Vegetables

As Promised - Some Simple Summer Salads and A Crackling Good Pork Belly

As Promised - Some Simple Summer Salads and A Crackling Good Pork Belly

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Salads / Starters

OK. If I loathe one thing, it must be a promise made and not kept. I can remember Butch’s mom Bets’ disappointment when a lady at her bible study (nogal) PROMISED to visit and never did. She was profoundly hurt. The person who made the glib promise (as we so often do.. “Oh we must get...


The Final Whispers of Winter – Recipes to charm

The Final Whispers of Winter – Recipes to charm

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Salads

I can feel it in my bones; spring is in the air. I hadn’t forgotten the recipes for our warm get together with friends last week. I’m in a reflective mood today, reminiscing good times around the island in the kitchen. The cookery classes I attended and the meals my children and I had at home...


Fully Vaxxed We Celebrate Family, Friends and Firstborns

Fully Vaxxed We Celebrate Family, Friends and Firstborns

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Fruit / Miscellaneous / Musings

I've raged against injustice, prayed with prayer sisters for healing, we’ve wept for the grieving and consoled friends, colleagues and acquaintances in mourning; we’ve given thanks for healing and been enthralled by those who’ve recovered, often miraculously. While we wait for these...


Winning Winter Warmers When It's Welly Cold

Winning Winter Warmers When It's Welly Cold

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Starters / Baking and Cakes

Recipes to warm your heart – Cinnamon Pancakes, Beetroot Risotto and Lamb necks on the braai. This quotation inspires today’s blog “Don’t think about making art, get it done.  Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it.  While they are deciding, make even...


Rainy Days And Sundays - Butternut Relish

Rainy Days And Sundays - Butternut Relish

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / The Honey Badger Diaries

Inclement weather is expected to dry up in October. The rain running rivulets down the window panes as I type is a surprise. Shouldn’t be, you’d think, but, we’ve had such good weather for eight straight weeks, that I was ready to rip out the old bather to wallow in the shallows with...


Wandering Closer To Home - Slanghoek - Kraalkloof Camp

Wandering Closer To Home - Slanghoek - Kraalkloof Camp

Butch and his colleagues meet up in their library every morning for coffee. He says “sometimes we talk law, but, mostly, we just catch up and chat.” Everyone knows our story by now, and often good trip ideas are shared. Last week he was tipped-off about a camping spot on a farm in the...


Rooting For Beets

Rooting For Beets

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables

My farm to table produce box from Groenstoor included, amongst many delicious offerings, a bushel of beetroot, and a bunch of carrots, and rooted sweet and bitter salad leaves. This morning, while I was grating an apple and pear for my breakfast Bircher, I remembered how, as children, we used...


Sunday's Roast With Sweet Onion Tarte Tatin

Sunday's Roast With Sweet Onion Tarte Tatin

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Salads

Using staples from our store cupboard is always a bargain, especially over a weekend when you don’t want to put a foot wrong,  or into a shop. On most Sundays we like to take things easy, meals should be hassle free, but, always, delicious and preferably with something new. My parents often...


Quiche Me Quick

Quiche Me Quick

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Salads / Starters

When  it's sunny and days can be spent on the beach with a book there is no time to linger in the kitchen. Quick, easy meals are called for. Having a few vegetarian recipes in your arsenal is always a good idea especially while on holiday. I find we need something “fresh” and that’s when...


Safari On Super Suppers And Snacks

Safari On Super Suppers And Snacks

Gosh it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that spring in my step. A new shop opened in town, Nibbly Bits. As the name suggests they stock all sorts of delicious nibbly bits. I went all out and got us some treats. After my spree I met up with friends en-route to Prince Albert in the Karoo and...


12  Fun Things To Do During A Wet Spell

12 Fun Things To Do During A Wet Spell

Posted in Review / Recipes / Vegetables / Miscellaneous / Travel / the book box

Here are my 12 fun things to do during a wet spell. Bragging rights in the car industry are earned when your new VW outguns the competition and goes from 0-60 in 2 seconds. Our summer went from balmy sunshine days to cloudy and wet overnight and kept Autumn up for 7 days.  All of a sudden we had...


Comfort Food Prince Albert Style

Comfort Food Prince Albert Style

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Desserts

Whenever I think of the Karoo and food there is only one thing that comes to mind.  It has to be lamb. Karoo lamb with lots of Rosemary.  Of course at this time of the year you might imagine a roast leg of Springbok, that’ll do too.  Treat it as if its lamb and the results are spectacular....


