Fresh approach will delight lovers of our country's finest ingredients

Fresh!
by Peter and Anne Blakeway, Hodder Moa, $49.99
We all know fresh is best and Peter and Anne Blakeway are simply helping cooks make good decisions when choosing what to cook in their wonderful new cookbook.
Fresh! The best of New Zealand - from market to table takes readers on a journey through New Zealand, selecting regional ingredients such as apples and mushrooms in Hawke's Bay and wild duck and blueberries in Waikato.
Peter, Anne and their children emigrated to New Zealand six years ago. They love using food to bring people and families together and ensure their recipes are not only fresh but accessible to anyone with a standard pantry.
In other words they don't use fancy ingredients that sit about in the cupboard for ever more.
The book is brought to life with stunning photos by Simon Young.
I asked Peter a few questions about their "food journey".
Can you pick a favourite part of the country. Hard I know but give it a go?
Well, the start point is the Bay of Plenty. We moved here seven years ago and have been welcomed beyond belief. As a family it is our slice of paradise. Looking further afield, Nelson Bays in the autumn is hard to beat with its orchards and changing colours. However, if I have to nail down one favourite place, it would be Waihi Beach on a summer Sunday with surf lifesaving for the kids followed by a long lunch with friends and family - perfect

Many people these days have small sections and small vege gardens. What would you plant in limited space?
As long as you buy in season, vegetables are still exceptional value at your local vege store, so my recommendation would be to plant herbs. Herbs can change the way you cook and nothing gives as much flavour as herbs straight from the garden.
Are all the recipes your own?
On the basis that there is almost never any new foods and we are now eating fewer species than at any time in history, most recipes are an adaptation of what's gone before. In Fresh! all the recipes are ones that I've used and adapted for years.
The meal you most like to sit down to?
A long lunch on a beautiful day with a table groaning with fresh food, surrounded by our wonderful friends. A few years ago, we spent New Year with friends at their orchard, the table was among the avocados and everyone did their bit. I made the hollandaise for the fresh asparagus over an open fire while the beef was gently sizzling next to me and we finished with huge bowls of berries picked that morning at our local berry farm. A perfect meal is as much about the people as it is the food.

How did you decide what "traditional" food to select from each region?

Fresh! is a very personal journey for Anne and me. We tried to look at what's there now, what historically was grown or farmed and after that we followed our noses, for example in the Gisborne area we could smell wild fennel growing by the river, so a fennel recipe had to go in.

What was the hardest part about your trip?
Definitely narrowing down the number of incredible ingredients to only three or four per region - we could have written a whole book on each region.
And the most enjoyable moment?
The last photo shoot. We tried for weeks to get the perfect combination of weather and Simon's availability. Finally we got it and were able to shoot the cover shots on Waihi Beach. It was a perfect day. Tony Burt, our hunting, shooting and fishing friend, went diving for the crays while we built the fire pit. Once the shoot was over we all sat on the beach eating crayfish.

What can't you do without in the kitchen?
Fresh herbs are a cook's gift. As for everything else, only my chef's knife is irreplaceable.

What is next on the agenda?
We've just opened our new cook school, in partnership with Mills Reef Winery and Fisher and Paykel, and launched our new website peterblakeway.co.nz Long-term, we'd love the opportunity to write another book and explore TV opportunities.