(The photo is meant to be of Steve Holtum, but isn't.
If you're out there Steve, flick us a pic and we'll set things right)
A readable version of the above story:
"PEANUT BUTTER SPICES CHOWDER
Marlborough mussels and Nelson peanut butter may seem like an unusual combination, but they proved a hit with judges at a recent competition to find the best mussel chowder.
One of the recipes designed by Marlborough amateur chef Steve Holtum was a satay chowder with fresh peanut butter made in Nelson as a key ingredient. The dish was one of the finalists in the Kono New Zealand Mussel Chowder Competition, held at the Marlborough Convention Centre.
Holtum, who is head of the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology’s aviation school and lives in Blenheim, says cooking has always been a hobby of his and he jumped at the chance to enter the competition. “I really like peanut butter satay flavour so I am quite pleased”.
Holtum says he chanced upon the peanut butter he used in the dish at the Nelson Saturday Market, after he began boycotting the Sanitarium brand because the company shifted its peanut butter production to China. He travelled to Nelson just to get the fresh peanut butter used in the chowder for the competition. “I have always liked to support people who are doing thing locally and doing things fresh”.
Holtum serves the chowder in a deep dinner plate with mashed potato, wilted bok choy and a fillet of blue cod to transform it into more of a meal.
Head judge Chris Fortune was joined by Marcus Pickens of Wine Marlborough, and Jason Mitchelmore of Hotel d’Urville, to assess the chowders for visual appeal, flair, taste and flavour, balance of colour , ingredients and texture.
And the heat was on, with finalists having just 45 minutes to get their chowders from chopping board to dinner plate. Mr Fortune said he was impressed with the final dishes. “The chowders were all interesting versions with different interpretations – Thai, satay and Polynesian” he said.
The judges were unanimous in the decision to award first prize to Aucklander Diane Davidson for her Mussel Chowder Pacifica. “The winning dish was refreshing” they said. “It left you wanting more – which is what you want – with a modern twist of a Polynesian theme, using kumara, and orange, which went very well with the mussels.
Pic Picot, the man behind the peanut butter Holtum uses, makes the spread by roasting Australian peanuts and putting them through a special grinder. Picot says he started the business in December after being “horrified by the appalling quality” of commercial peanut butters.
His blend soon took off. He now sells more than 100 jars of peanut butter a week and has mail-order clients throughout the country.
He uses a roaster made on the West Coast, but has recently bought a bigger one from the former makers of Pams’ peanut butter to keep up with growing demand.
Picot is in the process of setting up a factory to make more of the peanut butter, and one day hopes to franchise the business."
And here, finally, is the Recipe:
Peanut Butter Chowder
14 live mussels
1 fresh fillet of blue cod
2 potatoes
1 bunch bok choy
25g butter
1 onion
1 tsp chili freshly crushed
1 tsp ginger freshly crushed
2 Tbsp peanut butter (fresh from Nelson’s Saturday market)
1½ cups of fish stock
2 limes
½ cup cream
Salt and black pepper
Coriander
½ glass Kono Sauvignon Blanc
Place peeled and cubed potatoes in a large fry pan with a a little hot water and sauvignon blanc, cook for mashing.
When water is boiling, steam open the mussels in the same pan removing them as they open, cut out tongue remove the “bits and pieces” and cut them into quarters.
Remove potatoes.
Wilt the bok choy.
While that is happening, in another big fry pan, sauté the onions for two minutes until soft, then add the chili, ginger, garlic, peanut butter, fish stock, juice of limes and cream.
Season to taste.
Add ½ cup of the mussel and potato liquor.
Cook fast for 30 minutes to reduce.
Add the mussels and simmer.
Mash the potatoes with a little cream.
Sautee the fillet of blue cod in grape seed oil in hot pan.
Presentation: Cone mashed potatoes in centre of a deep plate. Carefully pour around the thick and yummy mussel chowder.
Float the wilted bok choy on top. Layer over the top a slice of the blue cod.
Garnish fish with fresh coriander and the zest of the lime.
Serve hot with a glass of Kono sauvignon blanc.
Peter Calder's Peanut Butter Beef (Kids love it)
Cut schnitzel into strips and marinate with onion, crushed garlic and enough soy sauce to just moisten it in a non-reactive bowl - a couple of hours.
