More than 3500 heads of garlic, wired into swirls to dry, hung triumphantly above the terrace table – the garlic harvest was almost done. The garlic gods had blessed us with days of hot Canterbury sunshine. It had been perfect picking weather.

Makes 1 x 22cm tart. Shortcrust pastry: 180g butter. 240g plain flour. ½ tsp salt. ¼ cup iced water.

This is delicious with ripe mango or rock melon. You could also add some avocado slices.

Serves 6. 1kg of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into generous bite-sized pieces. 25g of butter. 1 cup of chicken stock. ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme and rosemary, finely chopped.

This is a cool, fresh pass-around. To serve, thread on to skewers and garnish with fresh mint.

Make the most of the last of the cherries. If you have left it too late you could use plums.

4kg of apricots. 2 litres of vinegar (1 litre of white wine vinegar and 1 litre of malt works well). 3 cups of brown sugar. 10 whole cloves. 1 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg.

Serves two. 300g courgettes. 400g broad beans (120g podded weight). 1l hot vegetable stock. 2 medium shallots or a small onion. 60g butter.

Serves 4. 750g sweet cherries. 4 Tbsp water. 4 Tbsp sugar. 1 tsp cornflour. Juice of half a lemon. Cream, to serve.

When it comes to preparing meat for barbecue no one does it better than the Koreans, believes chef Yeon Yi Go.

Almost 18 years after Payao Chomkhunthod opened her first Thai restaurant in Auckland, the chef who now owns a chain of restaurants says Thai has been the "most successful cuisine" to be introduced here.

Laksa is one of the hottest-selling items on the menu of Mamak Malaysian Cafe, and is popular with Asians and non-Asians alike, says chef and cafe co-owner Charlotte Ng.