Not many, is my guess, which is why I’m very excited to be learning all about it next weekend. Slow Food Cape Town has organised a special tour of the indigenous ‘veldkos’ garden out at Solms Delta Farm near Franschhoek (Saturday 11 September 2010).

The hour-and-half long tour will be led by well-known food writer, Renata Coetzee, who was part of the planning team for the garden. Renata will point out what’s what, and tell us more about the history of the plants and of the garden. We’ll also be able to smell and taste the indigenous plants and herbs, and admire the fat-tailed sheep and Sanga cattle (traditionally herded by the Khoi).

Slow Food Mother City (yes, there are two Slow Food groups in Cape Town) will be tagging along for the garden visit, but instead of joining Slow Food Cape Town members for the post-tour lunch at Fyndraai Restaurant on the estate, we’ll be picnicking and viewing the plum blossoms at a neighbouring private farm.

If you’d like to come along for just the garden tour, you can book online here (cost: R40 per person). Bookings for the lunch must be done via Slow Food Cape Town (cost: R230 for Slow Food members, R250 for guests – including garden tour). Bookings close on Monday (6 September 2010).

Here’s hoping we get a beautiful spring day like this one… mmmm, I can smell the plum blossoms already.

About the garden:

“Solms-Delta farm is a wine estate located 15km outside the village of Franschhoek.

In addition to producing fine wines on the farm, the owners and farm workers have established a working culinary veldkos garden. The lives of the Cape’s first settlers, the Khoi, revolved around some 400 plant species that nourished them and cured their ailments. Most are now under threat of extinction.

When Fyndraai Restaurant opened on the estate, its brief was to draw from the Cape’s food traditions. Afrikaner boerekos (18th Century Old Cape fare influenced by Dutch, French, German and Slave practices), was mixed with ingredients first used by the Khoi nomads who settled in the Franschhoek valley 2000 years ago. The need to preserve this veldkos was the genesis for the Veldfood Garden.

The 2-hectare garden is a small but productive land parcel that, over the past 320 years, has been used for grazing, fruit production, and most recently, as a dumping ground. It is now planted with many of the edible veldkos plants.”

About a month ago, the friendly folk from Oded’s Kitchen asked me if I’d like to come along to one of their preserving courses at their shop in Woodstock (in the Biscuit Mill complex).  On the cards: a 4-hour hands-on workshop making 3 different types of preserves – marmalade (Brown Sugar 3-Citric), salsa (3-Tomato) and a pickle (Tannie Zelda’s).

Now, to say that I love pickles is a wild understatement, and as Oded’s pickles and preserves are amongst my very favourite (if not the favourite) on offer around Cape Town, I was uber keen to learn from the maestro himself.  So of course I jumped at the opportunity.

In case you haven’t yet encountered Oded’s Kitchen, here’s a little bit of background:

“Oded’s Kitchen is the culmination of many years of research and a deep love of ancient techniques. Cooking and food lore are used to produce innovative, vibrant and individual flavours that are designed to add an instant gourmet touch to any meal.

Oded’s Kitchen is much more than a condiment provider – it is an organically growing and creative environment which will teach, amuse and entertain with cooking classes, gastronomic experiences, tours and a range of Jewish style speciality foods…

As a company we fully promote the philosophies of the slow food movement; whenever possible we use organically produced, local ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging materials. No artificial preservatives are added and we strive to use the best ingredients around.”

Oded Schwartz is a master preserver who has written several books on the topic, including the definite ‘Preserving‘.  His knowledge is vast, and his enthusiasm contagious – he’ll try just about anything, once.

The course was great fun.  We were a small group (they take a maximum of 8 people) and so we all got to get stuck in, chopping and slicing, dicing and squeezing, as Oded guided us through the three different recipes (for the recipes visit Add To Taste).  We made a beautiful orange marmalade (with coriander in it, yum!), an awesome simple vegetable pickle, and a delicious (spicy!) tomato salsa – one of each of which we got to take home and enjoy later on.

What I loved was that even a complete preserving newbie like myself could follow the instructions, and end up with something delicious (okay, I didn’t really do that much on my own, but it all made sense to me, and I think I could probably replicate most of it now that I understand how it’s supposed to work).  Oded is friendly and ever-so-knowledgeable, and loves answering whatever questions you might have.

I didn’t pay for my workshop this time around, but I would gladly have done so, and will definitely be doing some more in future.  The R400 for the course includes 3 big jars of delicious self-made preserves to take home, and a lovely lunch of home-made pates and whatever else they’ve created for the occasion.

And if you’re not into getting hands-on, you can find Oded’s Kitchen’s wares at various markets around Cape Town, as well as in an increasing number of outlets.  Highly recommended, and there’s always something new on the go (Oded is somewhat experimental!).

