A Midwinter Matariki Giveaway
Celebrating midwinter the best way we know how — with delicious food, lush tablescapes, and a delectable drop!
Hello hello,
We hope you are all keeping well and eating well!
This magical time of year is such a lovely moment to celebrate. The darkest days of winter bring the brightest stars — the rising of the seven sisters marks the beginning of Matariki, which is a opportunity to honor nature, respect those who have passed, and look forward to the future.
What better way to celebrate than by bringing together those you love over a warming winter meal. If you’re planning on entertaining over the long weekend, we suggest making these Slow-Braised Beef Short Ribs, or a timeless Chicken Marbella. The ribs are excellent with mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, and the chicken is delicious with couscous, orzo, or rice. These are both great options for a potluck too if you are wanting to divide and conquer! Of course, you can’t go wrong with a classic roast chook, and Annabel’s Ultimate Roast Chicken is a tried and true winner.
In terms of sides, a beautiful Beetroot Salad is a great way to add some colour to the table, plus carrots are also reasonably priced at the moment, which provides a welcome opportunity to make these Honey & Thyme Roasted Carrots. For greens, a simple Green Salad should suffice.
For starters, these Spicy Kūmara & Cashew Fritters are excellent and so moreish, as is this quick Smoked Salmon Paté, which can be made with any kind of hot-smoked fish. A Sunshine Carrot Dip is terrific to serve with crispbreads or vege batons as part of a tapas platter.
A make-ahead dessert is one of the easiest ways to get ahead when you’re entertaining — it’s so satisfying to miraculously whip something out that you haven’t had to stress about. This Apple Crumble can be prepared in advance and popped in the oven when you’re ready to serve. We also love this Gluten-Free Orange & Almond Cake when winter citrus is at its best.
Another lovely way to celebrate Matariki is to spend some time outdoors amongst nature with a winter picnic. A hot thermos of soup, a Picnic Pie or Frittata, and a warm blanket is all you need for success. This time of year is perfect for a warming Green Goodness Soup (plus it’s loaded with alliums and greens for immunity-boosting deliciousness) or a good old-fashioned Pea & Ham Soup — we love the miraculous simplicity of this soup, which has only two main ingredients. The peas break down in the last stage of cooking — suddenly the soup goes thick as they collapse and release all their starch, resulting in a silky, creamy texture.
For something sweet, we recommend these Whole Orange Muffins, or some Apple Crumble Muffins.
Celebrating Matariki doesn’t have to be about spending a whole lot of money or days in the kitchen preparing, it’s about taking a moment to engage with this special time of year and being intentional in how you spend it — whether that’s sharing a meal with your family and friends, or appreciating the natural landscape that are so lucky we live in.
It’s Giveaway Time
One of the first tricks Annabel taught Rose about entertaining was the importance of setting the table before your guests arrive. Even if you haven’t cooked a thing, your guests will always feel welcome when they arrive — on a beautifully set table even the simplest of food feels special! We like to set the scene by lighting candles, arranging some fresh flowers, and setting a welcoming table.
As you may already know, Annabel has a fab range at Briscoes — with everything from everyday basics to special-occasion sets and timeless statement pieces. We thought it would be lovely to give you an opportunity to win some of these beautiful items — thank you so much for supporting us, dear readers, we are so grateful for your support! With this in mind, we have some beautiful items to giveaway to add to your midwinter festivities.
You can enter the draw to win one of three prizes — a Bistro Dinnerset, a Euro Dinnerset, or a fabulous Maroc Casserole. To enter tell us us how you are planning to celebrate Matariki and what you will be cooking over the long weekend! Entry form is via this link.
We will randomly select three winners on Friday, July 14.
Free Bella Shipping for July
We are so proud of our gin, Bella, which has been well received by all! We picked up a Silver Medal at the 2023 NZ Spirits Awards, and highly commended in the Guide to New Zealand Gin. It truly is so delicious and is a perfect accompaniment to your Matariki festivities and feasts. We’re excited to share that for the month of July we are offering free shipping for all NZ orders so you can stock up for the winter months. You can purchase it here. For our Australian customers, you can purchase Bella from our Australian distributor here.
If you’re yet to be convinced, here’s some kind feedback we have received from happy customers.
“This drink is like the nectar of the gods.” — Kay L
“Absolutely love Bella, didn’t take much to persuade my sister too! Nothing beats this.” — Janet T
“Best gin out.” — Dion A
If you haven’t already heard the news — we recently launched a second newsletter, What to Cook Tonight. We send it out every Sunday morning, and it contains three seasonal recipes for the week ahead plus a shopping list, with the idea being that we’ve done all the thinking for you, so you have more time to enjoy your life! We also share our tips and tricks to teach you to be a better, more resourceful, knowledgable, and intuitive cook, and as many additions and substitutions as we can possibly think of! If any of this sounds like your cup of tea, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $8 a month.
That is everything from us! A huge thank you to the lovely and talented Biddi Rowley for the images in this month’s newsletter.
With love, Annabel & Rose xx