High Tea, Hobbits and Waitangi Day holiday

I do love long weekends, and this is the second in a three week period for Wellington! The extra day's holiday is given to recognize the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document, on the 6th February 1840. Whilst for many of us the day is just another holiday it carries great significance for many, especially Maori, and it brings out both those keen to celebrate it and also those eager to use it as a tool for protest. The sun has shone brilliantly, the wind has been relatively gentle (for Wellington!) and we have made the most of the extra day, driving out to Eastbourne, wandering around the Rona Gallery, enjoying an ice cream as we wandered. 

We celebrated a birthday earlier in the week with a delicious high tea at 'Louis Sergeant', an exclusive French patisserie in the city. (enquiries@louissergeant.co.nz). The assortment of savoury and sweet morsels were delectable, a feast for the mind. There are several places that offer high tea in and around the city and we have tested them all! Their range of teas was interesting too and I dared to try something a little different from my usual Earl Grey or English Breakfast.
Later on we met up with some relatives who are cruising around New Zealand and were in port for the day. We drove out to Miramar to visit Weta Cave Workshop where the models for 'Lord of the Rings', 'The Hobbit', 'Avatar' etc were made. If you are a movie buff, or you just love the Hobbit like so many of our guests do the visit to Weta Cave is a great experience.You can book online at wetaworkshop.com. Our relatives came back here for a barbecue, butterflied lamb marinated with garlic, ginger, wholegrain mustard and oil, perfectly cooked by my Beloved. As usual I aim to feed the five thousand and had leftovers for at least a couple of meals. I was a bit desperate to disguise  it tonight so we ate the last of the meat, pumpkin salad and potatoes in an omelette, and delicious it was too! As with many of the meals I cook there is not necessarily a recipe as such, just more of a method, so the proportions and ingredients given here are fairly loose and can be altered to suit what you have in the fridge. The leftover pumpkin salad gave the omelette a piquant edge so I shall include it for reference.  There would have been about a cup and a half leftover to put into our omelette.

ROASTED PUMPKIN AND KUMARA SALAD

4 cups of mixed cubed pumpkin and kumara (sweet potato)

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

1 finely chopped red onion

200g cubed feta cheese

a handful of rocket leaves

torn basil to serve

dressing (see below)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Roast the pumpkin in a little oil, sprinkled with the garlic, cinnamon and seasoning until just tender, about 25 minutes. Cool then add the pumpkin seeds and red onion. When ready to serve toss with the rocket  and basil and pour over about a quarter of the dressing. The dressing recipe makes more than you need but it keeps in a screwtop jar for weeks. 

DRESSING:

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

salt and pepper

Whisk all the ingredients in the food processor till well blended.

PUMPKIN AND SAVOURY OMELETTE

4 eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

leftover pumpkin salad (greens removed)

leftover roasted barbecued lamb or alternative

1/4 cup grated cheese

salt and pepper

Chop the meat into small cubes and heat with the pumpkin salad in a non-stick frypan in a little olive oil.When thoroughly heated through remove from the frypan and wipe it out with kitchen paper and a little oil. Whisk the eggs with the cream,dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Add the pumpkin mixture to the eggs with the cheese. Heat a little butter over a medium heat in the frypan and when it is sizzling pour in the egg mixture.Allow the egg to set , carefully drawing in the sides and swirling the pan a little until the bottom is cooked. Invert a dinner plate over the frypan and tip the omelette onto it, then carefully slide the omelette uncooked side down in to the pan.Allow the bottom to set and brown a little. Do not overcook it. Cut into wedges to serve with a little green salad. Nice with a spoonful of onion jam.

 

When the edges start to look like this the omelette is almost ready to flip over