A Matariki Feast
Ideas and inspiration for your midwinter tables — we show you how easy it is to plan a simple menu that feels special and bountiful (regardless of your budget). Plus a Midsummer Lunch menu!
Hello hello,
We hope you are all keeping cozy and taking care of yourselves and each other at this special time of year. With Matariki this Friday, we wanted to take the opportunity to provide some delicious inspiration for what a Midwinter Feast might look like.
Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades or Seven Sisters) signals the Māori New Year. The appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy, and peace, and is an opportunity to come together and celebrate. Matariki often coincides with the winter solstice, which brings us the shortest day of the year. Throughout the history of humanity, cultures around the world have acknowledged this period of time.
Acknowledging and celebrating traditions offers us a grounding lifeline to the past. In the fast-paced world we now find ourselves, it’s reassuring to have anchors like this where we can all feel a sense of belonging.
A Midwinter Feast
We have had a lot of feedback about needing ideas and inspiration for menu planning — so here we are! Our hope for this newsletter is to demystify entertaining and show you how easy it is to build a delicious menu that feels special and bountiful (regardless of your budget).
Here are our top tips for success:
Always set the table before your guests arrive. It’s an easy way to make people feel welcome and that you’re expecting them, even if the kitchen is a mess, if the table is set then you are halfway there!
Do as much prep as you can before your guests arrive, that way you can relax and enjoy their company rather than running around frantically at the last minute.
A groovy playlist is a fun way to set the mood — Rose has three fab playlists that we keep coming back to, that can gradually progress throughout your evening: Music to Cook With, Music to Eat With, and Music to Groove With.
Make sure there is something for your guests to have as soon as they arrive, so you’re not under pressure to get something on the table immediately. It also gives time for everyone to relax and settle in.
Cheese and crackers are always easy — you don’t have to go all out and get lots of different types, we suggest one hard and one soft (brie or camembert, aged cheddar/manchego/comté/gouda, plus some sweet and salty things to accompany them (sliced pear/apple/quince paste/grapes/cornichons/olives) along with some plain crackers and/or fresh bread (sourdough, baguette).
Making your own Hummus is a fabulously affordable and delicious appetiser too. Serve it with some pretty baby vegetables to take it in a crudité direction. You can also jazz up store-bought hummus with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and a sprinkle of dukkah or toasted sesame seeds if you are tight for time.
If you want to serve an extra starter, a make-ahead crostini is always a winner. We love these Anchovy Crostini from Summer at Home. Annabel will often make this speedy Smoked Salmon Paté too.
When it comes to the main meal — keep it simple. Choose one substantial main, one carby thing to fill people up, a big green salad to keep it bountiful and fresh, and perhaps an additional vegetable side or a more substantial salad for the vegetarians.
Think about flavour profiles when bringing things together and aim to have everything in the same flavour family so you can easily mix and match.
Here are some of our tried-and-true effortless and impressive mains:
You can’t go wrong with this recipe for Ultimate Roast Chicken, beloved by kids and adults alike.
Braised Lamb Shanks are always a treat in the winter, which we love with some creamy Perfect Mash. Coq au Vin is an equally delicious but more affordable dish with a similar comforting result.
Another top pick for a Matariki feast would be to serve this Crispy Pork Belly alongside a Roasted Pepper Pesto. Inspired by an iconic dish they served at Amisfield many many years ago, it’s truly so good.
On the carby side of things, it’s hard to go wrong with potatoes — gluten-free and affordable, plus almost everyone loves them. These tasty Domino Potatoes, Crunchy Potatoes with Thyme, or a garlicky Potato Gratin are always crowd-pleasers.
If you want to keep things simple, we suggest making this Lemony Fish Pie — so comforting and delicious on a cold winter’s night. All you need is a fresh green salad and dinner is on the table.
For big green salads, we suggest our Everyday Green Salad or a simple Two-Minute Green Salad. A big pile of greens is an easy and affordable way to make a table feel bountiful.
If you’re feeding a crowd, this Roasted Vegetable Platter is great, as is this beautiful Roasted Beet & Rocket Salad, or this Couscous with Roasted Vegetables.
Lastly, something sweet. A make-ahead dessert is always a good idea and mitigates any last-minute stress. Look no further than a Classic Apple Crumble — warming, comforting, and oh-so delicious. If you want to pull out all the stops, we recommend the Ultimate Pumpkin Pie.
A Midsummer Lunch
For those reading this from the Northern Hemisphere, we also wanted to take the opportunity to share ideas for a Midsummer Lunch menu! Perfect for long languid days and dining al fresco — these are the simple flavours we love to eat in the summertime. Best accompanied with a fresh glass of rosé or crisp white wine.
To start, we suggest our tasty Zucchini & Feta Crostini or a Classic French Pissaladiere — both of which can be made in advance. Rose also loves making a simple Pan Con Tomate when tomatoes are at their ripest and juiciest.
These Tomatoes, Burrata & Lemon Oil look stunning and are so easy to make — the lemon oil really elevates the dish, with minimal effort. This Panzanella Salad is another winner and is excellent with added fresh mozzarella too.
As a main, we often make this Celebration Salmon — a stunning centerpiece that is quick to cook which makes things so easy. We also love this herbaceous Tarragon & Garlic Butterfly Chicken.
In terms of potatoes, we love a fresh Herbed Potato & Egg Salad or these yummy Mediterranean Home-Cut Chips.
Again, we suggest our Everyday Green Salad or a simple Two-Minute Green Salad.
For more substantial salads, both this Middle Eastern Grain Salad and this Chickpea & Eggplant Salad can be made ahead of time, are gluten-free, and can be adapted to be vegan.
For dessert, this Italian Plum & Almond Cake is a showstopper. We love making these Honey Lemon Cream Puddings and serving them sprinkled with fresh berries in the summer months, our Vegan Chocolate Mousse is also great.
Rose’s Travel Recommendations
It’s coming to that time of year when we both get lots of messages asking for all our secret tips and recommendations for where to go this European summer. If you’re lucky enough to be travelling in the next few months, Rose has written an extensive Lisbon itinerary on AmiGo, sharing all her best-loved restaurants, beaches, bars, shops, hotels, and secret spots.
AmiGo is a fabulous little travel app that curates recommendations from tastemakers all over the globe. One of the hardest (and most exciting) parts of travel is trying to figure out the itinerary of where to go, places to visit, and things to eat. Nothing is worse than a failed meal when you have precious time in a special place, or ending up in a dire town when there is a charming one just over the hill. It’s the only app Rose uses to travel and it has yet to let her down!
Rose has also added all her favourite places from all over the world — across Europe and throughout the US, Mexico, South America, Asia, Australia & New Zealand.
It’s invite-only (which saves it from the dreaded TripAdvisor algorithm) and we have an invite code with you all! The app is free and you can download it via this link — use the invite code ROSEGO to gain access. It doesn’t cost anything to join or use :)
You can find Rose’s Lisbon guide here.
That is all from us for now. Happy Cooking!
We hope you have a wonderful long weekend. If you have any feedback, questions, or thoughts you can always find us at hello@langbein.com
With love,
Annabel & Rose xxx