#Kūmara

[askwhatsforlunch]

Kūmara and Beef Shepherd's Pie

Whilst the days are still sunny, they are quite chill; and the nights are even chillier. This hearty Kūmara and Beef Shepherd's Pie thus makes an excellent, warming Sunday dinner, rather like a proper hug! Have a good one!

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

540 grams/1.20 pound beef chuck

1/4 cup plain flour

1 small onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large red Bell Pepper, rinsed

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon ground chilli

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/2 cup good red wine (such as a Bordeaux or Pinot Noir)

1 cup water

2 large kūmara or sweet potatoes

1 heaped teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 tablespoon demerara sugar

1 tablespoon pure (Grade A) Canadian Maple Syrup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 tablespoon demerara sugar

1/4 cup double cream

Peel and cube kūmara, and add to a large pot. Add coarse sea salt. Cover with water, and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook, about 20 minutes until tender.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter with olive oil over a high flame.

Cut beef chuck into large chunks.

Spoon flour in a shallow plate, and dredge beef chuck pieces, coating them well and shaking off excess flour.

Once the butter is foaming, add floured beef chuck pieces and brown well, on all sides. Transfer browned beef chuck pieces to a plate to rest; set aside.

Peel and finely chop onion, and stir into the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-high. Stir in garlic; cook, 1 minute more.

Finely chop red Bell Pepper, and add to the pot. Cook, a couple of minutes.

Season with dried sage and ground chilli. Then, season with fleur de sel and black pepper.

Sprinkle in remaining flour, and cook out, 1 minute.

Deglaze with Bordeaux wine, stirring well to loosen brown bits. Then, stir in water. Bring to the boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and simmer, at least 45 minutes until the meat is juicy and tender, and the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Meanwhile, peel and cube kūmara, and add to a large pot. Add coarse sea salt. Cover with water, and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook, about 20 minutes until tender.

Once the beef has cooled enough, cut into very thin slices, and return to the pot, coating in the sauce. Add demerara sugar and Maple Syrup. Give a good stir.

Lightly oil a baking tin with olive oil, and spoon beef stew mixture in, levelling well with a spatula. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Drain kūmara, and return them to the pot. First, mash them thoroughly with a potato masher and stir in half of the butter, until melted. Then, process using a hand-held blender, so the mixture is very smooth. Energetically stir in remaining butter, demerara sugar and double cream with a wooden spoon, until perfectly blended and sugar and butter are melted.

Spoon kūmara mash on top of the beef mixture, levelling into an even layer with a spatula.

Place tin in the middle of the hot oven, and bake, at 200°C/395°F, for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve Kūmara and Beef Shepherd's Pie, with a glass of Bordeaux or Waiheke Island Pinot Noir.

[irawhiti]

using my extremely limited internet time to desperately let everyone know i am making some kūmara starch to make boba and i'm gonna use the remaining shredded kūmara paste to make some milk tea in the style of taro milk tea. my final message. change da world

[kurthorton-moving]

I think kurt would go insane over kūmara. I think he'd love it so so much

[balthazarslostlibrary]

We’re having a hāngī to celebrate Matariki tomorrow and I’m thinking of silly things that could happen.

[islandtarochips]

Call Of Duty OC: Tama Koa Nikau 🇳🇿

A Māori man who is a Chief Master Sergeant and a pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Just want to continue on his father’s legacy of joining the military. He is the Great-Grandson of the man that everyone has heard many stories of. The leader of the Kōkako group and an ally of the Warriors Task Force. Being their Pilot man for the job.

