The Magic of Load Shedding

The weekend’s frustrations and pleasures were caused by Eskom and the ever present Load Shedding.

Watering the garden in 34° Celsius on Saturday and 5 hours daylight time without power was nearly impossible and the watering had to continue on Sunday in 36° Celsius.

It was a rare weekend to have Heinrich home from Zurich and I decided to have him, Michael and Susan over for supper. The Challenge was to have a meal that could be prepared in spite of Eskom.

The summer evenings in Bonnievale is perfect for al fresco meals and I had set up the table under the oak tree and hanged the area full of  solar lamps that the Wolff’s gave me for my birthday earlier this year. The bright sunshine during the day meant that the solar lids of the jars could charge properly.

The lights were like fireflies captured in preserve jars and made me feel like a child discovering the fun of capturing a special moment.

Sunshine in a Jar

With the full moon in the sky it was a magical setting. The garden provided most of the ingredients for supper from Royal apricots, young green beans, mixed salad leaves, yellow salad tomatoes and fresh strawberries.

 

We had Aperol Spritz with bacon rolls filled with Royal apricots and blue cheese for pre-dinner drinks and snacks. I baked a “potbrood” in between load shedding and that provided some relieve from stray hunger pangs.

As main course I served smoked chicken (from the local butcher) on a bed of mixed salad leaves with yellow and red tomatoes, blanched young green beans, avocado and feta cheese  all this was complimented by Susan’s Green Goddess salad dressing. The wine for the evening was Graham Beck’s Gorgeous, a Pinot Noir/Chardonay blend that really complimented the chicken and the creaminess of the salad dressing. It is a playful rose wine with a cheeky name.

For desert we had minted strawberry cups with vanilla bean cream and Susan brought a delicious traditional American pumpkin pie. This was served with Rooiberg Muskadel over crushed ice.

Capturing a Light Moment

It was a magical evening shared with special friends and in a secluded garden in Bonnievale the darkness was kept at bay by the sun captured in preserve jars.