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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
15 February: Visit to the Darling craft brewery, with lunch at Groote Post.
26 April (tentative): Lunch at Oep ve Koep Bistro at Paternoster.
21 May: AGM at Silwood. Guest speaker: Kamini Pather, 2013 Masterchef South Africa winner.
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A GREYTON OUTING
Saturday 20th July
On a gloriously sunny winter's Saturday, Slow Food members set out for the village of Greyton to meet Richard von Gesau, and visit his artisanal chocolate factory. Richard, an accountant tiring of city life, retreated to Greyton to make chocolates.
The creation of these fine artisanal chocolates starts with the best of chocolate couvertures procured from a renowned Belgian supplier. The chocolate has a high cocoa percentage and no artificial flavours or vegetable fats. The reputation of the factory has grown to such an extent that he now supplies chocolate to customers as far afield as Canada. He has also gone into partnership with Waterford wine estate, which offers wine and chocolate pairings.
After his informative talk, and the opportunity to buy his very tempting merchandise, members were free to explore the village and visit the Saturday market, with its wares of cheeses, organic vegetables, jams and pickles, plants, books and lots more.
Later we met at the Oak and Vigne Café for an excellent lunch prepared by host Coenie Visser, After a spicy-ish lentil soup, served with fresh home-made ciabatta, we were offered the choice of main courses: chicken breast stuffed with Brie and wrapped in bacon; quinoa with cumin-roasted butternut and tomatoes, caramelised onions with or without tandoori chicken strips; or the vegetarian option of couscous with roasted almonds, dates, peppers and fresh tomato and mozzarella, basted with pesto. This was followed by an excellent bread and butter pudding with a twist – made with croissants, and Von Geusau chocolate.
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VISIT TO EZIKO RESTAURANT AND COOKERY SCHOOL IN LANGA
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Saturday 14 September
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Few restaurants in Cape Town offer local African cuisine, as African food is a home cuisine, offered either within the family, or as street food. The Eziko Cookery School and Restaurant in Langa was established by a former teacher in 1996. Here they provide training to students for six months, as well as a placement in the food industry for six months, resulting in 90% employment once qualified; truly an endeavour to support!
The Slow Food outing to Eziko was unusual and enlightening. We were greeted in the Africa-themed dining area (converted shipping containers) by a lively group of marimba players. Outside around the potjie fireplace we were told about the cultural role of gathering together and sharing home-brewed beer (which we all tasted from a gourd!) while discussing community issues. Tender lamb cheek and tongue were also on offer.
The buffet lunch was generous and tasty; lamb, chicken, vegetables and salads plus samp and beans, bread and crumbled mielie meal were enjoyed by all. Malva pudding and custard completed the meal.
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We were also shown the teaching kitchen and taken through some of the curricula offered to the students. Eziko does good work and facilitates employment via placements in the food industry; however, funding remains a challenge and it was evident that this worthwhile enterprise would benefit from further support.
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TALK ON GENETIC MODIFICATION OF CROPS
Wednesday 25 September, by Glenn Ashton
Glenn Ashton is an environmental and scientific writer, researcher and consultant with an interest in the field of genetics. With a background in geography he applies a multi-disciplinary approach in order to provide an accessible and relevant perspective. He has been actively involved in the broader debate around genetically engineered crops and biosafety since the mid-1990s. He was a founder member of the SA Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering, (SAFeAGE) and consequently takes a precautionary approach on the application of GM technology.
He participates in the international social justice movement and works at all levels of governance, from the local to the international. He has been widely published locally and internationally. He is presently completing his Masters in Philosophy in Environmental Management at the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University. He has presented many papers and talks to a wide range of audiences. He specialises in communicating complex scientific issues in an accessible manner. He is a freelance writer and researcher.
Click here to view a summary of the Powerpoint presentation he gave to Slow members.
And for another viewpoint on the GMO debate, click here.
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MOOIPLAAS LUNCH
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Saturday 2 November. Report by Adrian Rademeyer
The committee of the Cape Town Slow Food Convivium arranged, as our November outing, a lunch with estate wines to accompany a wonderful meal prepared by Dirk and Kirsten Roos: served at the "lang tafel" in the spacious long dining hall in the original farmhouse, shown above, that dates back to the 19th century. The farm is owned and managed by a Roos family trust, Dirk being a grandson of the man who bought the farm in the early sixties.
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Pat and I missed the first part of the morning talk by Tielman Roos (because we got lost in the nether ends of North Pineview and Scottsdene in Brackenfell), which we regret as he spoke with such enthusiasm about the farm and the private nature reserve registered as a conservancy in perpetuity. The talk that we did hear was about the biodiverse nature of the farm, and how it impacts on the vineyards and winemaking. It was wonderful to learn that they have hardly needed to use chemical sprays for a few years since they adopted the principle of nature's biodiversity having its own controls if it is left to look after itself, with minimal human intervention. The farm also has walking and cycling routes for visitors to the farm.
