Sunshine and Rose! - ANNABEL'S HOLIDAY ADVENTURES

THE COOK CAN’T WAIT TO START A NEW PROJECT WITH HER DARLING GIRL

- Nicola Russell

Annabel Langbein’s vegetable garden is growing slowly in Wanaka. The author’s peonies are in full bloom and the roses are out and proud, but the veges are taking their own sweet time.

“We’ve got the first flush of beautiful spring flowers but in the vegetable garden it is really just snow peas, rocket and lettuce. It isn’t until late January here that you get the summer harvest, which in Auckland you’ll be getting about now.”

The Free Range Cook is fine with that – she’s taking some long, deep breaths after completing her recently released memoir Bella: My Life in Food, and excitedly gearing up for her 26-year-old daughter Rose to return home after years abroad.

When the Weekly speaks to Annabel in early December, Rose has just arrived from New York and is in mandatory two-week quarantine with her partner. Annabel can’t get to Rose yet, but true to form she’s made sure some delicious food has.

“I asked a nice friend to collect some goodies for a care package for Rose with yummy ciabatta, crackers, avocados, cheese, smoked salmon and wine. There’s a wonderful sense of relief to know she’s safely back – I’m counting the sleeps until I get to give her a hug!”

Despite Rose having lived away from home since she was 17, the pair are a tight team and Rose was the first to lay eyes on Annabel’s book.