Workshop details:

Oded’s Kitchen will be running all kinds of workshops in the months ahead.  Coming up this weekend is the Traditional Jewish Cooking Class on Sunday the 29th of August 2010.

Location:

Oded’s Kitchen is located at The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 Albert Rd, Salt River, Cape Town.   Visit odeds-kitchen.blogspot.com for more information or contact Lewis via email (Lewis@odeds-kitchen.co.za) or phone 021 447 0400.

The Earth Fair Market has done both, and much more, and has become my favourite market on the Cape Town scene.  Under the passionate direction of market organiser, Jacqui Simpson, the market has grown into something very special.  On Wednesday evenings, families and friends gather to grab a glass of organic wine (or artisan beer) and a bite to eat, in a convivial setting, with perhaps a bit of shopping on the side.  On Saturday mornings, it’s all about artisan coffee (the fabulous Origin is now in residence, hoohah!), delectable breakfasts (mmmm, Lemon Moon Crepes) and a weekly fresh produce top up.

Jacqui picks her stallholders carefully, and the quality of produce overall is outstanding.  I love that it’s become a place where families gather, boots ‘n’ all, and enjoy not only the great food and drink, but also the vibe.  Pick a different meal every time, supporting local producers, and forming relationships with them at the same time.

Anyway, long story short, this fab market is celebrating its first birthday this Saturday (14 August) and will be having an extra special market, with lots of Birthday Specials on offer.

Earth Fair Market is the place to go for a wonderful shopping experience. Enjoy products from a range of top quality traders; farm cheeses, a wide free range meat selection, speciality sausages, fresh and smoked fish, organic and farm fruit and veg, artisan breads and cakes and bakes, olives and preserves, delightful take home meals and salads.

The vibey indoor market is open twice a week so that you can stock up on your favourite items and, at the same time, meet up with family and friends for a delicious artisan coffee, local on tap beers and organic wines. There is a selection of mouthwatering meals to choose from – sushi, prego rolls, crepes, pizzas, bratwursts, Argentinean empanadas and quesadillas and so much more.

If you haven’t been yet, GO.

Some recommendations: biodynamic Avondale bubbly, Rudi’s sausages (no wheat, no preservatives, ALL flavour), Oded’s Kitchen’s divine pickles and preserves (and, recently, desserts, mmmm…), superb walnuts (and other nuts and dried fruits) from By Nature, Lemon Moon Crepes (both sweet and savoury), Ciao Bella’s uber-popular crispy-based pizzas (be prepared for a bit of a wait), Stefan’s spinach and onion rostis… I could go on for hours.

Where: South Palms (next to Builders Warehouse in Tokai Main Rd)

When: Saturday 14 August 2010.  9am-2.30pm  (and regularly on Wednesday evenings 3-8pm, and Saturday mornings 9am-2pm)

According to organisers, the Fine Food and Wine Market, which debuts this Saturday (17 July 2010), will feature locally produced food, created by small producers specifically chosen because of their focus on taste, variety and personal attention.

On offer will be artisan breads, handmade cheeses, gourmet pastries, fresh and smoked fish, ‘decadent sweets and confectionery’, German and Dutch products, charcuterie, fresh juices, pure smoothies and many more taste tempting treats.

There’s a special area for kids, and plenty of parking.

I’m always a sucker for a new market, and am certainly excited to see what food I’ll find – so I’ll definitely be stopping by to check it out.

Market details:

The Constantia Fine Food & Wine Market will be held on Saturday 17 July (9am to 2pm) at the False Bay Rugby Club on the Constantia Sports Grounds, Constantia Main Road (opposite Constantia Village).   For more information, please contact Pam on 021 788 2877.

Dates for 2010:

• July 17th, 31st
• August 14th, 28th
• September 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
• October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
• November 6th, 13th, 27th
• December 4th, 11th, 18th

This weekend (10-11 July 2010), Robina McCurdy will be hosting a workshop on ‘Local Food Reliance‘:

This dynamic workshop is an in-depth sharing of Robina’s participatory tools for creating sustainable community food systems, applied to Cape Town and surrounds.  Robina will also share a range of successful international models of local food production and distribution.

The intended outcome of the workshop is that participants leave with a sound integrated strategy for community scale food self reliance, with immediate action steps toward achieving this individually and collectively, starting at their own back doors, within their own neighbourhoods and building on existing networks.

More about Robina McCurdy:

Robina is a co-founder of Tui Land Trust & Community in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and founder/trustee of the Institute for Earthcare Education Aotearoa.  She is also the pioneer-developer of the international programme, S.E.E.D. Schools Environmental Education & Development, and of PLANET Organic in New Zealand (vocational training in bio-regional & community-scale sustainable landuse design, management and facilitation.

Dates: 10, 11 July 2010.

Venue: WESSA Barn in Kirstenhof, Cape Town.

