A Late Summer Garden

Another drizzly weekend prevented me from planting and sowing but I managed to preserve some fruit and vegetables. The coolness of the rain seems to amplify the smells of the garden. Walking through the garden I could smell the distinctive aroma of each part of the garden. The Crinum Moorei, the Marigolds, the Fiddlewood, the Evening Primroses and the herb garden with its potpourri of fragrances.

Crinum Moorei

If you close your eyes and you just smell and listen, the chattering of the birds and the intoxicating aroma of the plants can make you believe that you are in a secluded spot in nature and not on the edge of town.

Giant Baby Corn

The salad baby corn (Thai Gold) is in flower and the plants are much taller than me and I am over six feet tall. I feel like giving the "wai" every time I go past their bed. I am not very sure when I should harvest them, this being my first year of planting this type of corn. I will stick to the golden rule and wait till the first silks appear.

Courgette Flower

The courgettes that I planted three weeks ago are bearing and female flowers are everywhere. I cannot wait for the male flowers because this year I want to make stuffed courgette flowers deep fried in a tempura batter the way I had them in Venice.

Organic Leeks

The last of the leeks have been harvested and I will make a big pot of leek and potato soup and freeze it for a surprise summer taste in winter.

The purple figs are ripening and I am so impressed with the second season of figs from this small tree.

Tomato Harvest on Sunday

As usual the garden is in constant change with new flavours, smells and colours waiting for me every weekend.

Another brilliant Sunday

Sunday cleared to be one of those brilliant days and white washed buildings against an African blue sky are so classic Cape. 

Brilliant Brinjals

The Brinjals or Egg Plants are producing profusely and the two varieties, Listada de Gandia and Long Purple makes for a colourful display in the vegetable garden.

Brinjals

I would like to make moussaka and baba ganoush but it will have to wait until I can invite guests over and I can get hold of Tahini. The Arabic meaning for baba ganoush is “pampered papa” , perhaps this is a sign for whom I should make it.

To process a big harvest I decided to preserve them in olive oil with garlic slivers and fresh basil pesto. Most of the preparation time went into the salting of the brinjals to extract the bitterness.  I find that the fresh organic brinjals from the garden do not seem to be bitter. I roasted them without salting them first and they are delicious prepared like that.

Salted Brinjals

For the sake of the recipe that I used I salted them first and let them stand for 3 to 4 hours, then I blanched them in vinegar water before I bottled them. The garlic slivers and basil pesto were my own twist on the recipe. I do not follow recipes religiously and tend to add what is available in the garden as well. There is a forest of basil in the herb garden with Opal, Lemon and Sweet basil and I just had to use some.

I preserved the brinjals and they will be a welcome addition to a farmer’s platter in late autumn when the brinjal plants in the vegetable garden will only be a memory of summer.

A Late Summer Palette

The dominant colour in the garden at the moment seems to be shades of purple from fruit to vegetables and flowers. I am always amazed at the colour coordination of the garden sometimes it is orange, then yellow, then white and it is always in combinations of vegetables, fruit and flowers.

Fig

Rhapsody in Blue

Grenadilla, Fig and Brinjal

Pincushion

Currently it is figs, granadillas, brinjals, roses and pincushions.

Kaapse Jongens

Die Hanepoot druiwe is ryp en soos ‘n stout kind korrel ek voordurend as ek verby hulle loop. Soos met alles in die tuin moet ek ‘n manier vind om die druiwe te gebruik. Ek het wel probeer om die hele oes op te eet maar ek moes stop voordat ek al my respek vir hulle verloor het. Om soos ‘n parsbalie vol druiwe te voel was nou ook nie my idee van ‘n rustige naweek nie.

Hanepoot Oes

Ek mis sommer my ma op hierdie misreën oggend. Hanepoot was nou een van haar geliefste vrugte. Dit is snaaks hoe die vrugte wat rondom haar verjaarsdag ryp word haar geliefste was soos vye en Hanepoot. Dit kon ook wees omdat dit die vrugte was wat haar aan Gamkaskloof herinner het. Gamkaskloof waar die vye in sulke een pond blokke gepers is waneer hulle droog was en die Hanepoot sommer so aan die stingel gedroog is op die rye en rye draad stellasies.