Keep Korma And Curry On

Keep Korma And Curry On

My new favourite quote, especially when my tiara slips fractionally.  Yes!  Sometimes it takes a change of heart, a change of attitude and courage to be in control of our minds and emotions.  It’s unlikely that we all wake up each morning and feel on top of the world.  Years ago someone said...


I Can Conclude I'm No (Food) Prude

I Can Conclude I'm No (Food) Prude

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Soups / Fruit / Musings / Videos

My beloved, who eats anything and everything, never complains and always says “thank you that was a delicious meal” (even when, on the rare occasion, we have deli pies, accompanied by a good dose of salts, for lunch) decided he had a weekend menu; comfort food.  On the one hand I was delighted,...


Easy Brinjal, Bacon Bake For Autumn Luncheons

Easy Brinjal, Bacon Bake For Autumn Luncheons

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Videos

Aubergine, brinjal or egg plant must be the king of versatility.  Nothing could be easier than this Brinjal bake, so perfect for long lunches on the veranda when leaves turn and days become shorter and cooler.  No one wants to spend hours indoors now.  I see beautiful Mouse birds are very busy...


Tantalizing Tomato Teazer

Tantalizing Tomato Teazer

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Fish / Videos

Last week we treated ourselves to a Fine Dining experience at the Conservatory, a pop-up restaurant Lekkerlek by Likoke (Lick Okay) inspired by the renowned Belgium Michelin Starred chef Piet Huysentruyt, who is rounding off his world tour in Franschoek.   The taster menu, inspired by...


Celebrating Effortless Summer Fare

Celebrating Effortless Summer Fare

I am so inclined to repeat my menus that it takes a luncheon with friends to inspire me to delve into old recipe books, files and faded food magazines, those I hoard. I always find inspiration as the clock ticks ever nearer and my “to do” list gets longer.  Our guests arrived dressed to the...


Bang! My Bubble Burst

Bang! My Bubble Burst

Like a shot in the dark. Unexpected, frightening and loud. That’s how 2017 set the standard. And look! A twelfth has almost gone, right before our very eyes. Fortunately I have no guilt feelings about not accomplishing one New Year’s resolution last year, I didn’t even try compiling a list for...


Simple Summer Salads With A Twist

Simple Summer Salads With A Twist

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Desserts / Salads / Fruit

When the sun beats down on the top of my head and I feel the need of a hat and sunnies know it’s time to dust off the platters and large salad bowls.  I find pleasure in digging in the napery drawer, flinging out the florals, stripes and coloured linens, the worn check napkins in shades of...


Winning Winter Warmers

Winning Winter Warmers

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Baking and Cakes

While we wallow with winter weather we wish-wash with water, wet, when willowy wind whistles.When we wake, winter withholds wondrously, while we wish weather would warm. Yes.I know. I'm trying my hand at alliteration. Reminds me of poetry slams with my son. This is the best I can do believe...


Around The World In A Coffee Cup With A Storm Brewing

Around The World In A Coffee Cup With A Storm Brewing

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Desserts / Baking and Cakes / Fruit

A whirlwind weekend wandering is possible from home, one just needs to know how. When the seasons change as they do every Easter weekend we have four seasons in a day. It’s hard to pack considering the weather. The only certainty is that it’s time for comfort food. We travelled the world...


Hot Chick Spicing Up The Kitchen

Hot Chick Spicing Up The Kitchen

Winter food to spice up your life, add heat to your menu with colourful spices, bring out the tartness of Citrus with a saucy pudding, go tropical with a pod of Vanilla and pick up an exotic thread of Saffron.  Wrap up snugly in rice paper and fry up some Spring Rolls.  These multinational...


Beach Bunnies Make Waves

Beach Bunnies Make Waves

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Salads

The sparkling wine on tap which has just been installed in Breë Street is the one I like best. For some reason I don’t fall for it but, this year I fell hook, line and sinker for a few April Fools jokes.   Imagine the genius who could put DSTV out of business with his R99 subscriptions and...


Move Mundane to Make Magic

Move Mundane to Make Magic

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Soups / Salads / Drinks and Beverages

Easier said than done you may say. It takes a mind shift and will power to move something from mundane to magic, but it’s not impossible, look at the guy on stage, he uses a plain white handkerchief to produce a beautiful white dove.  It's all in the magic we hold in our hands. Just read...


Scintillating Sunny Salads

Scintillating Sunny Salads

Posted in Recipes / Vegetables / Meat Dishes / Salads / Fruit

It’s a mellow-yellow Saffron day, it’s hot, sticky and slightly sultry. I awoke with melons,  songs and nasturtiums on my mind a Yellow song and it was Coldplay! A good theme for Thursday. This is a pedicure and cafe day.  Provence is yellow, reminding me of Les Girls, pottery and...