earlier arrivals. Look out for limited stocks of fresh mozzarella at the Market soon.

COOLING OFF IN STYLE
Hot, innit? We’d like to remind you that we have Auckland’s best heat-beating stallholder at the Market - the Gelato Cart. Maria, a Clevedon local, is an expert in handmade Italian-style gelato, and she’s producing a range of fabulous flavours for summer - from classics like chocolate and strawberry, to more unusual combos like Galliano and passionfruit (highly recommended). Available in mini-tubs for the kids (and their parents), to takeout cartons for the home freezer

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Lemon Mousse with Fresh Blueberries

A classic and moreish French dessert that can be made in advance.

Ingredients
2 punnets of Blueberry Deli blueberries
8 large Nature’s Corner egg yolks (reserve whites)
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice (lemons available from various stallholders)
2 tablespoons of grated lemon zest
1 cup of whipping cream

Method
Wash and dry the blueberries. Fill a medium saucepan one third to half full with water and bring to a gentle simmer.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal bowl that will fit over the saucepan. Set the bowl in the saucepan and whisk continuously until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks and set aside.
In another bowl, beat the cream to stiff (but not dry) peaks and set aside.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled egg yolk mixture. Then fold that mixture into the egg whites until well incorporated.
Cover the mousse with cling film and refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve (at least one hour).
Divide the mousse among six to eight dessert bowls and scatter the blueberries on top.

CLEVEDON VILLAGE FARMERS' MARKET VENDORS & PRODUCE

• Dullumbunda Farm - baby carrots and beetroot; silver beet, sprouts; culinary herbs; watercress; tomatoes; radishes; rhubarb; garlic
• Pacific Skye - seasonal fruit; fruit juice
• Fancy Lettuce - lettuce; spinach; living herbs and tubs of mesclun
• Sunset Coast Organics - certified organic fruit and vegetables, including culinary herbs and gourmet salad mixes
• Cuconics - telegraph cucumbers; courgettes; tomatoes; and cherry tomatoes
• Wild Bee - fresh local bush and field honey
• Nature’s Corner - free-range eggs
• Hamlin Nursery - perennials
• Dig This - Eion & Ann Scarrow’s garden plants
• Hungarian Deli - traditional air-dried meats and gluten-free sausages
• Waiuku River Wines - merlot and cabernet Bordeaux-style blends
• Paella Pan - traditional paella cooked on-site; fresh crepes
• Cathedral Cove Macadamias - fresh macadamia nuts and macadamia nut products
• Heart of the Globe - Highland beef products; salami; fresh artichokes; marinated garlic; fruit pastes
• Blackwood’s Gourmet Breads - freshly-made bagels and flatbreads
• Bentru - smoked specialty meats and sausages; traditional proscuitto
• Clevedon Valley Cheese - handmade cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk cheeses
• Piako Pete - smoked fish; fresh flounder and snapper; smoked eel (when available), whitebait (when available)
• Salmonman - hot smoked salmon cured in a variety of ways
• Strawberry Corner - fresh strawberries
• Zakar - BioGro beef cuts; premium beef mince and sausages
• Running Brook Seeds - quality heritage flower and vegetable seeds
• Wild Wheat - artisan bakers of traditional and sourdough breads
• Market Espresso - great coffee and refreshments
• Blueberry Deli - blueberries
• River Estate - premium olive oils and table olives
• Broccolini - broccolini
• Alvita - fresh nuts
• Avoculture - avocados
• Tipaka Moana - subtropical fruit; seedlings
• Gelato Cart - gelato
• Sweet Art - cakes and biscuits
• Bruntwood Gardens - raspberries
• Farmhouse Treats and Produce - sweet corn; potatoes; watermelon; onions; beans; homemade fudge
• Soggy Bottom Holdings - purveyors of rare breed free-range meats
• Zorba’s - authentic handmade Greek dishes
• Sylvia Sandford Limes - fresh locally-grown limes; cooking demonstrations 10-11am
• Pilgrim’s Certified Organic Lamb - certified organic lamb cuts
• Hungarian Twisters - ‘Kurtos Kalacs’ traditional Hungarian pastries
• Willow Brook - lavender products; Iris plants and lavender
• South Hill Farm - beans; heritage tomatoes; potatoes; sweetcorn; capsicum
• Clevedon Animal Farm - pony rides for the kids
• Alison’s Pony & Trap Rides - pony & trap rides for kids and adults
  

Clevedon Village Farmers Market
Every Sunday 8:30am-12 noon, Clevedon Showgrounds, Monument Rd, Clevedon.

Visit our website at www.clevedonfarmersmarket.co.nz
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