Gamkaskloof se vrugte is van die soetste en as jy haar nou wil verras het moes jy so ‘n blok vye huis toe bring. Sy sou daar op die stoep in die son sit en die herinneringe so vy vir vy van die blok af breek en so ‘n ver kyk in die oë kry terwyl sy die soet geluk proe.

Ek besluit om na ‘n korrel konfyt resep te soek want wat kan dan nou beter wees as korrelkonfyt. Korrelkonfyt op ‘n warm sny tuisgebakte brood waar die botter so half wegesmelt het of saam met ‘n gebraaide snoek en patats.

Die uithaal van die pitte uit elke druiwekorrel het baie tydrowend geklink en ek besluit om deur my suster se ondervinding te leer. My suster Stella sê “moenie so baie sukkel nie die meeste pitte kook uit en dryf dan bo, jy skep net af , onthou jy gaan nie al die pitte uit kry nie maar hulle is ook goed vir jou”. Stella verkies om die korrels deur te sny dan haal die pitte maklik uit. Ek wonder as ‘n mens die korrels deursny of dit nog steed korrelkonfyt is en of dit dan nie halwe korrelkonfyt is nie.

Dit klink toe of dit dit ‘n hele naweek se werk is en ek besluit toe maar om brandewyn te gaan koop om Kaapse Jongens te maak.  Die winter kan net lekker raak met so ‘n paar Kaapse Jongens in die kelder en Keith kan so ‘n paar Kaapse Jongens saam Pretoria toe vat vir geselskap in die aand want na ‘n paar maande op die brandewyn kan so ‘n paar druiwekorrels lekker gesels.

Kaapse Jongens

Vars Hanepoot druiwe korrels in brandewyn word Kaapse Jongens genoem  waneer jy Sultanas in  brandewyn preserveer word dit Boerejongens genoem. Boerejongens het hulle oorsprong in Nederland en nie aan die Kaap nie. Baie van ons kultuur museums maak die fout om na vars Hanepoot in brandewyn te verwys as Boerejongens en ek het dit al in menige padstal ook gesien.

Daar is ‘n padstal naby Riebeeck Kasteel wat selfs Kwaaijongens verkoop wat ek nogal indrukwekkend en innoverend vind. Kwaaijongens is nartjies op Vodka.

By die drankwinkel het my aansien in die dorp sommer vinning gestyg want die verkoops dame kyk my met respek aan toe ek die twee bottels brandewyn op die toonbank neersit. Ek moes seker maar die twee bottels uitgedrink het dan het ek vroeër in die bed gekom want laataand staan en pak ek nog korrels in flesse en ek wonder of my  inmaak vernuf dieselfde respek sal afdwing.

The Food of Love

The weekend was cool and drizzly and the weather gave me a good excuse just to enjoy it with Keith who was home for one of those rare weekends. The universe opened its heart this weekend.We saw two rainbows on our way home and on Sunday morning as I opened the bedroom curtains there was another rainbow over the orchard.

Watching Keith enjoying the property as if he sees it for the first time makes me realise that I sometimes forget just how amazing it is. I get so focused on what needs to be done that I go from one task to another without taking a moment just to enjoy this special place.

Potbread with a Linseed Heart

As it was Valentines weekend the town was caught up in the buying of flowers, chocolates and pink sparkling wine. Friday night I watched the frantic buying of gifts at the local supermarket. A young guy stood in front of the small selection of fresh flowers and reached for a bunch of Inca lilies. I was silently impressed because the Inca lilies were the freshest looking, but he decided against the lilies and bought the last bunch of roses that should rather have been sold the previous week.

For the young lovers it will remain special because the heart that bought the flowers will last longer than the fleeting gift. For one moment it will be the most amazing flowers that his lover will ever receive. I chastised myself for allowing my need for perfect detail to rob me of appreciating a moment of innocence where a worse for wear rose as a token of love is more important than the perfect lily.

In front of me at the till a farm labourer was buying a tiny bottle of pink sparkling wine with two glasses filled with chocolates and other snacks wrapped in cellophane with lots of red ribbons. Clearly it was a special gift for somebody special and for that moment it did not matter that he was paying nearly a day’s wages for it. Sometimes we just need to do something that is bigger than the moment for that special person in your life.