Heat a heavy frypan till it's smoking hot (best outside). Heat it some more. I mean smoking hot, do you hear me? Chuck the beef on. Stand clear. When the sizzle calms down stir it until it's a bit sealed. Turn heat down. Stick a humungous tablespoonful of peanut butter on top and put a lid on it. Leave it for a few minutes. Lift the lid and the peanut butter should have softened enough to stir in through. Add cream or sour cream and stir until creamy - add some boiling water (wine if you fancy) to thin it if it is too gluggy. Three more minutes. Serve with rice or ribbon pasta. Yummy.
Kay's Really Good Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
200g Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter
200g softened butter
1 ½ Cups Soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
250g chopped chocolate (dark recommended)
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180˚C, 170˚C fan bake or Gas Mark 4.
In a large bowl using a wooden spoon or in an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter, soft butter, sugar and vanilla extract until soft and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the chocolate. Sift in flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and stir to mix.
Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the dough in your hands to form balls, then place them spaced apart on baking trays (there is no need to grease or line them).
Bake in the oven for 12-16 minutes until golden in color. Carefully lift them off the trays when cooked and place on a wire rack to cool.
If you don’t want to cook all the dough, place a sheet of greaseproof paper or cling film on the work surface and roll any space dough into a log about 2cm in diameter. Roll up and place in the fridge. When you are ready to cook, unwrap the log and cut into slices about 8mm thick. Place on the baking trays and cook as above.
Handy tip: The recipe makes loads of cookies, but you don’t have to cook them all at once. Just roll your dough into the log shapes and store in the fridge (for up to 1 week) or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can then just cut the slices off the frozen dough and pop them right on the tray when you’re ready to cook. Of Course, you can half this recipe if you like.
Elvis' Killer: The New York Stack
This is from Barbara, owner of Bach on Breakwater, a real fine joint in New Plymouth that sells these remarkable fry-ups on Sunday mornings. She kept coming to the market and buying lots of big jars. When I asked what dhe did with it all, this is what she told me:
Here’s how to do it like the Yankees
Burgen raisin bread is better than Vogels for this as it’s more absorbent
Butter’ both pieces of the bread with your peanut butter – normal nice thick amount on one side and VERY thick on the other.
Slice banana in half then split halves lengthwise into quarters then lay side by side on bread. Dip each side briefly in eggy batter (one egg whisked with half cup milk) then fry in butter.
Replenish butter in pan when you turn them over (NOTE the banana doesn’t get cooked and mushy – it’s only lightly warm when it’s all done).
Cut in half diagonally and stack on plate nicely. Drizzle generously with maple syrup and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.
This is seriously good.
When I first tried this, the thought of peanut butter with anything sweet filled me with disgust quite frankly and I had to force myself to try something so obviously American! When in America do as the americans and all that. And I fell in love with the combination. The rest is history. I had to practically ram it down the throats of all my staff to make them try it initially, but now they’re all fans.
And heres another one from Barbara....
ReallyGoodPeanutButter Brittle
1 ½ cups sugar and about ¼ cup of water to wet it. Bring to the boil and boil until it turns light golden brown. (this is usually called toffee)
Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of ReallyGood Peanut Butter and stir very well and very quickly until it’s completely combined.
Rapidly spread out as thinly as you can onto a biscuit tray lined with a silicone sheet. It should cover most of the tray. When it’s set spread it with melted milk chocolate
When that’s set, turn the slab over, peel off the silicon sheet and spread the other side with melted milk chocolate. (I’m really a dark chocolate fan but in this instance milk choc is definitely better. Sometimes I mix half and half milk and dark). Just spread the chocolate thinly or you’ll get fat. When it’s cold, snap into bits and eat it as fast as you can or it’ll get stolen. You can also impress people by generously giving them some, but don’t tell them how you made it. Let them think you’re a culinary prince! (or queen as the case may be)
Barbs Peanut Butter Chocolate
Good morning Pic
I thought you might enjoy trying a delicious little treat that I made yesterday with your fabulous peanut butter.
I was making chocolates for my christmas treats and for some reason my chocolate seized. (that means it suddenly went hard and stiff even tho it was still hot). So I added some of your fabulous peanut butter – 2/3 chocolate to 1/3 peanut butter and zapped it in the microwave for a minute to soften it all and then I beat it together, with a little more salt , spread it in a dish lined with glad wrap and chilled it till it went hard. Then cut into squares and they are the most divine peanut butter chocolates you could wish for.
So try this:
1 cup dark chocolate buttons
1 cup milk chocolate buttons
Melt on medium power in the microwave for 30 secs at a time until melted.
Measure what you’ve got (or just guess) and add half that measure of Pics Peanut Butter
Add ½ tsp salt then warm for another 30 secs on medium.
Beat all together until thoroughly combined.
