The Country Calendar Cookbook with Allyson Gofton brings together two of New Zealand's best-loved icons in a tribute to rural New Zealand. This stunning cookbook showcases New Zealand produce at its best.

To the treasured collected recipes (from high country farms, fishing towns, sun-kissed orchards and beyond) Allyson adds her own trusted homestead classics and family favourites. Hints and tips throughout share her years of experience, ensuring the home cook success every time.

Bringing a taste of the country to every kitchen, the Country Calendar Cookbook with Allyson Gofton is a book for all Kiwis to enjoy.

Review
Christchurch City Libraries Blog

"I’m guessing that you wouldn’t expect to find a cookery book in the Trash or treasure list, but this one is something special. Allyson Gofton’s Country Calendar Cookbook celebrating Country Calendar’s 45th anniversary.

…Divided into seasons, each set of recipes is grouped by the families that cook them. The families, their land and their stories are each introduced, and then each recipe is enhanced with more family stories and Allyson’s tips. Instead of primped and posed food shots, there are pictures of people, plants, land and animals, as well as beautifully photographed simply presented food, mostly cooked by the families themselves.

This book is as far removed from the normal fare of cookery book as a single-serve prepackaged chicken breast in the supermarket is from a home kill pig, spit roasted and shared with friends in the shade afforded by the canopy of an apple orchard. It is a treasure. A sample of our people — fishermen, farmers, market gardeners. their lives, and their food. A slice of New Zealand, all to savour."

SAMPLE RECIPE
Calypso Salad (pictured bottom left)

Nectarines are the last of the summer stone fruit to ripen and be harvested, and they coincide with the first-of-the-season pears. Both have a crisp texture and a gentle sweetness that, when mixed with the muted green, smooth flesh of avocado, creates a refreshing late-summer salad full of colour and flavour.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4–6

4 nectarines
2 pears
1 avocado
few handfuls baby spinach
or rocket leaves
125 grams Brie, finely sliced
2–3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Yoghurt Dressing
1/2 cup unsweetened plain yoghurt
1–2 tablespoons honey
juice of 1/2 lemon

Halve and stone the nectarines and cut into thick slices. Core and thickly slice the pears. Halve, stone, peel and slice the avocado.

On a large platter, arrange the nectarine, pear and avocado slices with the spinach or rocket leaves and Brie. Pour over the dressing and garnish with the pine nuts. Serve as soon as the salad is dressed.

Yoghurt Dressing
Stir together the yoghurt, honey and lemon juice with a good seasoning of salt and pepper.

Variation
When in season, add a handful of trimmed and blanched asparagus spears, or use a well-drained can of asparagus spears, if wished.

Author Biography

Allyson Gofton has been cooking for New Zealanders for over 20 years. During her varied career, she has worked at the NZ Woman's Weekly's Test Kitchens, assisted Graham Kerr both here and abroad, and became the Principal of Epicurean Workshop and Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation. She was also Food Editor for Next magazine for many years and is now Editor of Real. Allyson has written 21 cookbooks. The most recent of these are her best-selling series of books BAKE favourite home-made recipes, COOK delicious recipes for family and friends and SLOW mouth-watering recipes for the slow cooker and crock pot. A working mum with two young children and a very busy husband, Allyson is more than able to understand the pressure we're all under every day to deliver nourishing, delicious, contemporary and affordable meals – day after day!