Message in a Bottle

Seresin Estate

http://www.seresin.co.nz/

I'm in heaven. This place is incredible. I know, I know I've said that about each farm I've been too but really this place is amazing. I'm surrounded by a sea of beautiful grapevines. Each morning I wake up to the sound of gun shots going off to scare the birds away but it's a beautiful reminder of where I am so it's worth the noise in the AM. These are the kind of gun shots you want to hear outside your door if ya' know what I mean. Cinematographer Michael Seresin owns this place and what a unique place this is. This vineyard has it's own veggie/herb garden we harvest from to eat and feed the rest of the crew working here, a cow to milk (which I did this morning all by hand - no machines), chickens for fresh eggs (can't get enough), compost making and collecting lactating cow shit for soil preparation just to name a few jobs around the farm. Most importantly everything is organically and biodynamically grown, hand-tended and hand-picked. They really put in a lot of work and care to preparing the soil which is used to make a compost tea they spray (of course all natural) on the produce, herbs & grapevines. The results are quality grapes and produce and it shows. So far this has been my favorite farm/vineyard. The people here are so knowledgeable and passionate about the land and what it offers.

I got to harvest grapes for the first time the other day. We hand picked Pinot Noir. They grow several grapes here including Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, & Riesling. Majority of the grapes are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Both very good. I got to do a tasting the other day...well, it seems like I'm doing a tasting everyday hence the lack of posts lately. All I do is drink wine here and I love it! I work hard and play hard. It's a good balance. I'm so excited to be a part of the harvest. There's something about a vineyard that is so romantic and to be able to walk through them hand picking the grapes while the sun is shining is totally gratifying...well let me be honest, after a few hours of hand picking in the hot sun you tend to get really tired and it can become tedious but at least I had the smell of the grapes to keep me going and I got to munch on a few too so it wasn't all that bad. I will be harvesting again this weekend...for now, I hear the grapes calling but this time they're not calling from the vines...they've left a message in a bottle. Cheers.

check out pictures...http://gallery.me.com/monicahutchinson#100150

People are strange, when you're stranger...

So I get to Wellington and decide to shop around a bit in the cool little city. I really like this city - it has a lot of character. I pop into an internet cafe to type up my bio to send out to a winemaker (at this point we are still in search for our next farm/vineyard). Tara and I are talking out loud and a Kiwi starts up a conversation with us because he recognizes our American accents. He happens to live in NYC and is in town visiting. He's a hilarious, warm man (wearing a Big Lebowski Dude t-shirt and he looks just like him too) who has us laughing with his wit and sense of humor; his name is Gavin (Gav). We tell him our stories and that we are chefs from the U.S. and out of nowhere he comes up with a brilliant idea that we should come to his friend Rich’s tonight and cook dinner for 12 people and he will film it. It just so happens that Rich and his roommates take turns each week cooking a dinner for one another and invite friends and tonight was Rich’s night! Gavin decided that Rich was definitely stepping it up a notch by bringing in two American chefs to prepare the dinner for his cooking night. I was so excited for the opportunity to cook in a lovely home by the sea for a group of people from NZ! Its exactly the type of experience I was seeking. Tara and I immediately agree with his offer and just go with it...I knew I was in for an adventure.

We meet at the market about an hour later with somewhat of an idea of what we will make (some sort of fish since we are surrounded by the sea with feijoa - we want to use local NZ products) and we cruise the store with Gavin filming the start of our “reality” cooking/food hit tv show. Immediately we are approached by store staff asking if we have a permit to film and Gav knows exactly how to confidently handle the situation by telling the man that its all been taken care of with “Ed” the manager and that he should go speak with him. Its works! and on we go...feijoas, coriander, lime, ginger, teraki fish, quinoa, coconut milk, pistachios...the list goes on and the menu comes together.

