Its just over a couple of weeks to go before the big day when we put on brunch for up to 50 people and I'm sitting here wracking my head as to what we could have that's a tad different? I like to be all organised so that on the morning itself it just all falls into place and I can be drinking champers with everyone else and still manage to put out a pretty cool brekkie.
My usual menu consists of beautiful pork sausage and crispy bacon all done on the barbie. A few different fritatas, all with potatoes, kumara and red onions as the base, but some with ham and whole cherry toms, asparagus and salmon. Heaps of fresh
herbs... oregano, parsley thyme rosemary and basil depending on the flavours that I want them all to have. Finally all topped off with masses of very tasty cheese that goes a lovely golden brown.
Corn fritters have always been one of the first dishes that disappear from the table and I put plenty of taste into these as well. Pretty easy to make ahead of time with plenty of finely chopped herbs, capers, sun dried tomatoes and even feta cheese served with crispy bacon.
Finely chopped fresh fruit salsa with heaps of coriander and enough chilli to give it a bite, salt, pepper and a lemon juice dressing made with honey and tarragon infused olive oil that we make ourselves.
Usually there is also some home made meat balls in a very traditional tomato sauce, being tomatoes that we have roasted with herbs and then pureed and bottled for use throughout the year.
Fresh buns, whole grain toast and large fresh fruit platter complete the buffet table.
I am putting it out there that if you have an idea or a great dish that you would like to share, suitable for a brekkie brunch affair that I could make this Xmas. I'd love to hear about it, just send a reply to this email!
Brunch is a great way to spend Christmas morn as most of our families are able to call in and share some food and a glass of something before they disappear off to the other in laws. I believe Xmas is a day when everyone needs to be with friends or family so our home is always open for friends or family to bring someone else along. I'm sure that we all know friends whose family are in other countries and its lovely to have them spend the day with us in what could be quite a lonely day otherwise.
I have just over two weeks to get all the gardens up to scratch, hedges all done and everything looking ship shape before the big day. Its so nice to have brunch in the garden, here's hoping that the weather is going to behave LOL
Colour the garden mauve and purples.. just arrived
I smiled as I looked at the selection of what Harry bought in this week... there seemed to be a theme that ran through the selection and I'll start with Yesterday today and Tomorrow or properly called
Brunfelsia eximea. Now there are a few of these Brunfelsia and eximea is the most cold tolerant coping with our Waikato frost.
The flowers start out deep purple that fade to mauve and then off to a lilac kind of white and you can find all colours on the bush at the same time hence the name, well I have always assumed that is what happens. I wonder as to using these plant as not just a shrub in the garden but seems to be that it would make for a cool internal hedge of a metre to perhaps 1.2 metres high. it certainly would be very pretty.
Next up is Scabiosa Deep blue which flowers are really more of a bluey lilac kind of colour and what I would describe as pin cushion like in form. A cute perennial that flowers well this time of the year
The
campanulas are good old fashioned perennials and Latifolia is pretty hardy with spires of lilac blue flowers
Campanula
Toogood is a very pretty ground cover with fresh green leaves, trailing habit, pretty mauve-blue, bell like flowers and will cope in sun though may prefer some dappled light but not shade and soil that doesent completely dry out.
Campanula
Blue waterfall is similar to Toogood in having a sprawling groundcover habit and mauve-blue flowers
Echinacea white or you may know what I mean if I say Cone flower white, I just love these as they tend to be summer flowers and have that huge distinctive large cone surround by a white petals. These are are summer flowering and the butterflies just adore them. previously we have had them in flower in the garden centre and they attracted all the monarch butterflies which spent their time getting the nectar from those large cones
Heuchera palace purple or coral bells... This one has the burgundy red leaves and makes for a great foliage plant in the garden... team this one up with Artemesia Powis Castle for the lacy grey leaves will make those round burgundy one just pop.
Macadamia Beaumont and
Maroochy... finally these have arrived in, we seem to have been waiting ages for them. Now I know that most are ordered but there are a few available still. If you have order these then do reply to our email that you still require or if you haven't heard from us then do be in touch.
Opening Hours... Wairere will only be closed for Xmas day otherwise we will be open all normal hours of 8.30 am to 5 pm LOL someone has to make sure that the watering has been done. The gardens will be open as well in case you have visitors and just want to come out for a browse over the holiday period. If you do have visitors and have a need for accommodation then don't forget that we have
Kahikatea Homestead available. Its a three bedroom villa that is fully set up for self contained accommodation. If you need it for an extended period email us direct for a competitive rate.
www.kahikateahomestead.nz
Don't forget to check out our
facebook page.
Mail order and deliveries have updated the last dispatch day to Tues 20th since my last email. gives and extra day for delivery as I imagine all the courier companies will be rushed off their feet..
Last dispatch day for the year will be Tuesday the 20th of December 2016 and will resume on Tuesday the 10th January 2017. There will be no mail orders during the two short week holiday period. If orders are made then these will be held until the 10th of January. If you want some plants to be dispatched then the next two weeks will be the best to get them on their way.
It was great to get some rain the other night.. Its amazing how plants respond to rainfall so much better than sprinkler watering and I don't know why that is. It was just perfect for all my newly plant vege garden. Soon we will be onto our six month supply of zucchini.
Apparently its meant to be wet over the weekend but will wait and see, I'm hanging out for a fine Christmas day and so will be trimming all my hedges so that the place looks spot on for the day.
Have a great weekend!!!
Ciao
Lloyd, Harry and the Wairere Team
Make it a Wairere weekend where even GNOMES know that gardening's not a drag.
