Olive oil is getting harder to find. Make this instead! (and hi)

I'm excited to be sharing recipes with you in this way. Social media has burnt me out a bit but this format feels good.

It’s been a while, like forever..

You’re receiving this because you subscribed via my website. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear from me.

A semi-regular email newsletter has been on my to-do list for YEARS. Substack feels like a fantastic place to make this happen. I’ve long felt unsatisfied with the usual social media platforms and nostalgic for the old days of blogging (how I started out over a decade ago). I used to love reading chatty blog posts from my favourite food writers and getting that peek into people’s lives. I especially loved the imperfectness of it all. You could show up with your shaggy blogspot website and some photos you took on your phone and you were instantly a creator with value. I would never have written two cookbooks or ended up working in this field without that lovely, simpler time giving me a chance to find my voice and perspective.

That forgiving format gave me the chance to grow and play creatively. It meant that eventually I was able to carve out a living full time as a food writer / photographer and stylist for clients shooting beautiful images and videos. I’ve loooved this creative work.

When it comes to the main social platforms though, the heartbreaking move to prioritise video content over still images, encouraging mind-numbing trending audio and constantly chasing a fickle algorithm…….well I’m kinda tired of it all. It’s too noisy, too fast-paced, too transactional for me .

So I’ll be here, sending you a recipe and a story or some thoughts every week or two. I hope you’ll enjoy having me pop into your inbox every now and then.

I’m still getting my head around how to make these emails look as lovely possible for you. Let me know if you spot things that I can improve!

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An olive oil shortage means it’s time to try gorgeous golden ghee.

Olive oil has gotten harder to find thanks to a global shortage. The supermarket shelves often look rather bare in this section. It’s the perfect time to explore a really wonderful alternative in ghee. It’s a brilliant cooking oil. A staple in Indian cooking and considered a healing and balancing food in Ayurvedic practices. I love the rich flavour and stability when cooking over a high heat (yes it’s got a high smoke point!).

It’s very simple and pretty inexpensive to make your own.

Method

Most recipes call for unsalted butter. Truthfully, I make this with salted butter all the time. The salt sinks with the milk solids, which is strained out so it all works out fine.

Butter (I usually use around 500g at a time but 250g is fine to)

Put the butter in a large saucepan and place over a low heat. The butter will slowly melt and then start to bubble. Keep it at a gentle simmer for 25ish minutes. Do not stir at any time during the process. You’ll know the ghee is ready when the milk solids have sunk (they’ll look lightly toasted) and apart from a little foam on the surface, you can see right to the bottom.

Leave to sit for ten minutes before straining into a clean glass jar using a fine mesh strainer. Congrats! You’ve made your first batch of ghee.

Tips

• You can store your ghee in a sealed jar in your pantry for 4 months at least. Probably more. I always use it up much faster than that.

• Use a spoonful of ghee anywhere you would have usually used olive oil for cooking (except dressings, for obvious reasons)

• If I’m using it to roast vegetables, I simply dot it on top of the veges I’m cooking, pop it in the oven to melt for a minute and then toss it all together once the ghee is liquid. Root vegetables roasted in ghee are WONDERFUL.

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  (You can of course still find fantastic local NZ extra virgin and first pressed olive oils. I’ll always have a bottle or two of these on hand for dressings, dipping and drizzling over steamed vegetables.)

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Here’s a recipe I’m cooking a bit at at the moment. It’s a great chance to use ghee for sautéing.

Portobello Mushroom and Lentil Bolognese

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I wrote this recipe a while back (eight whole years ago) for Dish Magazine and I still really love it. There’s all the rich flavour of a risotto but with half the effort and more protein. Zucchini / courgette is not really in season at the moment so peas would be a nice substitute.

Creamy White Beans with Zucchini, Lemon and Walnuts

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Have you flicked through my new book yet?

My new cookbook ENJOY: food worth sharing with the people you love is being used and loved by readers since it’s release, It’s full of simple, delicious food for every day. I’m beyond thrilled with the reception it’s received.

Have a peek and order a signed copy HERE (free shipping)

Thank you for reading my first newsletter! It means the world. x