We decide on beautiful rocket, watermelon salad with goat cheese, pistachios and a balsamic reduction followed by the main course of coconut quinoa infused with vanilla bean and roasted teraki fish which will be topped with a feijoa and nectarine salsa with a hint of ginger. We check out of the market and off we go to Rich’s flat. We wind up into the hills of Wellington and park the car high up with an amazing view of the sea. Down about 100 steps (no joke - that part sucked), is Rich’s place (a.k.a. Ricardo or Schnitzal) nested in the hill overlooking the sea. Rich is the owner of a bar in Wellington called “Mighty Mighty" (http://www.myspace.com/mightymightybar) and he lives with about 7 others who are various musicians/artists/travelers. So, here we walk in - these perfect strangers with Gavin filming and we tell the roommates that we are filming a show for the states where we meet random people and take them on a culinary adventure where we take them shopping and cook in their homes and Rich was lucky enough to have us choose him. This is all of course for authenticity of our filming purposes ;) I was loving this random experience with the locals and how they effortlessly invited and welcomed us into their home without a blink of an eye...oh and even better, they let us pitch our tent in their yard so we found our lodging for the night. Although the wind almost took our tent down (they don't call this place Windy Welly for no reason) This place has Chicago beat - it's the windiest city in the world.

The night was amazing. It was a wonderful evening with A LOT of laughs. These guys were hilarious, we had the best time! I'm looking forward to seeing the final footage from Gavin once he edits it down. I'm sure by the picture you can tell who is who- Gav and the Schniztal. In the end I got to cook, toast to serendipity, eat and drink with the perfect strangers.

Pictures from the night and ferry...enjoy!

http://gallery.me.com/monicahutchinson#100117

On the road again…Southbound

Tara and I have a new member to our little traveling family of 2, Noel, the kiwi from Tauroa Farm has joined us in our adventure. How lucky are we? We have a kiwi traveling with us - our own personal guide! He’s originally from the North Island and has been to the South Island a few times. We are traveling in Noel’s car. It’s an 87’ white Ford Sierra (hatchback). This poor car is filled to the rim with our backpacks, a tent, 2 mattress’s, sleeping bags, a few pots and pans, a guitar, my iPod with shitty speakers (yup, no radio/CD player in the car – it seems to be the norm for all cars in NZ) and a few other random things. Let’s just say we are chancing it by taking his car all the way to the south island. I hope she makes it. Her name is Cecilia and she’s been good to us so far.

It’s about a 5 hr drive from Havelock to Wellington.Wellington is a major transport hub: anyone going from one NZ island to the other (by sea) passes through here. Cecilia will be boarding with us on a ferry to the South Island but first we will camp out for the night in Wellington. We are headed to the northern part of the South Island also known as wine country. I’m VERY excited. I can’t wait to be working on a vineyard and the timing couldn’t be more perfect – harvest season is around the corner! Not sure which lucky vineyard we will be working at as I’m still working on landing one but I have a few in the pipeline and waiting to hear back so for now check out a few pictures from my stay at Tauroa Farm in Havelock, NZ...

http://gallery.me.com/monicahutchinson/100102

Got Happy Milk?

I finally got to milk a cow today! Well, sort of. They use machines here on the farm because it takes too long to do it by hand but I did get to prep the cow’s udder and start the milking process by hand. The night before they separate the milking cows from their calves so they can’t feed. In the morning the udders are filled with milk and the process begins. First I got to steer in the cows from the holding gates into the cowbell (this is where the milking takes place). One friendly happy cow named Sausage (I milked her) came right up to me so I can pet her. Not sure how she got that name. We feed them hay topped with molasses to keep them happy. The molasses is a nice treat that’s very good for them. Can you imagine munching on dry hay all day, everyday? Give me some moolasses...that's what they're saying when they moo. They seem to like it and getting them into the holding spot was a breeze. I got lucky because sometimes the cows can be cranky but today these cows were cool, calm and filled with milk.
I had to clean the udder with a warm damp cloth. Once cleaned you tug and gently pull on each teet (i know, that sounds funny) to get the happy milk flowing. You place the suction pumps on to the udder and the machine takes it from there. This is much quicker then doing it by hand. In about 5-7 minutes the bucket was full which would have taken me hours! I got to taste the milk. It was warm and surprisingly light and sweet – quite delicious. They pour it into containers and it lasts in the fridge for about 4-5 days. I did think about the whole milk pasteurization thing we do in America and at first I was afraid to drink it but I figured what the heck. Everyone on the farm drinks it and they're ok. I've been drinking it the whole week and nothing has gone wrong. It's tastes really good fresh and raw. I do love me a good cold glass of milk - it makes me happy. I learned that a happy cow produces happy milk and these cows are definitely happy here. Thanks for the glass of milk Sausage.

