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Archives for August 2019

Baking ingredients for Rhubarb Crumble

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Rhubarb Crumble Baking Ingredients NelsonThis week, our Fresh Choice Nelson guest blogger, Paula, has a delicious recipe for the perfect Rhubarb Crumble. Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your baking ingredients. Take it away, Paula!

Warming puds on a rainy spring evening in Nelson are magic to me. As a kid growing up, we had pudding at least three nights a week. It’s more of a rarity these days and there is definitely something special about it. My kids don’t expect pudding, and fully appreciate it when they do get it. I try to keep them lighter these days, without sugar and the heaviness of flour.

Rhubarb is lower in natural sugars than other fruits and makes a great base for this crumble. Serve with whipped cream or try some of the wide options for ice cream alternatives that have less sugars. Fresh Choice Nelson has a great range of these, plus all the other baking ingredients you’ll need.

Rhubarb Crumble

Topping & Baking Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup of almond flour
  • 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
  • 1/3 cup of pecans, chopped
  • 2 tbsp ground flax meal
  • 1-2 tbsp sweetener (I use sweetnzclassic blend) available in the baking ingredients aisle
  • 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup of butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 400g rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (fresh or thawed from frozen)
  • 2 tbsp sweetener

Method – Crumble Topping:

  1. For the topping, preheat the oven to 160 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut, flax seed meal, pecans, sweetener, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl stir together the melted butter and vanilla.
  3. Add the butter mixture to the almond flour mixture and use a fork to blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Spread out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and pat down with hands to flatten slightly.
  4. Bake for ten minutes, then gently stir. Bake for another ten to fifteen minutes, or until golden brown. remove and let the mixture cool completely.

Method – Rhubarb Filling:

  1. For the filling, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the water and chia seeds, and allow this mixture to soak for five to seven minutes. Stir in the rhubarb and sweetener, tossing to coat.
  2. Spread the rhubarb mixture into a 9 x 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for thirty to theity five minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the rhubarb tender.
  3. Remove the filling from the oven and remove the foil. Break the cooled topping into pieces with your hand and spread over the filling to cover it completely. Serve warm.

Note: If you are using frozen rhubarb, measure the rhubarb while it’s still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander but do not press the liquid out.

If you’re ready for a delicious pudding head to Fresh Choice Nelson and visit the baking ingredients aisle. Or shop online with Click & Collect!

Pumpkin & Nut Vegan Curry – A Spring in your Nelson Step!

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Vegan Curry NelsonIn this week’s post, local Nelson chef and guest Blogger, Grant Dicker has a meal idea to help you put a tentative spring in your step. He’s sharing his recipe for Pumpkin & Nut Vegan Curry. Take it away, Grant…

It’s a very weather-driven time of year. When the warm Nelson sun is shining, we’re out in our t-shirts. But, the moment it disappears, we are rushing to turn on the heating and rug up warm. Consequently, you’re either comfort eating or feel like something lighter to celebrate the season. This doesn’t make meal planning easy.

The ideal dish to cook should be full of flavour, warm and comforting, yet not too heavy. In fact, this dish is a great way to introduce a meat-free meal into your repertoire. This Pumpkin and Nut Vegan Curry makes a delicious meal that will appeal to the whole family.

Pumpkin & Nut Vegan Curry

Ingredients:

  • One pumpkin (approximately 900g) diced into 3cm pieces.
  • One thumb of ginger, chopped
  • Four shallots, sliced
  • Four cloves of garlic, crushed
  • One fresh red chilli, chopped, with the seeds removed
  • One bunch of fresh coriander, pick the leaves and chop the stalks
  • Olive or cooking oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/2 Tbsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp Garam Masala
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 500 ml of coconut cream
  • 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas
  • Five curry leaves
  • 1-2 cups of mixed toasted almonds and cashews, depending on preference
  • Seasoning

Method:

Firstly, pour a good splash of oil into a large saucepan and place on a medium to high heat, depending on the thickness of your pan.

Heat, then firstly, add the ground spices. Cook them until you smell them roasting in the oil. Then, add the ginger, garlic, red chilli and shallots. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook until golden, stirring occasionally, then add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and coriander stalks. Continue to fry until the curry leaves go crispy.

Next, add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Return the curry to the boil, then add the pumpkin and chickpeas.

Turn the heat down, cover with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes. Check the curry occasionally, and add a splash of water if it looks a touch dry.

When the curry has cooked for 40 minutes, take the lid off (this will allow it to reduce). Then cook for a further 20 minutes or so, until the sauce is lovely and thick.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, scatter with the coriander leaves and serve with rice and naan bread.

Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all the ingredients to make your Pumpkin & Nut Vegan Curry! Or shop online with Click & Collect!

Sessionable Stout at Fresh Choice Nelson

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Thanks to our Guest Blogger and beer aficionado… In this week’s article Denis, “the man” Cooper writes about Sensational Dark Sessionables. Yes, we’re talking Stout! We have plenty to choose from at Fresh Choice Nelson.

All the great sport going on at the moment has given me this uncontrollable urge to get gardening. Yep, I want to plant myself firmly on the couch in front of the TV and then watch it happen. And as every good gardener knows, things can get a little thirsty. I’m not thinking about water here, but beer! The beer needs to be sessionable – relatively low in alcohol content and therefore suitable for drinking over an extended period. That way, I can watch until the end (sometimes the bitter end!). These light beers are not necessarily light in colour. They can be dark and flavoursome. With these colder nights, a warming and sessionable stout is the way to go.

Here are three new stouts from the Fresh Choice Nelson fridge that you can plant in your taste buds.

Townshend Keystone Milk Stout

This is a tweaked version of Townie’s former 5.5% Keystone stout, with this one being even more sessionable at 5.1%. Milk stout is named after lactose sugars. These can’t be fermented by the yeast so leave a residual sweetness. Like the previous version, this milk stout still retains that smooth, velvety mouthfeel with loads of chocolaty goodness upfront then roasty malts and delicate sweetness.

Emerson’s Bluffie

A bluffie is someone who lives in the oyster capital of Bluff. Bluff is where Richard Emerson from Dunedin personally collects oysters from the sea bed to infuse into this stout. Unlike a sweetish milk stout, Emerson’s Bluffie Stout has briny notes along with dark roasted malts and some salt around the fringes, resulting in a richness well beyond its low 4.2%. This brew finishes with a satisfying bitterness.

Epic Fat Shady

Yes, that is shady, not shandy; and no, it’s not the characteristic Epic hop bomb. This beer is an extra stout ale, classic and dry. This brew tastes of well-roasted malts and coffee that result in an opulence belying it’s 4.8% with a smooth-as finish.

Now, hoe on down to Fresh Choice Nelson and dig up some low-down couch stouts!

Click & Collect – Fresh Choice Your Way in Nelson

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Click & Collect - Fresh Choice Your Way in NelsonAt Fresh Choice in Nelson, we’re all about making your life simpler. That’s why we’re delighted to tell you that we’ve launched Click & Collect. Nelson City is offering Fresh Choice Your Way!

You can now order your grocery shopping online. Shop from the comfort of your own home, your work desk (don’t tell the boss 😉) or on the go. Then, after you have placed your order simply collect from Fresh Choice Nelson. It is as simple as that!

 

Click & Collect – Fresh Choice Your Way – FAQs

1: How do I get started?

Create an account HERE. You’ll only be asked for your name, phone number and email address. Create a password for your account, and you can start shopping right away.

2: I don’t want to collect my shopping tomorrow. How far in advance can I order?

You can order up to 6 days in advance.

3: I love Fresh Choice Nelson because of the local produce they stock and Inspire Meal Bags. Can I still order these items online?

Yes, there will be a full-range of local (<200km) produce available online. You’ll also be able to order our popular Inspire Meal Bags. In fact, you will be able to buy most products and brands you would find in our Fresh Choice Nelson store with the ease of Click & Collect.

4: I shop for a family and tend to buy the same items most weeks? Will I have to search for these items online each time I shop?

Nope! Remember this is Fresh Choice Your Way! When you log in just click on My Last Order. Products that you have previously purchased will display, allowing you to simply reorder them.

5: How do I pay for my order?

Use your Visa or MasterCard when you check out online. Our online store is always up to date with the latest security measures, so your card details are safe. Your card will generally be debited when your order has been packed and is ready for collection.

When a new credit card is  loaded to your account, we may take a $1 deposit for the first transaction charged to this card. This is a credit card validity check and is deducted from your order total. Depending on your bank’s processes, it can take up to 7 working days for this to show up on your account.

6: How do I know I’m going to get the freshest Fresh Choice Nelson picks?

A dedicated Personal Shopper handpicks your order. Personal Shoppers are professional shoppers that have been trained to select products as if they were shopping for their own families.