GENERAL: 

🇳🇿 Name: Tama Koa Nikau 🇳🇿 Alias(es): 

Tama

Koa

Nikau

Chief Master Sergeant Nikau

Chief Master Sergeant Koa

Pilot Man (Kanoa nicknaming him for fun)

🇳🇿 Gender: Male 🇳🇿 Age: 40 (MW3) 🇳🇿 Birthday: July 28th, 1984 🇳🇿 Nationality: New Zealander 🇳🇿 Place of Birth: Queenstown, New Zealand 🇳🇿 Home: Queenstown, New Zealand 🇳🇿 Spoken Languages: Māori (conversational), English (main) 🇳🇿 Sexuality: Heterosexual 🇳🇿 Occupation:

Chief Master Sergeant of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

Leader and Founder of the Kōkako group

Pilot for the Warriors Task Force

APPEARANCE:

🇳🇿 Eye Color: Dark Brown 🇳🇿 Hair Color: Black 🇳🇿 Height: 6’4”/193 cm 🇳🇿 Scars: 

Wounds: No wounds

Scars: Scars on his right palm (trying to block the knife stabbing from an enemy during the “Red Tide Operation”), scar on his neck right across.

🇳🇿 Face Claim: Te Kohe Tuhaka

Affiliation:

Warriors Task Force:

- General Alana Kalani

- Captain Kanoa Toa

- First Sergeant Tiala "Shark" Toa

- Dr. Aelan Kalani

- Sergeant Agnes “Blast” Falagi

- Sergeant Nigel “Squirrel” Harrison

- CIA Officer Iowana Naituku

FAVORITES:

🇳🇿 Color: Yellow 🇳🇿 Food: Steam Pudding and Kūmara 🇳🇿 Drink: Māori Punch Cocktail 🇳🇿 Flower: None 🇳🇿 Hairstyle: Has a short hair so don’t know what style for this man.

PERSONALITY:

🇳🇿 Myers Briggs Type: ISTP Tama is the kind of guy who only focus in the present and the future instead of focusing from the past. Except he kept some of his past to remind him of what to fix in the future. A smart and crafty guy. Has his own ways of fixing things. Just like his Great-Grandfather.

🇳🇿 Crafty: He is very crafty that he could fixed anything in his own ways instead of following instructions. Step by step. Unless he needed to follow the instructions.

🇳🇿 Punctilious: Always focus on details even the smallest ones. Like a robot scanning things as they made sure to get every detail they see. That’s how he is very good at his job of being a mechanic for planes, jets, cars, jeeps, etc.

🇳🇿 Helpful: Tama always help others. Including helping out his old friend of his from the WTF. Whenever he gets a call from them, he will leave immediately and assist as much as he can.

🇳🇿 Protective: This man has his great-grandfather’s protective nature. Always making sure that his loved ones and friends are not being harmed by others. And if he does see them being in trouble with the other bad people. He would step in immediately and ask them nicely to leave. He can only give you a ONE time warning.

NEGATIVE:

🇳🇿 Commitment Issues: He always feels nervous when it comes to dating with women. It’s not like he doesn’t LIKE them. It’s just that he doesn't have the ability to impress them. Of course, he has the looks that most women ADORED but when it comes to communicating while on a date? He can’t seem to be holding himself together. So every date he went, it didn’t last long.

🇳🇿 Overworked: Got that staying-up late habit from his Great-Grandfather. Tama is too determined to let this work slide until it’s finished. So he went to finish it. Either paperworks to be written or filed away, even finishing fixing the vehicles. He will stay until everything is done. Which causes him to lose some sleep.

Skills and Abilities:

🇳🇿 Fighting Style: Māori martial arts, Asian martial arts and Boxing

🇳🇿 Weapons: LMT 308 MWS and Benelli M3

🇳🇿 Distinct Weapon: M7 bayonet, Glock 17 Gen 4 and Machete

🇳🇿 Special Skills:

Strength: Tama is a strong man (Got it from his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather). He can lift up maybe 300 pounds. Since he has been working out lately and even fixing the engines while at it.

Mechanical Engineer: This man has MANY experience of any vehicle. Thanks to his Uncle and his Grandfather’s help of learning about vehicles. He gets to learn more about other machinery.

