Wednesday, May 15, 2019

This Week’s MENU. Cousins, Cabernet Report, Sauvignon blanc, Wade Bales Wine & Whisky, Cape Wine Master graduation, Ernie Els Shiraz, Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Sheep on an Overberg farm contemplate the photographer

Sometimes too much happens at an inconvenient time. The inconvenience this time was the many public holidays we always have around the end of April and the nasty cold which is inflicting itself on so many people in the Cape right now. It has laid us both low at a time when we had some complex stories to tell and it was not possible to publish MENU last week. We hope you missed us. So we’re publishing today and flying North for some family celebrations tomorrow. Next week’s MENU should be on schedule
Several years ago we discovered a small restaurant in Loop Street which served the best Gnocchi we had ever had locally and we went several times. Sadly, because of landlord problems, they had to close. Then we heard that they had opened in Barrack Street as Cousins. We have heard great reports and have been trying for a very long time to go. Last week, we got the chance as we were going to the Fugard Theatre to see Kunene and the King and needed an early supper. The play is superb, we highly recommend it…

WineMag Prescient Cabernet Report 2019
Last week, the 8th Annual Winemag.co.za Cabernet Sauvignon Report was held, sponsored by Prescient Financial Services. Business Manager, Jacqueline (Jax) Lahoud said that from today, besides publishing the scores earned by the wines that entered, they will be awarding certificates to only the top 10 wines in this category. You can download the full report online at https://winemag.co.za/. See our story here… 

Sauvignon Blanc Media Lunch at Janse & Co
“Change is happening”, said the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group, so we were invited to join them and taste some impressive Sauvignons Blanc with lunch to find out what those changes were. Mainly, it was their change of name to the simpler and more focussed. The event was held at Janse and Co, where chef and owner Arno Janse van Rensburg now does his magic. We remember him and his cooking from Maison Restaurant in Franschhoek where he worked for several years. A glass of Steenberg's sparkling Sauvignon Blanc was on offer as we arrived…

Wade Bales 2019 CT Wine & Malt Whisky AFFAIR
This great annual Wine and Malt Whisky tasting is always a privilege to visit; so different from the rather disappointing Whisky Live show which we attended last week, which had more gin than Whisky. The wines Wade has on display are always really good brands and it is so enjoyable chatting to the people behind the tables about the wines while we taste. The whiskies are also from distinguished labels…

Cape Wine Master Graduation Lunch at Neethlingshof
We were very grateful to be able to accept this invitation. We missed the event last year when we were travelling. It was held at Neethlingshof wine estate in Stellenbosch on a perfect, warm Autumn day… 

On the MENU this week. Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
The seasons are changing and Lynne made this soup on Polling Day as we had invited friends for lunch. Had the day been hot, we could have served this cold. It was not, so it was served heated. This soup is made almost entirely in the oven. It is suitable for vegans...

MENU‘s Wine of the week Ernie Els Proprietors Blend Syrah 2015
We tasted this at our wine club meeting this month, which was held at the Cape Grace Hotel. We had an excellent tasting of Ernie Els wines and these wines really impressed all of us. The following day we had people for lunch and we opened a bottle we had in our cellar of the Proprietors Blend Syrah and it went so well with the main course of TexMex Chilli Con Carne. It is this week’s Wine of the Week. We think it would be a great match with any spicy or rich meat dish. Or enjoyed in front of a sunset or a fireplace, with friends… 
Posted by MENU at 3:25 pm 2 comments

MENU‘s Wine of the week Ernie Els Proprietors Blend Syrah 2015

We tasted this at our wine club meeting this month, which was held at the Cape Grace Hotel. We had an excellent tasting of Ernie Els wines and these wines really impressed all of us. The following day we had people for lunch and we opened a bottle we had in our cellar of the Proprietors Blend Syrah and it went so well with the main course of TexMex Chilli Con Carne. It is this week’s Wine of the Week. We think it would be a great match with any spicy or rich meat dish. Or enjoyed in front of a sunset or a fireplace, with friends… 

All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 2:15 pm 0 comments

On the MENU this week. Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

The seasons are changing and Lynne made this soup on Election Day as we had invited friends for lunch. Had the day been hot, we could have served this cold. It was not, so it was served heated.
This soup is made almost entirely in the oven. It is suitable for vegans.

2 or 3 large red peppers - 2 tablespoons olive oil - – 6 or 7 large Rosa tomatoes, or similar, halved - 1 head of garlic – 1 small onion, halved - 1 or 2 teaspoons of sugar - Salt & Pepper - 200 ml water

 Rub a little olive oil on the outside of the peppers and put them into a roasting tray and place under the grill. Turn them regularly until their skin is blackening all over. Take them out and immediately place them in a plastic bag which you seal up. Leave them steam and then to cool. Once they are cool rub off the skin, remove and discard their stalks, core and seeds and set the peppers aside with any of the juice that has come out of them in the bottom of the pan or the plastic bag.

 Turn your oven to 200ºC. In roasting pan place the tomatoes (halved side down), garlic and onion, drizzle with olive oil and salt and put in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. The onion should be getting nicely golden brown. Peel the skins off the tomatoes. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Put the peeled tomatoes, the garlic paste, the onion and the pepper into a blender. Liquidise everything, including any juices left on the roasting trays. Put into a deep pan and add the water, sugar and seasoning to taste. How much sugar will depend on how sharp the tomatoes are – just enough to take off any edge of acid. Heat gently and serve. Serve with basil leaves on top and with crisp croutons. This can be served chilled.

 The wine we served with this dish turned out to be a perfect match for the tomatoes and peppers. Mediterraneo from Simonsig is a blend of Roussane and Marsanne with small amounts of Grenache Blanc and Verdelho. It made the soup shine but the wine was not overwhelmed by it either and also delighted. Such a success. Tomatoes are notorious for being difficult with wine. It  was our Wine of the Week in November 2018
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 2:10 pm 0 comments
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