When Summer Complements Autumn on a Plate

When my friend Susan phoned to say that her husband was going to hunt springbok and I could put in my order, I had a brief moment of guilt before my mind filled with the possibilities of the venison dishes I could make.

Venison is such an autumn dish. The rich flavours of cloves, coriander and bay leaves filled the hearth while the day outside was shrouded in mist.

Creamy Paprika Springbok Shanks with Quince Chutney

I decided to make creamy paprika springbok shanks with handmade fettuccine. For lunch I served the springbok shanks and fettuccine with quince chutney, baby rocket and tomatoes. The quince chutney lifted the flavours of the Springbok. The summer quince complemented the autumn venison and all the effort I put into making this preserve in summer paid off in a mouthful of sheer delight.

The Springfield Whole Berry was just the right wine for the meal and made me wish that the balmy autumn afternoon would never end.

Flambéed Quince Crêpes

For dessert I made flambéed quince crêpes with vanilla pod cream. Once more the summer sweetness with the autumn heat surprised even me and I remembered why I love food. One can imagine flavours coming together but you never know when your own meal will surpass your expectations. 

Flambéed Quince Crêpes with Vanilla Pod Cream

Just for sheer indulgence, we opened a bottle of Jacques Bruere 2008 Brut Reserve to celebrate Keith’s birthday on a day that aptly captured the best of what life can offer.

Ode to Limes

I love limes and the lime tree in the middle of the citrus row, alongside the vegetable beds where it stands guard over the seasonal crops, is bearing in abundance.

Lime Liqueur

I cannot bear to waste fruit and decided to make some lime liqueur. I followed a recipe roughly based on the one I used to make Limoncello.

The lime liqueur turned out light and fragrant with a flavour that will only improve over the next couple of weeks.

In winter it will be a delicious aperitif before a hearty stew, enticing the palate to a warm and contented meal.

Ode to Limes

Green and fragrant you fill my hands

with promises of flavour

an offering to a culinary delight

as yet unformed in my mind.

your subtle oils infuse my hands

as the knife slices through your dark green skin

exposing the soft green citrus

that is sour yet floral

your soft green flesh holds the secret

to enhance and capture flavours

as ancient as Persia

into a new world of delights

where sweet and sour infused

cocktails seduce the melancholic romantics

with the freshness of citrus oil infused

in distilled memories

I offer you to pleasure.

The Politics of Jam Tarts

With our recent visit to the house where General Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa from 1919 - 1924 and 1939 – 1948, lived and buying Hertzog cookies near his front door, made me think of the politics behind these jam tarts.

Hertzoggies

JBM Hertzog was the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1924 - 1939 and Jan Smuts’s political rival. Smuts was the leader of the South African Party and Hertzog was the leader of the National Party.

Hertzoggie Detail

In 1924 women could not vote in the elections but that did not stop them from showing their political support from the kitchen. During this time the little jam tart in honour of JBM Hertzog or the ‘Hertzoggie’ started to grace the tea tables of staunch National Party supporting women.

Hertzoggies for Tea

Hertzoggie Detail

They took pride in their baked fare and the ‘Hertzoggie’ was and is a real treat, with its’ buttery crust, apricot filling and coconut meringue topping.

Jan Smutsies

Not to be outdone, the South African Party supporters created a similar jam tart but replaced the coconut meringue topping with a grated or minced dough topping that was made by using a grater or a small mincer that used to be turned by hand and fastened to the edge of the table.

Jan Smuts Cookies

I used to enjoy pushing the dough through the mincer while turning the handle and watching the little dough worms coming through the little holes.

I hardly ever see the true Jan Smuts cookies and the toppings are more solid than the crumbly worm-like ones I remember.

Jan Smutsie Detail

I do not know if it is because JBM Hertzog passed The Women's Enfranchisement Act in 1930 which granted white women aged 21 and older the right to vote and to run for office but the ‘Hertzoggie’ seems to be more popular than the ‘Jan Smutsie’ to the extent that your chances of finding a 'Hertzoggie' outside the front door of Jan Smuts’s house is better than finding a 'Jan Smutsie'.

