Miriam: We went on a wee getaway to Raglan for the weekend. It's such a good spot to go to from Auckland, with great beaches and walks, nice cafes and interesting shops. I couldn't resist buying two of these Crown Lynn side plates in a shop that had stacks of china (I would have bought more but they only had two). When I bought them, the lady told me she also had this set and had spend the past 20 years sourcing pieces for it.... I fear I may have started a new obsession!
Libby: It had been awhile between visits to the City Market and when I went along on Sunday I was hoping to find Greytown's French Baker... it seems he was either taking a weekend off or doesn't attend the City Market anymore. (Does anyone know?) While there I bought a tub French onion soup from another favourite stallholder: Le Canard. Not just any old French onion soup but duck & truffle French onion soup. They sell it for a very reasonable $6 for a 700ml tub (or two tubs for $10). It made a delicious and easy Sunday lunch served with a slice of cheese covered baguette.
Miriam: I spent the weekend at a friends beach house at Papamoa. Their apple tree needed harvesting, and so we put in a team effort of peeling and slicing, and I whipped up a crumble topping. I didn't have a recipe, so just freestyled it, with approx 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 cup flour, 1tsp cinnamon, 1tsp baking powder, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 150g butter. I melt the butter and add it to the dry ingredients, so no need to get my hands dirty rubbing the butter into the flour. Normally I'd add nuts to the topping too, but we were in a nut free zone. I think of crumbles as autumnal treats, but this was delicious as a summer desert too. It seems extra special (and delicious) when you can see the tree the apples come from!