Efficient: You want the job done quickly. Then Tama is your man. He always gets his work done faster since he knows he has other things to do. So he wanted to get the first task done as soon as possible before heading onto another task. Don’t worry, he’s careful while rushing.

Family:

Koa Nikau (Great-Grandfather, Alive)

Aroha Arehe Nikau (Great-Grandmother, Alive)

Kai Nikau (Grandfather, Alive)

Unnamed Grandmother (Grandmother, Deceased)

Ari Nikau (Granduncle, Alive)

Unnamed Grandaunt (Grandaunt, Alive)

Unnamed Father (Father, Alive)

Unnamed Mother (Mother, Divorce, Alive)

Unnamed Uncle (Uncle, Alive)

Unnamed Aunt (Aunt, Alive)

Maia Aroha Nikau (Cousin, Unnamed Uncle’s daughter, Alive)

Akiro Nikau (Cousin, Unnamed Uncle’s son, Alive)

Pets:

None

TRIVIA:

🇳🇿 Tama is the only child in his family.

🇳🇿 His mother left him and his father after he was born.

🇳🇿 When Tama was young. He usually gets bullied a lot because of him being nervous with others. And most of them saw him as weak. But not being weak when it comes to someone hurting the people that he CARED for. He would rather get bullied than letting his loved ones get bullied.

🇳🇿 When he was in high school. His main focus was studying mechanical engineering. And that’s what he did in military school.

🇳🇿 He use to visit his Great-Grandfather when he was little as he enjoy hearing stories about his military days.

🇳🇿 Tama is the leader of his own group called the Kōkako. For the Security Forces unit.

Background Story:

On July 28th, 1984. Tama was born. Born in the home of New Zealand. In Queenstown. He was a very healthy baby boy and it gives the father great joy to see him. Until his mother had already left them after getting out of the hospital. Don’t know why. But his family had always supported his father as they helped raise Tama. Including mostly his Great-Grandfather. Retired from the Army, he decided to have Tama in his home while his father is out to work. He enjoyed the old man’s company.

In the 1990, Tama was 6-years-old in elementary school. A kid who hardly communicates with others. He’s a shy boy when he’s in class. Hardly speaks up when the teacher asks him some questions. Which really affected his performance grades sometimes. Most of the kids picked on him for being like that and it really hurts him but he stays strong. Always remembers his great-grandfather’s words for it. Until later in the same year, on October 28th. Tama had received news from his father that his Aunty had given birth to a new born baby. He never felt so excited instead of being nervous. So he went with his father and his grandfather to meet the new member of the family. And it seems like they were the first one to see the baby. When he followed his father while holding his hand, his Aunt asked for him to come closer. So the father lifted Tama up as he’s been carried to get a good look at the baby. And there she was, all bundle up in a small blanket while being held into his aunty’s arm. He smiled widely to see his baby cousin and had promised himself that he’ll protect her at all cost.

8 years later on December 15th, when Tama was 14-years-old. He was on his way to pick up Maia (Tama’s 8-years-old cousin) from Elementary. Since it wasn’t so far away from his high school. And as he entered the gates, he noticed that some older kids were picking on Maia. An eighth grader. And she was upset when they were tossing her bag around as she demanded to have it back. Which one of them was “handing” the bag over by throwing it on her face. And she fell down before crying. It had already triggered Tama when he witnessed them and started to yell at them. Scaring them off as they ran away. Tama suddenly realized his anger so quickly. But he ignored it and ran over to his cousin and carried her home. Calming her with his soothing voice. As soon as he got to Maia’s house, he noticed that his father was there. Looking confused as his father saw them and ran over to them before saying that his Uncle and Aunty went to the hospital for another baby. This had really shocked both Tama and Maia. So they both quickly ran into the car as the father started to drive off. To meet ANOTHER new member of the family. Holding Maia’s hand while walking into the hospital. And soon, they both saw some family members were there. As they made way for them. Tama was still carrying Maia for her to get a better view to look at her new born baby brother. The parents had named him Akiro. And Tama had made his promise to protect him as well with Maia.

