I'm going to cater lunch for overseas visitors (Denmark firstly then South Dakota) and am after ideas for some iconic kiwi food / dishes I can feed them. Any suggestions please ?

whitebait fritters, mousetraps, cheese rolls, pavlova.

Entree of Kumara and Pumpkin Soup followed by main of lamb rack and vegetables/salads or similar.

Dessert ideas:
a trio of NZ ice creams plus decorative
pavlova / meringue with fresh berries
something involving Whittakers chocolate
Chocolate eclairs


e.g.

Kumara & Pumpkin Soup (makes 3 litres/12 cups)
1 onion
1 tbspn (11g) butter
1 tbspn olive oil
2 tbspns plain flour
1 tspn curry powder
5 cups water
1 kumara
4 fresh tomatoes
1 kg pumpkin

Saute onion in butter and oil. Add flour and mix it in, then add rest of ingredients and cook for approximately half an hour. Then add 1 tbspn brown sugar and 2 tspns salt. Puree in food processor, then strain puree through sieve to remove tomato skins and seeds.


[www.bite.co.nz] lamb rack

[www.bite.co.nz] leg of lamb

Roasted Hasselback Beetroot
enough pre-cooked beetroot for number of people being served
thyme leaves
evoo
s&p
finely grated parmesan cheese to garnish

Pre-cook the beetroot. Remember you’re making hasselback from them so don’t cut them into chunks too small. Preheat oven to 180°C or 200°C. Do the hasselback cuts almost through to the base at 5mm intervals. Place, cut-side up, in a roasting pan (i.e. oven dish with higher sides to it). Brush with evoo, top with thyme, season well. Roast in oven for 40mins at 180°C/30 mins at 200°C. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Roasted Carrot
Washed baby carrots or larger carrots sliced in half lengthways
evoo
balsamic vinegar
Put a little evoo and balsamic in a low-sided oven tray, add carrots and mix with hands to coat. Cook slow (e.g. 140°C for up to an hour, depending on your oven) or faster (e.g. 180°C 25 minutes), turning every now and again.

OR a mix of carrots, green beans and mushrooms as below

Roasted Green Beans & Carrots with Mushrooms, Balsamic & Parmesan
120g mushrooms, sliced in 1cm slices
230g fresh green beans, halved, ends trimmed
Thin strips of carrot (sort of like green bean size)
1 T each of evoo & balsamic vinegar
1-2 T finely grated parmesan cheese

Coat mushrooms, beans & carrots with evoo and balsamic in a bowl. Spread out (not crowded) on large oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake 20-30 mins 200°C, starting to check for doneness after 20 mins. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, s&p to taste, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

Serve lamb with new potatoes with mint & splash of NZ butter.

OR do this potato dish:

Potato & Onion Sideways
Slice 3 potatoes and 1 onion thinly on mandolin. Stack them sideways, with onion pieces between potato slices, in oven dish such as a meatloaf pan. Pour 2 tb melted butter over. Bake 180°C covered (e.g. tin foil) 1 hr, then uncovered 30 mins.


PLUS/OR any number of vegetable salads using NZ vegetables plus (optional) NZ cheeses such as Kikorangi blue cheese, Kapiti smoked havarti, Kingsmeade sheep cheeses, etc.

Thanks some great ideas and recipes too - very grateful

A lot depends on the time of year - you need to look at what is in season. Personally, I tend to go with a seafood starter - ideally fresh caught. Pan fried scallops are brilliant (just remember most US visitors aren't used to eating the coral), or any fresh local fish. Barbecued pipis or tuatua are great. Roast or barbecued lamb is always a hit, with whatever seasonal veg you have in your area. I am really keen on beetroot, and a celeriac puree goes well with lamb. Dead easy to do. I try and do as much as possible in advance so I can enjoy their company.
For dessert, definitely a proper homemade pavlova, with the crisp outside and marshmallowy inside. My family finds the traditional fillings of kiwifruit or strawberries too sweet, so we have always done a lemon curd filling, which cuts the sickliness. Then pile on the whipped cream. This was my go to dish when I was living in the US, and it always completely disappeared at potlucks.
But just relax - they will be thrilled that you have gone to all the trouble of cooking for them!

For a summer or spring lunch I would tend to go with a lighter option

- substantial salad served with crusty bread (maybe a lamb salad...)
- frittata and salad
- followed by cake (maybe carrot)

In terms of iconic food items I think of
- mussels
- lamb
- pavlova
- pikelets
- meat pie

You could incorporate one or two of these into lunch.

I'd go with a seafood or fish starter, maybe some zhussed up paua fritters?

Definitely bbq lamb, with a kumara and pumpkin salad and some greens (maybe something with silverbeet or NZ spinach. or lovely seasonal courgettes sauteed in lemon and garlic)

Pavlova is the must for dessert, I like the curd idea and sometimes do this too, but this time of the year I'd go with passionfruit curd and I'd use strawberries/raspberries and kiwifruit and drizzle the curd over the top.

mini lamb sliders with beetroot and radish slaw (yoghurt base)

AND/ OR

a big pot of Green lipped mussels - garlic and white wine

AND

Mini pavlovas with passionfruit & kiwifruit

Providing a catering lunch for overseas visitors ensures a warm welcome and sets a positive tone for their visit. It allows them to experience local cuisine and hospitality, creating a memorable and enjoyable experience. Additionally, it facilitates networking and fosters meaningful connections between hosts and guests.