Cape Kidnappers

I got to walk along side of the Pacific Ocean in an area called Cape Kidnappers. It was a 6 hour walk/hike to the top of the plateau where the largest gannet colony exist. These birds nest here and what a great place to call home. The views were amazing - well worth the walk. Although I wasn't saying that on the way back. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to sit down. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that we were going to a wine tasting after the walk so that gave me motivation to keep moving. If you want to walk Kidnappers you have to leave in the morning and once you hike the plateau you need to start heading back shortly after noon or you'll be swimming with the fish. The tide comes up and splashes against the rocks giving you no way to get back. I barely made it. But that first glass of wine was rejuvenating and I felt great. We hit a vineyard (Te Awanga) on the way back. Their Chardonnay was delicious! I'm convinced that a nice long (very long) walk along the ocean mixed with some wine, sun and music makes for a great day and I was SO glad to be sitting with a glass of wine in my hand.

Here's a little bit of history on Cape Kidnappers:

Maui-tikitiki-a-Taranga, the Maori mythical hero, was fishing with his brothers, when he decided to show them his supernatural powers. Using a sacred jaw-bone as a fish-hook and the blood from his nose for bait, he hauled a great fish up from the depths. He fished up the North Island or as the Maori name it, Te-Ika-a-Maui, the Fish of Maui. After Maui departed, his brothers attacked the fish with their weapons, hacking it into pieces and helping to form the mountainous terrain of the North Island. The sacred jawbone used as the hook was left to form what is now known as Hawke Bay. The fish hook shape of the Hawke Bay coastline adds to the legend of Cape Kidnappers origin.

When Captain Cook visited the area in 1769, a group of Maori in canoes came out to the ship Endeavour to trade. They took aboard the canoes a Tahitian boy. Shots were fired at the retreating canoes resulting in some Maori being killed and the boy swimming back to the ship. Cook then named the area where this occurred as Cape Kidnappers.

Welcome to the shear shit show

I’m at Tauroa Farms located in Havelock North…how can I explain this place? It’s heaven on earth. The views are incredible and the peaceful sounds of nature are constant. Heather, the woman who owns this farm is originally from Vermont. She has a lot of land here (750 acres) and she hosts wwoofers to help maintain the farm. There’s a little bit of everything here…sheep, cows, chickens, veggie garden, fruit trees, nut trees, horses and even a bathtub outside under a tree for a soak after a hard day of work. Haven’t taken a dip yet but planning on it. This farm is known for their Feijoa trees. Feijoa fruit is a staple here in NZ. Every kiwi family has a feijoa tree growing in their back yard. They harvest them in late April early May so I’m hoping to taste a fresh piece before I leave. So far I’ve only tasted feijoa cereal and it’s delicious. Heather has about 1800 feijoa trees planted on her farm. Rush Munro, an ice cream company here in NZ, uses her fruit to make delicious ice cream.

We sleep in an active woolshed. Yes active, meaning they still use it! This means that once and awhile they bring in a herd of sheep for shearing. They basically shave around the crotch area to keep them clean since they get shit on themselves. This can create diseases from all the maggots and other good stuff that grows in that area if not cleaned. I happen to witness this and it was a bit traumatizing. First, because it just seems like it hurts them and second because Nick, the farmer, was doing it right next to my bed!!! I’m not kidding. It was like a scene out of Pulp Fiction with the creepy music playing in the back ground. I have video of it. Notice my bed it's under netting to keep bugs out but not the smell of shit and the visual of maggots and sheep hair on the floor. This is where Tara and I lay our heads at night. You get use to the smell. (Check out the video) It grossed me out. They’re worried about keeping the sheep clean…well, what about where I sleep? WTF is all I thought…

