Patricia Edwards, of handmade boutique clothing stall Touche, counted herself lucky to get a space at the market as she was not a regular during the winter. She said she was “exhausted and starving” by 10am, as she had been rushed off her feet. “I have done far better than I would have thought,” she said.

The market will run as usual on New Year’s Eve and a special market will run from 8am till 1pm the following day.- © Fairfax NZ News

I’m back from a stimulating and delicious weekend in Nelson. The occasion was the NZ Guild of Food Writers’ conference and Culinary Quills Awards, and my swansong as President. Nelson turned on sunny but chilly weather, the awards were well received at a splendid dinner (venison, salmon, beef, lamb and sweet treats accompanied by Tohu wines) in the WOW museum, the conference programme provided plenty of food for thought…more on that in a later posting…and we indulged in fabulous local produce.  

Above is my lunch this afternoon on my return home. A simple but perfect plate; chunky sweet Motueka asparagus, creamy Mt Crusader fresh sheep’s cheese, and a drizzle of Kakariki olive oil. All bought fresh at the wonderful Nelson Market where the food writers all headed on Saturday morning…. Nita Knight has run the market for more than 30 years, pre-dating all NZ farmer’s markets. The market is a wonderful eclectic mix of fresh produce, meats and Doris’ sausages, artisan products, ready-to-eat treats, and local arts and crafts.  I came home with bags bursting with goodies.

Audiences in Tokyo will soon be treated to a first hand view, up close and personal of the delights of the iconic Nelson Saturday Market.  A Japanese TV crew were onsite last Saturday to capture the vibrant ambience and bustle of the Market, and to interview and film various stallholders.  The film crew are working on the Chikyuu Bus Kikou programme which  translates as ‘Bus trip around the World”.  They began in Christchurch and have worked their way up the South Island to finish their series in Nelson.

  The Line Producer on behalf of a Japanese TV Production approached Nita Knight, founder & owner of The Nelson Market last month, looking to film everyday people enjoying themselves at the Market as part of the relaxed New Zealand lifestyle.  They have a particular interest in introducing their viewers to New Zealand natural scenery, our unique culture, and Maori craft.   The Bus trip will profile 40 countries.  The TV Director commented that during the bus journey from Christchurch to Nelson he noticed the highest number of people of different nationalities visiting and working in the South Island area than he had experienced in any of the other countries they had visited.  He felt this was very unique.  He said the Nelson Market stallholders were the most warm and friendly people and very welcoming of the film crew and that he would like to come back again to film or for a holiday.    The programme will air weekly on channel BS TBS in Tokyo in the New Year for the duration of the series to a potential audience of 5 million people.  Nita Knight says ‘we were very happy to have the film crew come to the Nelson Market and the TV series will help to promote the Nelson region to Japanese viewers as the wonderful tourist destination it is.”

After nine years of hard work, Nelson’s Pearly Queen, Shirley Miles, has collected more than $80,000 for the Nelson Region Hospice.

Shirley started collecting at Christmas in 2002 when she first put on her home-made Pearly Queen suit.
She collects donations at the Nelson Market every Saturday as long as the weather is fine.
“I also go to some of the other major fairs such as Rose Day, Last of the Summer Fayre and Isel in Bloom.”
She said it was now impossible for her to go anywhere, even in normal clothes, without people saying; “that’s the Pearly Queen”.
Shirley has suffered two lengthy layoffs due to illness and injury over the last nine years.
She said she also used to give talks to community groups but this had to stop when she underwent major throat surgery after which she was out of action for six months.
This year she was also unable to collect money for three months after suffering a fracture.
Shirley said the tradition of people wearing the distinctive Pearly Queen suits adorned with mother of pearl shells, came from the fruit sellers in the London markets.
“In the old days all the shells were made from mother of pearl oysters and the Pearly Queens used to collect for other stallholders who had fallen on hard times.
“Then William Croft had the idea of embellishing the suits to make them more noticeable.”
Shirley said she has adapted her own Pearly Queen suit so it had a distinctive Nelson theme.
“My suit has grapes to represent the wine district, anchors for the port, fish to represent the fish industry, the tower of Nelson’s Cathedral and the sun for sunny Nelson.
“But the suit now weighs 3 kilograms and it’s become so heavy that I simply can’t add anymore pearl shells.
“It’s not a fancy dress outfit though. “It’s a heritage costume that you are only allowed to wear if you are from London and if you have 100 years of London ancestry.”
She said she chose to collect for the Nelson Region Hospice because “it’s traditional for pearlies [in London] to collect for hospices”.
Shirley has been involved in voluntary work since she moved from England to Nelson 48 years ago.
She started helping at the Suter Art Gallery, then helped her husband John as his voluntary assistant in Tonga before returning to Nelson as a relief driver for Meals on Wheels.
She was then part of the Red Cross Beauty Care team taking beauty products around the hospital wards.
She later helped out at Isel House and the Elma Turner Library before becoming involved with work for the Nelson Region Hospice by organising an annual quiz as a fundraiser.

Asparagus is so versatile, steamed, hot or cold, soups, finger foods, frittatas, .. mmmm.. or the classic favourite, asparagus with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Another is asparagus & scallop salad with avocado & citrus dressing … or tossed into  stir fry or pasta dishes and so on… here is one of my favourites;

Baywick Inn – Asparagus & Warm Chicken Salad with Chilli Lime Dressing
2 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp of chopped ginger
2 cloves of garlic
Heat oil in a frying pan, add garlic & ginger, add chicken breasts and saute until cooked through. Set aside to rest for 10 min. then slice breasts into pieces.

Meanwhile prepare

12-16 spears of asparagus & 12-16 fresh snow peas
Blanch snow peas & asparagus in boiling salted water.  Cool immediately in cold water. Slice asparagus into bite size pieces.

1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 red/or yellow pepper thinly sliced
4 spring onions sliced
fresh basil leaves for garnish

250g Angel hair spaghetti or 1 package for fresh spaghetti pasta – cook ‘al dente’.  Refresh under cold water, drain and toss with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, set aside.

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl with Chilli Lime dressing . Garnish with fresh basil leaves, season to taste, serves 4.

Delicious served cold the next day for lunch and also  makes an excellent entree for a luncheon or dinner party.

Chilli Lime Dressing
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp soya sauce
2 Tbsp chilli oil (or infuse an oil with dried or fresh chilli, making it as hot as you desire)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger (if desired)
Mix all ingredients together in a jar and shake.