You can also allow your dedicated shopper to choose substitutions if your original choice is unavailable. In these cases, they will aim to substitute your choice with a similar product of equal or higher value. That said, we’ll only charge you at the price of the originally requested product (#winwin). Only as a last resort, will we substitute with a lower value product. In this case, we will charge you for the lower value product. You do not have to accept any substitutions that we make; these will be pointed out to you when you collect your order.

7: When and where do I collect my grocery order at Fresh Choice Nelson?

You choose your one-hour collection slot (up to 6 days ahead) when you place your order. Then just call in to see us at Fresh Choice Nelson during that time slot, visit the dedicated and clearly signed Click & Collect pick up point.

Do make sure that you bring some form of ID or a copy of your order confirmation email. And if you order alcohol please ensure you bring appropriate ID with you.

8: This sounds like an excellent service, so it must cost money?

Zero, zilch, zip, nada, nothing. We just want to make your life simpler!

9: Do you offer a delivery service?

Not yet, but watch this space!

For a full list of FAQ’s about Click & Collect and Fresh Choice Your Way, click HERE. Or START SHOPPING!

Seresin Estate Pinot Noir @ Fresh Choice Nelson

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seresin estate pinot noir nelsonWelcome back to our Fresh Choice Nelson wine aficionado, Neil Hodgson. This week Neil shares a favourite Pinot Noir from Seresin Estate. Take it away Neil…

If there is one wine variety that will intrigue you once you start exploring the layers of flavour and complexity it has to offer, it’s Pinot Noir. For many winemakers turning the fruit of the Pinot vines into the perfect beguiling treat is the Holy Grail.

I think this is a variety that expresses the environment it comes from. It can be rich, fruity and opulent or savoury and complex, with flavours that continually change in the mouth when you taste them. I can guarantee that when you catch the Pinot bug, you will want to explore everything the variety has to offer.

Unlike Riesling that can be sweet or very dry, (sometimes you don’t know what you’ll get), with Pinot Noir, you will always get a dry wine. Sometimes they will be fruity and other times they will be layered with oak flavours and dry tannins, but that is the beauty of Pinot.

The only downside to great Pinot Noir is that they can be expensive. Pinot can sell from about $20 a bottle up to around $150 for spectacular examples. The Grocer at Fresh Choice Nelson City has his wine buyer search for wines that offer outstanding value for money. Those wines that give you great enjoyment at reasonable prices.

Seresin Estate 2015 Pinot Noir

Right now there is a particular Pinot Noir on the shelf at Fresh Choice Nelson City, that I would certainly recommend. It is an aged high-quality wine you can buy for just $18 a bottle. With multiple layers of flavour and texture, this wine offers outstanding value. The 2015 Pinot Noir from premium organic Marlborough producer, Seresin Estate, is a wine that will entice you into the intriguing web of complex deliciousness this variety has to offer. But be warned, once you have tasted it you will want more!

Head to Fresh Choice Nelson to buy your Seresin Estate 2015 Pinot Noir.

Muffins for a Nelson Winter

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Muffins NelsonIt’s time to welcome back our Guest Blogger, Maddy Bellcroft. This week Maddy has been looking for tempting treats to beat the Nelson winter chill. So, in this article she’s sharing some of her favourite muffin recipes. Take it away Maddy…

I have been enjoying all things molasses lately. It helps to make for really warming winter treats. Every week in our household, we bake muffins. I love to play around with flavours. This week’s muffin features local in-season apples from Fresh Choice Nelson, with warming spices. These muffins are gluten and oil-free.

Molasses, Apple and Ginger Muffins

Ingredients:

  • Two eggs (use flax eggs if you follow a vegan diet)
  • 1 C of almond milk
  • 1/2 C of tightly packed grated apple (I use locally grown Nelson apples)
  • 2 Tbsp of molasses
  • 1/2 C of coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • 1/4 C of raisins or cranberries
  • 1/2 C of rolled oats
  • 1/4 C of finely sliced crystalised ginger
  • 2 C of brown rice flour
  • 1/2 C of tapioca flour
  • 1/2 C of arrowroot flour
  • 1 tsp of baking powder
  • 2 tsp of baking soda

Method:

Firstly, preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and grease a muffin tray.

Mix together the eggs, grated apple, milk and molasses in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut sugar, ground ginger, crystalised ginger, raisins or cranberries and oats.

Lastly add the flours, baking powder, baking soda and mix well.

Pour the batter into the muffin tray and bake for fifteen minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.

Store these muffins in an airtight container. They are a perfect treat for the whole family. I like to serve them with a delicious hot cup of tea, to beat the winter chills.

Don’t forget to head to Fresh Choice Nelson for all your baking ingredients. Open seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

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