When Tama turned 16-years-old on his birthday, he had received a book about mechanical engineering. Which he knows it was from his Great-Grandfather. He loves it. So he promised that he’ll make them proud of joining the AirForce! He’s also interested in flying in one of those aircrafts and wanted to ride it one day. Which his Great-Grandfather doesn’t mind. As long as he does whatever that he loves to do the most. So Tama had to work and study hard. Along with Maia who is also interested in flying one of the aircrafts. The Jet specifically. Tama understands his little cousin wanting to be just like her mom. So he helped her to study.

By the age of 18-years-old. After graduating from High School. Tama was planning on taking college to take the mechanic career first. Which is a bit far away from his hometown. His family are okay with it but not really good news for Maia (who is 12-years-old). She was upset about it but Tama had made a promise that he’ll come back and visit. Maia had given in and trusted her cousin’s words for it.

This man wanted to learn EVERYTHING about machines and vehicles. So he will be familiar with any machinery that he sees and will fix it with no problem. So after 4 years of studying. He had finally graduated with a bachelor degree and started to sign up for the AirForce. And started his training of becoming a mechanic AND a pilot for the Air Force. He was 21-years-old when he joined in.

When Tama turned 25-years-old in 2009. He got a birthday surprise from seeing his little cousin, Maia who is 18-years-old, had come in to join the AirForce. You could imagine his bright smile to see her again and felt very proud of her coming this far while he’s gone. So then, these two had worked together to become the best soldier and pilot that this AirForce would ever lay their eyes on. Tama was a Technical Sergeant at that time while Maia was an Airman.

In 2011, when Tama was promoted to be a Senior Master Sergeant. He had decided to create his own team for the New Zealand Defence Force. Since he believed that these soldiers that he had trained for are more capable than anyone would even realize for the Air Force. So asking permission to create a team. He had named this team “Kōkako Air Defense Team” (KADT). The Air Force Defense Team who will always be there to do air support. He even was hoping for Maia to join in but she had other plans. He understands and lets her do her own thing but will always be there for her if she needs it. He was 27-years-old when he created this team.

In 2017, Tama was in the Hawaiian Base of the Marine Corps. Asking for his training and teaching about his team of being in the Defense Team. That was the time when he first met Kanoa. Seeing his great personality and charms. He was quite inspired by him though. And seeing him off going on an important mission before coming back looking so broken. Tama was concerned for Kanoa, seeing him so depressed and anxious before finding out that he had lost his sister from that mission. Hearing that she had been kidnapped by the Cartel. So he decided to stay behind and let his team go back to New Zealand while he helped Kanoa to find her. It took them 5 months of searching for her and they have found an intel about her location. Tama had assisted Kanoa and the team that he had picked for air support. And battle against the Cartel to get the sister and the rest of the victims in there. They have finally found her and Tama had ridden the chopper back to the Hawaii Marine Corps base. He stayed another few months just to help Kanoa out for a bit until he was offered to join a team that this man had made. A Warriors Task Force team. Tama gladly accepted to join in with him. And told him if he needed anything, he would be there in a flash. And departed ways. He was a Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and still is.

While the rest of it is history. As Tama had continued helping the WTF whenever they needed him. And he hoped that he had made his family proud.

[drhoz]

#2303 - Wiseana cervinata - Pasture Porina

AKA Elhamma cervinata, Hepialus despectus, Porina vexata, and Pielus variolaris.

A Hepialid endemic to New Zealand, where it was first described by Francis Walker in 1865. I'm not sure how many of those scientific names above are the result of him describing the same species more than once. He became notorious for that.

These are both males - females have indistinct markings at best. A common moth in grassy areas around New Zealand, where the caterpillars devour clover and grass, and may have been a pest of kūmara when sweet potato was more intensively grown as a staple crop.

