A Walk, Some Sun, and Good Food

What more can one ask of a day? There's a charcoal grill here, a relatively rare find in NZ as most are gas and consist of a griddle-like flat surface that makes us wonder why we wouldn't just cook in a frypan. The kitchen is tidy and well stocked. In the quiet here, birdsong is distinct.

View from the kitchen

The "ten-minute path to the beach" seems more an impressionistic idea than reality. Clear directions were supplied. Maybe we just got turned around, but we did walk, up and down, left and right. A couple of happy canines found us to say hello. Hey dogs, I said, please show us the path to the beach. And they did. I swear this is true. Good dogs.

The beach is expansive in the morning clouds. This is the quiet swimming lagoon, formed by the shoreline's natural curve.

The tide is out, the black sand still holding onto some water.

This section of beach has a rocky shore. I'm not sure how surfers stay safe, but then I'm never sure of that, wave dancers that they are. One website opines on the challenging breaks of Whale Bay and Indicators: not recommended for beginners or the faint hearted.

The surf is quiet today.

We walked a couple of hours before breakfast and it was noon before we actually ate: organic baby beets, tomats, clementine, hot pepper eggs, and streaky bacon.

Day on the deck, the sun in and out of clouds. Coffee and cream.

Much later, we start thinking about food again and I take a turn around the grounds to discover fresh mint for our NZ lambchops.

And summer squash. Perhaps we could enjoy just a small one?

On the menu: lamb with a mint/garlic schmear. Avocado, tomato, and green olive salad. Summer squash with mint and blue cheese. Organic NZ potato (lucky to find these) wedges and sauteed spinach with ginger and soy.

Art's not completely happy with his NZ charcoal, but cooking to conditions is our mantra.

Served with the 2014 Hawkshead pinor noir from the Land Rover shop.

 

More house art: Jimi