Tuesday, July 04, 2017

MENU's Scandinavian Odyssey 6. Sweden, going south

Scandinavia on a Shoestring - we begin the return journey
We left Oslo on a cold morning after doing our usual clean up and tidy of the apartment. We like to leave places the way we found them. Our next stop was another stuga in Sweden, near Värnamo in the country, but this time on an estate. It used to be an outbuilding of the main house and their daughter Sofia has made it into a tiny but well fitted space for one or two people. We are starting to love varying our stays between cities and then staying deep in the country. We could have gone to Gothenburg, but we saw it when driving through it on the way up to Oslo and the interchanges were a nightmare. They confused the SatNav going up and again going down, which saw us getting hopelessly lost on our way through the city but, eventually, we made it...
We needed directions to our destination, deep in the country, as it is off the SatNav grid, but they worked very well indeed. It was a long drive from Oslo. The car's SatNav took us off the main motorway for some reason and the driving was slow and tedious until we reset it and got back onto the fast route. But be warned, all the roads are electronically tolled. We are waiting for the bills
Norway and Sweden at these latitudes are not quite how Lynne imagined them at all. She thought that there would be lots of mountains and pine forests. The countryside in the southern areas we passed through is mildly hilly, with mixed forest of deciduous, pine and fir - real Christmas trees. 
You do cross some bridges where you see the ends of lochs, deep fjords and small villages. It is mostly arable farmland, including forest farming and incredibly neat with traditional houses and farms and lovely small villages. The country roads are good
It is a very pretty building, still used for the farm at one end and the stuga at this end. It has rustic stone steps up to the door with snapdragons growing through them, a little tricky to negotiate, but there is a rail
Inside, a desk, a dining area and a small kitchen
On the other side, a sofa, and behind it a bed for one with a mattress on the floor for another. John took the floor, he is so gallant. It was comfortable enough for one night
There is a small modern bathroom with a shower
It is next door to the farmhouse, where the stuga owner’s parents live, with traditional farm buildings in the distance. We think we understand now where the red barns in America originated, most of the Swedish barns and outbuildings are painted in this lovely rich red. We were told to ask them for anything we needed. Mother Katarina also gave us some information about walking in the area, which we decided to do as soon as we had unpacked and settled in. Our legs needed stretching after the long drive. The countryside was beautifully green
We walked around the garden
The farmhouse is quite beautiful and painted so sympathetically
We had a lovely walk in the wood which looked rather ancient and mysterious - we would not have been surprised to have caught a glimmer of wolf or a red cape for some cookie crumbs. We walked until the mosquitoes began to bite, then we fled. Lynne tried to forage for fresh herbs for our supper (as the Hairy Bikers had on TV) but all were, sadly, too bitter. No rocket or mint in sight, just heaps of dandelions
Lynne then made supper, and we sat at our laptops to catch up on things and then to an early bed. The next day would also be a long drive back to Denmark. Wonderful motorways with well-behaved drivers
Crossing from Malmö in Sweden to Denmark one can take the ferry from Helsingborg to Helsingør or cross the 7.8 Km Øresund bridge which takes one to the outskirts of Copenhagen
There is little difference in price, but the bridge is the quicker alternative. We'd taken the ferry going north, so decided to use the bridge on the return journey.
A truly magnificent construction
Posted by MENU at 11:39 pm 0 comments

MENU's Recipe of the Week. Tomato tart

We have had quite a lot of meat dishes since we got back and Lynne thought it time to use up the tomatoes in the fridge which are Romas and very good flavour. There is a bit of preparation but assembly is quick and easy. You can, if you wish, make your own flaky pastry, we and most of the rest of the world seems to buy theirs nowadays. Yes we know homemade is the best, it is all about time and inclination. Lynne used the all butter one from Woolworths
1 roll or square of flaky pastry - 3 or 4 good Roma tomatoes - salt - 20g grated parmesan cheese - 8 or 10 halved and pitted black olives - some fresh basil or oregano leaves - 100g crème fraiche - white pepper
Defrost the pastry naturally on some baking paper on a baking tray. Keep it firm in the fridge when it has defrosted. You do not need to roll it out to make it larger. You could if you wish, blanch the tomatoes first and peel them. We leave the skin on. Halve the tomatoes, and using a spoon scoop out all the seeds and juice. (You can use the juices in a salad dressing or in a stew). Lightly salt them inside and set them aside on kitchen paper, turned skin side up, to drain. You need them to be fairly dry. Turn your oven on to 180⁰C. Take the pastry out of the fridge and using a knife, score a circle around the edge, be careful not to cut right through the pastry. Scatter the grated cheese in the centre of the circle. Then arrange the tomatoes in the circle on top of the cheese, keeping the edges clear. Put some olives around the tomatoes, sprinkle over the herb leaves, a little pepper and then spoon on the crème fraiche just around the tomatoes. You will not need salt, the tomatoes will be salty enough. Put into the oven and bake until the edges of the pastry and the base are getting nice and crisp and golden. Take out, portion and serve. This could be a starter for four or a main course for 2. Delicious with a good Pinotage like the Darling Cellars which goes well with tomato, a difficult fruit to pair with wine
Posted by MENU at 6:02 pm 0 comments

