Gather

Sipping red wine in woollen jumpers with friends, is one the heart felt joys of winter. After months of laying low at home, the craving for connection and an excuse to pull on some fancy clothes, calls for a classy themed candlelit dinner party. Dust off the decanter, gather the foliage, light the fire and heat up the oven for a night of laughter and tales. Be prepared for this gathering to lift and carry your spirits through the remaining dark winter days.

A celebration of winter produce, this vibrant salad pairs sweet roasted pears and caramelised parsnips with crunchy pecans, creamy goat’s cheese and peppery greens. Finished with a jewel-bright pomegranate and balsamic dressing, it’s an effortless side dish that brings colour, freshness and seasonal flavour to any cold-weather table.

Slow-cooked in red wine and warming winter spices, this tender pork scotch fillet is the kind of comforting dish that fills the house with irresistible aromas long before it reaches the table. Studded with sweet prunes, raisins and savoury ham, it's a richly flavoured centrepiece perfect for gathering family and friends around on a chilly evening.

Golden, fragrant and woven with ribbons of creamy sheep milk Gouda, this show-stopping bread wreath is the ultimate centrepiece for cosy winter gatherings. Infused with garlic, rosemary and a hint of maple sweetness, it's the kind of warm-from-the-oven bake that invites everyone to tear off a piece and linger a little longer around the table.

Extending the Olive Branch

Escaping the corporate life, Toby Green is sharing the food he fell in love with as a trainee accountant with the country.

Sun, Sand & Sips

There is something about the sea that makes everything taste fresher. Maybe it’s something chemical in the salt air that enhances the flavours, or maybe it’s because we are relaxed and in good company. Jo Cribb shares her top picks for beach time toasts this summer.

It is the tipple of choice for drowning sorrows, singing serenades and celebrating success, and no region better represents the journey of ‘grape to glass’ than the famed vineyards of Burgundy, France.

There’s a lot to love about this tart. The silky-smooth, almost custard-like filling, the unctuous caramelised onions and the sharp, yet sweet blue cheese that finishes it off. Tarts are fantastic. They make great lunch or dinner fare and they travel well, making them perfect for picnics and potluck meals.

Otago farmers John and Susie Elliot have created a family-owned boutique distillery that offers something special – organic whisky and gin produced from their very own grain, fuelled by passion, pride and hard work. Words Belinda O’Keefe, Photos Rachael McKenna.

These pork and fennel meatballs were inspired by one of our conversations, a much-loved dish which they often cook for friends.

While the weather scale is tipping towards cooler days and longer nights, we aren’t quite ready to trade the light, crisp notes of a cool glass of white wine in the sun for the richness of a red by the fire. Instead, Jo Cribb inspires us with her top tipples to carry us into the season ahead.

The other night as I was preparing this risotto for our dinner, my daughter took off into the garden and returned with a handful of sage leaves which she carefully fried in butter and arranged for us on a plate to garnish our meal. This unfolding love of food is such a gift to witness and one I will naturally continue to foster!

Vanilla and spice-scented custard and chunks of dark chocolate are beautifully contrasted with flaky croissants in this delicious pudding.

Twenty years ago, Life & Leisure stepped into the chocolatey world of Makana Confections, establishing our much-loved food producer profiles. Twenty years on, we sit down with current owners Brian Devlin and Carole Flowers.

The elements in this salad come together to form a wonderfully moreish meal that will be sure to impress even the most discerning dinner guest. The eggplant is unctuous and rich, the tomatoes fresh and the feta creamy and sharp. Cook the beef to your liking and don’t skimp on the salsa verde – it is vibrant green and perfectly balanced.

This takes potatoes and sausages to dizzying heights and is a lovely dish either to serve as a light meal or to bring to a potluck dinner. The potatoes are deliciously crispy and paired with the crumbled sausage and the peppery rocket they make a satisfying meal.

This is less of a recipe than it is an invitation to get outside and explore what edible weeds you might have in abundance in your garden. Weeds are high in antioxidants and each one offers support to the body in different ways. I love how eating weeds takes you outside into the garden, where you look and listen and reap nature’s abundance. Be careful to eat weeds you know are free from sprays and always double-check that you are picking the right weed.

Tineke-Maree Sutton is bottling up the best of Central Otago with her Taste of the Alps preserves, bringing flavour to your everyday dishes.

I love recipes which contain few ingredients but yet taste utterly delicious and look equally as beautiful on a plate. This is one of them. Choose sweet ripe strawberries and cherry tomatoes as these will add extra flavour and sweetness.

Pickling Delicious

Summer is a time when produce is abundant and is the perfect opportunity to make healthy, nourishing and easy-to-grab home-made ferments. We get some expert advice from Niva and Yotam Kay for safe and delicious fermentation.

The combination of herby green chicken, fresh crunchy vegetables and creamy coconut dressing is irresistible in this salad. My kids loved it so much they went back for thirds!

Grate Cheese

While there are no set rules when it comes to when to eat cheese or what to pair it with, we have some top picks from cheese royalty, Simon and Annabel Berry, on what to sample this summer.  Their biggest piece of advice: ‘Experiment with different tastes, and be creative – this is where the fun begins!’

Pick of the Patch

An innovative Whanganui couple adds a third protein to their farming operation alongside the production of beef and lamb. Bringing pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oil and pumpkin flour to the market is a labour of love.

Sunshine, Patience & Love

Hawke’s Bay born and bred Perry Cornish is a whirlwind of advice, laughter and determination. It is easy to get caught up in his passion for the Coromandel salt farm he and partner Erin Mone have created, and once you try it, I guarantee salt will never be the same again!

Roasting this chutney in the oven means that you no longer have to slave over a hot pot. Instead, you can tend to other things as the plums, ginger and chilli slowly come together to form this rich, velvety chutney.

This rocky road is as pretty as it is tasty. I had fun decorating mine with sprinkles that I found at Spotlight and rose petals from my garden that I dried especially for the occasion. I thought the colours worked so beautifully together. Have some fun and get creative when decorating yours!

This recipe can easily be doubled to make twice as many Christmas gifts. Lovely packed into jars and tied with a ribbon and gift tag. Loved by teachers, uncles and aunts, and employers alike!

These crackers are incredibly morish and if you don’t watch out you’ll eat half the batch before they have even cooled down!

These nuts are deliciously crunchy, cinnamon spiked and just sweet enough. If you like things a little spicy then add in a teaspoon of chilli flakes to the sugar mix.

While many people dream about another life, this pair of Auckland food retail experts turned their idle thoughts into a breakfast spread, took it to market and now have a fast-growing food brand.

Caring for cast iron

Kate and Levi Slavin have taken a ‘dying art form’ and given it a new lease of life with their cast-iron cookware collection.

The humble sausage in bread is elevated to new heights in this recipe. The staples – bread, sausage, onions, are all present to which I have added a lovely lemony aioli and zingy rocket leaves. Simple yet utterly delicious. Double, or even triple this recipe to feed an army.

This version of barbecue sauce is made without store-bought tomato sauce, which is replaced instead with canned tomatoes and extra spices. Brisket is a wonderful cut of meat and here it is slow-cooked in barbecue sauce until tender then thinly sliced and served piled into soft buns with coleslaw and pickled red onion.

This is a simple, yet elegant dish. Onions, potatoes and spinach are gently braised in butter, before eggs, and a lemon and Parmesan cream are added in. It is one of those dishes that works for breakfast, lunch or dinner and is delicious served with some sourdough bread on the side.