NOUS ALLONS AU MARCHé !

marché française























The French Market is a superb market and is located in the Parnell district right here in Auckland city. The market is open weekdays and Saturdays. You can purchase fresh vegetables, flowers, various cheeses, meats and hot foods. Clothes and other household items are also sold here. What a fantastic place to meet and greet friends.

My partner and I visited there two weeks ago. The place was hoppin' with pastries, fresh coffee and a humungo paella pan chocker full of chicken, calamari and mussels. Yes folks - an absolutely gargantuan pan full of paella was being prepared. We looked around the market and found some nice fresh vegetables. It is a little funny how there was one vendor selling nice veggies - with no prices and another selling veggies with prices. Guess who got more business? Just a little advice for those market people that want to sell their veggies and things - PUT FREAKIN' PRICES ON THE ITEMS WILL YA??? People like to know how much things cost. Anyway... we purchased a medium container of the best Harissa.





It was vibrant red and HOT!! The flavor was exquisite. We use it with scrambled eggs and other things. This stuff rocks!

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, quartered
• salt to taste
• 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

additional olive oil

Directions:
Toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin in a skillet over medium heat until very aromatic, about 2-3 min. Let cool and grind to a fine powder. Add the garlic and salt and grind again until smooth. Add the paprika, pepper flakes, and 1 Tbsp oil and grind till well combined. The harissa will be very thick and dry. Transfer to a small jar and cover with olive oil. It will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 6 months.

Enjoy!

ROCOTO PEPPER

I've had experience growing this pepper in my backyard some time ago. The leaves are slightly fuzzy and these gorgeous purple flowers start to come out:
















The chilis look like this:


You cut these chilis to reveal dark, black seeds:
Living in NZ, it has been very difficult to get a good variety of hot peppers. In fact the bell pepper here is called "capsicum". How trite. I find it annoying that they use this word. To me a bell pepper is nice on a salad. A bell pepper is quaint - kind of like a good girl that never made history. I find that most New Zealanders are scared of peppers. What the heck for?? New Zealanders have made history on so many levels for Christ's sake!! They've given women the right to vote before America did!!! They've elected their first woman Prime Minister (USA still dicking around). So why be scared of a freakin' pepper????

Here in NZ, I rather enjoy famer's markets. In fact I try to make a weekend of it if it isn't too busy or raining. I frequented a rather nice farmer's market out in Matakana. There I saw a woman selling Rocoto chilis - however she labeled them as "habaneros for sale". Being a chilihead - I was a bit offended that someone can mistake the two varieties. I approached her and informed her that she had it wrong. In a more than emphatic manner she insisted that it was I who had it wrong. She explained that the seed company she purchased these from labeled them as such and by golly if the seed company labeled them...then the seed company must be right! Are Matakanians really that hokey? If they find out that jumping over a bridge lowers your cholesterol - would they actually do it? I find that hard to believe - especially when one has access to Google to find out if these answers are real! Geepers! Broad band in Matakana must be severely limited on various levels ay? Well, next time I'm at Matakana, what I need to do is just sit back and get a kick out of how silly this lady looks selling these fake habaneros.

About the Rocoto -the heat content is less than a habanero. So why am I including this pepper in my blog? Well...it is still hot and still nice to chop up and throw into stews and things. Mind you, the flavor of the Rocoto is less appealing than the Habanero. What gave me awareness to the Rocoto chili were the Peruvian dishes made at local restaraunts in San Mateo and Redwood City (California). These Peruvian dishes put the Rocoto Chili onto the "Chilihead" map. So here...I have a nice fusion dish to share. The recipe below has one Rocoto in it. You can add more - but don't get Matakanian on me and call it a "Habanero".

I've also suggested a nice white to go along with it. Enjoy!


SPICY WOK ROASTED MUSSELS

• 1 kg NZ green-lipped mussels
  
• One whole Rocoto pepper (seeds and all now) - finely chopped.
  
• 2 tsp smashed ginger
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
  
• 2 large Tbsps of miso paste dissolved in 1/4c water or fish broth.

On medium heat - throw in mussels with 1/4 cup water.
Mix the remainder of the ingredients in a bowl.
After the mussels have been cooking for about 7 minutes, toss in the mixture in the bowl. Combine well and allow for 5 more minutes on stove then turn off stove.

Suggested wine:
Redwood Pass by Vavasour
Marlborough NZ
Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Farouche!

This recipe is about smooth and flavorful! The spice is all in the habanero. If you don't have the habanero - then you are making plain ol' guacamole. You got it?
This here recipe is for about 4 people who ain't got a spicy bud located on their tongue.
If you have chiliheads in your group - then double this here recipe and add habaneros to suit.

Now mix the following in a glass bowl:

1. Grab ya'lls a couple o' ripe avocadoes n' mash 'em smooth!
2. Then add yourselves 1 green onion - chopped.
3. Squirt/squash a nice clove or two of fresh garlic.
4. Don't stop there...grab yourselves the hottest habanero (you can find this chili at your local ethnic or speciality store). Using plastic gloves, squash, chop or blend - this lovely pepper in with the rest of the stuff.
5. Chop yourselves a handful of cilantro (fresh coriander) and mix.
6. Grab a 1/4 cup full of your favorite salsa.
7. Mix all o' this together.

Salt to taste. Serve with chips or fresh bread. Mmmmmm!






















Oooo I tink dis good mahn!!

Decorate the top with quartered cherry tomatoes and a fresh sprig of cilantro.
Now to round this snack out - have it with a nice cold glass of good quality beer or even a glass of Gurwurtrameiner. Sweet as!

(NOTE: Good covered with cling wrap and refrigerated for up to one week. The fresher the better of course. When covering with cling wrap - place the wrap DIRECTLY ON TOP of preparation. The goal is to minimize contact with air to prevent the avocadoes from turning brown, ay?)