Carter’s Kitchen No. 3
and chicken salad with corn and croutons
Yasmine Ganley, Auckland, New Zealand
I’ve been a fan of Yasmine’s work since I had my shop in Auckland where she was a customer. I love her writing, style, eye and photographs which make me long for home.
Where is your kitchen, and what does it look out onto?
Our kitchen is on the road side of our house. When you open our front door you literally fall straight into our kitchen. The kitchen windows look out over a front porch and into our garden with grasses, pink manuka, lettuces, rocket, parsley, and then our fruit trees: oranges, mandarins, limes.
What’s the first thing you do when you walk into it?
In the morning I look outside, and make myself a glass of water with lemon, Celtic sea salt and trace mineral drops. Then it’s breakfast, so green tea and porridge, sometimes toast with local honey.
What’s usually left out on the bench or within reach?
On one side, we have a tray that was my mum’s from Italy which hosts oils, vinegars, salts, and butter. Above those are our hanging pots and pans. And on the other there’s salt and pepper grinders, plus a small ceramic jar that I keep hemp hearts in. Including them here makes it easier to remember to sprinkle these on everything. Behind those are two ceramic pots: one for wooden utensils, and the other for metal. Above that are our knives on a magnetic strip. There’s usually a bowl with something from the garden in it, or a glass with herbs for easy access.
What do you have when you don’t feel like cooking at all?
Eggs on toast. Or a very simple herb pasta. My go-to frozen meal is Spanakopita.
What do you eat or drink almost every day?
Water, green tea, coffee. When it’s cold I’ll make a pot of herbal tea to sip on while I work. And when I get home from the gym I like to make myself a protein smoothie with spinach, blueberries, gold kiwi fruit and avocado.
What’s the last thing you made, even if it was simple?
Last night we ate cannelloni with ricotta and spinach. I just had friends over for an impromptu lunch today and we ate salmon and avocado on toast with cream cheese, kraut, and pepper.
Is there something you make on repeat without thinking?
Quite a few dinners are like this for me, as it makes our evening routine simpler. For example, chicken salad with corn and croutons and mayo-pesto is on regular rotation, or a quick fish and coconut curry on rice. On the weekends I like to explore and try new things out when I have the time, or make something like a slow roast.
What do you have late at night or early in the morning?
We eat dinner around 5:30pm, and usually have a little something sweet like fruit, chocolate, dates, or vanilla yoghurt with berries (and sometimes lemon curd) once we’ve cleaned up.
Is there a drink you make all the time?
When it’s warmer I love a gin and tonic in the afternoon—very strong with loads of lemon.
Not all the time, but a friend suggested I put a slice of Terry’s chocolate orange into my black coffee, and it is delicious.
Is there something you always order when you’re out?
Oysters.
Is there a place you go back to for the same meal?
I don’t eat out a lot, but the meals from Forest in Auckland are most memorable. Although they don’t repeat their dishes!
What’s something you’ve eaten recently that stayed with you?
We had a terrible year for growing tomatoes, but managed to save some of my favourite variety, Brandy Wines, and recently had giant slabs of it on toast with butter and salt and they were perfect.
How do you take your coffee or tea?
I make my coffee in a stove top espresso, which gives me two cups and I have that with a splash of full cream milk. If there’s any leftover I like it black with an ice cube after lunch. Tea, I like ginger or green mostly, and on the weekends I like to eat toast with earl grey tea - the bigger the mug the better.
Where do you eat your meals most of the time?
We eat together at our dining table, which is on the sunny side of the house, and looks over the bush. At the moment there’s a bright red maple tree - our winter siren - to check on.
What do you like listening to in your kitchen?
In the mornings, I like something slow like Smog, Laura Marling, or Laurie Torres, and in the evenings I like something energetic like Talking Heads or Circuital by My Morning Jacket.
What’s something slightly imperfect in your kitchen that you still use?
Not imperfect, but we have a few tools we’ve found and resurrected, like our family’s old lever juicer and an old Italian rotary grater.
A meal or food moment that stays with you:
In France we were served perfect potatoes, boiled and served whole with a little salt. So simple, and its earthy flavour was pronounced. It reminded me that produce is the main flavour - you just need to amplify that.
Follow Yasmine here:
Instagram: @anyonegirl
Substack:
Yasmine makes a chicken salad with corn and croutons, and here’s my take on a similar recipe.
We love buying whole chickens because they provide us with lots of meals. Cooking them ahead of time for a salad makes for a quick and easy dinner. The leftover meat can then be used in soups and sandwiches, while the bones can be used to make stock.
