Winnie231 or other Golden Bay person help please

greerg, Jan 21, 10:36pm
I am just looking through my recipe from the Wholefoods Cafe in Takaka and have found their pasta sauce recipe (just the vegetable component of it).Was thinking of making a large pot of sauce to freeze and this looks interesting but wondered if anyone has tried it.It has cocoa and beer in it and is apparently their base for all pasta sauces.I could make a saml batch first to try but would be interested in opinions of those who have tried it.

winnie231, Jan 22, 10:21pm
Hi greerg, the sauce is YUM!!! I haven't made it myself but I've eaten it plenty of times and it gets a big thumbs up from me :)
Give it a go and make sure you let us know what you think of it please.

elliehen, Jan 22, 10:23pm
winnie, while you're still here...where is the best place to get the best fish'n'chips in Takaka?

elliehen, Jan 22, 10:26pm
Thanks! Just been to Friends and found your answer.Am a step behind you this morning ;)

toadfish, Jan 22, 10:30pm
Would you mind sharing the recipe?

winnie231, Jan 22, 10:33pm
No worries Ellie ... left another tip for you over there too.

winnie231, Jan 22, 10:38pm
Here you are Toady ...

The Wholemeal Pasta Sauce

2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3Tbsp olive oil
3 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1Tbsp brown sugar
1tsp salt
1tsp paprika
1/2tsp cracked pepper
1 glass dark beer (200ml)
1tsp dark cocoa
1Tbsp dried oregano
2Tbsp fresh basil

Heta the oil in a large pan & saute the onions & garlic until they soften. Add all the rest except the herbs & simmer on a low heat for 45-50 mins. Take off the heat & add the herbs.

elliehen, Jan 22, 10:40pm
Thanks again.Will look for the tea too.I love going over the hill...Takaka always feels like a toytown and the sun always shines straight up and down the street.Other little towns always seem to have a sunny side and a shady side.

winnie231, Jan 22, 10:42pm
It's a special place all right ... I'm very much looking forward to going up in Feb for DD's birthday & a general catch up with people & places in the Bay.

greerg, Jan 22, 10:55pm
Thanks Winnie will definitely try that and report back.I wish my Beefsteak tomatoes would stop just sitting there fat and green and get on with it.So many big ripe cooking tomatoes in Nelson market last week - I knew I should have bought them back!Didn't get over to Golden Bay but it is one of my absolute favourite places too - you must miss it when you have a spare moment.

toadfish, Jan 22, 11:02pm
Thanks Winnie.... If I didn't have the beer... do you think Red Wine will be Ok.... guess it will change the taste....If I have to buy Dark Beer... is that a Guiness? or what do you think is good.... Hubbie doesn't drink alcohol.... so we are a beer free zone on this house...

I am going to give it a go as I have been looking for a home made Pasta sauce!

elliehen, Jan 22, 11:07pm
toadfish, you can buy a single bottle at a liquor store and what doesn't go in the recipe you can use to trap slugs in your vege garden.

Simply put a little beer in a shallow tin and bury it to the lip in the soil.The slugs will be attracted to it, fall in, have the party of a lifetime and die happy.

toadfish, Jan 22, 11:08pm
OK... Guiness or just a dark Beer like say DB?

toadfish, Jan 22, 11:08pm
I think If i times the recipe by 1.5... I will just use a 300ml can or bottle.

winnie231, Jan 22, 11:11pm
Wine would definitely change the taste toady ... but many liquor stores sell single bottles they have because the use by date is close or the box has been broken. Knowing the guys at The Wholemeal I would say they use 'dark horse' from a little brewery in Golden Bay called 'The Mussel Inn'. A similar beer would be Macs or Monteiths Black beer ... or even Speights Old Dark. Guiness would be a bit heavy in taste as it isn't a dark beer but a stout.

toadfish, Feb 21, 3:11am
Cool, I'll let you know how I get on... once I am allowed back in the kitchen to play that is lol