It’s been a whirlwind few weeks since starting university again in Melbourne, and I must admit I’ve really enjoyed being back in routine. A solid routine plus a smidge (ok, a little more than a smidge) of work pressure has equaled productivity levels through the roof – at least as long as I balance that with organisation (a diary + a to-do list, am I right?) and enough sleep (have I already mentioned that you all need to go and read Why We Sleep?)). The only negative is that discretionary reading time has disappeared. This is bad news for my New Year’s resolution, which is to read a book a week in 2019 (so a grand total of 52 over the year). Easy to stick to during the holidays; not so much now. That hour window before bed which can so easily disappear into social media (or Netflix) is what I need to start utilising. Speaking of, I just finished The Bodyguard and LOVED it – would highly recommend if you’re after a new manageable length (6 episodes) series.

On another note, I’ve been struggling with instagram lately. Engagement (the number of people that see and like/comment on posts) has been down the gurgler, which I know is also true for many other people. I know I shouldn’t let something as arbitrary as this bother me, but it DOES. When you put significant time and effort into something, its tough to see an online algorithm decide that it isn’t worth people seeing, or to not compare yourself to other accounts that seem to fare much better. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated! That’s part of why I maintain this website as well – I don’t want the value of The Brick Kitchen entirely at the mercy of fickle tech giants.

And to the recipe – it’s a fresh tomato and zucchini panzanella, and one of my favourite summer salads. Vibrant tomatoes are important – if you can splash a few extra dollars, this is where it is worth it. They’re thrown together with golden strips of fried zucchini, crunchy olive oil and salt laced croutons, chunks of roasted capsicum, lots of fresh parsley and basil, salty capers and whisper thin shards of parmesan, and creamy torn bocconcini (burrata and mozzarella are also great). The dressing is a simple combination of good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I’ve been serving it with panko-crumbed fresh fish, but you could also use canned sardines or any other kind of protein you have available. Because everything is fresh, it is the kind of salad where quality ingredients DO make a difference if they’re available and affordable.

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I’m a little late to my own party, but another year has swung around and I’ve managed to hit the four years of blogging milestone. The first year was a learning curve: a mish-mash of family favourite recipes thrown in with cafe reviews (I no longer consider myself qualified to be a food critic!) along with the struggle to get a handle on the technical side – apertures, photo editing, SEO and wordpress. At the end of that first year (I wrote about a Momofuku style German Chocolate Espresso Cake), I discussed the shift from school excellence to university prioritisation, and the utmost enjoyment that running a blog had added to daily medical school life. The following year heralded the arrival of hospital placement, and a reflection on my photographic improvements and the surreal week that was a trip to the Saveur Blog Awards in New York (alongside a peach & blackberry pie topped with olive oil gelato).

Year number three came and went with lightning speed – my most stressful, high intensity year at medical school to date with final exams looming, which dictated a slow-down on the blogging front in favour of time spent cramming. Around a mass of photographs for a chocolate, cherry and coconut layer cake, I wrote about four things I’d learnt through the blogging journey. To be honest, rereading them a year later, I’m still very much continuing to learn them – knowing them in my head isn’t the same as acting out, or embodying, those lessons day to day.

I can hardly believe it’s already year number four. 2018 was a whirlwind compared to all of those previously – I left not only New Zealand but my adopted university city of Melbourne for 8 months in Oxford undertaking a research project. The consequent lack of a (high functioning) kitchen meant significantly less action over here, but I instead ate and photographed my way around cities I’d always dreamed of visiting – Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Tel Aviv, Paris. I’ve now come full circle back to Melbourne to start my final year of medical school and it feels strange – as if one half of me had never left and the other has done and seen so much more that it can’t quite slot back neatly into university life.

As for this blog? I honestly don’t know what direction I want it to go in. All I do know is that I want to continue baking outside my comfort zone (and inside it), continue to cook up feasts for family and friends alongside easy weeknight student-friendly meals, and continue to explore food and travel photography. So that’s what I’ll do for another year at least, and I hope some of you stick around for it.

I haven’t gone for a celebration cake this year – I did attempt one (which still remains a work in progress), and instead this semifreddo was such a overwhelming success and seemed to me like the utmost celebration of summer stone fruit and relaxing warm evenings. You can take the stress out of the occasion by making it up to a week before you plan to serve, and then all you do is slice and plate up gorgeous slabs of tangy, salty sweet roasted plum ice cream, topped with a generous handful of buttery shortbread crumble.