Hertzoggie and Jan Smutsie United

The Wonder of Wormwood

I remember growing up in a garden that always had an Artemisia Afra (Wilde Als) and an Artemisia Absinthium (Groen Amara) better known as Wormwood.

My father believed in the healing qualities of this plant and man and beast was treated with the tea made from the bitter plant. I am not sure if the sick stopped complaining about their ailments to avoid another sip from this bitter cup or if they really got cured.

Dried Artemisia

Well I can vouch for the healing powers of the fine green leaves of the Wilde Als and the grey green leaves of the Groen Amara and as more than an inherited tradition I always grow them in my garden. I have helped many a sick dog and weak lamb back to health with the bitter tea from these plants.

Wishing to be more organic, I started to investigate alternative pesticides and discovered the wide variety of applications for this abundant herb. As a companion plant it can keep your cabbage free from cabbage moth and fruit trees free from fruit tree moth.

Wormwood is one of the best known medicinal herbs and has been used for hundreds of years by the indigenous people of Southern Africa.

Wormwood has an antiseptic, vermifuge (anti-worm) and narcotic effect and is used to relieve pain and for treating fevers, worms, constipation, coughs, sore throats, flu and jaundice. It also restores the appetite, aids digestion, cures diarrhoea and dysentery. (Source: Margaret Roberts' A-Z Herbs)

I have problems with fish-moth and the thought of them eating my book collection worries me to no end. Not liking the smell of Mothballs I had to find another more eco-friendly solution. That is when I came across the advice to put Wormwood into sachets and place it among the books to deter the fish-moth.

Wormwood Sachets

On Saturday I harvested the dried Wormwood that I hung from the ceiling of the garden shed and packed them in the silk sachets I bought in town. I enjoyed stuffing the dried aromatic herb in the bags making the kitchen smell like a herbal shop.

After filling the bags I placed them in the book cases behind the books and I am sure my collection of books on herbs gave a nod of approval.

My Arsenal of Silk and Wormwood

I eased my worries about ferocious fish-moth with wormwood but it would have helped to see them scurrying away from the books with panic in their eyes.

My books are now safe but I worry that they will eat the silk sachets. Maybe I should start looking for a remedy.

A Rose Display in Autumn

With the property deep in autumn and trees turning shades of yellow, brown, red and orange the rosarium is looking the best it has ever for this time of the year.

The Cottage

This is a clear indication that all the new measures we introduced to support the plants are working and that we will have healthier plants going into spring. We will also need to replace fewer of them this winter.

The Main House

The late autumn display of roses remains a real feast on the cold grey days.

Last of the Summer Vegetables

On Saturday I picked the last Brinjals before taking out the plants. There was a possibility of another two crops but I needed to prepare the bed for the winter crops. The Brinjals produced profusely and I will definitely plant them again in summer.

I might try other varieties like the white, green or even the graffiti (a pink and purple speckled variety). Philip sent me a photo he took in Paris of the graffiti variety and it is amazing.

The courgettes are still going strong as well as the Swiss chard. Beetroot and carrots are coming into season with the violet and green cauliflower, the purple broccoli, rhubarb, peas, red and brown onions, pink and white garlic, rocket and Brussel sprouts all showing a lot of promise.

Beds of new Vegetables

With the last of the summer harvest in the house I look forward to the winter produce.

My Huis word Herfs

Vrydagaand stop ek in ‘n see van akker blare by die huis wat baie jammer vir homself lyk met net een van die twee lampe by die voordeur wat brand.  Ek vind geen ekstra dag en nag gloeilamp in die huis nie en moet maar verlief neem om ‘n gewone gloeilamp te gebruik. Ek troos my daaraan dat dit net tydelik is.

In die sitkamer lê ‘n kriek dramaties in die middel van die vloer morsdood, beentjies wyd uitmekaar. Ek wonder of dit selfmoord of moord was maar besluit toe maar om die moontlike misdaad  toneel in die skoppie op te vee en in die drom te gooi.

Die koel huis het verander van somer lafenis tot herfs ongemak en ek gooi die swaar Indiese deken oor die bed vir ekstra hitte in die nag. Ek besef dit is tyd om die verwarmers uit die kelder te gaan haal maar dit moet maar wag vir die volgende oggend.