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The estate stretches from the top of the Bottelary hills from where both False Bay and Table Bay can be seen, down to the meadows of the valley below. The house, cellar and tasting room are halfway down the hill. There is a wine tasting room where the eighteen or so wines produced by Mooipaas are available for tasting. A cheese platter is available to accompany the tasting. But the main pleasure of the day was our lunch at the lang tafel, which was preceded by a glass of their Brut Methode Cap Classique Duel. Before each course, Dirk introduced both the food and the wine that was served. Later on his charming wife, Kirsten also joined in the discussion of the food and the wines. Most of the dishes were prepared by cooking them slowly, up to five hours, reflecting one of the pillars of the Slow Food movement.
The lunch
The first course: snoek quenelles with vino cotto and quinoa, served with a tasting of an unwooded as well as a wooded chenin blanc. I am not sure, but I think they were the Houmoed bushwine 2012 chenins. The vote on which of the two wines was the better paired with the quenelles, was about equally divided, although my personal taste gave the wooded chenin the nod. Without the snoek though, I thought the unwooded better.
The second course was a delicious white onion soup, with, added at various stages of its preparation: dessert wine, marrow bones, stock, garlic, lemon thyme and smoked paprika. I thought it was a superb blending of the ingredients without a singular dominant flavour, except for the physical presence of the onions. The wine was their 2012 Pinotage, from their Classic Range.
The main course was a carefully selected, what Dirk with tongue in cheek called a "terroir based" Karoo lamb, served on a cushion of gewone patat infused with a truffle sauce and white wine: I have never tasted a sweet potato quite as elegant. On top of it all was a sprinkling of a roasted sesame seed-coated goats cheese and an unusual surprise – beetroot seedlings – which, apart from a delicate greens flavour, gave me new ideas for my vegetable seedlings. But the wines were as remarkable as the food: two reds, the first was a cabernet sauvignon, I think a 2001. It was an experience drinking this wine, which I presume is there for the use of the Roos clan. The second, Dirk called a "smokkelwyn" as it is a year before its release and he had to lift a bottle or two from the barrels: it was a 2006 Rosalind, one of their Mercia Range of wines, which is a blend of cab sauvignon, cab franc and merlot. Although a bit more expensive than the everyday reds, it is very good value when compared with other classic Cape red blends.
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We finished the meal with fresh nectarines in a spicy syrup and Crème Catalan, a light but very tasty end to the meal. The wine was a delayed botrytis-affected, almost raisin, chenin. This late harvest dessert wine will only be released in May next year, but I recommend making a note in next year's diary to be in the queue.
Mooiplaas is not a restaurant but they cater for special groups at the "lang tafel". It was a memorable day.
I want to thank and commend the committee who put a lot of time and effort into organising interesting places for us to experience.
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YEAR-END PARTY AND FUNDRAISING RAFFLE
Sunday 1st December
Stephen and Pat Flesch's home on the banks of Zeekoevlei was once again the venue for our annual end-of-year spitbraai and fundraiser. The raging southeaster of the previous few days dropped, so that members were able to sit out on the lawn at tables shaded by awnings. The lamb, expertly braaied as usual by Leon, was accompanied by a range of delectable salads prepared by various members, and followed by strawberries, meringues, brownies, and Silwood's mince pies.
The draw for the magnificent prizes, donated by various benefactors, was accompanied by much banter and laughter. The result was that we were able to donate R10 000.00 to Peninsula School Feeding Association.
Raffle prize winners
Leo Foods Gift Box: Renee Kruisinga
Olympia Café and Deli voucher: Ruth Gerhardt
BelGusti Wine Tasting Journal and bottle of wine: Ann-Marie Breen
Rio Largo Olive Oil: Cecily van Gend, Janet Steer
Richard Bosman voucher: Pat Rademeyer
2 sets of Andrea Steer's napkins: Jacqueline Cole and Lesly Hiscock
Damyanti Gajjar's book, Conscious Cuisine: A Vegetarian Adventure: Annette van Niekerk, and Diederick Kruisinga
Book Lounge voucher: Erika Reynolds
Leather bound diary/notebook: Lola Hall
Waterford Estate Wine Drive Safari for 4 people: Adrian Rademeyer
Grangehurst Winery:
- Magnum of Nikela 2005: Dick Kruisinga' guest
- Magnum of Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005: Ruth Gerhardt
- Magnum of Pinotage 2005: Lesley Hiscock
Thelema Sutherland wines: Verna Prior
Aubergine Restaurant voucher for 2 x 4-course dinner with wine pairing: Gay Fillary
Computer equipment from Dick Kruisinga:
- 3x Computer speaker sets John Steer, Erika Reynolds, Kate McCullum
- 1x 2GB memory stick: SallyDalgliesh
- 1x Computer tool: Pat Flesch, Hilda Burnett
Tierhoek organic farm hamper: Erika Reynolds
Reuben's Restaurant voucher: Adrian Rademeyer
Rudi's Sausage Deli voucher: Barry Sandeman
Leonie Joubert's book The Hungry Season: Andrea Steer
The Real Cheese vouchers: Tony Cole, Riaan Leith
Everson's Apple cider: Dick Kruisinga
Everson's Pear cider: Stephen Flesch
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