Recipes for the Long Weekend
An Easter extravaganza — we're sharing our ideas for a delicious Easter menu, our best-ever buns (sweet and savoury), and some preserves for the last of the season's bounty.
For both of us, Easter is often like a mini-Christmas, with food playing a central role in the festivities. To start, we will have something baked and delicious (the scent of freshly baked buns is possibly the best way to start any day), followed by a big, long lunch with friends and family.
Regardless of where we are in the world, we always keep these rituals as a way of feeling anchored and grounded to each other and our family. In an ever-changing world where there is so much uncertainty, annual traditions like Easter provide a reassuring sense of collective belonging, enabling a sense of connectivity and grounding. This year, Rose is in Lisbon, where she will be baking buns and feasting with friends. Down in Wānaka, Annabel will be cooking up a storm and harvesting the last of the autumn produce before the first frost sets in.
We’d love for you to join us in the kitchen this long weekend and create some precious food memories. Be sure to let us know what you end up making — we really enjoy hearing of your creations. Here’s a toast to the bounty of nature and new seasons! (If you need something to fill your glass, we’ve got just the tipple for that.)
Easter Baking
Easter unofficially marks the beginning of baking season. Cooler temperatures mean more time spent keeping cozy indoors, and the long weekend is a perfect opportunity to potter in the kitchen and make something delicious to share with family and friends.
Of course, everyone’s favourite part of Easter is the buns. This is our tried-and-tested recipe for Hot Cross Buns, we also have this recipe from Annabel, which we will both be making this weekend.
Another family tradition at this time of year is making Sticky Buns, which are always lots of fun to make with kids. If you’re feeling more adventurous, we adore this recipe for Swedish Cardamom Buns. You can watch this video to learn how to shape them too — it looks complicated, but you’ll soon get the hang of it!
Annabel loves making a Festive Gubana, an Easter tradition from Italy that lies is somewhere between a Christmas cake and sticky buns — a match made in heaven.
On the savoury side of things, we have these Spinach & Feta Pinwheel Scones which are so easy to throw together and are seriously yummy. You can use frozen spinach to cut down on costs.
Easter Entertaining
If you’re planning on entertaining over the long weekend, we recommend keeping things simple and stress-free. Laying the table, lighting some candles, and creating a feeling of intentionality around the meal is a great way to make it feel elevated without having to spend days in the kitchen. It’s the little things that count.
Hosting a potluck is also a fantastic way to cut down on costs and ensures no one spends too much time in the kitchen. Make sure you delegate to ensure there are no double-ups!
The sweetness of lamb pairs well with autumn produce, and you can’t go wrong with this Rolled Lamb Shoulder which pairs well with Domino Potatoes, and a Roasted Beetroot & Rocket Salad and/or a Pear, Walnut, and Haloumi Salad — you can add cup of cooked freekeh, pearl barley, or Puy lentils to either of these salads to bulk them out a bit if you’re feeding a crowd.
If lamb isn’t your thing, you could make this Herb & Feta Pie from Together, and sub out the potatoes for this Roasted Cauliflower with Peas & Almonds — this recipe also works well with cabbage.
Another fabulous stress-free menu we love for a special weekend lunch is to make a Cauliflower Cheese (we’ll often do half cauliflower and half pasta) or a Lemony Fish Pie served with a crisp salad such as this Everyday Green Salad from Summer at Home. Simplicity at its best!
For dessert, why not keep things simple with an Apple Crumble — we like to add a little mixed spice for a festive touch. If you’re feeling a bit more decadent, this Tarte Tatin is also excellent for this time of year. Alternatively, our Chocolate Freedom Cake from Together is dairy and gluten-free and comes together in a flash. Endless possibilities!
Pickles & Preserves
Finally — if you’ve still got some cooking in you and you’re at a loss with what to do with the last of the season’s bounty, we suggest making some pickles and preserves. Buying produce at its peak and preserving it for later in the year when it is out of season is a great way to cut down on costs, and you get the delayed satisfaction of opening a jar of sunshine in the depths of winter.
A good use for the last of the eggplants is this Kasundi — a delicious Indian-style condiment that we love with yoghurt and flatbreads, served on cheese boards, and in toasties. It also makes an ideal curry base — you can thin it with coconut cream or stock to make an instant simmer sauce for chicken, seafood, or slow-cooked meats.
Another seasonal favourite is Pear & Tamarind Chutney, which can be used in a similar way to Kasundi. It has a sweet and tangy flavour profile (thanks to the tamarind) and goes particularly well with duck and chicken.
For a happy tummy all year round, why not try your hand at making Kimchi from scratch? This recipe is adapted from one kindly shown to us by a wonderful Korean woman, Miwon Suh. It has such a clean and fresh flavour that’s really addictive.
Gosh, that was a lot — we hope you made it this far and that we’ve given you plenty of inspiration for the long weekend! One last thing to add is that we found a handful of copies of Together, our award-winning book from 2018. These are the last copies circulating as the book is out of print, so grab one while you can.
Wishing you all a restful and wholesome long weekend filled with happy food memories.
With love,
Annabel & Rose xx
Have many of your books Annabel so will enjoy this news letter
Happy Easter to all
Luv the beetroot and rocket salad. Yum. Have done your domino potatoes with slow roasted lamb. Can't wait for your next book.