Saterdagoggend maak ek die luike oop  maar  die lig stroom nie die vertrekke in nie, die dag sit teen die ruite vas en die kamers bly in skemer gehul.

In die sitkamer sien ek die bruin en geel akkerbome staan met hul koppe in die mis wat eers teen twaalf uur voor die swak son sal wyk. Ek besluit om die ligte klasieke klavier musiek  te los en sit toe ‘n jazz en blues album op.

Ella Fitzgerald se “Summertime” gaan sit in die leerstoel in die biblioteek en sukkel om die huis te vul. Die musieknote hang vir ‘n oomblik in die koel skemer kamer en val dan vloer toe en verdwyn onder die mat. Waar die musiek soggens die sonryke kamers gevul het is dit asof dit vanoggend besluit het dat een koue kamer genoeg is.

In die kombuis maak ek tee en die Assam blare lyk soos herfs wat in die teepot geval het. Die kookwater jaag hulle in sirkels in die teepot rond. Die aroma wasem warm die kombuis in en kom lê warm in my neus. Die botter en marmalade smeer ek dik op my roosterbrood en ek skink vir my ‘n warm koppie Assam. Ek proe gister se sonskyn, ruik vandag se herf en die lekkerte kom sit tussen my ribbes vas, ek is weer by die huis. Behaaglik vryf ek oor die geelhout tafelblad en wonder oor die meer as 150 herfs seisoene wat dit al gesien het.

Voor die kombuisdeur in die Fiddlewood skree die Jan Fiskaal “tweedood”, “tweedood” voor  hy oorslaan in sy gefluit wat my altyd verras en ek sit en luister vir ‘n oomblik na sy gesing wat lig en helder in die mistige dag klink.  Iewers in die agtergrond sing Nat King Cole “Autumn Leaves” en ek dink ja  Nat as jy maar weet hoe lyk die werf van “autumn leaves” en iemand moet dit nog ophark.

Ek kyk na die diep skadus in die kombuis hoeke, ek sit met ‘n baadjie aan en ontbyt eet en ek besef my huis het herfs geraak.

The Art of Tea

In the 8th Century the celebrated poet Lu Yu wrote that in order to enjoy a really delicious cup of tea a porcelain cup should be used, preferably beside a lily pond in the company of desirable women or gentlemen.

In the East, tea drinking is believed to be a form of meditation with set rules to enjoy the art of tea. The art is in the preparation of the pot, cup and utensils. It is the way you stir the tea and contemplate it before you drink it.

As a true Englishman, Keith is a tea drinker who believes that a cup of tea is the solution for every celebration, disaster, and calamity or when one is in need of comfort. A cup of tea restores the order of things. When one is upset a cup of tea will calm you and put things into perspective. When one is calm a cup of tea will enlighten you as to the reasons for your calmness.

I fully understand the philosophy that tea is a form of meditation. In our house you cannot have a quick cup of tea. I have discovered the art of tea drinking by watching Keith making tea. The first rule is that you have the right tea for the occasion.

Leaf Tea with Roses

It has to be leaf tea. According to Keith what ends up in bags is just tea dust. It starts with the warming of the teapot. Then you add the leaf tea to the pot, a spoon per person and one extra for the pot. Then you boil the water only once to maintain the correct oxygen level in the water. Tea leaves need oxygen to release their flavours. Boiling water twice will reduce the oxygen levels in the water and the taste of the tea will suffer because of it.

After pouring the hot water on the tea leaves one gives it a good stir for improved infusion. The teapot is then covered with a tea cosy to keep the pot and tea warm.

Keith prefers to heat the cup as well. For him tea needs to be hot because it prolongs the enjoyment of a good cup of tea and forces one to drink slowly and allow time for meditation. The milk goes in first and then the tea and sugar. Apparently the milk first rule comes from Victorian times to protect the fine porcelain cups from cracking when one pours the hot tea into them.

One has Breakfast tea, Morning Tea, Noon Tea, Afternoon Tea and High Tea. And Englishmen and women even refer to their meals as taking tea.

We have a lot of different teas in the house. Assam, Pavane Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, Rose Earl Grey, French Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Royal Blend, Christmas Blend and many more.  This is a clear sign of the importance of tea in our house.

