Wholefoods + Botanicals ~ the day ~
It all started with an idea. An idea to give busy women the space and ability to come together in a beautiful, calm setting to enjoy something just for them. To relax, to create and to be nourished. To enjoy the simple pleasures of fresh flowers and foliage and to eat foods made from scratch. Foods bursting with nutrient-dense ingredients to nourish the body and mind and of course a little dessert to melt the soul.
Nina from Pink Poppie was the perfect partner – clever, kind, creative and just all round lovely.
We took our vision to Leanne at Vanilla Hayes who created the perfect branding to reflect what we wanted to achieve - a beautifully rustic yet intimate affair where women would feel truly pampered amongst lush botanicals and simple, yet delicious wholefoods.
We found the perfect oasis in our corner of wine country at the bottom of the earth to host the afternoon -the Cloudy Bay Treehouse. A light and warm room made with natural fibres featuring a long table overlooking the vines. We could picture our idea coming to life. A table brimming with fresh flowers and foliage and a kitchen bursting with the aromas of freshly prepared food ready to be shared and enjoyed.
We are so grateful to Lisa Duncan for her generous time and talented photography skills who came on board to capture the magic of the day as it unfolded. To capture the candid moments where women enjoyed the company of both strangers and friends learning a new skill and devouring food in a beautiful place with no chores to do, no children to worry about and no to-do list to run after.
Nina foraged for foliage and sourced the most delightful blooms for the stunning table that was absolutely bursting with beauty. With the help of her friend Rebecca, they created a truly heart-melting table for our ladies to spend the afternoon around. I could not have imagined anything more perfect than what Nina created.
The idea behind the food was to create simple, yet delicious fare that nourished all parts of the body and mind and that could be prepared again at home for families and friends to enjoy together. After all, food is what brings people together. Most, if not all of my fondest childhood and adult memories involve food and recipes that have been both recycled through generations and created for a special occasion.
Where possible I sourced as many of the ingredients as I could from local producers and from home. Greens and fresh herbs were from the lovely team at Thymebank, salmon from Regal Marlborough Salmon, olive oil from our neighbours, lemons from home, peanut and nut butters from Pic’s Peanut Butter, raw hazelnuts from Uncle Joe’s, coconut oil from a Marlborough family that own Tanna Farms and honey from just down the road. The filling for the coconut, caramel, chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake is especially dear to my heart as it is the last recipe my mum made and delivered to me after I had Isabella but before she became sick. It inspired the entire cheesecake so mum I need to make this dessert again for you soon…
Thank you to my lovely friend Stace from Red Rabbit PR & Event Management who helped me tirelessly all day in the kitchen, not once complaining about standing over the sink or dishwasher. Such a trooper, thank you!
The menu.
To start...
Cloudy Bay Pelorus bubbles
Homemade seeded bread with labne and mint, coriander and hazelnut pesto and homeamde almond butter and homemade strawberry chia jam
Main...
Roasted regal salmon with maple chilli glaze and roasted regal salmon with fresh pesto
Fresh thymebank greens and herbs with avocado, edible flowers, black sesame and a creamy green goddess dressing
Dill yoghurt
Coconut roasted butternut with coconut millet, spiced chickpeas and almond dressing
Ancient grains with roasted vegetables, feta, local hazelnuts and honey mustard dressing
To finish...
Lemony almond cake with rosewater crème fraiche
Chocolate, date and raspberry bliss balls
Coconut, caramel, chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake
We were exceptionally spoilt by an array of very generous sponsors and we cannot thank them enough for their generosity and support. Thymebank harvested fresh greens and herbs based upon the menu whilst regal salmon very kindly supplied the most glorious salmon to be roasted. The lovely ladies at Banjo Brews kombucha generously supplied their delicious beverages to provide our tummies with refreshing gut-friendly goodies while Leesa from Divine herbals supplied her absolutely gorgeous herbal tea for us to wrap our hands around while savouring hand-blended flavours.
Each attendee was gifted a delightful goodie bag to take home and enjoy as a memento from their afternoon with us. Thank you so much to everyone who supplied such glorious goodies to fill these delectable bags with – they were truly lovely.
Goodie Bag Sponsors
Yum Granola - hand crafted granola by Mike & Sarah and in Nelson. Their granola is just that - yum.
Tanna Farms virgin coconut oil – most delicious coconut oil EVER!
Free Range NZ natural deodorant – a natural certified organic deodorant made by hand without any added nasties
Regal Marlborough Salmon tea towel – because everybody needs a fresh new tea towel!
Tom & Luke Salted Caramel Snackaballs – the perfect nutrient-dense snack to stash in your handbag for when you need a little something to keep you going.
Pic’s Peanut Butter – a delectable high-protein, high- fibre addition to slather on toast, add to smoothies or bake raw treats wit…or to simply eat from the jar with a spoon as a filling snack (just limit to two spoons!)
NuZest Just Fruit & Veg Sachet – made with five fruits and five vegetables, it’s an antioxidant rich addition to smoothies and tastes delicious!
Good Magazine – a magazine brimming with wholesome and nourishing ideas and inspiration from recipe to creative activities.
Oh Natural $5 voucher – a online shop selling organic and cruelty free natural skin care
Divine Herbals – delicious handcrafted herbal teas made right here in lovely Marlborough by Leesa
We thank you everyone for their generosity and support and look forward to hopefully sharing another special event with you in the future x
