Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

Already, this month, as the heat of the day increases I have heard the bleating sound
of summer with cicadas emerging
from their winter refuges.

The strawberries taste fantastic as they soak up the sun. The basil is pumping, and I find myself putting up extra shade cloths to shield the microgreens from the blistering sunshine. The chickens have the same idea and huddle under any shade they can find. The rain water tank is running low, as extra watering is required, with almost everything growing well – including the weeds. As I've began pulling out some of the weeds, I‘ve came across a couple of large, old chicory plants, with some left over microgreens that grew up.

Chicory is well known as a forage food for livestock here in New Zealand. In Greece, it grows wild and is sought after for its bitterness, as part of a dish called horta. I can remember eating piles of horta, accompanying simple grilled foods, in the taverns. Horta is a mix of wild greens often containing sorrel, dandelion, chicory, kale, and milk thistle.

The cicadas also help to remind me of those 40 degree Celsius days in Greece, where cooked wild greens are served cold – and are so delicious you never ask for them to be heated.

So with that barbecue streak or grilled chicken, I got thinking about how to have some tasty wild greens cooked and served alongside. If you have trouble getting kale, sorrel or chicory, try the farmers' markets at Tauranga and the Mount – and look out for the new gourmet night market running during summer at Coronation Park on Friday evenings in the Mount.

Second gourmet market

The second Gourmet Night Market is on tonight, from 5pm-9pm at Coronation Park in Mount Maunganui.
Last week's inaugural market saw more than 2500 people try the event out for taste. Organisers say 95 per cent of the food stalls sold out.
'We were overwhelmed and ecstatic.”
Bring your appetite, a blanket or chairs and settle down for a night of delicious food and local musical entertainment.

Horta Dazz style

Ingredients
Roughly equal quantities of the following
(the more the better):

Chicory leaves
Silver beet leaves
Kale leaves
Sorrel leaves
Dandelion leaves
Spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
Freshly cracked pepper
Sea salt flakes

Method
Bring enough salted water to the boil to comfortably blanch all of the greens. Put in all of the green leaves, except sorrel and spinach. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the cooked leaves and add in the sorrel and spinach In a new pot, heat 3-4 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add in the two garlic cloves and cook for a minute or two. Add in the greens, a little at a time, and fry off a little bit. Add one cup of water, bring to a simmer then cook until all of the water has been absorbed. Pile onto a plate and drown in the olive oil and lemon mix. Season with cracked pepper and sea salt. If it gets cold, and is left to sit for a while, it tastes even better – and it's a great way to eat your weeds and leftover bitter vegetables.