Bevan Smith says it’s the simple, seasonal flavours that make the tasty food he cooks at the Riverstone Kitchen so delicious.

Recipes Bevan Smith     Words Brenda Ward     Photography Fiona Anderson

Food is a pleasure, says chef Bevan Smith. “It’s important to just take a step back and make the time to enjoy it.”

Seasonal food is one of Bevan’s greatest joys, as diners at the famous Riverstone Kitchen café, near Oamaru, will tell you. At the café, set on a farm alongside 500 square metres of kitchen gardens, recipes use only the freshest seasonal produce from his gardens and specialist growers from just down the road.

And now Bevan’s written Riverstone Kitchen: Recipes from a Chef's Garden, a cookbook that includes some of his favourite recipes from the award-winning café.

He’d love all of us to enjoy fresh food the way he does. “Go to your local farmers’ markets,” he suggests. “Those guys would love you to talk to them about their food.

“Also, I’d encourage readers to plant just a few things in their gardens. At a household level, everyone can grow a few lettuces or herbs, even in a tiny plot. Just try to zone out of all of life’s noise and put some broad beans in. You’ll be amazed how much pleasure there is in picking fresh, sweet broad beans.”

Bevan has worked at some of the world’s top restaurants, in kitchens set up or owned by celebrities, among them Marco Pierre White, Terence Conran and Michael Caine. There he evolved his style of simply prepared, affordable and seasonal fresh food.
“All these restaurants were doing simple, modern cookery, ingredients-driven, fast, simple, paring things back.”

When he and his opera-singer wife Monique came back to New Zealand, they created an enviable lifestyle around the café on the family farm and had their daughter Noa (6) and son Jordan (5). “There’s no restrictions on space at the farm,” he says. “We grow all the specialty greens, the kohlrabi, fennel, herbs. It’s basically seasonal foods. We just use ingredients when they’re at their best.”

Bevan shares a mix of his favourite recipes with homestyle readers

Open Roast Peach Tart
Serves 8

Pastry
250g plain flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
180g unsalted cold butter, cut into cubes
5 tbsp cold water

Filling
900g peaches, halved and stones removed
1 cup caster sugar
2½ tbsp cornflour
2 tsp vanilla essence
20g butter
2 tbsp caster sugar, for sprinkling
vanilla ice cream or cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 170°C. To make pastry, process flour, sugar and butter together in a food processor until mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add cold water and process until pastry starts to  come together. Turn out onto a lightly floured bench top and work into a ball. Roll out pastry to a 40 cm circle then transfer onto a baking paper-lined oven tray.

Mix peaches, sugar, cornflour and vanilla together and arrange in the centre of the pastry, leaving a 6cm border. Fold pastry edges inwards towards the centre of the tart. Dot peaches with butter and brush pastry with water then sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving with vanilla ice cream or pure cream.

For more recipes from Bevan pick up a copy of the lastest issue of homestyle. On sale now at supermarkets and book stores nationwide.