Reflections in, on and round about…with a lot of cooking on the side
My basic cooking and food choices are largely influenced by my English and Scottish background and living in South Africa. Over the last 20 or so years, as ethnic foods have become both more fashionable and available, it has become easier to experiment with flavours and different ingredients. My mother cooked "English" food and through a woman who … Continue reading Veld Kos
I have mentioned that I have a love-hate relationship with brassicas, but I think that, at last, I'm growing up. I've had to because we grow them - a lot - and I've had to think of creative ways of dishing them up. In the last three or so months, we've had more broccoli, cauliflower and … Continue reading Getting brave with Brassicas
Both Tom and I have Scottish heritage, and both our fathers were Scottish Nationalists. My mother was a Sassenach; his mother was born of a Scottish father and of an English woman (a Sassenach), in Scotland. So, as we listen to the debates around the referendum, we find ourselves conflicted. I found this posted on OM's … Continue reading Reflecting on my heritage and “the” referendum
When spring arrives in our valley, it blossoms and is filled with the sound of busy bees. It's not only the bees who are busy: the valley emerges from what is usually a cold and wet winter, into a flush of festivals and fun events. This weekend was no exception. McGregor is home to a relatively recent … Continue reading It’s not just the bees…
Our valley is one of contrasts, and last week reflected this. It began with a slow burning fire on our mountains which had, a week earlier, been covered in snow. Neither the farmers nor the conservationists not know what started the fire, although a human element is suspected. The wild animals are fleeing down the mountains, … Continue reading Wicked and wonderful things in the valley
I love edible flowers. Nasturtiums are just another gift we get from our garden. Like gooseberries, they are indigenous to South America. Before I moved to the Western Cape, I tried - in vain - to grow nasturtiums. Now they simply just grow... like in the picture, which are in the corner of our plot that we … Continue reading Noble Nasturtiums so versatile in the kitchen
I have a love-hate relationship with trade shows and festivals. I have, in my time, been on both sides of the table - stall holder, exhibitor and visitor. I have also organised a number of conferences, so I have a good idea of what goes into the organisation of fairly large events: none of it is … Continue reading And behind the scenes….after…
A couple of weeks ago, the new season of Master Chef SA started, and I was watching with half an eye, as I was preparing our supper - angel fish. Imagine my surprise when the first episode concluded with a boot camp - on a wharf in the Cape Town harbour - with the contestants having to … Continue reading Angel fish – astonishingly versatile
I have always loved eggs. As a little girl, I loved eating Dad's scrambled eggs; of course I had had my own, but they were much nicer when I perched on his knee, eating them off his plate. He loved his eggs on buttery toast and topped with a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Another … Continue reading Anyone for eggs?
For those of you who are interested, here is a peice on Diane McLean, one of the artists that I wrote about in my piece, Shadow of Time