Cost: R475-R950 for weekend | R300 – R600 for Saturday only  (cost is on income-based sliding scale)

For more details, and to register, contact Inna Alex: earthcarenz@gmail.com

Perfect macaroon by seriouseats.com

I’ll admit I giggled a teensy bit at the patriotic colours, having not yet fully embraced the ‘gees‘ that has swept our city and our country over the last couple of weeks. But dang, when I took one out and had an exploratory nibble, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

I’m not a sweet-tooth, by nature (more of an 85% dark chocolate junkie), but I would definitely have trouble resisting these temptresses if they were hanging about – they are splendiferous! They’re like meringues, but oh so much better than meringues… soft in all the right places, and crunchy where it counts.

And it’s all about the quality of the ingredients… According to Bottle Plate Pillow (aka my Macaroon Fairy), the creator of these irresistible delights, master chef Frank Meijer, these world-famous Parisian biscuits are made of pure almonds with a Belgian chocolate filling; a pure hand-made product!

So, how can you wander into temptation?  Unfortunately, Frank Meijer has since gone overseas, but you can find equally delicious treats at Daniela’s at the Cape Quarter (I’ve tried those too) – they stock a full range of macaroons (not just in green and gold) as well as many other mouth-watering creations.

And, if you’re curious about how the macaroon is made, here’s how some folks like to do it (!):

It was a beautiful day, and after a brief overview by Dr Alsopp (basically: when in doubt, assume mushrooms with white gills are poisonous, and put any you’re not sure of into a separate bag) we split happily off into small groups and wandered off into the forest for an hour’s worth of foraging.

What I loved most about it was the shift in perspective that is required to spot mushrooms.  There’s an entire world on the forest floor – one we most often miss because we’re walking too fast to take it in.  Slow it down, and you become aware of the smells of the forest: resin from the pine trees, decomposing leaves, dark moist earth.

You notice the signs of animal life… tracks (even if you have no idea what made them), indentations in the grass where a reasonably large animal may have spent the night, baboon droppings and plenty of half-eaten rather sorry-looking mushroom remnants.

The city seemed very far away for that hour, as I toted my trusty camera about, getting up close ‘n’ personal with with the fungi and the forest.  I don’t think I’d make a very good hunter-gatherer – I seemed to be much more interested in photographing the mushrooms than in distinguishing edible from dangerous.

After our hour was up, we all gathered around Dr Alsopp and laid out our various finds on some large logs.  The variety was staggering – I had no idea there were quite so many different types of fungi in one place.

Dr Alsopp grouped similar kinds together, and separated poisonous from the rest – and we listened and watched avidly as she shared her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm with us.

It was a fascinating look into the world of wild mushrooms, and though I don’t think I’ll be foraging on my own just yet (a little knowledge being a dangerous thing), I would definitely love to join an accomplished forager one of these days.  As long as those who forage do so without having to take everything all at once (or destroying the things they don’t like), we should (in theory) be able to share this incredible natural resource indefinitely.

More about Slow Food Mother City:
Slow Food Mother City is a new local convivium (chapter) of the international Slow Food movement.  Slow Food celebrates, protects and promotes foods that are good, clean and fair.  More info here and at slowfoodmothercity.co.za

What to expect? For the foodie you can find Von Geusau hot chocolate, Cape Malay curries and succulent steak sandwiches from Pete Goffe-Wood’s Kitchen Cowboys stand. Other usual suspects include Simply Italian pizza’s, Spanish style paella, Afro Sushi and fresh tuna burgers seared while you wait. Accompanying the array of food will be our local micro breweries and organic wine merchants.

Mmmm… I’m in (they had me at ‘foodie’).  But it’s not just about food… you can browse (and support) local designer goods stalls as well:

For the Fashionista there’s plenty of must have’s from hand crafted leather accessories from Missibaba, hand knitted angora scarfs and mittens ,vintage overcoats from Afraid of Mice and must have Tee’s from Muti and as well as never been worn sunglasses and accessories from Magnolia.The Presidents pop-up yellow ducky will also be joining us for the night to fulfill everybody’s need for cool design to mention only but a few.

If all goes well, it looks like this might become a monthly event… so watch this space.

The Neighbour Goods Winter Market will be held at the Old Biscuit Mill Complex, 373 – 375 Albert Rd Woodstock (directions).  From 6.30pm until late.

Remember that old Farmer Brown ad: ‘They taste so good, ’cause they eat so good’? It turns out that a diet of grubs, grass, grain, fresh air and sunshine makes the tastiest chickens of all.

On 6 March 2010 a group of Slow Fooders visited Spier to learn more about their biodynamic farming methods. In particular, we wanted to know about their egg-laying and broiler chickens – we’d heard they lead happy lives, by chicken standards.

