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 béchamel (white sauce) I made a velouté 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

WATERBLOMMETJIES (APONOGETON DISTACHYOS)

Photographer Zam finds his inner Monnet (I love the pic)                                                                                                    Zam

If you are chomping waterblommetjiebredie, it’s likely that you’re in the Boland (south western Cape) and the optimism of spring is all around. Cape pond weed, the English name for these flowers, just doesn’t do them any good at all. I think the direct translation from the Afrikaans word ‘water flowers’ suits their romance better, but nothing beats ‘waterblommtjies’, which everybody calls them anyway, even English speakers.  These fantastic plants make their cheerful appearance in early spring and float about for a couple of months before they disappear with the diminishing water levels during early summer, so you had better make use of the brief window of opportunity and get your hands on a few these delicious blooms.

Commercial pickers oblige with delightful poses                                                                                                     UHG

How very Japanese, I feel                                                                                                 UHG

In Cape Town, most of the supermarket chain stores will have them on their shelves during spring, or you might be fortunate to come across some lads selling them on the side of Boland roads. Best of all is to luck upon a floral pond, strip down to your underpants and start picking; to avoid wet seats and undie-chafe on the drive home, it’s best to get naked…

Waterblommetjies pronouncing spring time in the Boland                                                                                      UHG

Now for a jolly good rinse...                                                                                                                                              UHG
                                                                                                           

Chef Stef conjuring up a little waterblommetjiebedie                                                                                                UHG

Stef's finished product, YUM                                                                                                                                                  UHG

When you think of waterblommetjies, the classic Cape dish, waterblommetjiebredie (stew), is what usually springs to mind. Being a ‘classic’ suggests that this traditional recipe has been around for eons and has thus stood the test of time. The dish is also classic in its simplicity: only four ingredients (lamb, waterblommetjies, Cape sorrel/lemon, onions, potatoes – salt & pepper) are traditionally used. But, as is the case with many traditional recipes, there are many yummy variations. If you want to bring out the traditionalist and forager in you, then substitute the lemon juice with the abundant springtime weed Cape Sorrel (oxalis/suurings/sour sucks).

Simply steamed, they are delicious                                                                                                                                  UHG

Steamed, seasoned and tossed in lemon juice and olive oil; complete with the obligatory Cape sorrel        UHG

Preserved they are similar to artichokes                                                                                                                        UHG

Leek, potato, waterblommetjie curry, Cape Malay style                                                                                                  UHG

Now that you have satisfied your inner traditionalist, you might consider a few alternatives such as a simple side dish of steamed or boiled waterblommetjies seasoned and tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and scattered with the obligatory sour sucks. Waterblommetjies are so similar in texture to artichokes that it would almost be rude not pickle and preserve them in the same way… perfect as an antipasti. If you want to bridge the gap between tradition and the eclectic then try a curried potato, leek and waterblommetjie soup done Cape Malay style. I dare you to be fabulous and come up with your own waterblommetjie amazingness…

A final note – before you cook your waterblommetjies, take time to give them a jolly good wash… lest you want them to taste like the chilly Boland pond from whence they came.

Making the most of a lucky find                                                                                                                                            UHG

PIZZA

Isn't that a happy and comforting sight?                                                                                                                       Mans

For me, pizza should be a simple no-nonsense affair; as soon as it gets complicated you have lost the plot.  It’s a true case of, ‘less is more’. Too many goodies will make the base floppy and it’s all about the base… isn’t it?

A quick scrounge around for some toppings                                      Mans

A few unexpected field mushrooms                                                  Mans

I haven’t always felt this way though. When I was a student my friend Robin and I worked as waiters at a pizza restaurant, at the end of a shift we were allowed to take a pizza home with us. We would pile loads of everything on and then smother it with a mountain of cheese. Back then it was all about quantity and making the most of a free meal to fuel our naughty and uncontainable energy. A big soggy mess was preferred over a minimalist crispy delight.

With age has come some refinement, even if only in the pizza department.

'Bokoms' (salted and dried fish) marinaded in lemon and olive oil in place of anchovies     Mans

A perfect pizza according to The Urban Hunter Gatherer must have…

a blistered and crispy base.

only a few added ingredients.

a restrained amount of cheese and tomato sauce.

a spot or two that has been burnt black.

certain goodies only added after it has come out of the oven; e.g. avo, rocket.

Added note – It should be compulsory to eat it with your hands, unless you are young and uncouth and prefer that soggy-cheesy mess, only then is a knife and fork is acceptable. Chopped garlic and chilly on the side is a happy thing.

