A Taste of Cape Town

Some of the delicious food we sampled

A view of the stadium

Opening night had a great turn-out

Some of the Fairtrade wines on offer



Hungry patrons



Nicola meeting Bertus Basson from Overture restaurant



A wonderful feast shared with friends

We had the opportunity again this year to attend the opening night  of the fifth annual Taste of Cape  Town food festival at the Green Point cricket club. With 13 amazing top restaurants participating, we were spoilt for choice.

Some of our favourites for the evening  included Illeone Mastrantonio with their amazing dish of baby prawn, olive oil and fresh tomato penne pasta. Also represented was the Mount Nelson's Planet restaurant whose BBQ pork belly was delicious, as well as their amazing pastry chef Vicky's dessert creation of  'All things chocolate'.

There was star anise duck from Savour restuarant, and Makaron at Majeka House had an amazing burger of beef, brioche bun and foie gras butter - yum yum. We also sampled Bertus Basson's 'Wors Roll' and banana split.  He even took a few minutes  to chat and have a few photographs taken with us.

The head chef of Bistro Sixteen82, Brad Ball, spoilt us with his yoghurt pannacotta with strawberry consomme, and we also  had the opportunity to meet Richard Carstens from Tokara restaurant.

There were many memorable dishes to be tasted, but these were the ones that stood out for us. All in all it was an eating event not to be missed, so make sure to pencil it in for next year.

An Autumn treat

 Local cheddar and homemade

biltong savoury quiche

Ingredients

Serves 8

Pastry

375g  self-raising flour

25g  grated cheddar cheese

250ml  milk

1 large egg

3 tbs sunflower oil

1 tsp salt

Method

Mix together the flour, cheddar cheese and salt in a large bowl. Beat the milk and egg together and pour into the flour mixture.  Add the oil, and mix till a firm dough forms. This pastry does not need to rest so you can line the quiche tins immediately. Place in the freezer till ready to use.

This recipe makes one large or 10 small quiches.

Filling

80g cheddar cheese

200g finely cut biltong

4 medium eggs

125ml milk

125ml fresh cream

salt and pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

To finish

Sprinkle cheddar cheese at the bottom of the lined quiche tins. Mix together the egg, cream, milk and ground coriander and pour over the cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the biltong on the top and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Bake in an 180c oven for 40 minutes, or until the  egg mixture is set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool  (it can also be eaten  straight out of the oven).

A South African feast



A magical view of the Deckhouse at night



Some of our wonderful return guests enjoying the evening with us



Louise and Johann getting the fires ready to braai the home-made venison sausage, steak and fresh snoek



Malva pudding - picture from Traveltourist.co.za

It is always a great time of the year when we welcome back all our return guests and, with the wonderful summer weather, we decided to cook up a real South African Menu for guests at the Deckhouse.

After a nature drive into the reserve, the guests joined us for pre-dinner drinks and snacks whilst enjoying the glorious sunset. On the menu were crumbed mushrooms with home made tartare sauce as well as traditional South African dishes, including our home-made venison sausage, Riebeek Valley beef and local snoek from the West Coast, basted with apricot jam and garlic butter, accompanied by potato salad and fresh farm bread.

 To end off the night  there were the options of traditional malva pudding with custard, and a peppermint tart. For the non-dessert eating guests we also had a selection of Tulbagh cheeses with preserved figs and crackers. Thanks to the fantastic clear sky it was easy for our rangers to entertain the guests with star-gazing, and the evening was rounded off with a nightcap.

Malva Pudding

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp apricot jam

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 cup plain flour

pinch of salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 cup milk

Sauce

1 cup cream

175g butter

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup hot water

Method

Beat the eggs and sugar till light and creamy. Add the apricot jam and mix well. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a heavy based saucepan heat the milk and butter till it starts to boil, then add the vinegar and remove from heat.

To finish the malva, add the flour and milk mixtures to the egg and sugar mixture, alternating with flour mixture first then milk mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Pour into a greased oven dish and let it stand for five minutes before baking it in a 180'C oven for 45 minutes.

To make the sauce, place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the malva as soon as it comes out of the oven. Serve with home-made custard or fresh farm cream.



The elegant table setting





The end of the evening: enjoying star-gazing followed by a nightcap



High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel

The tea spread

The beautiful tea room

Lemon meringue tartlet

You have a variety of delicious teas to choose from

With our family visiting for the festive season, we were delighted that we could all finally go together and enjoy High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. From the moment we arrived, the staff were  attentive and helpful. When we were seated, a menu was produced for us to look through and choose a tea from their wide selection of infused teas from the Nigiro tea company http://www.nigiro.co.za/.  They have a wide selection to choose from, such as fruit infusions, black teas and the classic rooibos, as well as an exclusive blend made specially for the Mount Nelson - a rosy black blend made from six teas, definitely worth having a pot or two.

After our tea was served, we were told the best way to drink it. Armed with an eggtimer, we all had to allow different brewing times for the best taste. We then  headed off to the tea table to choose from the various platters on offer. From the classic scone with fresh cream and strawberry jam to finger sandwiches, vanilla cheesecake and a heavenly chocolate cake which would tempt even the most restrained guest, the choice was irresistible. It was a wonderful experience and a highlight when visiting Cape Town. The rate is R185.00pp and if you are celebrating a special occasion, you do have the option to enjoy a glass of bubbly. We will definitely be back http://www.mountnelson.co.za/.

For a country High Tea experience, Bartholomeus Klip offers High Tea daily from 15:00. Chef Louise and her team prepare delicious cakes and savouries, and of course their  famous scones served with clotted cream and home made preserves.Booking is essential so please call ahead to check availability.The cost is R100.00pp
Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse