Tulbagh and Ceres

The salads at Rijks Country House were shocking, just a few dead leaves of skinny lettuce and six scrapings of carrot. Where was the chilli on the Thai noodle salad? Bland, bland, bland. Service was excellent

An unplanned detour led us to this vineyard

with peacocks

and a wonderful old barn

We had a lovely tasting at Saronsberg and bought some wine for our cellar

Montpellier: a chapel in the vineyards for weddings, a lovely old Cape Dutch house, willing service and so-so wines

Readers restaurant in Tulbagh, another charming old house, filled with cats, real and decorative, good fresh bread, but our food was disappointing

overdone eland fillet and dry, bland trout

.

This one is real

Cat control device?

Frozen chocolate mousse

Tulbagh's main street

The countryside is quite barren and then suddenly you turn a corner and you find a huge cherry orchard

An abundance of cherries at Klondike

Well-used farm machinery

Bains Kloof Pass, between Ceres and Wellington

We stopped at a farm stall outside Wellington to buy bread and found these happy pigs

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Picnics and lunch at Holden Manz, Franschhoek

Just before Christmas, we were invited by Karl Lambour, 

 

the new Cellar master at Holden Manz in Franschhoek, to sample their picnic, which costs R145 per person for a basket for 2. Children have a special menu at R45 per head. He has moved there recently from Constantia Glen.

We started with a tour of the Guest House, whose decor has changed considerably since our first visit, when the farm had its original name, Klein Genot.

The basket comes with a tablecloth, napkins, cutlery & plates and a bottle of mineral water. 

If you wish, you can buy some of their wine and they will supply glasses. 

Our basket had humus, tzatziki, olives and chicken liver pate with bread and melba toast, two salads packed into jars, charcuterie, warm steak slices, chicken pieces and good local cheeses with fig preserve. 

There were even 2 desserts: cinnamon chorros and the best chocolate brownies we have ever tasted. 

What impressed us the most was the wonderful picnic spots along the riverside, all with marvellous views of the mountains and river and most with good shade. They have placed concrete benches and tables for you to use as well or you can sit on the grass. 

When we had taken lots of photos of the picnic and sampled a little of the food under a heavily overcast sky, we saw that rain was imminent, so we went to have lunch at the restaurant and to enjoy a glass or two of the very good Big G Bordeaux blend. 

John and Carl had venison with blueberries and pink grapefruit topped with parsnip crisps while Lynne had an enormous plate of delicious food, enough for two people! 

There was tempura squid with a chilli sauce, a very fresh and moist piece of cob on confit potatoes and a lovely piece of tuna on pesto. No desserts but very good coffee before we left. 

Main Ingredient's Christmas luxuries

1542

Christmas Pudding 450g

R    85.00

1348

Christmas cake, individual

R    25.00

0323

Amaretti biscuits from Italy 200g

R      40.00

0011

Cantuccini 150g

R    40.00

1067

Panettoncino 100g

R    40.00

1110

Chestnut Crème Spread, 78g tube

R      35.00

1113

Chestnut Crème spread, 250g can

R      75.00

1111

Chestnut Crème Spread, 450g Jar

R      95.00

0245

Chestnut cream with cinnamon, 325g jar

R    95.00

0247

Chestnut cream with honey, 325g jar

R    95.00

0249

Chestnut cream with nougat, 325g jar

R    95.00

0244

Chestnut spread with vanilla, 325g jar

R    85.00

1085

Chestnut Puree, 435g can

R      85.00

0251

Chestnut puree, 300g jar

R    70.00

0250

Chestnut cream, natural 325g jar

R    80.00

0688

Chestnuts, whole, 439g can

R      95.00

0023

Chestnuts, whole, vacuum packed, 420g jar

R   135.00

0237

Cooked chestnuts with mushrooms, 350g jar

R   125.00

0239

Cooked chestnuts with apricots & grapes, 350g jar

R   125.00

0242

Cooked chestnuts with sweet onions, 350g jar

R   125.00

1787

Raspberry Balsamic vinegar 10 year barrel matured  250ml Protea Hill Farm

R    150.00

0057

Orange Balsamic reduction

R    50.00

1068

Del Duca Balsamic Vinegar Pandora 12yr old

R   210.00

0591

Walnut Oil, 500ml

R    110.00

1423

Hazelnut oil, Vilux 250 ml

R   130.00

1158

Truffles, Black in jar 20g

R    225.00

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1808

Truffle oil, black Gemignani Italian, 55ml

R    110.00

1816

Truffle oil, white Gemignani Italian, 55ml

R    120.00

1158

Truffles, Black in jar 20g

R    225.00

0252

Truffle salt, 45g

R    95.00

1484

Truffle salt, 40g

R      95.00

0069

Haricots Lingots cooked in goose fat 410g

R    160.00

0019

Traditional landes cassoulet 820g

R    260.00

0018

Traditional landes cassoulet 410g

R    160.00

0015

Garbure

R    210.00

0017

Duck Basquaise

R    210.00

1817

Duck fat 320g Labeyrie

R    100.00

1449

Goose fat, Rougié, 320g

R    120.00

1420

Duck confit 2 legs, Labeyrie

R    165.00

 

1476

Duck confit 4 legs, Labeyrie

R    300.00

0010

Terrine 90g Ostrich with thyme

R      35.00

1554

Terrine 90g Quail with grapes

R      35.00

0014

Terrine 90g Duck with ginger

R      35.00

0011

Terrine 90g Liver mousse with spice

R      35.00

0013

Terrine 90g Rustic with fresh base

R      35.00

0047

Terrine 90g Duck with apple

R    35.00

1436

Quail terrine

R      70.00

1665

Pork liver paté with truffle juice

R      70.00

1553

Duck paté with cepe/porcini 180g

R      70.00

1434

Chicken liver paté with armagnac

R      70.00

1819

Duck rillette 170g 20% foie gras

R    140.00

1478

Duck mousse 50% foie gras 150g

R    150.00

1475

Duck foie gras, Labeyrie Bloc, 30% pieces, 150g

R   340.00

0038

Foie Gras, duck, bloc 185g, 30% pieces, with slicer

R   540.00

1832

Labeyrie Bloc duck foie gras, 185g tub

R   430.00

0037

Foie Gras, duck, whole, 130g

R   370.00

0036

Foie Gras, duck, whole, 95g

R   250.00

1504

Foie gras goose bloc, 30% pieces, 150g can

R   390.00

0854

Foie gras, goose, whole, 130g jar

R   590.00