Spier farm manager, Christo, led us out into the pastures to meet the chickens and cows, who live in a fascinating symbiosis on the pastures.

Into the yonder... to the chicken coop! - Pia Taylor

This piece of land was almost destroyed by conventional farming methods, but is now being rehabilitated using biodynamic principles: the cows graze the grass, trampling some of it flat and churning the earth. They leave behind pats, where larvae grow. A few days’ later the chickens are moved onto the same piece of land, where they disperse the pats by scratching for grubs and further fertilise the soil with their own droppings. After a few rounds of this, the srubby pasture starts to look green and lush – it’s revitalised.

Cows doing their good work on the Spier pastures - Liz Metcalfe

Spier’s egg-laying chickens are completely free to run around at will (though Christo has specifically chosen ones that don’t like to range TOO far) and spend their evenings roosting a large coop (decorated by local kids), where they’re free to lay their eggs as and when they feel like it.

Egg-layers' mobile coop painted by local children - Liz Metcalfe

They’re also free to indulge in all sorts of poultry peccadillos, including chickens’ absolute favourite past-time: a feather-fluffing dust bath. These chickens will be good layers for up to five years (compared to less than two years for exhausted commercial hens).

Spier chickens taking a very enjoyable dust bath - Liz Metcalfe

The broiler chickens – the one omnivorous humans eat – are moved through the pastures in large cages, partly covered in shade-cloth. While they don’t run free – predators are too much of a danger – they’re still chirpy, as The Littlest Slow Fooder found out when she was introduced.

Toddler meeting her first real-life happy chicken - Pia Taylor

These broiler chicks come from the same place that commercial chickens are bred, and are ‘saved’ at one day old. “I see the crates of chicks being loaded onto the big trucks, and look at our couple of hundred chicks, and I think ‘this is your lucky day, guys’,” says Christo.

The chicks spend their first three weeks in this roomy shed, before going ‘out to pasture’ for another three weeks. During this time, they grow up to twice as big as conventional chickens – as much as 2.6kgs – eating bugs, seeds, some special feed, and getting strong scratching around in the dirt. Right now, the chickens are slaughtered at a site about 90 minutes away that has the requisite humane approach, but Spier has nearly finished their own slaughterhouse on the farm, which will mean chickens will be far less stressed at the end.

Reverent poem on the wall of the in-progress slaughter house - Liz Metcalfe

The poem on the wall, by Kahlil Gibran, reads in part:
By the same power that slays you, I too am slain; and I too shall be consumed.
For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.
Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven.

In the biodynamic tradition of ‘closing the circle’ on a farm, all inedible by-products of the slaughter will go into the Spier organic veggie garden compost heap. It will feed the soil that fed the chickens that fed us.

Strains of Mozart waft out over Spier's organic veggie garden... - Pia Taylor

Ed’s note: Spier’s wonderful chickens are available at a growing number of locations:

• Kwalapa – 31 Newlands Avenue, Montebello Design Estate. Tel 021 687 9314.
• The Earth Fair Market – South Palms (same location as Builder’s Warehouse and Reader’s Warehouse in Tokai Main Rd).  Available Saturday mornings only.

(Please leave a comment below if you’ve spotted them elsewhere around Cape Town, and I’ll add them to the list)

It’s a beautiful estate, with lovely views, award-winning wines and one, most importantly, with an eye on the environmental impact of its operations. Whilst Backsberg hasn’t gone the organic or biodynamic route (which I’ll admit I perhaps idealistically wish they would do), there’s good reason they won the Mail & Guardian Greening the Future Award last year (in the agricultural category) and more besides.

So I’m excited to be going there again, in just over a week’s time, for the third Slow Food Mother City outing of the year.  As a member of the committee for the fledgling Slow Food group, it’s so much fun planning outings like this one (and going on them, of course!).

We’ll be joining Simon Back on a walking tour of the estate, visiting the section set aside specifically for biodiversity (which earned the estate ‘Champion’ BWI status), followed by a guided wine-tasting, and a finger lunch outside the Earth Centre.

Please join us!  The event is open to guests and members alike – cost is R80 for members, R85 for guests and R35 for children aged 3-12. Wine will be available for purchase to take home or enjoy with your picnic. Cool drinks will also be available for purchase.

The full event info:

Date and time:
Saturday 27 March 2010. 11.00am

Schedule:

11h00: Arrival (refreshments served outside the Earth Centre)
11h00-12h00: Environmental Tour of the Estate with Simon Back
12h00-13h00: Wine Tasting in Historical Vat Cellar hosted by Cellar Door Manager, Danwin James
13h00: Finger Lunch outside the Earth Centre

For more details, and a map, visit slowfoodmothercity.co.za.

Hope to see you there!

Thanks to Michelle for finding the awesome drunken snail pic (original here).