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It’s my final recipe and blog post for 2018. How did that sneak up on us so fast? I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I (and most likely you too) am a little consumed by the holiday season madness. Reading a lengthy blog post is probably not top of your priority list. What might be higher up is planning a Christmas menu – though I’m not huge on tinsel, perfectly laid tables and piles of presents, I do love the number of big group dinner parties and gatherings that Christmas brings. For us they are relaxed affairs: summer barbecues with a few big salads – think Ottolenghi’s Simple vegetable dishes, fresh tomatoes and peaches, broccoli tabouli, lots of hummus and fresh sourdough bread. There’s no pressure on timing with make-ahead, room-temperature salads, and we serve up whenever whatever’s on the barbecue is done. However, a centrepiece dessert is always a must for me – again, something that can be made ahead is best. Apart from this strawberry tart, I’d also recommend:

– Chocolate Cherry Tart with Pomegranate and Torched Meringue
– Rhubarb, Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding Cake with custard
– Roast peach & honeycomb slab pavlova (you could also swap the peaches out for roasted strawberries if it’s more seasonal)
– Flourless Chocolate & Hazelnut layer cake
– No churn passionfruit, raspberry & pavlova ice cream
– And if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere – this carrot, ginger and white chocolate tart with whisky ice cream, and these sticky fig & ginger puddings with caramel sauce.

See you in 2019 for lots more recipes: both tried and tested here on the blog, and quick inspiration over on instagram, and more travel guides and where to eat around the world (yes, more travel is in sight). Do let me knw if there is anything in particular you would like to see more (or less) of – I’d love to hear from you.

Onto the recipe: it’s a festive, summery strawberry, pomegranate and pistachio tart. I’ve taken the classic strawberries and cream combination and served it up less English summer and more Ottolenghi-fied 2018. It’s my go-to shortcrust butter pastry, whizzed up in a food processor, topped with a rich, nutty pistachio frangipane studded with raspberries and pomegranate arils. Leave that to cool, and then dollop on a tangy, fragrant mascarpone cream tinged with pomegranate molasses and sumac. Then comes the impressive (or perfectionist) factor: strawberries carefully sliced up (middle pieces only for the prettiest result) and lined up in concentric circles over the cream.

Cook’s Notes:
It’s definitely at it’s best right after you layer up the strawberries (do this right before serving, it only takes 5 minutes). However, you can definitely make the tart right up until the strawberries and cream step the day before for ease on the day – just store in an airtight container in a cool place overnight. Another option is to make the pastry the day before, and then bake the pistachio frangipane the morning of – whatever fits into your entertaining schedule best.

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Corn, zucchini & goats cheese fritters with green tahini sauce, topped with avocado and poached eggs – super easy and works as equally well as an easy dinner or fancy brunch.  Jump to Recipe

I’m currently on a train towards London, weighed down by far too many bags – more than a few people have offered a hand getting on and off trains and up and down stairs, which I take to mean I must look like I’m struggling (maybe just a little). It’s hard to believe my six months in Oxford is already up, with the final thesis due date only a few weeks off. Maybe it’s cliche, but it feels more like six weeks. The time has raced past in a blur of challenging lectures and relaxed picnic dinners, coffees with friends and long days in the Harry Potter-esque Oxford libraries, hastily planned overseas trips (yes, all the Italian gelato and Copenhagen pastries) and afternoons spent reading on the lawns. 

Last week I realised I had hardly any good photos of Oxford – I think you start to take the views for granted when you’re living somewhere. The next early clear morning I ventured out with my camera, noticing all the golden-hued laneways and ivy creeping over stone walls. Without huge groups of tourists blocking the streets (the one negative of summertime in Oxford), it was easier to appreciate the colourful cafe facades and imposing church spires. I completely understand why everyone wants to visit towns like Oxford, but the huge numbers of people and tourbuses day-tripping through a tiny town does make the magic harder to find. It’s the same with most cities fuelled by tourism, I suppose – Barcelona and Venice come to mind – but in a town the size of Oxford it’s perhaps even more obvious. I don’t know what the solution is: I love to travel to new places just as much as anybody. 

Though I’m no longer in Oxford, I still have a mountain of work to do to finish my thesis so I’ll keep it brief today.  In the meantime, I’ve got these corn, zucchini & goats cheese fritters with green tahini sauce. Fritters are such a go-to summer meal for me – the simple base formula of flour, baking powder, eggs and milk accommodating all manner of vegetables and herbs. Sometimes it’s more of a Mexican vibe, loaded with coriander, lime and guacamole; sometimes it’s a classic corn with smoked salmon; sometimes I pile them with blistered cherry tomatoes and spinach. This is one of my favourites. It’s a mix of corn and zucchini – I find zucchini alone has a tendency to get a little soggy. Handfuls of parsley, mint and dill and chunks of goats cheese pack it with flavour, and they sit atop a herby, lemon-y green tahini sauce. Top with poached (or soft-boiled) eggs and avocado for a deluxe fritter dinner, or serve up for a friends for brunch. 

PS: yes, the egg yolks in NZ really are that orange.