This farm is very different from the previous farm. The group here is VERY laid back. There’s a kiwi, 2 British gals and a 19 yr old German boy. What’s up with the 19 year old German boys? The last farm I was at there was a 19 year old German named Emmanuel. He was so skinny and tall but he had a huge appetite. He was always eating. One night I was curious to see how much he weighed so I threw him over my shoulder, lifted him up (I had one too many Tui’s – we all did) and plopped him on a large scale. He came in at around a buck fifty. I haven’t seen a large scale here yet so I think this new guy is safe.

Each morning we take the truck out to do various jobs around the farm. There are 3 farm dogs that hang with us throughout the day. They love it. I love it. Taco wouldn’t last here. These dogs run around all day. They would run circles around my dog. My poor Taco would ride with us on the back bed of the truck if he were here. He’s too sophisticated for this kind of stuff. Everyday there’s a different job. I’ve mulched feijoa trees, went foraging for food in the garden, harvested peaches and made jam, picked basil to make pesto, grubbed hazelnut & walnut trees and we make fresh bread everyday. I got out of collecting horse manure one day because I offered to make lunch for everyone…this trick worked well; They have beautiful native trees here called manuka – bees make hives in them to produce manuka honey. There’s a nice sweet smell when you walk by the manuka tree and you can here the busy bees working away making liquid gold. Tomorrow morning I will milk my first cow and use the milk to make ice cream with an old school ice cream maker. I’m very excited…hummm, what flavor should I make it? Perhaps hazelnut since we are surrounded by these beautiful big trees.

On the "not so sweet" side...Noel (the kiwi) will be making possum for dinner tonight. YUM - sounds good? I'll try it but not really sure I want to be eating possum. They're ugly critters. Nick, the farmer, caught it a few days ago. We have been aging it in the fridge for 3 days. Farm life, gotta love it.

Big wheel keep on turning...

Learn how to drive a tractor. Check. I was super pumped when I asked my friend Dan to teach me how to drive a tractor and he was just as excited to show me. It's sort of like driving a car, however, the brake system is different. Each big wheel in the back has it’s own brake. This allows you make very sharp turns. Although I didn’t drive the tractor to do farm work, I did take it out for a spin around the farm. Loads of fun!

First Week Pictures in Hawkes Bay NZ

http://gallery.me.com/monicahutchinson#100085&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=2

Yoga on Ocean Beach

On our day off we headed to Ocean Beach. Your probably wondering where the sun is...we were too but that didn't stop us from doing a yoga session with our instructor Tara.

Farm Pose

Tara and I posing on beds of courgettes.

Meet the Epicurean Bunch

I saw the tractor and thought this would make a great photo with the group. I set up my tripod and used my remote to take this shot. I realized my Nikon remote was the best thing I packed for this trip. I'm actually in some pictures.

Playing with fire…

There’s a great group of people here at the farm. They’re all WWOOFing for different reasons. Of course, Tara and I are the oldest! We’ve had a lot of fun so far with everyone. We have family meals every night. Since I’m skilled in the kitchen they look to me for dinner ideas and to cook them dinner. Everyone helps out which is nice.

Last night I decided to play with fire and cook up a great American classic…burgers with corn on the cob. It was the first time I had meat since I got here. I’ve only been eating fresh veggies and surprisingly, I don’t really miss it. These burgers were a treat as I'm sure I won't eat meat again for awhile. I went out to the farm and picked beautiful tomatoes, oregano and thyme to roast and serve with the burgers. There was no gas for the grill but no worries, I made a grill. I placed the grill plates over a pit fire we have in front of our living area just outside the kitchen. I got some wood, started a fire and got cooking!

