Oldenburg Syrah 2014, a gem of a wine from an Estate high up in the Banghoek Valley. Perfect food wine with our spicy foods or something completely different, like Pasta.
Boschendal Manor House in its magnificent setting As always there are all sorts of wonderful happenings at Boschendal over the next month. The Cellar Door is open for Wine Tastings, The Deli is open for breakfast, lunch and all sorts of Estate products. There is a butchery and a bakery [no candlestick makery]. Boschendal Full
Boschendal Manor House, the majestic Groot Drakenstein as backdrop Always something new and exciting from Boschendal. Especially in Heritage month where, by tradition now, a whole roast pasture fed Aberdeen Angus ox is roasted over coals. The beef is pasture fed and prepared by Boschendal’s Cattle manager, Jason Carrol. In celebration of National Heritage Day,
Kleinood 2016 De Boerin Extra Virgin Olive Oil Kleinood started its high quality olive oil venture alongside its renowned wines in 2001, when only 2 hectares of olive groves were established on the Kleinood property in Stellenbosch. The quality of extra virgin olive oil is measured in its acidity content (free fatty acids). In South
The Simonsig wine making team, from left Charl Schoeman, Debbie Thompson, Cellarmaster & Owner Johan Malan & Hannes Meyer Wine-lovers will once again be given a rare chance to taste and buy older vintages of wines made on the Simonsig Estate, one of Stellenbosch’s best-known and lauded wine farms. The fourth Simonsig Vintage Wine Day
Roast leg of lamb with sweet onion marmalade – Dianne Bibby Dianne says: "The combination of savoury and sweet is a familiar concept to most South Africans. Fresh and dried fruits have been mainstays to many local favourites for centuries, often appearing in lamb, chicken and beef recipes. Rather than the traditional use of fruit,
Alida Ryder's Steak sandwich with whipped goat’s cheese butter Alida says: “Listen, let’s not beat around the bush here. This sandwich is all that and then some. If I do say so myself. There’s just something about a steak sandwich, isn’t there? All that grilled, beefy goodness on good bread? Who could resist. And even
Pork & Prunes by Justine Wall Justine says: “What a retro combination: I did wonder what on earth made me do this as I was making it, but it was so good. I’m pleased that I don’t worry too much about things being a little nostalgic in my kitchen once in a while! I love
Oldenburg Vineyards Situated at the top of the Banghoek on Helshoogte Pass, Oldenburg Vineyards, is a very special place to visit. Surrounded by towering mountains and looking down to the Groot Drakenstein Valley, a gentle country lane gets the mood right as you approach Oldenburg and once there, the mountains tower over you giving an
Dianne Bibby's Milk Soak Chocolate Sheet Cake Dianne says: “Sheet cake. Simple, honest and ‘un-floppable’. Not surprisingly, this Milk-soak chocolate sheet cake is one the 5 most requested cakes in the Bibby kitchen. This is the kind of chocolate cake where things can get a little out of control. Let’s take a moment. It starts
Mini Pissaladieres – Justine Wall Justine says: "I remember the first time I ever made pissaladiere: my wonderful aunt Siobhan had bought me a giant tome of a book, The Food of France, and I adored it. I made so many recipes from that book- tried out so many new things, and learned how to
Dianne Bibby's Chicken Pastilla with Freekeh & Almonds Dianne gives us a word on Freekeh: "Freekeh is harvested and roasted while the grain is still green. This ensures that nutrient values remain at their optimum. With impressive percentages of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, freekeh is set to be the new #graintofollow. The name comes
Carey Boucher Erasmus's Fruity & Spicy Lamb Kebabs with Coriander Pesto Carey says: "As a child, our family went through a phase where we often braaied an assortment of ”sosaties” (kebabs). One I remember in particular was a lamb and dried fruit combination. Come to think of it, we haven’t had fruity lamb kebabs in
Roast Pork with Leeks & Fennel – Ina Paarman I have known Ina Paarman for over 35 years. I first met her when she was a lecturer at the Cape Technical College. Her enthusiasm for teaching, to showing people the way in its most simple form and providing a whole range of food products which
Nadia Graves's Prawn & Spring Onion Empanadas Nadia says: "Tender, flaky pastry pockets filled with everything from fresh vegetables to spicy beef? Yes, please. Empanadas are always welcome in my kitchen and on my plate. The exquisitely fragrant prawn filling in my take on these classic Argentinian pastries is something you will definitely relish. They are
Butternut Gnocchi by Justine Wall Justine says: "These are delicious little things: they’re not the sort of gnocchi you pop into hot water to boil; rather they are fried in a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. The mixture can be made ahead of time (in fact it benefits from “sitting” for a
Cheesy Bolognese Pies by Alida Ryder Alida says: "I love a good list, have listed every.single.little.thing I have to accomplish this week. One of the things on my list is to make these pies again. Now let me tell you something, we all know I am quite good at giving leftovers a second life but I
The imposing Franschhoek Cellar at the entrance to the town Producing top quality wines over and over is no easy feat, but something successfully pulled off by the winemakers of The Franschhoek Cellar, time and again. The sole objective of Bellingham Wines, led by winemaker Niël Groenewald, is to be daringly unique and extraordinarily appealing.
Vergeneoegd Harvest Lunch in the Cellar I have spoken before of the hugely successful outdoor Harvest Lunches being served on Vergenoegd Wine Estate, Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the months of February and March. There was a little wrinkle last week as there was a gentle rain on the one day and the lunch was
Mulderbosch Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2015 I read an article on the Internet recently, which said that winemakers make the best Olive Oil. I think it is a pretty broad-brush generalisation, there are some excellent oils produced by wine producers and Mulderbosch is one of them. The olives for the Mulderbosch EVOO 2015 come from
The Vergenoegd Farmstead One of the most exciting innovations in the wine lands this summer is the Harvest Lunch at Vergenoegd Wine Estate. Vergenoegd has recently changed hands and the new owners have set about turning it into one of the tourist destinations on the wine routes. The Vergenoegd Harvest Lunch Long Table The Harvest
Elegant bottles, elegant wine Vergenoegd Winery known for generations as a producer of fine Stellenbosch Wines has a new owner and a whole new energy is to be found there with an exciting experience for both adults and children. Blend your own Olive Oils, Teas, Coffees & Red Wine from the Estate You can have
Belfield Aristata 2011 Belfield is a tiny self contained wine estate tucked away in the mountains of the beautiful, cool Elgin Valley. Cool in terms of fashion and temperature. Cool temperatures mean longer ripening periods and in the case of red wines particularly it means deeper colour and enhanced aromas and flavours. Mel, Allister &
Haute CabrièreSun-Soil-Vine-Man In the late 1960s a lady called Theodora von Arnim – more correctly The Baroness Theodora von Arnim - ran a little gift shop in the Parkade in central Cape Town called Theodora’s Boutique. She was a unique, if not mildly eccentric, lady. Some years later, I returned from the UK