Good Morning

Overview

After a series of takeovers at The Midnight Baker, plant-based initiative Forest will pop-up with a new event focusing on ethical breakfast sandwiches.

Forest is the creation of chef Plabita Florence. The philosophy of the pop-up is to highlight wild plants that are literally overgrown throughout the city and to utilise underrated parts of produce that are normally destined for the bin. Previous tasting menus have featured the likes of purple kumara gnocchi with black garlic broth, and cider made with crab apples found on the streets of Western Springs.

From 9am to 12pm on Saturday, July 13 the Forest team will inhabit Mount Eden's Kokako HQ to serve up ethical and minimal waste breakfast sammies that champion plants. Plabita says diners can expect a truly unique sandwich experience. "We'll do this by using smoking and curing techniques to transform textures, pickling stalks to use up the whole plant and simultaneously providing that tangy hit your sandwich needed, subbing in bitter wild weeds in the place of labourously grown rocket, and sourcing all we can from urban farms within the city."

On the menu will be three sandwiches, including smoked beetroot with dill quinoa ranch dressing, pickled stalks and bitter weeds; braised potato with rosemary mayo, wilted collards, mushroom crumb and lemon; and hazelnut butter with monkey apple jam and sea salt. All sandwiches will be served on Daily Bread baguettes.

To pair will be fresh orange juice from Grey Lynn's Kelmarna Organic Gardens and hot Kokako coffee.

Image: Ellen J Hemmings.