Horopito, North Island Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

[ranahan]

I’ve thought a lot about amber-root, a root vegetable grown on Mandalorian worlds, and what it should be named. I eventually arrived at

mara or maru

(Or maybe both—I love the idea Mando’a is a pluricentric language. And sometimes I just can’t choose, so I keep both and call it dialectal variation.)

One, it comes from Te reo Māori kūmara (or in English sweet potato), which I think amber-root rather obviously is. Unless it’s supposed to be a space!carrot instead. But I prefer to think of it as a staple food crop, since it’s one of the few established things we have.

Two, it makes for a suitable in-universe etymology: since the root *mar- means ‘find’, mara/maru would be something found, like roots are dug up from the earth.

And then I decided that calquing a Māori idiom (Tuakana Kūmara) would also make sense: ba’buir mara (or babu’mara for short), “granny potato”, meaning “older none the wiser”. And colloquially, calling someone mara means “simpleton”. That one is thanks to my sibling; don’t know where they picked it up but chances are the army. That’s where most of the fun slang in my family seems to come from, anyway.

So next time you wonder what tiingilar is served with, here’s my take.

[like-the-verb]

Is there any way to make potatoes that wouldn't taste good with gravy?

I'm talking classic potato, not kūmara/sweet potato, and raw does not count. If you wouldn't personally put it together but you think it would taste good, then vote yes. If you think theres any possible way for the combo to be bad, vote no.

[soup-mother]

fun linguistic game of trying to work out what exactly someone is talking about when they say "yam"

in this case it was oca because the wretched kiwis call them yams for some reason

I know the context behind calling sweet potato/kūmara yams in the US I'm not gonna be rude about that but it makes finding recipes for actual normal true yams so difficult because everything is identical yanksgiving sweet potato recipes and sweet potatoes aren't even actual yams

[southisup]

I'm doing a kind of winter solstice celebration today. It's a few days past but it's just to mark the occasion. I didn't have time to really think about it a lot.

Having a slow cooker pumpkin curry but subbed in some kūmara because it's strongly associated with this season (unfortunately it's also $15/kg this year which makes it the most expensive vegetable available).

We have a fancy dessert.

Going to try a spiced coffee!

Invited my Mum over.

I like to do gift but wasn't sure what to do but the kinder surprises at the supermarket are supposed to be "ice" themed so got them.

Maybe have candles, I like light symbolism at this time.

Also a book I ordered online for my husband arrived and I gave myself a macrame kit I already had. Like, activities for being indoors for winter.

I was given a bunch of flowers that contained dry flowers so hung them up seperately - seems appropriate since there are so few flowers now. BUT also the bunch of flowers and leaves was all from her garden so it's all appropriate right now. The rest are in the hall.

Oh, and I bought some mead, which was an unexpected find at the supermarket. Shh, it's a secret!

I guess the idea of the winter solstice is to prepare for the cold couple of months coming, while also celebrating light. Also about hope, and faith in the sun actually doing it's thing. Maybe appreciating the small changes and believing they mean something.

[barbieyaga]

I love you kūmara

[askwhatsforlunch]

Kiwi Shepherd's Pie

It has been cold --sometimes very cold-- for a while now, and it even snowed! But Winter officially begins today, and it is properly nippy! A day to come home for your Christmas shopping to a heart-warming and comforting Kiwi Shepherd's Pie! Happy Saturday!

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 large kūmara or sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

510 grams/1.10 pound lamb mince

1 small onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

half a dozen large leaves Garden Sage 

1 large red Bell Pepper, rinsed

1/3 red Garden Chilli 

½ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons plain flour

½ cup good red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Côtes-du-Rhône)

1/4 to 1/3 cup water

½ tablespoon demerara sugar

1 heaped tablespoon pure raw Manuka Honey

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon pure, raw Manuka Honey

¼ cup double cream

Peel and cube kūmara, and add to a large pot. Add coarse sea salt. Cover with water, and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook, about 20 minutes until tender.

In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over a high flame.

