The Veggie Hub

24/06/2026

23/06/2026

Winter Citrus Salad Recipe

Ingredients
2 tablespoons blood orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon red wine or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 small clove garlic – minced or pressed
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 to 4 cups lightly packed arugula or mixed greens
1 Blood Orange, peeled and sliced
1 Cara Cara Orange, peeled and sliced
1/2 grapefruit, peeled and sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
a handful of fresh mint or parsley, torn
½ cup pomegranate arils (optional)
2-3 tablespoons pistachios
grilled chicken or fish (optional)

Instructions
Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake
together with the orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, honey, Dijon, and garlic.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. While whisking, stream in the olive oil. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper and adjust for sweetness with more honey if desired.
Assemble the salad: Layer lettuce with oranges, red onions, and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with pomegranate and pistachios.
To serve: Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!

22/06/2026

Locally grown spray free citrus available from The Veggie Hub.

To stay healthy eating citrus in New Zealand, focus on seasonal, locally grown varieties like Satsuma mandarins, Navel oranges, and Meyer lemons.
One serving of citrus provides up to 179% of your daily Vitamin C, boosting immunity and cardiovascular health.
Why New Zealand Citrus is a Superfood
• Immunity: A single orange or grapefruit provides nearly all of your daily Vitamin C, helping the body fight off winter infections.
• Heart Health: Packed with bioactive antioxidants like hesperidin and naringin, which lower inflammation and regulate cholesterol.
• Gut Health: Rich in soluble fiber, which feeds healthy gut bacteria and aids digestion.

Actionable Tips for Daily Health
• Eat them whole: One serve equals one orange, two mandarins, or half a grapefruit. The Ministry of Health recommends at least two servings of fruit daily.
• Leverage the peel: Citrus peels contain more vitamins and fiber than the flesh. Wash thoroughly and grate the rind over salads, yogurts, or baked goods.
• Maximize nutrients: Consume fresh-cut citrus immediately. Fruits lose trace nutrients when exposed to air for too long.

22/06/2026

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes
For serving: Butter, flaky sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 200c

Prepare 4 medium potatoes: Cut a cross shape about 1/4-inch deep into each potato. Place the potatoes cut-side-up directly onto the oven rack.

Bake until very crisp and crackly on the outside, about 2 hours.

Carefully remove the potatoes from the oven with tongs and place on a large plate, baking sheet, or heat-proof cutting board. Carefully cut deeper into the cut you made initially. Gently push the two opposite ends of each potato toward each other to open them, release steam, and expose some of the flesh.

Return the potatoes to the oven rack and bake for 10 minutes more. Push the two opposite ends of each potato toward each other again to open them fully. Top the flesh with a generous dollop of butter and season with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.

21/06/2026

Veggie Hub Potatoes and Onions straight from Jivan Produce

For brothers Bharat and Pravin Jivan, growing vegetables is about more than just running a successful family business. It is about being part of something bigger, contributing to the collective future of the horticulture industry and supporting others along the way.

Their business, Jivan Produce, is based on the rich soils of Pukekohe, where the family has been growing since 1962. Originally trading as Jivan Lakhu & Sons Ltd, the business was started by their father and has grown into a large and respected operation spanning 280 hectares. Bharat and Pravin formally took the reins in 2010, establishing Jivan Produce Ltd, and today they are joined by the fourth generation, with Bharat’s son also involved in the business.

Potatoes and onions are the cornerstone crops, but the team also grows broccoli, lettuce, pumpkin and cauliflower.
That commitment to quality underpins everything they do. Their reputation as growers who pay close attention to inputs and quality has helped them build a strong customer base, with their produce recognised on shelf by brand and by name.


“It matters to us that people know what they are getting,” says Pravin. “We take pride in producing a clean, marketable product. That starts in the paddock and carries right through to the way we pack and package it.”

21/06/2026

Another fun recipe to try with the kids:

Mandarin Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:
Full cream milk - 500 ml
1 mandarin - zest
Sugar - 2 Tbsp
Dark chocolate - 500 g
Cream, lightly whipped - 100 ml
Grated chocolate
Mandarin zest
Mini marshmallows

Directions:
Put the milk, sugar, and mandarin zest into a pot and slowly bring it to a simmer, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Strain the zest and return the milk to the pot with the chocolate.

Bring the milk to a boil, stirring until smooth.

Pour while warm into your glasses. Top with lightly whipped cream, extra mandarin zest and a sprinkle of chocolate.

Top with marshmallows if using.

20/06/2026

Avocado Popsicles Recipe:

https://www.veggiehub.co.nz/avocado-pop

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe avocados seeded & peeled
3/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup almond milk
7 ounces coconut condensed milk (you can use regular condensed milk if that's what you have or prefer)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Place the avocado, coconut cream, almond milk, and coconut condensed milk in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth.

Pour the mixture into popsicle molds. If using, sprinkle with coconut flakes before inserting the popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.

Release the popsicles from the molds by dipping the molds into warm water to loosen. Enjoy!

20/06/2026

Salmon Avocado Board Recipe

Herby avocado puree:
1 Avocado
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 handful fresh basil
1 small handful of chives
Salt pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
Lemon cream cheese
150g cream cheese softened
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt
Pepper

Quick pickled cucumber:
¼ cucumber sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp vinegar
Salt

Toppings:
100g smoked salmon
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
¼ red onion diced
1 baguette – sliced and toasted in the oven

DIRECTIONS
Slice the baguette into slices. Place the sliced bread onto a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 7 minutes or till golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Slice the cucumber into pieces. In a bowl combine the cucumber, vinegar, sugar, and salt.

In a blender combine the avocado flesh, fresh basil, chives, juice of half a lemon & season with salt and pepper. Blitz till smooth.

In a bowl mix together the cream cheese with salt, pepper, and juice of half a lemon. Mix till soft and smooth.

Dice the salmon.

Dice the red onion.

On a large serving board add dollops of the avocado puree and cream cheese. Using a spatula spread out on the board.

Sprinkle on the cold smoked salmon, pickled cucumber, red onion, and sesame seeds. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, lemon wedges, and lemon zest.

Served with crackers or toasted baguette.

19/06/2026

Cucumber and Avocado Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

1 large cucumber or 2 small
2 ripe avocados
¼ red onion, chopped
1/3 cup almonds
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful fresh basil
Toothpicks

Method

Thinly slice the cucumber lengthways using a mandolin or vegetable peeler

Add avocado, red onion, almonds, black pepper, lemon juice and basil into a food processor and pulse until smooth and well combined

Take one slice of cucumber and add around 1 teaspoon of the avocado mixture to one end. Roll the cucumber slice tightly and press it in so filling is secure

Secure the roll with a toothpick and repeat until all cucumber slices are used

Top with chopped almonds or extra basil