Cook’s notes:

• The zucchini is best julienned width-ways as it gives firmer strips of zucchini, and more texture in the finished fritters. If you don’t have one though, a coarse grater is a perfect alternative and still great! Make sure to salt and leave to drain for at least 10 minutes. 
• Add the water last when making the green tahini sauce, as this makes sure the parsley is as finely chopped as possible so the sauce is vibrantly green!
• If you’re making these for a crowd, I’d recommend soft-boiling the eggs so you can do them a little in advance-  just bring a pot to a soft boil, lower the whole eggs in for 5-6 minutes, then put straight into cold water to stop them cooking further. Peel just before serving.

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Although I generally consider myself pretty proficient in the kitchen, one recipe I can’t seem to master is the humble pavlova. Though I make valiant attempts multiple times each summer, they’re completely hit and miss. Adding to my frustration is that fact that I’m a New Zealander – pavlova originated here, or close enough. I’ve read all the advice columns and tried all the tips and tricks – heating the sugar first, using cornflour and white vinegar, wiping my bowl with lemon juice to reduce any skerrick of fat – and yet still can’t put my finger on what differentiates the pavs that stand up with a perfect crisp exterior and fluffy centre, and those that crack like paving stones, collapse into themselves and develop a faint chewiness to the crust. Is it the near constant 99% humidity in Auckland summers? My faulty oven (which, to be fair, I am pretty sure is not at the right temperature and I should really invest in an oven thermometer)? Did I add the sugar too fast or too slow, or not quite get it to fully dissolve? I once over-beat the egg whites into a grainy, separating mess – the one downside to a stand-alone mixer is the potential for distraction. Maybe it’s a combination of everything. 

I’ve almost given up on the dream of a perfectly tall, symmetric, snow-white and shapely pavlova. For a long time my loyalties lay with miniature pavlovas, more like extra-large meringues that retained some of that fluffy interior – topping them with passionfruit curd and whipped cream, or filling them with raspberries and dark chocolate (link). But sometimes you want more of a centre piece – a dessert fit for a crowd that you can bring out to impress, minus the constant worry that your lack of pavlova skill is about to reveal itself. Enter: the slab pavlova. It’s significantly more forgiving. The weight of your toppings is distributed over a thinner rectangular base, reducing the risk of collapse. It’s WAY easier to cut up and serve. It still looks great. You still get that crunchy crust, swirly edges and signature fluffy pavlova middle. I’m not going back (at least not until someone can teach me their perfect pavlova ways).

It’s a very kiwi combination: pavlova (ok, let’s not argue about the origins at this point), crunchy golden syrup-laden hokey pokey, and fragrant honey roast peaches. Pav is traditionally topped with freshly whipped cream, but I’m a fan of this creme-fraiche / mascarpone combination – thicker, with a tangy edge that goes well with the sweet topping.

 Just a warning to consider closing your windows if you’re roasting these peaches in summer –  I managed to lure about 20 bees into our kitchen and living room with the smell of the roasted honey (in fact, I think one managed to get in one of these pictures if you can spot it.). My brothers started trapping them to take outside before we realised there isn’t much oxygen for a poor bee in an upside down glass. It resulted in a flurry of google searches in an attempt to identify these as wasps or bees – we figured we didn’t want to be responsible for depleting the Auckland bee population. Anyway, the resultant peaches are gloriously tender, blistered and syrupy, and I’ll be making them again and again just to put with whatever I have on hand. 

I’m not sure if hokey pokey is as ubiquitous around the world as it is in New Zealand. It’s a classic from the Edmond’s cookbook, the kind of sticky treat you make as a kid to watch the boiling syrup froth up, tripling in size and lightening as you add baking soda. Magic, or at least a fun science experiment. It should be something like the inside of a crunchie bar, but if you don’t let it set hard or make it on a particular humid day it can get a bit sticky and gummier – try popping it in the freezer for a while if this happens. Hokey pokey ice cream is summer in a cone – vanilla ice cream dotted with small caramel dots of hokey pokey (or, in the case of my local gelateria, vanilla bean gelato with chunks of gorgeous sticky chunks of the stuff). If you’re going for something a bit less sweet, I’d try crumbled up halva or a sesame brittle instead. 

I’m also posting now as it is summer in the UK and peaches are everywhere, but usually at home this would be more of a summer Christmas thing come December. It feels counterintuitive to post a winter recipe while it’s hot, but tell me, are you from the Northern or Southern hemisphere? 

Baker’s Notes:

• Make the pavlova the evening before if you can, so you can leave it to cool in the oven overnight.
• The hokey pokey and peaches can also be prepared ahead.
• If you want something less sweet than hokey pokey, I’d recommend trying crumbled up halva or a nutty brittle, like sesame.
• Make the mascarpone cream and assemble just before serving.

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