Stir in lamb mince and brown well. Scoop browned lamb mince to a plate, leaving the fat in the skillet; set aside.

Peel and finely chop onion, and stir into the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-high. Stir in garlic; cook, 1 minute more.

Finely chop Sage Leaves, and stir into the skillet. 

Finely chop red Bell Pepper and Garden Chilli, and add to the skillet, too. Cook, a couple of minutes.

Return reserved lamb mince to the skillet.

Season with fleur de sel and black pepper.

Sprinkle in the flour, and cook out, 1 minute.

Deglaze with Pinot Noir, stirring well to loosen brown bits. Then, gradually stir in water (you may not need all of it). Bring to the boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and simmer, at least 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Stir in demerara sugar and Manuka Honey. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Lightly oil a baking tin with olive oil, and spoon lamb mixture in, levelling well with a spatula. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200°C/395°F.

Drain kūmara, and return them to the pot. First, mash them thoroughly with a potato masher and stir in half of the butter, until melted. Then, process using a hand-held blender, so the mixture is very smooth. Energetically stir in remaining butter, Manuka Honey and double cream with a wooden spoon, until perfectly blended and Honey and butter are melted.

Spoon kūmara mash on top of the beef mixture, levelling into an even layer with a spatula.

Place tin in the middle of the hot oven, and bake, at 200°C/395°F, for 30 to 35 minutes.

Serve Kiwi Shepherd’s Pie, with a glass of Waiheke Island Pinot Noir.

[cat-appreciator]

Tlazohcamati, Mexica*, for corn, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkin, squash, beans, and avocados!

Yupaychani, Kichwa, for chocolate!

Anchatan añaychayki, Quechua, for potatoes, kūmara and yams**!

Truly the world would be a sad place without them.

*The original cultivators of these crops almost certainly did not speak Nahuatl, Kichwa, or Quechua, and we have no idea what they did speak. I’ve done my best to find the modern local indigenous languages of central Mexico, southern highland Ecuador, and the Andean highlands respectively. I blame the Internet for any errors.

**It turns out that “yam” gets applied to basically any tropical root vegetable in different times and places; this is a reference to Oxalis tuberosa, known as uqa in Quechua and yams in New Zealand. The kūmara is the root known in North America as the sweet potato.

Everyone say thank you american indigenous people for cultivating corn, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, cacao, pumpkin, squash, and anything i missed. Makes life more meaningful globally

[socraticcryptid]

i love how so many vegetables have different names in different versions of English. Like bell pepper vs sweet pepper vs capsicum, coriander vs cilantro, sweet potato vs kūmara, rutabaga vs swede vs neep, scallion vs spring onion vs green onion...

I'm tempted to mix and match sometimes. Like, zucchini (US) is cooler than courgette (UK), but either aubergine (UK) or brinjal (IN, SG, others) are far better names than eggplant (US). Where's the egg? Like, are we talking baby aubergine, or are we talking ostrich egg? Honestly.

I think my favourite, though, is eruca sativa. Arugula? Rocket? Roquette? Ruchetta? Simply not a boring name in sight.

[kitchenbloking]

Pork and kūmara (sweet potato).

We flavoured the pork with salt, pepper, and mustard, and seared it for two minutes in a skillet, and then it went onto the oven until it was cooked. Served with pan-fried mushrooms and onion, with a helping of kūmara mash.

[xoxoofeeeliaxoxo]

WK 3 SDL: Content Search - Political Statement

“I was perfectly fine growing my kūmara and learning maramataka, but this House kept tampering with things they shouldn’t be touching, and that’s why I left the māra [garden] to come here.” Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke

Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke���s maiden speech in Parliament

Doyle, T. (2023/12/12). Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke delivers powerful maiden speech, says new Government 'attacked my whole world'. Newshub. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/12/te-p-ti-m-ori-mp-hana-rawhiti-maipi-clarke-delivers-powerful-maiden-speech-says-new-government-attacked-my-whole-world.html