First few days at Epicurean Supplies Limited

The farm I’m staying at is called Epicurean Supplies Limited. Clyde Potter has been running this farm for 14 years and he is very passionate about organic farming. They grow fresh herbs and a diverse range of organic produce. They supply it to restaurants, food processing, distributors, organic outlets and the farmer’s market. I have learned so much the last couple of days. I’ve had various jobs around the farm such as weeding, planting and harvesting. I got to harvest rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano. I love this job because of the aroma that fills the air when I snip each herb. I got to plant celeriac and leeks (which is a very tedious job). I’ve harvested peppers, eggplants and tomatoes of all varieties. I’m always asking questions and jotting it down so I don’t forget anything.

Since they don’t spray here it can be very hard to keep all the produce and herbs pest free. They’ve come up with ways to help reduce weeds and control pests (i'm still learning this process) but with organic farming it can become a real challenge. With the exception of a few tractors, everything is done by hand here. It ensures the quality of the produce. In just a few days I’ve been able to look at food differently and appreciate where food comes from. I’m very excited to apply this to my everyday life – I will definitely start a home garden on my roof deck in Chicago when I return. I’ve always wanted one but just didn’t have the knowledge or the motivation. You don’t have to live on a farm to be self-sufficient.

They do a good job changing up the farms jobs for everyone on a daily basis. I like how this place runs and I like the group I'm with. We have chickens (have been gorging on fresh eggs!) and a damn roaster that likes to wake everyone up at 4AM then again at 6:00AM. Bastard. But he's got a busy job mating with the chickens on the farm so they can pop out delicious fresh organic eggs for me to eat. He can stay. The accommodations are rough but I’ve heard from other WWOOFer’s this is one of the worst so I’m happy to hear that because it’s only going to get better from here on out…I hope.

Where am I and what day is it?

Where do I begin? The trip here was crazy…in a calm bizarre way. It’s hard to explain but one day I’m in Chicago wearing a winter coat and the very next (well a day ahead since I’m in the future) I’m in New Zealand kneeling into dirt and pulling weeds from salad beds in the hot blazing sun.

Tara and I arrived in Hasting, Hawkes Bay at exactly 8:15pm (when we were scheduled to arrive) right on the nose thanks to crazy Bill the bus driver that nearly killed us on the way here. Let’s just say he had a very heavy foot. I learned all kiwis due. For such a relaxed place they drive so fast here. Pretty amazing how our bus hugged the turns through the rolling mountains – I’m sure he’s done that trip a thousand times. The views out my window were absolutely breath taking. Just like the pictures I’d seen online and in the books. Sheep and the color green splattered all over. We were picked up at the bus stop by one of the farmers. Thankfully, it was a quick drive to the farm. We were taken to our “room” (more like a shack) and this is where I went into shock. Picture this…a small room with a mattress up against the wall. No sheets, no lights and a lot of spiders. I put my heavy backpack down on the floor, which was covered in dirt. I felt like I was in the twilight zone but was too tired to fight it as I didn’t even know what day it was. I didn’t think the accommodations were going to be this bad. I had to get over it.

We went into the “common room” where we met our fellow WWOOFers (willing workers on organic farms – that’s what they call us and that’s what I am). Eight others sipping on Tui (a common beer in the north island) turned to us and said “hello” in different accents and languages. This was a happy young bunch and they greeted us with big smiles. German, French, Isreali, Canadian, British and of course a few Americans filled the crowded room. We introduced ourselves and went to bed. I was exhausted from the trip and we were told we had a full day of work the next day. I didn’t have the energy to be social. There's was going to be enough time for that.

I slept like a rock the first night. I felt great the next morning just in time for our first day. The sun was shining and at 8AM we headed out to weed salad beds (this sucked big time – not a fun job). I had decided to pamper myself and got a manicure the day before I left for NZ (clear coat of course). By 8:01AM my hands were covered in dirt. So much for that manicure...what was I thinking?