MENU's Wine of the Week. De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2017

It has to be. We were so impressed tasting it at the launch this week
This vintage is like spring sunshine, with apple blossom perfume and whiffs of pine nuts, with limes and lemons, crisp and lean initially, but then very full on the palate and very, very satisfying. In fact with lunch, or any meal, or even alone, quaffable in extreme! R103 a bottle from the farm. Checkers do have the new vintage, we checked today and their price is slightly less
Posted by MENU at 3:22 pm 0 comments

Winemag Merlot Report Presentation 2017

Merlot worldwide is a very popular varietal, producing wines of good fruit and sometimes great quality. We get the feeling that South Africa has begun to grow it in the right places and is learning about the correct handling of this quite difficult grape. We all have experienced those extracted, minty, green and tough Merlots and, if we are lucky, those voluptuous fruit driven elegant wines that the grape can produce if properly grown and made
Winemag.co.za presented the first annual Merlot Report in association with the official producer body known as the Merlot Forum. The certificate awards ceremony took place last week at Asara Estate in Stellenbosch. They do not yet have a sponsor and we do hope that they find one soon, as we feel that this grape is about to do good things for our market and needs support
67 entries were received from 50 producers. These were tasted blind (labels out of sight) by the three-person panel: Christian Eedes, Roland Peens and James Pietersen. Scoring was according to the 100-point quality scale. We feel that the judges have a slight bias towards the French style of merlot; apparently they included a bottle of French Merlot in the blind tasting! Was this as a benchmark? They should not ignore the fact that South Africa would struggle to reproduce this style, we have too much sunshine and warmth and our climate, soils and terroir are not comparable. Besides which, the style now emerging here, made by our own winemakers, will always be different and is often delicious. We did not detect one green wine in these tasted and no mint, although one winemaker attending was heard to say he misses it!
A large contingent of winemakers and a few media and wine trade attended
Maryna Calow of Wines of South Africa with Mike Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts and Lynne chat about the industry with a glass of Dainty Bess MCC bubble, made from Pinot Noir
Jacqueline Lahoud of WineMag.co.za introduced the awards
Christian Eedes, Editor of WineMag.co.za presented the awards and talked about the wines and the judging. You can read his full report on www.Winemag.co.za.
The crowd, many of them winemakers with entries, waits in anticipation. The bottles were covered on tables around the room and, as the awards were announced, the covers were removed to reveal them
The top mark, which was 92 out of 100, went to two wines. The Org de Rac 2015 Merlot. Expensive wood but shy, the fruit holding back on the nose. Integrated fruit and wood on the palate with high acidity and alcohol (14.5%) this wine is made to last and is in the French style, which we find these judges seem to prefer. Price: R64 - a bargain for the quality and keeping potential
Also top with 92 points was the Boschendal 1685 2015. Quite similar in style to the Org de Rac with Expensive wood, red and black berries on the palate with warmth of 14% alcohol. Price: R110
With 90 points was the Delaire Graff 2014. A block buster that blows your head back, toasty with good black fruit which then softens to sweetness, a kick of alcohol and a long finish. Price: R295
90 also for the Shannon 2015 made for Woolworths with its dive-in nose, so Merlot, so ready to rock and roll. Intense fruit in layers, both red and black, long flavours. It has a perfect balance of wood, tannin, fruit acid, alcohol, and sugar so should last well. Elgin looks, to us, more and more like the place to cultivate good merlot. We have tasted some crackers from Elgin in the last year. Price: R159.95 at Woolworths . We are delighted to say we recently bought a case at Woolworths
And 90 for the Lourensford Limited Release 2015. Elegance on the nose, soft fruit and good incense wood on the nose. Then hot berry fruit and good acid on the palate. Long. Price: R180
89 for Groenland Premium 2015 which had some lactic flavours, Lots of berries with some fruit acidity. Price: R140
89 for Buitenverwachting 2012. Many of us were surprised at this low score. It is very deep and full of berry fruit with incense wood and tight tannins and shows huge quality. On discussion later with many wine makers and others it seems that this wine was the one most discussed and many people said it was their favourite, with the best potential for aging 10 years or more. Well done Brad. Price: R160
89 for KWV Cathedral Cellar 2014. It  has an excellent nose with good fruit and wood. Rich nice layered berry fruits, drinking well now. Price: R115 A popular wine
And 89 for the Overgaauw 2015 with its violet perfumed red berries, tight tannins, licorice and a little salt flick. Lynne detected perhaps a little Petite Verdot hint? Overgaauw was the first farm to plant Merlot in South Africa, with their first bottling in 1982. Price: R130. Also popular in the room
As was the Whalehaven 2013 with 89 points. Lovely, classic Merlot nose, incense wood on the nose, toasted on the palate with sweet fruit and a little brulée. Price: R183
89 for Yonder Hill 2014 which was quite savoury and different. Price: R190
Christian Eedes chatting with Brad Paton, Cellarmaster of Buitenverwachting.
The winners all together
Some pizzas were served after the tasting






Posted by MENU at 3:20 pm 0 comments

The release of the 2017 Limestone Hill Chardonnay from De Wetshof Wines at La Tête Restaurant

This was held over lunch on a gloomy day at La Tête restaurant in Bree Street and certainly helped to brighten up the day. 
It is De Wetshof's most popular of their five Chardonnays, the one you are most likely to see on wine lists. And, this year, it shows real potential to exceed its previous successes. Johan de Wet says 2017 is probably the best vintage they have ever seen
We were welcomed with a glass of De Wetshof's 2009 Mèthode Cap Classic Cuvée Brut, full of the characteristic limestone crispness you get in the Robertson valley,.
The launch certainly attracted one of the largest serious wine media contingents we have seen for a while
Most of the restaurant had been taken over for the launch and one long table had been laid. La Tête opened in November last year, 2016 and has been much lauded. It is run by Chef Giles and his financier brother James Edwards. Giles trained in Cape Town but moved to London in 2005 and has worked in some of the top restaurants there, latterly working for Chef Fergus Henderson at his restaurant St John in Clerkenwell, famous for his Nose to Tail eating
PRO Emile Joubert shows us the new wine glasses in which we will taste and drink the wine
James Edwards chatted to us about the restaurant which serves what’s fresh and available from a small number of carefully chosen suppliers. The menu changes daily according to what is in season. It is not only nose to tail meat but encompasses fresh fruit and vegetables, and fish and seafood - Giles received a solid grounding at Lombard Street in London and also worked at J Sheekey in Covent Garden
Johann de Wet introduces the 2017 Limestone Hill Chardonnay to us. He explained that de Wetshof focus on growing and producing great chardonnay, it is 70% of their business; the rest is just flowers and decoration! Well we think that is selling themselves a little short - they produce some excellent wines from other grapes, like their Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blancs, not to mention the Edeloes dessert wines and the bubbly. Limestone Hill is grown on chalk and heavy clay rich soils, they don’t need to add wood to this wine for richness, the soil does it for them, adding complexity and structure
Chef Giles explains what we are going to have for lunch which has been paired with the Limestone Hill
The menu
The wine is poured. it is like spring sunshine this vintage, with apple blossom and perfume and whiffs of pine nuts, with limes and lemons, crisp and lean but very full and very, very satisfying. In fact with lunch, quaffable in extreme!
Good crusty bread
Johann tells us more about the wine. They blind taste all the chardonnays to designate the wine candidates. Some vineyards do go to the same destinations each year, like Bon Vallon and Limestone Hill, even though they taste them blind. With ph 3.2 this is a very stable wine that ages easily and will be best drunk this Christmas and will last for 5 to 10 years
The food was served family style and we all helped ourselves. The first starter of char grilled green beans in a light vinaigrette with meaty pickled pine ring mushrooms from Tokai forest. It was fresh with some crunch from the beans and red onions. We liked the charring on the beans
The other starter of Crispy pig cheeks with crackling fresh chicory (endive) and apple was quite delicious We like chicory very much but usually cook it as it sometimes can be very bitter. This was not at all bitter but fresh and crunchy. The green apple added a nice sharp note and the gooey pork was well flavoured. The crisp crackling did exactly that. Our only complaint, not enough! It was hoovered up from the plate by our companions leaving a lot of the chicory and apple behind. Both went so well with the Limestone Hill
Discussions over lunch
More wine!
The main course - and to be honest many were expecting some offal - was a simple fish pie under puff pastry. It was filled with local hake both fresh and smoked in a velouté (creamy stock). This came with shredded Brussels sprouts and carrots. A clever way to disguise something many people don't like and the carrots took away some of the bitterness, as did the wine, which always goes well with fish dishes. But they do have after effects
A goodly portion on the classic very French style La Tête plates
Portion control! Shows you how big each pie was
Johann in discussion. He has recently become a father and we learned that the baby is very good and a sleeper! Lucky parents
And then the decadent dessert. One of Lynne's all time favourites - and she doesn't have many as desserts don't often excite. It is Iles Flottantes or Floating Islands - small quenelles of soft meringue that are poached in warm vanilla custard. This was topped with dark caramel sauce (often forgotten from the dish) and toasted almonds. Confession: she had two, her neighbour didn't like it!
And then warm freshly baked Madeleines with coffee. They were not much understood at the table, being quite new to the South African food world. Small, very light sponge cakes, perfumed with vanilla. Dipped in the custard they were superb. And the coffee is good. We have to come back to eat off the interesting menu which you can find on theirWebsite
Thank you De Wetshof for such a great launch. We think the Limestone Hill more than lives up to expectations and will take the recommendation to drink at Christmas and thereafter. It is available from the farm http://www.dewetshof.com/product/limestone-hill-chardonnay, in all good wine shops and supermarkets. And of course on many restaurant wine lists
Posted by MENU at 2:37 pm 0 comments
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