Cuisine - Marvellous Matakana market saladBy: Lauraine Jacobs
Every Saturday is a new food adventure for regular visitors to the Matakana Farmers Market. Locals in the know are the early birds, arriving at the 8am opening time to nab the pick of the fresh produce, filling their bags and then chatting over coffee with friends. It was a rewarding surprise for all involved in the market, operated by the Brick Bay Trust for almost 17 years, to learn it was voted Most Popular Farmers Market at the 2021 Outstanding NZ Food Producers Awards.
There’s a huge variety of seasonal produce year-round, with each week bringing something new and exciting to try and buy. One of the great opportunities at a market is for visitors is to try new products like kombucha, fermented drinks like kefir and shrubs, interesting seeds and healthy freshly roasted nuts and butters. Also, delicacies like buffalo milk ice cream, farm-raised whitebait, paua, excellent sausages and creamy milk and eggs from truly