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Monday, November 28, 2016

A FEW DELIGHTFUL FOOD ILLUSTRATIONS

Good old favourite nasturtiums, always at the ready to brighten a winters day     Illustrations by Esther Cooper- Wood
Recently I was lucky enough to be contacted by Esther Cooper-Wood, a visiting food illustrator from England. She was interested in doing a little foraging during her stay in Cape Town. We agreed that she would join us during a few routine foraging missions and in return she would represent her experience with some drawings for our use. All in all it turned out to be a rather happy arrangement for both parties.

 Nasurtium-mania                           Illustrations by Esther Cooper-Wood
While Esther was here we managed a couple of outings. The first was a costal mission and the second a brief neighborhood exploration.

Scattered about this blog are a few representations of our food adventures, quickly knocked up by Esther.
Enjoy…. I did.

All these 'yummies' are ready and waiting right on our doorstep                              Illustrations by Esther Cooper-Wood
Our spontaneous West Coast Mussel lunch                                                             Illustrations by Esther Cooper-Wood
Esther 'smashing a pesto into existence'                                                  Pic. UHG
Esther, the illustrator herself collecting the last of the season nasturtiums                                                              Pic. UHG
A huge thanks to Esther for the fun times, fine bread baking, pesto making and of course for the beautiful illustrations.

If you want to see some of Esthers' beautiful work please check out her site below. http://esthercooperwood.com/




Thursday, October 13, 2016

'ZOO PESTO'

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.

It's no coincidence that Stone Pines have that Italian vibe about them                                                                             UHG
Sweet pea shoots climbing a Pine           UHG
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.

Sweet Pea shoots against the backdrop of decaying lion cages and Pine trees                                                            UHG 
Mid to late summer is flower and pod time                                                                                                   Lauren Biermann
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.

There they are... a pair of nuts, nestled beneath each scale (It's not what I mean, you dirty buggers)                        UHG
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.

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.

Joce goes the nuts                                                                                                                                                                    UHG
Joce doing what she loves and does best                                                  UHG
Lunch                                                                                                                                                                                   UHG
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.





Monday, August 29, 2016

A LITTLE FLOWER BLOG

A rare moment of  cheffiness                                                                                                                                                       UHG 
Springtime in Cape Town is when the wild sorrel is at it’s cheerful best, it’s also when the loquats are yellowing.

“Why not make a little something,” said Pooh and we all agreed.

Oxalis pes-capnea (Sour Suck)                     UHG
Oxalis something-or-other                        UHG
At this time of year if you put on your foraging goggles, you’ll notice little yellow flowers everywhere. You’ll find ‘sour sucks’ (‘suurings’ in Afrikaans) along the verges of the roads, in open fields and even between the cracks in the pavement. They behave just like weeds, which is exactly what the much-loved rascals are. If you know Cape Town, you’ll know the flowers I’m talking about; the sour ones that made your eyes water and face crinkle when you chomped one as a kid. These mouth-puckering delights will have you eying your next victim even before you finish chewing the one you’ve got.  

  Another one… purple ones too. Oxalis something-or-other                                                                                          UHG
Pop the stems in water and place in sunlight; they'll open out for a lunchtime display (not a nighttime dish)     Illona

Cape Sorrel, as the flowers are commonly known, are not the only indigenous members of the Oxalis family. If you venture from the city limits you might find some of their colorful cousins, all who pack a similar sour punch; a punch that fits perfectly with Cape Town’s favorite sustainable fish, Snoek.

"Hmm… we need something sweet”, pondered Pooh.

Everyone knows that apricots together with smoked snoek is a thing of great deliciousness. Sadly the apricots are not ‘cotting’ at the moment, but the loquats are indeed ‘quatting’. Loquats, also known as ‘Japanese/Chinese Plumbs’ somehow made the epic journey from the East to the pointy part at the bottom of Africa, yet the delicate fruit itself can’t even survive the trip to our local markets without being damaged, so take care not to bruise them when you harvest your own.

Much underrated Loquats                                                                                                                                                       UHG
When foraging equip yourself with a top South African climber... Illona doing what she does best                           UHG
The dish is now starting to take shape…

Let's use those chickpeas in the fridge that have been patiently waiting for such an occasion as this. We will make a ‘Cape Malay’ style dressing with that spicy loquat chutney, some crème fraiche and wild garlic chives.


