Monthly Archives: June 2014

Foraging for Cockles (Vongole) close to home

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On the way to fetch milk from the farm I passed the bay where the locals forage for cockles and clams. The tide was right so I went down to the water and scooped up about 100 cockles with my hands. No implements allowed or needed and the quota is 150 shells per person. In the hour I was there I was kept company by a solitary black swan who kept an eye on what I was doing. I invited the troops for lunch and had Linguine alle Vongole on the table within 1 hour of harvesting.  Next time I will soak them in fresh water for a little longer  – my sauce was a little salty but no one complained

Linguine alle Vongole (spaghetti with a cockle sauce)

Use  a large saucepan with a lid that can hold all the vongole

100 cockles or vongole

6 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup of white wine

Pinch of chili

Cook the garlic until soft but not colored, add the chili and rosemary, add the wine and cook for a few minutes. Put all the cockles in the pan and cover tightly. Cook until the cockles open, releasing their liquid. Remove the cockles to a heated dish as they open. At this stage start boiling the pasta, I use spaghetti in place of linguine because the grand kids will not eat anything else. When all the cockles are removed from the pan turn up the heat and reduce the liquid by about half to intensify the flavor. When the pasta is done and drained return the cockles to the pan and add the pasta, mixing well. Serve immediately. Do not add salt at any time.

Simple Italian food at its best – and I got to forage for it myself. I love this island!

 

 

Loss of Habitat thanks to Dunedin Council

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We have ( within the next few minutes I have to amendment that to had) a lovely, healthy,  large (the only really big   tree around here), gum tree  growing just outside our fence  on council property. Apart from being lovely to look at the tree was home to a pair of breeding kereru and a number of tuis, it was a high nectar producing tree that fed native birds, bees and bumblebees in the area .  It flowered in the late winter when few food sources exist. The tree posed no threat at all to the road, any drains or any person, on the contrary, loss of the root system could seriously compromise the stability of the steep verge of the road. The removal happened by stealth, as it where, the crane appearing at 8am opposite my garden with no prior warning and the first cuts were swiftly made. We ran for the phone and tried to speak to the authorities in charge but could not stay the outcome.

As  disturbing as the loss of the tree was the stonewalling of the council, perhaps pointing towards a cavalier attitude towards residents in this area. I fear reprisal so can not name the names of people contacted or powerful people who thought so little of this Dunedin resident that they refused to speak to me, but it was implied we were wasting our breath, that the tree will come down regardless, so just go away.

Dunedin residents are footing this bill at the rate of hundreds of dollars and hour from the moment the crane leaves the yard. We guess that the cost of removing this tree will amount to many thousands of dollars since the crane spent  5 hours on this job.  The question that needs to be asked is who benefited from this unnecessary work?  Who makes such rash decisions, and why do the residents not have a voice, but have to pay the bills?

Slow Food Italia

 

2013-01-01 - Tomatoes Grilled

I support the The Slow Food movement. Experiencing the original traditional cooking of any nationality has always been a privilege for me, be it Italy, Africa, China or anywhere in between.

Slow Food Italia

“Was founded to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and peoples dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.”

“Since it was founded more than 20 years ago, Slow Food has defended small-scale traditional food producers and raised awareness among consumers at the grassroots level. Its aim is to create a more responsible food system, based on the pleasure and sharing of good, clean and fair food.”

Home

“Terra Madre network was launched by the Slow Food grass roots organization, and the intent is to provide small-scale farmers, breeders, fishers and food artisans whose approach to food production protects the environment and communities”

http://www.terramadre.info/