The weather beaten face was soft as he tenderly put the gift in a carrier bag, who knows how far he still had to walk to give his lover this gift that will bring a moment of lightness into their life. His tred must have been light going home because his heart must have been filled with the unbearable joy of knowing the happiness he carries home tonight.

For all the dislike I have for the commercial machine that drives these special days it warms my heart to witness these small acts of love.

To celebrate this day I thought I will put my heart into the evening meal to share the love and care that goes into my vegetables.

Yellow Tomato and Leek Soup with an Ashton Creme Heart

Roasted Tomatoes and Brinjals

Lamb Roll with a Mint Sauce, Roasted Tomato and Brinjal Mousse Heart and Roast Potatoes

Keith's Roasted Potatoes

Pear and Plum Pancake with Ginger and Honey

The Food of Love

'Cellarbrating' the Grape

The valley is in full swing of grape harvesting. The vineyards are bursting with bunches of black and white grapes and everywhere there is the smell of fermenting pressed grapes.

Queues of tractors with wagons laden with grapes line up at the cellar to deliver the grapes for crushing. The laden grape containers have left Hansel and Gretel trails of grape syrup on the tar roads leading from the vineyards to the cellars.  

I believe the season is early and that there are fewer grapes but the quality is very good. The Robertson hands on harvest started on Saturday and will last until 29 March, a golden opportunity to press, blend and bottle your own wine.

In the valley the wine harvest is a good reason to celebrate the grape.

A Garden's Memory

The Crinum Moorei is coming into flower for the first time in the new bulb garden.  I am glad that I grouped them as they would grow in the wild to have a dense floral display.

Crinum Moorei

The Crinum Moorei was one of the plants that we found on the property. As with everything else we kept some plants to preserve the history of the garden. We planned them into the garden and we have kept Irises, Agapanthus, Narcissus, Snow Drops, Violets, Acanthus and the Crinum Moorei.

Lily Capturing the Sun

In this way we kept the garden’s memory alive.

Colourful Harvest

The days are getting shorter and I am starting to arrive home in the last sunlight of the day. The magic of the position of the sun is that the last rays of the day comes in through the bedroom window and shines through the dining room into the kitchen.

The Last Ray of  Sun

The garden is in peak production mode adding nuts to the selection of vegetables and fruit available. There is currently Bright Lights chard adding colour with their bright yellow, orange, red, pink and purple stems not to be outdone by the yellow, orange, red and purple tomatoes. 

An Abundant Harvest

The Hanepoot grapes are turning a golden honey colour and are so sweet that it burns your throat. If one could taste the seasons, Summer would taste like Hanepoot grapes.

With grapes, pears and plums for fruit and the leeks, peppers, tomatoes, chard and aubergines adding to the vegetable selection the almond picking was a sheer luxury.

I am always amazed at the variety of produce our small garden can produce. I believe the success lies in the way we planned it. The rule for the garden is that everything should be usable in the house and garden be it for insect sprays, medicinal or culinary purposes.

The harvest on Sunday was a visual feast and a treat for the taste buds.

‘n Bokmakierie in die Boord

Vroegoggend staan ek by die kamervenster en kyk na die heerlikheid van die boord waar die bome roerloos in die windlose oggend staan. Net die twee bosse skoenlapper blomme buig en waai waar die bye die blomme gryp en laat gaan soos hulle die nektar versamel.

Die ligte stingels buig af met die gewig van die bye wat op die blomme land en skiet dan weer op waneer die by na die volgende blom vlieg. Hierdie beweging van die blomme skep die illusie van baie skoenlappers wat deur die lug vlieg.

‘n Voël se geroep laat my opkyk om te sien wie die eienaar van hierdie nuwe klank is maar die eienaar bly skugter in die Bougainvillea waar ek hom gewaar met die beweging van die blomme.

Die jong Bokmakierie in die Boord

Ek gaan haal my kamera en sit die zoom lens aan en rig dit op die Bougainvillea en wag. Die  tyd stap aan maar ek wag geduldig en my geduld word uiteindelik beloon toe doe voël in die bure se boom in vlieg en  ek ‘n redelike goeie foto van hom kry.

