So I Gather

07/11/2023

Here’s the super simple solution to your Christmas Cake Conundrum 🎄🎂Recipes in the comments x Enjoy - Jax

06/11/2023

Mostly any recipe that has a bit of a 'gimmick' like three ingredients turns out to be pretty average! Not this one, it's an absolute cracker. Here's the recipe that makes a large and delicious cake that's packed with fruit. Perfect to make for your Christmas day or to take out into summer! The beach, camping, hiking....whatever. Buy the best dried fruit you can, I got mine from Bin Inn Kamo (who just won customer choice at the business awards BTW, congratulations to the team!) as the fruit really is the star of the show here. My cake is coming away for a week hunting deer in Taumaranui and I just know it will be the ticket come morning tea time after a long walk! Puhoi Valley was my iced coffee of choice for this recipe but I must admit to adding a little more 'liquid' in the from of a couple of tablespoons of Frangelico...mmmmmmmm. I reckon Baileys would work perfectly too, yummmmy. Please enjoy this and share it with the people you love xx - Jax

3 Ingredient Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1 kg (5 ½ cups) of good quality mixed dried fruit
600ml iced coffee milk
300g (2 cups) self-raising flour

Method

Combine the fruit and iced coffee in a large bowl, mix gently, cover and pop in the fridge overnight to soak.
Remove the bowl from the fridge and leave for about 30minutes to come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 180/160 fan forced. Grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
Add the flour to the fruit and mix until just combined. Pour into the cake tin and smooth the surface.
Bake for 1 and a half hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for about 30 minutes and then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.
NOTE – if you desire (I did!) you can add a tasty little bit of Baileys, Frangelico, Brandy or the like. I added about 2 Tblsps before soaking the fruit.

26/10/2023

26/10/2023

New week, short week, busy week!

Save yourself some time and trouble and get one of our fruit and veg boxes.
Details in the post. 💚

25/10/2023

30/09/2023

This is the most delicious thing I’ve had in ages ❤️😋 Ticks all the boxes on this wet, wild night. Made fresh to order ✅ Supporting a small, awesome local business ✅ Fresh, zingy and full of good quality ingredients ✅ One of the most delightful families around ✅ Given me a night off cooking ✅ Check out the team north of the Kamo lights for the most authentic laksa around!

🥗 Whangarei Food Lovers 🥗
Lady Laksa is creating some amazingly delicious Laksa from the RAW Cake kitchen today!

Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 6pm

Ria the creator is a Philippine chef who loves to share her delicious mouth watering laksa.

If it is proven popular - which I’m sure it will, she will be here every week!!

All gluten free and dairy free
Options
Vegan or Vegetarian $22
Chicken or Prawn $24
Combination $26
Seafood $28

Honestly huge portions - I spread mine over 3 meals.

Head down to RAW Cakes 436 Kamo Road for some laksa

Open NOW until sold out.

24/09/2023

Here's another cracking salad that I made this week. I love that this uses brown rice which is inexpensive and contains much more fibre than white rice making it a winner for gut health and a champion at reducing inflammation within the body. Can I just mention here that I'm in love with the Cranky Goat Ltd range of cheese that Harvest Fresh Maunu have in stock too. For a start I'm a massive fan of goats in general. Goats are better than sheep, they are more sophisticated, well educated and worldly. That aside, the mild, earthy flavour of soft goats cheese along with crunchy, toasted nuts, sharp peppery rocket and sweet dates is like a sexy, sultry tango of ingredients.....😂 (I now have a mental image of tango goats!) This ones a goodie to make for the school holidays too, I reckon the kids (no pun intended/pun intended!) will love it x Enjoy - Jax x Just yell if you’d like the recipe or head over and find me on Facebook 👍

24/09/2023

Here's another cracking salad that I made this week. I love that this uses brown rice which is inexpensive and contains much more fibre than white rice making it a winner for gut health and a champion at reducing inflammation within the body. Can I just mention here that I'm in love with the Cranky Goat Ltd range of cheese that Harvest Fresh Maunu have in stock too. For a start I'm a massive fan of goats in general. Goats are better than sheep, they are more sophisticated, well educated and worldly. That aside, the mild, earthy flavour of soft goats cheese along with crunchy, toasted nuts, sharp peppery rocket and sweet dates is like a sexy, sultry tango of ingredients.....😂 (I now have a mental image of tango goats!) This ones a goodie to make for the school holidays too, I reckon the kids (no pun intended/pun intended!) will love it x Enjoy - Jax x

Brown Rice Salad with Goats Cheese Dressing🐐

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked brown rice
2 zucchinis thinly sliced or peeled
½ cup toasted chopped almonds
½ cup of toasted sunflower seeds🌻
½ cup of currants or finely chopped dates (or raisins/craisins)
A big handful of leafy greens (I used baby rocket)🌿
2 Tblsp of honey🐝
2 Tblsp of lemon juice🍋

Dressing
150grms soft goats cheese🐐
½ cup thick plain yoghurt

Method

Place the rice, zucchini, almonds, dates, greens and a little salt and pepper in a bowl and toss to combine. Mix the honey and lemon together and pour over the salad and toss to combine.
To make the dressing, place the goats cheese and yoghurt in a food processor and process until smooth.

23/09/2023

Next Saturday (and the last Saturday of every month) Nev will be back to put a fine edge on those neglected knives and tools.

With summer coming what better than to give the filleting knife or garden tools a bit of a makeover in preparation.

From 10am Saturday 30th.🔪🗡️
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

23/09/2023

Daylight savings is here at last! Woohoo! Upside=more time outside. Downside=I can never remember how to change the clock in my car so I spend the next 6 months wondering if I'm an hour early or late everytime I drive somewhere, luckily the math is simple. Simple is the theme with this delicious salad too. It's basically carrot, chickpeas and fresh spring herbs. I'm loving the humble little chickpea right now. Inexpensive ✅ Protein ✅ Texture ✅ Fibre✅✅✅ That fibre with keep your system running like clockwork, I'll work out if mines an hour late or not and get back to you, meantime; here's the recipe - enjoy, Jax x
Spiced Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 Tblsp Olive Oil🫒
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
3 carrots, peeled into strips using a julienne peeler or a simple peeler🥕
1 cup coriander leaves🌿
1 cup mint leaves🌿
2 Tblsp lemon juice🍋
1 Tblsp of lemon zest🍋
1 teaspoon of honey🐝
1 Tblsp olive oil🫒

Method

Heat up a large pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the cumin, paprika, salt and fennel seeds and toast until they are fragrant, this will take about 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook, moving the pan and coating the chickpeas in the spices well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the chickpeas are toasted.
Place the carrot, coriander, mint, lemon juice and zest, honey and olive oil in a bowl and toss to combine. Divide between plates and top with the chickpeas to serve.

22/09/2023

If your garden space is limited then grow up! Here’s a clever idea to provide support to all those veges that “just need a little space” Happy Spring Gardening x