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| Sweet Peas pesto coming up… UHG |
I remember as a young boy feeling
a panicky surge, as I imagined toppling into the lions’ den at the local zoo.
That zoo has long since been closed, the decaying structures are reminders of a
bygone era, yet live evidence of it still exists. Himalayan Mountain Tahrs roam
our city’s majestic mountain. The story goes that some of these goats escaped
from the zoo and headed for the hills. They now thrive on Table Mountain. In
fact they are so prolific that culling programs have been established to eradicate
them, but with little success. The expression, ‘horny as a Billy Goat,’ jumps
to mind.
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| It's no coincidence that Stone Pines have that Italian vibe about them UHG |
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| Sweet pea shoots climbing a Pine UHG |
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| Does that not scream, 'Zoo Pesto', or what? UHG |
At about the same time that my imagination
was running wild wrestling lions, I also discovered that inside certain pinecones
were delicious little nuts (in the late seventies few South Africans knew about such ‘Italian delights’), but getting to them was epic. Trying to crush the
cones by heaving rocks onto them, or violently throwing the cones onto the
pavement, proved not only dangerous, but ineffective too. Should you try either
technique, I suggest wearing a helmet and a gum guard, or you can simply leave them
out in the sun or next to a few winter fires and patiently wait for them to
naturally open, but when you are 12 years old, patience is not an option.
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| Sweet Pea shoots against the backdrop of decaying lion cages and Pine trees UHG |
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| Mid to late summer is flower and pod time Lauren Biermann |
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| Yum Lauren Biermann |
A few years ago a friend pointed
out that the rambling purple flowers clinging to the neglected zoo fence looked
like sweet peas. Lo and behold… it was so. What a discovery they have turned
out to be. From early spring they develop delicious tender shoots, mid summer
brings with it their yummy purple flowers together with little pods similar to mange
tout, these finally turn into actual peas, which when scorched by late
summer, dries and twist the pods into little springs that fling their seeds about; ready to
shoot up the next spring. All their forms are great for salads, garnishes and
pestos.
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| There they are... a pair of nuts, nestled beneath each scale (It's not what I mean, you dirty buggers) UHG |
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| Just the right weight behind each blow is the trick; too soft, they don't crack - too hard, you crush the kernel UHG |
The old zoo grounds are also peppered
with Stone Pine Trees, the very trees that produce those elusive pine nuts, which
are made even more scarce by the competitive Grey Squirrel, who don’t suffer
our incompetence when it comes to getting them out.
Surely, Zoo Peas + Zoo Nuts = Zoo Pesto… I gathered the
ingredients for such a dish, so I could document it for this blog. As luck
would have it my friend and one of my foraging partners Jocelyn just so
happened to call me on that same random work day suggesting beer and a lazy
afternoon. So it came to pass… that I had the privilege of photographing the
executive chef of one of Cape Town’s most prestigious hotels (The Table Bay)
make ‘zoo pesto’ while sipping beer and nibbling a lunch of foraged goodies... all in my little garden.
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| Ready, set… grind UHG |
ZOO PESTO RECIPE
Ingredients (in more or less
the correct amounts)
- Sweet
pea shoots (the tender tips); x 2 handfuls
- Pine
nuts; x 1 ‘vertical grab’ (thumb and four fingers)
- Indigenous
mint ; x 3 sprigs
- Lemon;
x 1 little squeeze or better still Cape Sorrel leaves and stems; x 1 generous
pinch
Indigenous
garlic chives (Tulbaghia); x a few strands
Cheese (a hard one. In this case a mature local cheddar); x a grating of
Olive
oil; x a glug or two
- Seasoning
salt and pepper (preferably foraged Brazilian Pepper)
Method
Chuck in all
the ingredients into a mortar or pestle (I never know which is which) and get
grinding. You’ll probably need to add a little at a time to make space. Oh, add
the olive oil and seasoning last.
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| Joce goes the nuts UHG |
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| Joce doing what she loves and does best UHG |
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| Lunch UHG |
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| So it came to pass… and 'Zoo Pesto' was created UHG |
Disclaimer – There is some debate as to the toxicity of wild sweet peas. I have done a fair bit of
research on the subject and feel there is little evidence to substantiate these
beliefs. I’m alive, kicking and gagging for more zoo pesto, I trust Jocelyn is
too… no news is good news.
Don’t just take my word for it though. Check it out
yourself and make your own educated choice.
Thanks to Jocelyn Meyers-Adams for her skills and the beer. Also, thanks to Lauren Biermann for her great pics.
