Waterblommetjie season

The rain has brought magic to the dry pools dotted along the banks of the Breede River. Pools that had been dry for more than a year, are filled with water and with that, the waterblommetjies (Cape Pondweed/Aponogeton angustifolius) has come into its own. Apparently, waterblommetjies can survive in seasonal wetlands because they die back in summer. Their starchy roots lie buried in the mud. When it rains and the wetlands once again fill with water, their leaves and flowers grow from the roots.

The pools near the Breede River Bridge, outside Worcester, are full of the delicious white and pink edible flowers. Local entrepreneurs are making use of the opportunity to harvest them. They then sell bags-full alongside the road. On Friday, on the way to Bonnievale, we gave in to temptation and bought a bag of the freshly picked delicacies.

Completely unprepared for the waterblommetjie harvest, I had to rethink the menus for the weekend. The weekend turned into a festival of waterblommetjies and venison.

Waterblommetjies and surings

A quick stop at the butchery on Saturday, provided the opportunity to purchase my preferred meat for waterblommetjie bredie, lamb shanks. Slow oven-roasted lamb shanks add the best flavours to a waterblommetjie bredie. On Saturday morning, I had to take a walk into the veld to find fresh surings (Wood Sorrel/Oxalis pes-caprae). No waterblommetjie bredie is complete without it.

I had earlier marinated two deboned Springbok ribs in a red wine marinade for three days. I planned to prepare them over the weekend. I decided to stuff them with some of the last of the quince fruit, garlic, pepper and spring onion. I added a fresh bouquet garni from the garden and an onion hedgehog, made with cloves, before roasting them for four hours in a cast-iron pot.

Waterblommetjie and suring risotto

While the stuffed Springbok ribs were roasting, I made a waterblommetjie and suring risotto for lunch. I steamed the flowers lightly and set them aside. I made a basic risotto with lamb stock and white wine. Before adding the second last cup of stock, I added the waterblommetjies and surings. The flavours worked well with the fresh parmesan. The near-vegetarian lunch was light and fresh.

The roasted springbok ribs were served with potato mash for supper. The delicate potatoes complemented the rich fruity flavours of the meat.

Stuffed Springbok rib with mashed potatoes

On Sunday, I oven roasted the lamb shanks for three hours, adding twelve small potatoes for the last hour. I added the lamb and potatoes to the waterblommetjies and suring and cooked it together on the stove top for 30 minutes.

Waterblommetjie bredie

The meals of the weekend were a celebration of the true South African ingredients we could find from the veld, river and the Towerwater garden. Winter is waterblommetjie season and it is the best experience to eat seasonal slow cooked food.