I love kneading dough                                                                                                                                                         Mans

This exhibitionist manoeuvre achieved nothing other than creating a hole or two in the base; it was worth it     Mans

Feta and foraged spinach                                                                                                                                                      Mans

Foraged olives, nasturtium 'capers' and bokoms. A Cape rendition of a 'Napoletana'                                               Mans

Blistered and buckled, just the way I like it                                                                                                                      Mans      

Simple and rustic. What more do you want in a pizza?                                                                                                        Mans

Leftover pizza

Any leftover pizza slices residing in the fridge are never mine, coz I would have certainly devoured the whole thing at the first sitting. Should I however steal/luck upon any, they will not end up in the microwave, as most do. I prefer mine cold straight from the box in the fridge, not a limp microwaved wedge. Best of all though, is to turn your toaster on its side and heat it up that way. It’ll give you that appropriate breakfast feeling too.

For me, next day pizza is best out the box or heated in the toaster, NOT microwaved      UHG

I've been thinking it would be rather fun to have a once-a-week, pizza take out night right here in our neighbourhood… foraged toppings of course.
What do you think????

SMOKED MUSSELS (DEEP MAGIC STYLE)

A little bowl of happiness after an ocean of work                                                                                                               Mans

It is remarkable what lengths some people will go to, just so they can tell a good story. I hope this smoked mussel blog is no exception.

Sometime ago I wrote a blog on ‘Snoek’ (http://theurbanhuntergatherer.blogspot.com/search/label/SNOEK), which all took place aboard my friend Mark Mark’s yacht, Deep Magic. After many moons of good service (mostly irresponsible adventures and parties aboard) she was laid to rest in Hout Bay yacht basin. For years she remained untouched and decaying, until Mans and I struck up a rather informal deal with Mark Mark. Our part is to fix her up so we can continue having the adventures aboard that we love so dearly.

Under all that marine life is a boat                                                                                                                                         UHG

Cold and hungry making work                                                                                                                                              Mans

Apart from having to haul out a very corroded motor (which has now been left in the capable hands of Zaan, our resourceful roadside mechanic), we had to scrape the hull, which had developed its own marine ecosystem. It was a shame to watch the clumps of dislodged mussels slowly disappear into the murky depths of the harbour. It seemed obvious that a ‘little something’ should be prepared from all the delicious protein that was otherwise going to waste.

If it's mussels or mushrooms, I like to clean them out in nature rather than in the kitchen                                           Mans

  These mussels needed a really good purge                                                                                                                          UHG

Cleaned, purged and ready for the pot                                                                                                                                    UHG

A while back a happy little crew created our first video blog using mussels as the key foraged ingredient (http://theurbanhuntergatherer.blogspot.com/search/label/MAGIC%20MUSSELS). In the spur of the moment we called that dish ‘Magic Mussels’, which I always thought was a bit unimaginative, but things often seem to have a delightful way of turning out. May we now present to you ‘Deep Magic Mussels’!

Cook them until they just open and no more                                                                                                                          UHG

WHAT YOU NEED

A bucket of mussels

A couple of glugs of white wine

A smoker of some sort

Saw dust (oak wine barrel in this case)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Shelled and ready for a an overnight soaking to insure plumpness                                                                                  UHG

WHAT TO DO

Find a yacht hull that desperately needs attention and get down to some chilly breath-holding work… or simply buy some mussels at your local fishmonger. Clean them of any barnacles and other growth. Now purge them of their impurities by soaking them in clean seawater overnight. Because of the dubious quality of the harbour water I collected fresh seawater from a purer source and soaked them for three days in my fridge, changing the water every day. Remove any that are not now closed.

In a large pot, bring the wine to a furious boil then toss in the mussels and cover until they gape open. Remove the mussels (discarding those that didn’t open) and allow to cool. Strain the ‘broth’ though some muslin cloth and reserve for later. Pick the mussels from their shells, pull off their beards and soak overnight in the reserved broth, so they can get nice and plump.

Nice and swollen, now for a good old smoking                                                                                                                    UHG

Now they are ready for some ‘smokin’. I have a lovely old smoker that my dad left me, but you can fashion one from a pot. You need to line the base of the pot with foil (makes cleaning easier), then cover generously with ‘smoking sawdust’, place a round baking rack over the sawdust and stack your mussels on it. Overlap a sheet of foil on top of the pot and cover with the lid so it forms a tight seal. Smoke on a low heat for about 40 minutes until the mussels are rich and golden, yet still plump. Pop them into a bowl and toss them about in a little olive oil. Like this they’ll keep for about ten days in the fridge, or you can tightly pack them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil, this way they’ll keep for months.

This kind of shit makes me very very happy                                                                                                                         Mans

Racked and ready to receive some smokiness                                                                                                                  Mans

After days and days of harvesting, cleaning, purging, cooking, straining, soaking, smoking and tossing, these golden nuggets were gobbled in no time. Yes, it is remarkable what some 'show-offs' will do in search of an interesting story.

These little fellows were scrumptious                                                                                                                                      Mans