Thursday, March 01, 2018

This Week's MENU. Durbanville; Nitída, Durbanville Hills, De Grendel, Savoury pilaff with Chimichurri, Golden Orb Sauvignon


Mating dragonflies in a pond at Nitida wine estate, Durbanville
A day in Durbanville. Another jaunt into the winelands with our friend Terry took us to Durbanville, only half an hour from the city and now part of Wine of Origin Cape Town. It was a very hot day and we didn't want to travel far, so this is a perfect location. The vines look beautiful, fecund with trusses of grapes and so green and lush. Harvest has begun in certain areas; Durbanville is a week or two off. We did want to visit places with water as Terry has a specialist interest in dragonflies. He is on the hunt for four special ones, but you never know what you are going to find.
A special tasting with the Nitída winemaker
A light lunch at Durbanville Hills
And an end to the day at De Grendel
Wine of the Week. Nitída Golden Orb unwooded Sauvignon Blanc
What’s on the MENU this week?  Savoury Rice Pilaff with Chimichurri Chicken
A special tasting with the Nitída winemaker    
Harvest is close and we are very grateful to winemaker Danie Keulder for guiding us through many of the excellent Nitída wines including one new one just about to be released. There are some new developments about to take place at Nitída which we hope we can reveal soon.
A light lunch at Durbanville Hills    
After the extensive and superb tasting at Nitída, we fancied just a light lunch and it was getting late. So we headed off to Durbanville Hills, where we knew they had a cafe serving snacks and light lunches. We ordered a bottle of their great Chardonnay with lunch.
And an end to the day at De Grendel     
Lovely views from De Grendel’s terrace of the city and the mountains are just some of its draw cards. But the reason why we all flock there is the lovely wine produced under the guidance of Cellarmaster Charles Hopkins. The staff there is so professional, friendly, helpful and informed, even though many of them are University students. All this makes one relax, as does doing tasting some of the wines. Oh and they do have a rather good restaurant
Wine of the Week. Nitída Golden Orb unwooded Sauvignon Blanc.
This is leesy with asparagus, green capsicum notes and a touch of grapefruit, very like a Sancerre in its clean minerality and sophistication and with a lovely golden colour to match its name. Price from the cellar is R280. Platter awarded it 4½ stars and it was the 2016 FNB Top 10 Sauvignon blanc winner. From a single vineyard. Their Sauvignons Blanc have always been on our best list, Lynne insisted that we served Nitída at our wedding 15 years ago
What’s on the MENU this week?  Savoury Rice Pilaff with Chimichurri Chicken
This is made in an oven proof dish with a tightly fitting lid that can also go on the hob. A Pyrex casserole or a cast iron and enamel one works very well indeed. You can use cooked chicken as well as raw. And if you don't like the heat of chimichuri you could marinade the chicken in your favourite barbeque sauce or other flavourful marinade. It needs to be robust, the Pilaff is very gentle. Oh and we used some of the leftovers to stuff red banana peppers the next day.
1 shallot, very finely chopped – ½ t olive oil – 1 T butter - 2 cups of rice - 5 cups of chicken stock – 100 ml dry white wine - 3 sprigs of thyme – 1 bay leaf – a generous pinch of saffron – 2 T dried blueberries or cherries - 1 or 2 courgettes, quartered and sliced - salt – white pepper - a sheet of greaseproof or baking paper
500g chicken , cut into 4 to 5 cm pieces - 5 T chimichurri paste - canola oil
Rub the chicken in the chimichuri and set aside in the fridge to marinate
Fry the onion gently in the oil and butter with a pinch of salt. When it is soft, add the rice and stir till all the grains are transparent. Add the white wine and let it bubble away. Add the stock, a good shake of white pepper and the herbs and saffron. Stir then cover the pot with some greaseproof paper, then its lid and put into a 170°C oven for 30 minutes or until the liquid has almost all gone and the rice is very moist and glossy. Under no circumstances let it overcook and dry out. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
When the rice is ready, quickly fry the chimichurri chicken in a little oil till it is cooked. Serve the two together, accompanied by a mixed salad. Really good with a bottle of chilled Chenin Blanc.


1st February 2018

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2017
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Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656 4169
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Recommendations of products and outside events are not solicited or charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in these newsletters and our blogs are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are usually unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. This electronic journal has been sent to you because you have personally subscribed to it or because someone you know has asked us to send it to you or forwarded it to you themselves. Addresses given to us will not be divulged to any person or organisation. We collect them only for our own promotional purposes. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please click here to send us a message and if you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please click here to send us a me

Posted by MENU at 9:43 pm 0 comments

On the MENU this week. Cauliflower Curry


Eating curry in hot weather is almost as good as in the winter, it does cool you down. This is a well flavoured way to eat cauliflower and it is quick to make and doesn't take too much cooking, as no-one likes cauliflower overcooked
Image © http://www.taste.com.au
1 T grated fresh ginger - 2 cloves of garlic - 1 green chilli - 2 tbsp Canola oil - 1/2 tsp mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds - 4 Curry leaves - a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 onion, finely chopped - 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped - 2 potatoes, cut into 3 cm cubes - 1 tsp red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Turmeric - 400 gm cauliflower, broken into large florets - pepper and salt to taste - 1 cup of water - 1 teaspoon fresh garam masala - fresh coriander leaves
In a pestle and mortar or using a stick blender, make a paste of the ginger, garlic and chilli adding a few drops of water if necessary. Heat the oil in a pan and season it with mustard & cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing, fry gently until the spices begin to pop, a minute or two. Add the chopped onions and fry till beginning to go golden brown. Then add the tomatoes and potatoes, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes
Stir in 1 teaspoon of the green chilli paste, the chilli powder and turmeric and mix well. You may like it hotter, if so you can add more of the paste to your personal taste. Then add the cauliflower florets, salt and enough water to make a good sauce. Simmer until the cauliflower and the potato are just done. Taste again and season if it needs it. Serve sprinkled with a teaspoon of fragrant garam masala, with rice, and some fresh coriander leaves, if you like them

Posted by MENU at 6:02 pm 0 comments

MENU's Wine of the Week. Lynx Blanc de Noir 2017

A lovely pale rosé wine, so good for hot summer days, we took two cases of this home with us

Made from 100% merlot, it has a very pale salmon colour, sweet candy floss notes, peach and apricots. Fresh, zesty, and a perfect companion to summer lunches. Great with spicy food as well. Price at the Cellar Door is R70
Posted by MENU at 5:29 pm 0 comments

A day in Glorious Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

We had not been to this wonderful place for years, other than attending the occasional concert; we confess it. No excuses, just meant to and it didn't happen. But our overseas friends love it and suggested we go so, finally, we got there, being tourists in our own town again. And on a Tuesday, when local pensioners (us!) get in free. It is being affected by the drought but they are making survival plans and there is a lot of mass planting of succulents and other water wise plants. We finally got to walk on the Boomslang, the tree canopy walk, and had lunch in the old restaurant that holds many memories for Capetonians
At least we do know some of the tricks. We parked up at the top gate and traversed downhill, criss-crossing the gardens. First heading for the Protea garden. The Agapanthus are in major flower this month, so unusual; must be the drought. We expect to see them before Christmas
Tall tufts of papyrus, suffering a bit
The lawns and the mountain are like green velvet, but this area does get a lot of mist from the mountain and the temperature inversion clouds
We were so encouraged to see so many school classes getting botany lessons from Kirstenbosch staff. Way back, when Lynne was at school in Sea Point, we were brought here four times a year for similar lessons which engendered a lifelong love and appreciation of plants and nature
A noisy olive thrush feeding on berries. They sing so beautifully
In the wondrous prehistoric cycad forest they had picked this 'fruit' and the gardener told us that they will be able to make new plants from each segment
The dinosaur statues certainly add to the atmosphere and must delight children. We are amazed at how tall some of the cycads are
Then in the dell, one of our favourite places, damp and moist and lush and green with ferns and streptocarpus, the mountain steam and spring from Lady Anne Barnard's bath
Fern shadows on the stepping stones with the stream flowing below
Tree ferns and cool shade over the stream. We were quite sunburned on our walk
The cobbled walkway under the indigenous trees
Taking a nap in the shade?
The otter pool. We could not spot any fish, tadpoles or crabs so, perhaps, the otters are active
Ah, just what we needed, ice cold beers at the Kirstenbosch Tea Room restaurant. When we were children, our parents used to bring us here for the speciality - crayfish salad which was plentiful and cheap. No chance of that very scarce luxury being served any more. But you can still get scones, cream and jam
 The lads had the burgers with crisp fried onion rings, crisp chips (and we didn't have to ask for them) and good pickles. This dish came with a large mixed salad for them to share
Lynne had a toasted cheese sandwich and a salad and Yvonne had anchovy toast as she wasn't very hungry
The bill
Lovely on the terrace under the cool green umbrellas. Expect to queue, but it didn't take long
There was an exhibition of paintings by local artists, some very talented
And there are several sculptures in the gardens
We climbed back up the hill, very slowly
And up these stairs in the heat, not so great, but we were on a mission
It was HOT
The Tree Canopy Walk was our destination, now freely open to all
It is quite marvellous as it winds its way through the tree tops. We do hope they manage to raise funds to extend it some time in the future
It did not trigger Lynne's physical vertigo at all. It does vibrate but not much
The views are superb
lose
Over to the back of Devils Peak and Table Mountain ...
... and then over the Cape Flats to the Stellenbosch mountains
It snakes along, hence the nickname borrowed from one of our indigenous snakes, the Boomslang (translation, tree snake)
Great for photographs
Green tunnels
A view of the concert stage. Regular summer concerts are held in Kirstenbosch. They are very popular; you must book
Hot and gasping for air, having finished the epic climb back up to the top gate, we certainly did our 3,000 steps that day. We have promised ourselves a return visit, soooon
Posted by MENU at 4:55 pm 0 comments

Tapas and wine at Bouchon Bistro & Wine Bar

Dorrance Wine Cellar, Heritage Square in Cape Town
We love wine bars and often wonder why they have not really caught on in the Cape. There are a few, but there could be many more. When Lynne returned to Cape Town from London in 1993 she wanted to open one. It will never work she was told, people don’t go out after work, they go home first and then they go out. But it seems things have changed and as Cape Town has become more work flexible, lots of people want to meet friends after work. We decided to go and see how Dorrance were succeeding with theirs
Christoph Durand was a barrel trader from France who decided to settle in the Cape more than two decades ago. He started to make his own (then garagiste) wines in rented spaces, but now has his own Dorrance mini winery at the back of the wine bar in the middle of central Cape Town
It looks more like a restaurant and, indeed, it has tied up with Faisal Khakoo of La Bohème bistro in Sea Point, who runs the kitchen - they serve a tapas menu. We were surprised to see linen table cloths in a wine bar and in the drought. They also serve other alcohols and we saw this gin tray with a selection of local artisanal gins ... gin cocktail anyone?
We read on the website that Dorrance wines are available for tasting till 6 pm and thereafter the wine bar is open but, although we arrived before six, the tastings were not taking place as it is harvest time. We did persuade the friendly staff to allow us a small tasting of three of their available wines
The Dorrance 2014 Chardonnay Cuvée Anaïs (R317 / R81 a glass on the menu) is rich and complex on the nose; full of peaches, with a full palate with more rich lushness and hints of peaches and apricots with citrus on the end. Wood lees are its backbone. It’s a Bourgogne with lots and lots of sunshine! The Dorrance Rouge (R150 / R50 a glass) is 100% Cinsault from the Swartland. It has the characteristic slightly metallic, almost Pinot Noir nose with gentle berry fruit. Clean rhubarb and cherries on the palate, a nice quaffing wine, and a good expression of what Cinsault ban be like in South Africa. It washes the palate and has long flavours. The 2014 Syrah Cuvée Ameena (R350 / R88 a glass) has spice and white pepper with soft bruléed cherries on the nose. Crisp on the palate with lively fruit acids, mulberries from the tree, soft chalky tannins, warmth on the end and a steely old world finish
The specials of the day
The three page tapas menu. Lots of choice! We asked about the sizes and they are all about 100g, so four would be good for two people, which is what we ordered. With her meal Lynne ordered a glass of the Dorrance Rosé also made from 100% Cinsault (R150 / R50). We assume that it is made with the free run juice of the Rouge. It has the same nose, but is much lighter and softer on the palate. John had a glass of the Viognier
Crispy curry spiced fried calamari on parsley couscous with aioli (R72.50). Nice and crisp tentacles and polpetti; we didn’t detect much curry spice, a good light aioli and superb olive oil couscous with parsley. Topped with fresh tomato, pea shoots and a slice of lemon. The chardonnay loved the couscous
Tuna Crudo with teriyaki and a mango and Peppadew salsa (R87.50) Fresh from the sea tuna, beautifully pink in a caramelised teriyaki, so, so good. There was competition eating this dish. Topped with raw onion, chilli and coriander salsa. Didn't notice any mango. The red chilli fought with the wine
Prawn and Spring Onion gnocchi in garlic and pecorino sauce (R79.50). Round in shape, rather doughy gnocchi, reminded us more of Chinese dim sum because of the texture and the spring onions. Loved the pecorino cream sauce. Plenty of prawns which were a bit chewy, topped with lemon, pepper and pea shoots, a good dish
Duck Rillette with toast and pickles (R70.50) Quite a dry rillette, no duck fat residue, good flavour. Served with good pickled cucumber and onion and toasted ciabatta bread. The duck and the pickles need each other, they sing together
The bill

 Now we have to go back and try some more of those enticing Tapas. And hopefully the new season Chenin when it is available, currently it is sold out
Posted by MENU at 3:16 pm 0 comments
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