The ghost of Christmas present

Big Christmas celebrations have been put on the back burner for this year. On the one hand, we have the pandemic robbing us of the company of friends and family. However, on the other, we have had the renovation and restorations at Vredehof to complete. We had earlier decided that the Vredehof project must be completed by the end of 2020. The fact that we secured tenants for 1 January 2021, placed a renewed sense of urgency to complete by this date.

This past week, we put in all our efforts to move the project forward. I am relieved to say that we managed to complete all the indoor work. If we did not reach that milestone, the possibility was there that we might have to work on Christmas day as well. I enjoyed finally ‘unwrapping’ the two kitchens. This involved removing all the protective plastic coverings from the cupboards and moving the fridge into its final position in the main house kitchen.

Main house kitchen and outdoor deck

Main bedroom and its ensuite

View from entrance hall through living room, study and patio beyond and reverse

Flat's ensuite, living area and kitchen

It was with a feeling of deep satisfaction that we could pack up on Thursday afternoon and head for Towerwater for Christmas. With the gammon prepared earlier, we only had the fish and side dishes to prepare on Christmas morning. Dessert was a plum sorbet, with plums sourced from the garden, waiting in the freezer.

Plums for the picking

A picking of plums

Plum sorbet

It was our first Christmas without fruitcake. I had no time to bake one. Besides, we decided it might be a better option not to have too many cakes and desserts in the house, what with being only the two of us over the festive period, and with 16 fruit mince pies already an indulgence.

Red vegetables and fruit for a red cabbage, beetroot and plum stir-fry

It is the season for giving and the garden is giving in abundance. Onions, plums, peaches, carrots, courgettes, beetroot, purple cabbage, spinach, and lots of herbs. With all the ‘gifts’ from the Towerwater garden, we could enjoy a really blessed festive meal.

The hydrangea bushes supplied the flowers for the Christmas table. The big yellow wood table seemed rather large and devoid of guests, but we could relax in the thought that they were all safe. Celebrating more intimate lunches with their immediate families.

Curing the onion harvest

Onions ready for bagging

Although quieter this year, it still tasted and felt like Christmas with gammon, crackers, hats, and lots of bubbly. The universe is looking out for us because we could not plan where we would be for Christmas. However, everything fell into place and we could enjoy a relaxed day at Towerwater.

Looking out over the peaceful garden and all the creatures going about their daily activities, it is difficult to imagine that there is a pandemic raging beyond the gates.

Vredehof renovation and restoration nearing completion

A red carpet welcome to the new occupants

On Sunday we will head back to Cape Town to tackle the snag list for the outdoor areas of Vredehof. But for now, we are rejoicing in the possibility of rebirth and the promise of renewal that Christmas and a new year brings. We are grateful to celebrate this time in a place filled with love, belonging and well-being. 

Black pepper and strawberry gin sorbet

On the afternoon following our visit to Silverthorn, I could bottle the strawberry liqueur that I made in November. The lovely red colour of the strawberry liqueur spoke of Christmas while the sweet strawberry flavour was a reminder of the bowls of fresh strawberries we have been enjoying from the garden.

After bottling the liqueur, I was left with a bowl of gin-soaked strawberries with a flavour that sported just a hint of pepper. As a firm believer in ‘waste not, want not’, I decided to liquidise the fruit and peppercorns and make a sorbet.

The sorbet was a real treat and perfect for a mature audience. It had the sweet fragrance of strawberries reminiscent of childhood picnics in summer. That quickly, but gently, turned into a seductive mouthful of gin and strawberries ending with a mischievous hint of black pepper.

Once again, we enjoyed a once off culinary treat from the Towerwater garden and cellar. I think its starting to feel like Christmas. 

Adding some festive sparkle to a quiet Christmas

This year, the build-up to the Christmas holidays seems to be rather muted. I don’t know if it is my imagination, or if it is only the fact that I don’t get to the stores that often. Either way, I am not finding the Christmas excitement of previous years.

Although the holidays around Christmas and New Year will be a quiet time at Towerwater, we decided to stock up on MCC for the festive period. MCC always makes a meal or a cocktail more festive.

We decided to visit a local winery, ‘Silverthorn’, which focuses solely on the production of MCC. On Saturday morning, we had our first outing to a wine cellar since the pandemic started. I visited their website beforehand and thought we might pop in and collect the twelve bottles consisting of two of their MCC’s I had selected.

Driving over the canal towards the charcoal-coloured wine cellar, we felt quite at home. The same canal winds its way through the valley past our front door at Towerwater. To see it among the vineyards gave us a sense of what it must have been like in the early 1900’s before the town of Bonnievale was established.

As we approached the tasting room, further in the distance were a small group tasting MCC under the trees on the welcoming lawns overlooking the river. Entering the tasting rooms, we were greeted by another small group tasting MCC at a large table in the tasting room.

When asked by Karen if we would like a tasting, we decided to stop briefly, relax, and enjoy the experience. We were seated safely distanced from the other groups. After Karen introduced us to a tasting of the freshly bottled must, John the winemaker, continued with the guided tasting. He took us on a journey of celestial constellations, mountain ranges, paleontology, mythical figures and folklore. The universal inspirations for the naming of the four MCC’s that he produces and a revelation of the terroir that feeds and supports the vines.

A ‘quick’ run to a local cellar for some festive MCC, turned into a relaxed and informative afternoon spent with passionate people who make some of the most inspirational MCC. For a moment we could forget about the pandemic. Silverthorn MCC in the Towerwater cellar will undoubtedly add excitement to our festive table.