“Oh goodie!” exclaimed Pooh, “ I’m going to put it all together just like a poncey chef would…the way I like it best”. We all agreed.

Don't forget to include some fresh loquats (a squeeze of lemon will stop them browning)                                        UHG                                                                                               



Saturday, July 16, 2016

A RATHER SILLY FORAGING VIDEO

What a morning, what a pic.                                                                                                                                           Martin
This year I decided to take some time off to do the things in life that I love most. To be able too afford this lifestyle I’ve had to tighten my belt, also after much pondering I decided to rent out my spare room to a lodger.

Martin in all his delightful silliness                                                                                                                                  Martin
Enter Martin Milner, a Pommy dancer on contract with The Cape Town City Ballet Company. From the moment I met him I knew he was a ‘bit of alright’. So into the front room he moved and in turn white bread, Coke-Cola, Cheerios, Twinkies etc moved into my once wholesome kitchen.  He now buys brown bread and willingly joins me on foraging adventures; woefully the Coke-Cola remains.


Apart from performing soloist roles on Cape Town's most glamorous stage Martin creates delightfully silly videos (all shot on an i-phone). On one of our little foraging missions when searching for Pine Ring Mushrooms (also known as Saffron Milk Caps) he knocked up this little video gem. Check it out; I love it… then again I supposed I would.

Martin has been a little tonic in my life, so if you too want a little pick-me-up from time to time I suggest hitting subscribe at the end of the video.


Monday, April 18, 2016

KELP LASAGNA

I think our 'Golden Forests' are some of the most interesting diving on the planet.                                                          UHG
Kelp is awesome except when they become speed bumps.                                                                                               Josie
Khelp!                                                                                                                                                                                              UHG
While bobbing about on my surf board waiting for waves, I have often heard surfers complaining about how much kelp there is off the coast of Cape Town. Between the sets there is macho chatter that ONE DAY somebody should dive down and chop it all off. If it was slashed we could then ride the waves at low tide without bashing out a fin or getting tangled. This fighting talk is inevitably spoiled when some bloke reminds us all that it’ll grow back before the next good swell anyway. The point is, 'The Mother City' has a mother-load of this edible and sustainable seaweed along her coastline.

When harvesting kelp go for the young tender pieces (lighter in colour) that grow close to the stem.                        Mans
I like to clean the limpets on the rocks, then dispose of the guts and feed the fish at the same time                         Mans
Alikreukel or giant periwinkle                                                                                                                                                   Mans
  It's not The Alien from 'Alien', it's a delicious giant periwinkle. YUM!                                                                              Mans


    'You making a kelp lasagna… Jy is mal' (you are mad).                                                                                                    UHG                                                              
There is strong evidence that suggests that the southern tip of Africa is ‘the source of origin’ of modern man. It is likely that Homo Sapiens survived off the rich ecosystem along 'The Kelp Highway' possibly as long as 200 000 years ago.

Me mate Dave told me about this amazing kelp lasagna he had eaten at a foraged event made by Phil Mansergh. This chef made a classic lasagna, but replaced the pasta sheets with kelp. I found this to be a rather clever and simple idea, one which I wish I had thought of myself. It was time to connect with my true Hunter Gatherer, my original and ancient self. My plan was to use as many goodies as possible harvested from our abundant ‘Golden Forests’ to build my very own kelp lasagna.

A quick blanche and in no time the kelp is the colour of spinach lasagna. Pure magic!                                                  Mans
Fish stock on the way...                                                                                                                                                                 Mans
A bowl packing a protein punch; limpet and alikreukel mince. Great pic Mans.                                                           Mans
I used minced limpets and alikreukel (giant periwinkles) as protein. Instead of a bĂ©chamel (white sauce) I made a veloutĂ© from fish stock. Most importantly young tender kelp leaves replaced the pasta sheets. The assembled dish was then slid into the pizza ovens for a bit of the old al-forno treatment. 

WHAT A RESULT!


About done.                                                                                                                                                                                   Mans
Just like the Lasagna, isn't it?                                                                                                                                                    Mans
I couldn't wait to get my laughing gear around this creation.                                                                                               Mans