Aunty's Garden: Kumara passion alive, well

BON APPETIT: If you enjoy the taste of kumara, wait until you try it the way an aunty cooks it.PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

The Aunty herself, Aunty Hanui Lawrence, shares some of her healthy recipes using vegetables "From Aunty's Garden" all year round.

This month's vegetable is the kumara.

Perfect weather conditions saw about two acres of kumara harvested from Aunty's garden this season. It was all done with one furrow plough turning the kumara over, while all the whanau got stuck in and pulled them up to dry in the sun. Aunty Hanui is passionate about kumara: "I've grown kumara every year of my life."

KUMARA ROSTI

Ingredients

2 large cups of grated kumara

2 spring onions finely chopped

1 cup of cubed chicken breast, (or gurnard fish or sweetcorn)

cup of shredded silverbeet

I egg

cup flour

Salt, pepper

Soya sauce

Method

Throw everything into a bowl with the flour and the egg.

Season to taste, add a little dash of soya sauce.

Mix together until combined.

Put spoonful into shallow pan of hot oil and cook for a few moments each side until golden. Serve with sliced tomatoes and fresh leafy salad.

-Aunty's garden is located at Waipatu Marae along Karamu Rd North, a community garden with seasonal vegetables available all year around to the public, in return for a small koha.