For all the different tea that we have, there is a tea tin among them that for more than fifty years, has held the blend that Keith grew up with. This is a blend his mother blended and it has never changed carrying the memory of a thousand family gatherings to celebrate in good times and comfort in sad times. Keith has never stopped using this blend and I am sure this is true for the rest of his family.

The art of tea in our house is expressed in the familiar and special blends that capture the melancholy and joy of life in one aromatic cup of tea.

Four Seasons in a Tea Box

As a birthday present I went to a tea merchant and had four different exclusive teas blended for Keith. I wanted to capture the things he enjoys most, tea, Towerwater and Vivaldi.  The Towerwater Teas represented the four seasons on the property. I had a Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter blend.

The Tea Box

The teas were individually packed and put in an exclusive tea box that I designed.

The four blends were presented as follows.

Spring Blend

Spring at Towerwater is a celebration of new life filled with expectation of visual feasts. To celebrate this season a blend of Darjeerling , Kenyan and Ceylon tea was chosen. The blend fuses the rich honey and caramel like flavour with a subtle fruity finish of the Kenyan, the astringent muscatel flavour and the aroma of the spring picked Darjeerling and the full flavour of the Ceylon.

Tea...is a religion of the art of life.  ~Okakura

Summer Blend

Summer at Towerwater is infused with bright colours and fragrances. China Rose Black tea was the perfect choice to celebrate this season. China Rose Black tea is infused with rose petals that give this black tea a lovely aromatic and floral character.

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.  ~Japanese Proverb

Four Seasons Tea

Autumn Blend

Autumn at Towerwater is a season filled with the fragrance of the end of the harvest and the last flushes of flowers. To celebrate this season a blend of Java OP Malabar and Pavanga Orange Pekoe was chosen. The Malabar has a slightly sweet flavour and is low in tannins while Orange Pekoe has a rich “forest like” scent with a hint of bitterness and a sweet finish flavour.

Tea is liquid wisdom.  ~Anonymous

Winter Blend

Winter at Towerwater is characterised by the textures in the garden and old architecture. Traditional Blend tea was the perfect choice to celebrate this season. Traditional Blend is a treasure for connoisseurs, produced to a traditional recipe. The blend only uses the highest quality leaf tea.

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company.  ~Author Unknown

'n Lyf se Onthou

Een Saterdag oggend kom Heinrich die kombuis binne.  Hy is pas terug van Zurich waar hy klas gee by die Universiteit. In sy arms het hy ‘n bottle Prosecco en Polenta wat hulle vir ons gekoop het in Venesie toe hy, Ilze en die seuns weer ‘n naweek daar spandeer het.

Gondolas

Dit is asof hy meer as net Prosecco en Polenta op die tafel neersit want skielik voel ek weer die sout lug van Venesie op my vel waar ons langs kanale loop en op Vaporettos na afgeleë eilande vaar.

Burano

Op Murano  waar ons ‘n glasbak laat maak vir Towerwater en op Burano waar ons ‘n kant tafeldoek by die kant museum vir die eetkamer tafel koop.

Burano kantwerk

Ek voel weer die plesier van die Rialto mark wat ‘n visiuele fees is van groente, vrugte en vis. Ek koop weer hande salata mista en vye vir aandete. Ek onthou uitgerekte middag etes op die Vignole eiland waar ek en Philip alle soorte seekat, diepgebraaide Salie blare en courgette blomme geëet het.

Mista by die Rialto Mark

By die Rialto Mark

Vir my is die lekkerste lekker die ervaring van ‘n eerste keer. Die eerste keer om ‘n verlate Georgiaanse dubbel verdieping huis in die middel van die Karoo op ‘n verlate pad teë te kom. Die eerste keer om diepgebraaide polenta met ‘n ansjovis en kaper sous te proe in Toskane. Die eerste keer om Prosecco by ‘n restaurant langs die hoof kanaal in Venesië te drink.

Gondolas op die Hoof Kanaal

Ek ervaar ‘n plek met my hele lyf . Ek will die kos en wyn van ‘n plek proe sodat geure en smake my lyf kan herinner hoe dit gevoel het op daardie dae wat die Karoo son warm op jou vel lê en ‘n vriend Venesie op my tafel kom neersit.

Prosecco en Polenta