10AM was tea time (everyone stops for tea time here) then back to work. I got to plant cavolo nero and leeks (black kale) which I love to eat. This was a fun job. They explained how not to disturb the soil when planting, doing so promotes weeds and farmers hate weeds. I can see why. Weeding is one of the worst jobs on the farm. Lunchtime was at noon and lasts for an hour. The kitchen is pumping at this time. Everyone makes their own lunch. Great salad greens and fresh veggies are on the menu daily. We cook all of our meals and can pick anything we want off the farm to eat – this makes me very happy. Back out to work after lunch until 3pm when we stop for another tea time for half an hour then we end the day at 5pm. I was covered with dirt and sweat. I couldn’t wait to take a shower. I don’t know how I made it through the first day. It was so hot and I was tired from traveling. By the end of the day my body was hurting. My legs felt like jello and my back was aching from the constant bending down. I quickly realized that this farming gig is going to be harder then I thought...

Counting Sheep...

It’s the night before my 2 month trip to New Zealand and I’m feeling anxious and excited. I’ve never been away from Michael for that long. I will miss him. Michael will get the remote and be able to watch whatever he wants while I’m gone and with Cuse being number 1 (congrats) and March Madness around the corner I’m sure he’s stoked. Taco, my dog, will get away with murder since Michael is more laid back with his antics then I am. I will leave the comfort of my bed and trade it in for less than comfortable “accommodations” at farms in remote areas 19 time zones away where just outside my door or tent I’ll be able to smell cow manure all to well.

From the time I started my culinary career as a food stylist and culinary producer I’ve always dreamed about working on a farm. The idea of working with soil, connecting with the land and cultivating food has always appealed to me. I look forward to getting my hands dirty and working outside every day - a big difference compared to the lock down here in Chicago that starts around November and can easily take you to the end of April. For 2 months I will be living and working on organic farms and vineyards. Almost everything I eat and drink will come right from the land I’m living on. I plan on visiting various farms, from produce and fruit to organic butchery. I’ll learn to make hand made cheeses and pick grapes to make wine. New Zealand has over 1100 organic farms. It’s one of the world's most agriculturally advanced nations. What better place to have this experience than New Zealand?

My backpack looks like it’s going to burst. Unlike my other trips I can only pack the essentials this time…no blow dryer, no makeup, no heels…you get the picture. I have to be honest, it’s a bit liberating. Starting tomorrow I will live simply. Michael says I will come back skinny and crunchy. I hope he’s right on the skinny part. My 6:45pm flight from Chicago to LA will be a piece of cake. In LA, where I’ll meet my friend Tara coming from NY who will join me on this trip, my connecting flight to Auckland NZ is scheduled to depart at 11:30pm. This leg of my trip is the one I’m losing sleep over due to anxiety. It’s a 12 hr and 40 min flight…yes I realize that’s a long time and for those of you who know me – I’m deathly afraid of flying. I paid a visit to my new doctor in Chicago. I explained to him my anxiety attacks and the lack of sleep I’ve been getting the last month since I booked my flight. The dark circles under my eyes were a dead give away - one look at me and he knew what I was talking about. He wrote up a prescription and hooked me up with a copious amount of Xanax that should last me a lifetime. Thanks doc.

Ironically, I’ve become a frequent flyer in the last few years due to work (and play) so I’ve come up with a great recipe for flying…Ingredients: 1-2 Xanax and a "few" drinks. Method: Place Xanax in mouth and quickly add liquids of your choice. Swallow. Enjoy. I’m on my way to black out city – which in my opinion is the only way to fly. I always feel bad for the person who has to sick next to me (unfortunately, Michael has had that seat one too many times so he knows all too well what kind of condition I’m in when I land at my final destination but he’s been known to join in). I hope to sleep most of the way and with the extra help I’m sure I’ll have no problem.

We land in Auckland at 9:10am 2 days later but the fun doesn’t stop there. We’ll board a bus to take a 7 hr ride to the eastern side of the north island. I think, no let me correct myself, I know I will lose my shit on that bus. That might be my last straw but it will be worth it because we’ll be on our way to Hawke’s Bay. An area known for its food and wine, it’s our first stop on this culinary adventure…now to get some sleep, 1 sheep, 2 sheep, 3 sheep…