• 2 bunches of asparagus
• 100 g crumbly blue cheese
• ½ c toasted pecans or walnuts
• 1 bunch of watercress

Trim the asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water until just tender.  Drain and plunge into ice water.  Drain         well.  Rinse and dry the watercress and combine the salad ingredients with 1 tbsp sherry vinegar with 3 tbsp walnut oil and freshly ground salt and pepper.  Serves 4.

• 300g golden kumara, peeled, diced and parboiled
• 300g spaghetti
• 400g pork sausages, casings removed and rolled into balls
• 1 onion
• Fresh or dried sage to taste
• Fresh spinach (handful)
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2/3 c cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• 25 g parmesan to serve

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.  Drain, reserving about ¼ c of the liquid.

Heat a large fry pan and brown the sausage and kumara (about 8 mins) before adding the onion, spinach and sage.  Add the vinegar and cook until this has evaporated before adding the cream and butter.

Add the pasta to the pan and season with salt and pepper, adding some of the reserved liquid if required.  Garnish with parmesan.