Winter is approaching - the perfect time for preparing and enjoying delicious home-made food. And enjoying food is all about fresh and pure ingredients, inspiring recipes, careful preparation - and last but not least - good company, which is exactly what we at Farmhouse Kitchen aim to offer you with our cooking classes and catering service.

Our cheese making classes have been very popular and our special cheese event with Winter F.A.W.C! in June has already sold out! But don't despair - we will have more classes, so you can join in and learn to make mozzarella, haloumi or feta.

Read more about the Winter F.A.W.C! events here.

Recently we welcomed Danny Brown from Danny's Pasta and Andy Glover from The Tuki Kitchen as guest chefs. They have added a wealth of culinary skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to our classes, and we are looking forward to continuing our journey with them.

Enjoy this winter season with delicious, nourishing food!

Pauline & Chris.

Farmhouse Kitchen is now offering a catering service providing delicious, healthy and nutritious food made with love and passion, which tastes naturally good!

All our food is made from scratch using the best, high-quality ingredients and is made on the day of your order. We have a great selection for you to choose from, including cakes, quiches, salads and platters, and we also offer gluten-free options.

Visit our website for more information.

Check out our website for our new programme or contact us to create your own class with friends or staff.

Duck Workshop
Tuesday 4th June 6:00-9:00pm
Tapas (East Mediterranean) Class
Tuesday 25th June 6:00-9:00pm
Bread Making Workshop
Saturday 6th July 1:00-4:00pm
French Cuisine (new recipes!)
Tuesday 9th July 6:00-9:00pm

Children’s Holiday Classes
Wednesday 17th July 9:00-3:00pm
Thursday 18th July 9:00-3:00pm
Tuesday 23rd July  9:00-3:00pm
Wednesday 24th July 9:00-3:00pm

Cheese Making Workshop
Saturday 10th August 1:00-4:00pm
Pasta Making Workshop
Tuesday 20th August 6:00-9:00pm
Vegetable Fermentation Class
Saturday 31st August 1:00-4:00pm

Our Children's Holiday Classes continue to be popular and now have a cultural theme. Last holidays during the Italian class children had great fun while making ravioli and fettucini using a pasta maker. During the holidays in July children can choose from French, Indian, Thai and Italian. Click here.

Looking for a social get-together, cooking challenge or wanting to learn new skills? Farmhouse Kitchen is an ideal venue for groups who want to design their own event, whether it's a birthday party, girls' night out or a teambuilding function. Read more here...

Recently we welcomed a group of friends from Waipukurau, who learned to prepare venison with Andy Glover from The Tuki Kitchen. They said: 'Very much apprciated all the effort and detail you guys put in to make such an enjoyable evening"

Would you like to visit our cooking classes, but find it hard to get out in the evening?

Then join our Morning Cooking Course starting Thursday 29 August. Improve and refine your kitchen skills and have a good time together while preparing some delicious dishes from our evening prgramme. And you will be able to taste and take home your creations.

This course is every last Thursday morning  of the month from August till November ( 4 classes) and will cost $240 per person. Classes start 9am and finish at 12.

The #1 Superfood no one talks about!

Why fermented foods are the best form of probiotics you can choose.

Delicious, unheated, raw, organic, cultured vegetables are one of the richest sources of healthful lactobacilli and enzymes.  Lacto-fermentation is a natural food preservation method that enhances the life in the vegetables and those who eat them.
Studies repeatedly have shown that daily consumption of lacto-fermented vegetables helps in re-establishment and maintenance of beneficial intestinal flora, and aids immune function.  These raw fermented vegetables aid digestion, relieve constipation and are associated with decreased allergies and infections.
Fermented foods show up in virtually all cultures in the world and for good reason, they are an essential part of a complete diet.
Complement your daily meals with delicious, home-made fermented vegetables.

Our next Fermented Vegetables workshop is Saturday 31 August.

We grow this member of the Brassica family in our garden and harvest from it all winter.
Cavalo nero (sometimes called Tuscan kale) doesn’t form a head but is instead made up of long loose leaves growing from an upright stem that can be picked like silverbeet. It is the traditional leafy green to use in an authentic Italian minestrone.
When it is cooked (remove the central rib as it will never soften) the leaves darken and become blue-black. Once cooked it has a full flavour that is never bitter.
If you don’t have cavolo nero in your garden, try Bellatinos in Havelock North, Cornucopia in Hastings, or Epicurean at the Farmers Market.

Rolled Beef Schnitzel with Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon

This classical French recipe is full of flavour and a perfect winter dish.

Serve with green seasonal vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cavolo nero)

2 tablespoons butter
6 beef schnitzels
150 g shoulder bacon
2 slices of bread
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
fresh thyme, 3 sprigs
rosemary, 1 sprig

2 carrots
1 onion
3 cloves
5 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
500 ml red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
200 g gourmet mushrooms, sliced
fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Lay the schnitzels out and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
Put the bread, onion, bacon, garlic, fresh thyme, rosemary and parsley in a food processor.
Blend all together.
Spread out the bread mixture over the schnitzels.
Roll the schnitzels up and secure with a bamboo skewer.
Heat the butter in a casserole, and brown the paupiettes on all sides.
Add the carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaves, cloves and black peppercorns.
Add the wine first, then water or stock, tomato paste, salt and sugar.
Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

20 minutes before the paupiettes are ready add the mushrooms and season to taste.
Leave the lid off to reduce the sauce.

Garnish with chopped parsley.