Pour into a smallish square dish lined with cling film and chill until firm. Cut into squares and return to the fridge to chill until hard. If you wait till it’s hard it’s difficult to cut neatly. Store in the fridge (or your mouth!)
Cheers
BARBARA
Annabel White's Asian Coleslaw
Annabel devised the recipe to go with her review of peanut butters in the Sunday Star Times
"Peanut butter makes a great addition to a dressing for an Asian-style spicy coleslaw for a crowd.
In a medium bowl, whisk a quarter cup plus two tablespoons of peanut butter with three tablespoons each of fresh lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, three finely chopped medium cloves of garlic and one tablespoon of chilli sauce.
Use to coat 1kg of shredded cabbage (or clearly less - no problem), three grated carrots, two red capsicums, 15 mint leaves and 3 tablespoons of coriander, all thinly sliced.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
You can reduce the amount of cabbage and then adjust the amount of dressing. This dressing is so good you can make and store it in the fridge for nest time.
And don't reduce the herbs."
Bridie's Bread
(Bridie is Pic;s daughter)
Hey Pa! This is a top secret recipe for delicious and easy-to-make bread. Originally it didn't have peanut butter in it, however I cleverly decided to add it when I ran out of peanuts and salt.
Bridies Bread
INGREDIENTS
2 cups wholemeal flour (I prefer to use cups with royal images on them, eg; Princess Anne)
2 cups white flour
1 T of active yeast (yeast that is sporty and active)
1 T of runny honey
4 T of Pic's Really Good Peanut Butter
Some water (amount TBD, have a tap or other water source handy)
Place 1 1/2 cups of hot water from the tap in a mixing bowl. Mix in the honey till it's dissolved then sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water, wit 15 mins or so till it bubbles up a bit. Chuck in the flour and peanut butter, then mix up and add water until it turns into a thick gloopy paste. Leave in a warm place to rise for 25 mins. Once risen, place mixture into a loaf tin (should be about two thirds full as it will rise beyond your wildest dreams) then place in a pre-heated oven at 180° for about 45 mins or until nice and crunchy. Top with butter AND peanut butter for supreme deliciousness.
Bridie Picot
Dimitris Mum-in.law's Buckeyes
2.5 cups icing sugar
i x 380g jar peanut butter
Vanilla
4oz melted butter
Mix into balls, chill overnight. Dip in melted chocolate and freeze.
J Phillips
Susan Busch reckons these are very moreish. I would have to agree, should I ever get the chance to eat one. (My birthday is on August 22nd)
UPDATE: I got some!! Susan sent nme a whole icecreaam container full of them and by golly they are amazing.... Well done Susan
Susan's Peanut Butter Oat Chip Cookies
100g Melted Butter
300g White Sugar
225g Soft Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
450g Pic’s Really Good Peanut Butter
100g Raw Almonds or Peanuts
100g Raisins
250g Chocolate Morsels/Drops
2 1/2 level teaspoons Baking Soda
300g Wholegrain Rolled Oats
In a large bowl mix melted butter and sugars together, add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add peanut butter and mix well then mix in nuts, raisins and chocolate morsels/drops. Mix baking soda with rolled oats and then add to rest of mixture and mix well until combined.
Put spoonfuls on ungreased trays (tsp amounts for small cookies, tbsp amounts for large ones) don’t put too close together as they do spread.
Bake at 180 C for 10-20 minutes depend
ing on size of cookies, Do Not Overcook, they will go quite brown. A shorter cooking time will give chewy cookies, longer cooking gives crunchy cookies.
Leave on tray to cool slightly before placing on rack to cool completely.
Makes a lot of cookies so recipe can be halved.
THE MINIMALIST; Exploring Peanut Butter's Potential
By MARK BITTMAN of The New York Times
ADORED in the United States, ignored or mocked almost everywhere else, peanut butter is among the most flavorful and reliable single-ingredient processed foods.
I say ''single ingredient'' because salt is not normally counted as an ingredient, and great peanut butter contains just peanuts and salt. That's the way brands labeled ''natural'' or ''organic'' are, as well as peanut butter you grind yourself in a health food store or at home. Let's not talk about peanut butter that contains sugar, hydrogenated fat or chemicals: it's not worthy of either the name or our attention.
Peanut butter's most common use -- as a mere partner in a pedestrian white bread and jelly sandwich -- is, to some of us, uninspired. (On whole wheat bread with ginger or lemon preserves, or with a bit of sriracha, now you're talking.) Yet cookies made with peanut butter seem to improve annually, especially as we learn to appreciate salty desserts. The peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich cookie recipe here was inspired by a nearly savory PBJ dessert at Momofuku Ssam Bar a couple of years ago.
