If you are on the lookout for a moist but not too rich, chocolate cake,  try this recipe – it’s Kathy Paterson’s ‘go-to’ chocolate birthday cake and she has shared it with us! The inspired chocolate topping is a variation on the accomplished baker, Julie Le Clerc’s recipe. Try using honey or even maple syrup to give the topping an extra glossy finish.

A stunning dessert cake that relies on tart lemons to really show it off and sings when accompanied by a good scoop of PURE New Zealand Lemon Curd Ice Cream.

Fresh greens and a bright, lemony dressing are just perfect for this stellar halloumi. Take halloumi out of the fridge just before you want to pan-fry it.

With juicy locally grown oranges at their peak now, it’s the perfect time to share a recipe its creator Lauraine Jacobs says is one of the most wonderful muffin recipes she’s ever baked. The whole orange is used in this muffin, with the skin adding a surprisingly fragrant flavour. If you don’t like dates, substitute sultanas or raisins.

The original Kiwi Quinoa was awarded a Gold Medal in the 2019 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, this dish created for Kiwi Quinoa by Kathy Paterson showcases their delicious new red wholegrain quinoa. Pan bagnat is ‘bathed bread’ filled with red wholegrain quinoa along with spring and summery vegetables.

From ‘Meat and Three’ by Kathy Paterson. Kathy suggests serving the lamb with a big bowl of steamed green vegetables and a small bowl of salsa verde for added flavour.

Thanks to Pure South for this flavoursome aged beef ribeye recipe. The herb sauce is easy and absolutely delicious. It’s a delicious way to serve their ONZFPA 2022 Gold Medal-winning Handpicked Beef - 55 Days Aged.

We’ve used Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2022 Gold Medal winner, Chatham Island Food Co. Pure Pāua Mince for these ‘Kiwi as’ fritters.

New season’s apples and the bite of winter hit at the same time, so Kathy Paterson has brought the two together with this traditional dessert.

Another pearler from Kathy Paterson, this dish is great for whanau dinner and is perfect if you can use Bostocks’s Organic Chicken, Giesen Paddock Champion 2020.

A burger is all about the meat - this version created by Kathy Paterson uses rump from ONZFPA 2021 Supreme Champion Homegrown Farm Fresh Meat. If you love a burger and beer, you can’t go past matching this dish with Emerson’s Pale Ale.

A great dish using ONZFPA Silver Medal-winning Oakley’s Baby Golden Gourmet Potatoes. The buttery potatoes soak up these warm, spicy flavours with gusto - creating a delicious and comforting side dish or meat-free meal.

This taste of summer was shared by Kelli-Jo Walker from The Wild Fermentary. She says ‘this is my personal favourite summer salad, it’ll have BBQ guests swooning! It features our Smoky Kapeti which won gold in the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards.”

‘Outstanding’ chef and judge Kathy Paterson shares her favourite go-to eggplant recipe for the height of summer. She says bakes the eggplants until they will melt in your mouth – ‘utterly soft and silky’.

Outstanding NZ Food Producer Judge, Kathy Paterson shared this ‘how to’ from her book ‘Meat & Three’. It’s essential reading for anyone on the BBQ this summer!

Kathy Paterson has created this summer dish using 2021 Gold Medal-winning High Country Salmon Gravadlax. It’s perfect for summer entertaining as everything can be done ahead - and hey presto you have an impressive meal!

A seasonal fresh fruit tart is hard-to-beat! Kathy Paterson’s pastry is a star in its own right and any simply prepared summer fruit is the perfect partner.

This recipe from Lucy Corry’s delicious new book, ‘Homecooked’ is the perfect way to enjoy lamb over summer. Lucy says the dish comes her sister-in-law Jenny Corry, and it’s world famous in the Corry family!

Croissants are perfect for a bread and butter pudding. Use fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries or raspberries. This recipe is from ‘It Takes a Village’ – A Guide to Matakana and its surrounding districts by Lauraine Jacobs. Photography by Ken Downie.

Salads should all be as easy as this. Cook and pickle the ingredients early in the cool of the day, and finish it just before eating. It’s a great way to use the full-flavoured Gold Medal-winning Clevedon Buffalo Co Chilli and Lime Marinated Buffalo Cheese.