Ek ondek dat dit ‘n jong Bokmakierie is. Met sy mooi sang en voorliefde vir insekte is hy ‘n welkome besoeker in die tuin. Nou kan ek ‘n Bokmakierie by die lys van voëls wat die tuin besoek voeg.

'n Kaapse Witogie besig om Luise van die Rose te haal

Daar is die Jan Fiskale, Tarentale, Kaapse Witogies, Kaapse Bul Bul, Kwikstertjies, Kaapse Kanaries, Mossies, Geel Vinke, Suikerbekkies, Janfrederikke, Swaeltjies, Muisvoëls, Lysters, Tortelduiwe, Visvangers en ongelukkig Hadidas.

In Pursuit of Delicious Destinations

After  a  long struggle with postal strikes and a waiting list for garlic my new consignment of heirloom vegetable seeds arrived. I was able to get Egyptian Pink and  Egyptian White garlic and  I cannot wait to plant them.

Hello Heirlooms

With 29 packets of seeds and 3 packets of complimentary seeds it was like Christmas in January. I feel like a kid that just got a box of coloured crayons and cannot wait to start colouring the vegetable beds.

Happiness@Towerwater

With Long White Cucumbers, Long Purple Brinjal, Green Zebra Tomato, Atomic Red Carrot, Purple sprouting broccoli, Black Cephus and many more it will be an adventure to grow and taste them.

Sunday's Colourful Harvest 

As I like to travel through cookbooks I see my vegetable garden as  my passport to delicious destinations on my plate.

Colour Me Delicious

In a Pickle

While out buying some mangos and bananas I had a quick look at what was on offer on the vegetable shelves. I came across a bag of white pickling onions, I know the little brown ones but I have hardly ever seen white ones.

Without thinking I just bought a bag, resisting buying two bags at a special price. Driving home I realised that these little onions needed to be peeled whatever I wanted to do with them. I made a mental note to research easy methods on how to peel them or to invite a friend to Towerwater to help.

Still Life with Onions

Researching methods of peeling little onions I thought I would just look at the history of pickled onions. Typing in the question, “where do pickled onions come from” I got the advice to read the label because it is usually printed on the label.

It made me realise most people do not really care about the origin of the dish or food that they eat even less about the possibility to make it at home. The history and origin of food fascinates me and I enjoy tasting a country when I travel.

Clean and Salted

Back to pickled onions, pickling food apparently dates back 4000 years ago when it was used to preserve food but the history of the pickled onion is strongly linked to British and Dutch fare. The history of the onion is a different matter.

In a Pickle Jar or Two

Pickled onions are perfect for a ploughman’s platter with a strong Cheddar cheese and a serious slice of homemade bread. 

I decided to add some French Tarragon to the pickled onions because I have the most beautiful Tarragon in the herb garden that was begging to be used.

Proudly South African

With a few jars of homemade pickled onions maturing in my cupboard I won’t be in a pickle when I need to make a ploughman’s platter for friends in autumn.

What a Nice Day for a Daydream

A drizzly Saturday gave me an opportunity to go to Montagu to buy some Kraal manure for the vegetable beds when they need to be prepared for the new planting in February.

I stopped at the bookshop and I am proud to say that I resisted buying any books although I considered one or two.

At the antique shop in Ashton I was not that lucky and went home with a lamp that needs restoration.

At home I enjoyed the garden in a cool  cloudy setting. Week one of the Mole Pole and no sign of new mole activity. I will be very happy if it works.

Crinum Moorei

The Crinum Moorei or Natal lily is starting to flower and the moon flower is happily coming into its third flush.

The Moonflower creating a Spetacle

The sweet sent of the wild ginger was strong in the cool air as I walked along the pipped pathway in the herb garden. Unfortunately it is its last season in the garden as it needs to make way for real ginger that I can harvest. Some advice, always buy your herbs from a reputable grower and avoid disappointment like I had with the ginger and angelica.

Wild Ginger Lily

With the rain softly enfolding the garden I could retreat into the library with a glass of Pinot Noir and do some armchair traveling and dream some nice daydreams.

A Welcome Visitor to the Cool Garden

A clear and hot Sunday morning was spent harvesting, assessing current plants coming to the end of their season and planning the February planting and sowing schedule.