But otherwise, why is this wonderful food with so many admirers -- me among them -- so underused?
There have been some small steps in discovering the possibilities of peanut butter. For example, home cooks have learned that it is an easy-to-find substitute for tahini (sesame seed paste) in some dishes, which can result in quick meals like cold noodles with peanut butter sauce and hummus and baba ghanouj made with peanut butter.
And my own explorations of the last few decades affirm that peanut butter is a natural in curries, stir-fries and noodle dishes, like the shrimp recipe here.
Experimentation can yield good things. Last winter I began stirring peanut butter into oatmeal; weird, maybe, but good. I also put it in stewed lentils and vegetables (dal) with curry powder, which may not be traditional, but it felt as if it could be. This dish is a revelation: cook lentils or beans and whatever vegetables you like along with ginger and garlic, then simmer curry powder or a similar spice blend in some butter until golden, stir in a glob of peanut butter, and mix that into the dal. Wonderful.
Still, for an ingredient that is both powerful and lovable, I feel there must be more, though I'm not quite sure where to find it. When I appealed to readers of my blog, Bitten (nytimes.com/bitten), for ideas, I quickly got a small flood, and some of them were uncommon, intriguing and appealing.
They included smearing peanut butter on a wedge of raw white cabbage or a pork burger, roasting peanut-butter-stuffed jalapeños, and whipping up a simple satay-like sauce of peanut butter, soy sauce, orange marmalade and red pepper flakes. More ideas are on the blog; I've summarized some of what I think are the best.
And yet. And yet. Despite these explorations and suggestions, I long for something else: unrealistic as it may seem, the peanut butter main course. I recognize it's not the new roast chicken, but peanut butter has been so lightly regarded for so long that I think its best days may lie ahead.
Recipe: Grilled Pork Skewers with Peanut-Basil Sauce Time: 30 minutes
20 to 30 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup peanut butter, preferably chunky
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons soy sauce, more to taste
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 inchlong piece of ginger, peeled
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless pork shoulder or loin.
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients except pork and process until you have a smooth paste. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed: mixture should be salty, spicy and hot. Set about 1/2 cup of marinade aside to use as dipping sauce.
2. Slice pork into 1-inch cubes and toss with rest of marinade until it is all well coated. Thread meat onto skewers, without crowding.
3. Heat a grill, grill pan or broiler until quite hot; cook pork until brown all over, turning once, about 5 to 8 minutes total. Serve with reserved dipping sauce and garnish with lime wedges.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe: PBJ Sandwich Cookies Time: 30 minutes, plus at least 2 hours' chilling
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing baking sheets
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour, more for work surface
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fruit jam or jelly.
1. Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, sugar and peanut butter; add egg and beat until well blended.
Angela's Cupcakes
First, I LOVE your peanut butter! im on a limited income so its my 'treat' food. this is my favourite cupcake recipe
Angela Gardiner
Vegan and Gluten free peanut butter cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes
3/4c soymilk
2tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2c crunchy peanut butter
1/3c canola oil
2/3c raw sugar
2tbsp molassas
1tsp vanilla ess
2tsp ground flaxseed
1c brown rice flour
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
preheat oven to 180c
line cupcake trays
mix soymilk and vinegar together , set aside to curdle.
cream peanut butter, oil, sugar, molassas, vanilla and flaxseeds together. add in soymilk mixture.
sift the rest of ingredients together then add wet to dry and stir till just combined.
put into cupcake tray and cook till puffy and brown.
top with melted vegan chocolate when cool.
Sally's Dip
Hi Pic,
I meet you at the Taste of Auckland event the other weekend and you have a photo of me in your phone. I'm the girl who has the srcumdiddlyumptious Real Peanut Butter Recipe.
Here it is and photos attached (two photos / one with crackers and one photo with just ingredients)
REAL PEANUT BUTTER & CUMIN DIP
- one dessert spoon REAL PEANUT BUTTER crunchy
- 125g Greek Style natural yogurt
- 1 tsp freshly ground Cumin (use mortal & Pestal to ground seeds) or buy ground cumin, the freshly ground is loads taster
empty tub of yogurt into dip bowl and add all ingredients and stir until blended.
Serve with rice crackers !!! YUM YUM
Was great to meet you Pic, good to but a face to my favorite brand :)
Cheers
SALLY BLOCKLEY
More Recipes needed. Send us your favourite peanut butter recipe urgently.
