Tuesday, January 22, 2019

MENU's Wine of the Week. Nitída The Grande Matriarch 2015

The 2015 Grande Matriarch MCC from Nitída in Durbanville is, unusually for a bubbly, 100% Pinot Noir and it so impressed and surprised us that we have made it our wine of the week. It has cherry and raspberry on the elegant nose and on the palate the best expression of cherry ever, so quaffable. It has good length and depth, elegance and lovely maturity from 39 months on the lees. So exciting and so delicious. R225 on the farm and as you see, also available in magnums for great celebrations

It honours owner Bernhard Veller’s late mother, who helped them buy the farm 20 years ago. It was then a sheep farm, and is now a very successful wine farm. There is also The Matriarch MCC made from 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019

The Oranjezicht Market at the V&A Waterfront

On Saturday we visited the Oranjezicht City Farm Market at the Waterfront and met some old friends from the time when we too worked in markets like the Biscuit Mill. It is a dynamic place selling good comestibles from local suppliers to keen foodies and featuring the fresh organic fruit and veg produced at the Oranjezicht City Farm. It is now open on Saturday and Sunday so you can go and buy your fresh produce for the following week
Stefan Wroblewski on his fish stand, he is especially famous for his tuna biltong
Home made brownies of many varieties sure were tempting
and it is a very busy stand
We love the bread produced at the Woodstock Bakery. Sourdough, rye and other variations
Nice to see butcher Salvin Hirshfield and Kaytlin Jones on their stand
He says that he will open a butchery in Sea Point in the near future
They have such good meat and it’s all from ethical sources
The Biltong stand with fans
and another old friend, Jane Selander on her cheese stand, Around Cheese; all her cheeses are the best South African
And we are very fond of Chrisna's huge variety of olives. She told us how she makes them; the process is long and complex,
but so worth it. The olives are firm and very good. You have to try the chilli olives, they can blow your mind
An extremely tempting ice cream stand with real flavour
A message to us all
The Oranjezicht farm stand is large and crammed with so many different fresh, organically grown vegetables at this time of the year. And if you are looking for something rare, try them; they do seem to grow everything. We were asked for white egg plants and saw some here last Saturday
A great selection of heritage tomatoes, they have the best flavours
The largest aubergine we have ever seen, the size of someone’s head
The large green pepper was there for a size comparison
Security watching the happy shoppers
R40 a kilo but worth every cent
They grow lots of fruit too
Sheryl Ozinsky, who started it all. We have known Sheryl for many years. John worked with her
on the Heritage site boards and Aquarium projects at the naissance of the V&A Waterfront
AGFA was one of the sponsors
Sheryl is passionate about what she is working on; someone who truly gets involved and does
We have great respect for her and her enthusiasm
There is a smaller area with food outlets and we were impressed to see the French Galette stand,
making authentic buckwheat galettes, sweet and savoury varieties
Select your mix of salads for lunch
Or on another stand, a selection of avocado open sandwiches, topped with different mixtures
Happy serving you today
.. on the Ethiopian delicacies stand
Another old mate, Lewis Niemann of Oded's Kitchen with his very popular small pies
Lewis told us he no longer does any other markets but this; it is so successful
And the stand of the Kitchen Cowboy Pete Goffe Wood
where they serve these awesome barbecued beef sandwiches. Chef Pete, who is a judge on the Ultimate Braai Competition with Justin Bonello and Chef Benny Masekwameng, knows how to do it well
The meat cooking on the braai. His staff are trained to do this properly
It’s a busy place and there are seats and tables outside where you can enjoy your food
Lynne’s choice was a naked, lightly toasted sesame seed bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon from Kleinsky’s, who have a restaurant in Sea Point. No onions or capers for her, they muddy the waters. R40 is reasonable and it’s a large bagel
The outside seating area, with plenty of umbrellas
And you can sit and watch the yachts, cargo and container ships and cruise liners in the bay. This week, Cunard's MS Queen Elizabeth called in on her way to Australia, as did the MSC Musica
The popular Queen of Tarts stand dispensing their wares
Popular with families too
On the Adopt a Pet stand we met this enthusiastic chap and we were both captivated. John said "I think I'd have called him "Jake". But our current lifestyle cannot support a dog, we have such an unpredictable life. We feel we need to devote time and attention and lots of walks and a regulated regime to keeping a dog. Maybe one day when we slow down. At present independent cats grace our lives and don’t mind our coming and going so much
Raising funds is necessary
And some very cute puppies, some of whom had already been claimed. Lynne asked what breed they are and was told African dogs. The breed is called Africanis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africanis) and is one of the most ancient breeds in the world. They have bred by natural selection
On the edges of the market are some good bric-a-brac stands, some clothing and jewellery
and flowers
Cute clothes for children, even some made with imported Liberty cotton
and one great plant stand
Milkshakes are very popular at the moment
And then we found something we love, Martin Grunert’s Protea Hill Farm Balsamic Vinegars, which we used to sell at Main Ingredient. We know there are many fans out there, our customers used to buy lots. You can buy by the bottle from the barrel. Lynne went for our favourite, his aged Raspberry Balsamic vinegar, and it cost R100. If you are a fan, this is now the place to buy them. The stand also has a good selection of local olive and other oils, some of which you can taste. They will give you a taste of the vinegar too if you ask
The barrels of vinegar. They are not harsh at all, just intensely fruity. Used by many top chefs too
The owner of the stand. We need to go back soon to get some walnut oil
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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019

On the MENU this Week. Pavlova


Friends joined us for lunch on New Year’s day and, as this time of year has the best selection of tropical fruit and berries, our dessert was a classic. It’s not difficult to make at all, remember to take your eggs out of the fridge a few hours before. Lynne made the meringue the day before and had a challenge. Our gas oven is playing up and would not light. The temperature in the oven is impossible to control and so she risked cooking this in our combination oven where you can set the temperature to the desired 110°C degrees and cook in the Convection mode – she just had to use a lined Pyrex or porcelain dish instead of anything metal. It worked well

Remember, when whipping egg whites, make sure the bowl is completely dry and clean. And you must not have any yolk in the whites, or it will not whip up
6 egg whites at room temperature - 1 pinch of salt - 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp white caster sugar - ½ Tbsp lemon juice - 2 tspns real vanilla extract - 2 tsp corn flour - 1½ cups chilled whipped cream - 4 to 5 cups fresh fruit (such as mango, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, litchi, banana, granadilla)
Preheat oven to 110°C with the rack in the centre of the oven. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper
Using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with a pinch of salt on high speed for 1 minute until soft peaks form
 With mixer on, very gradually add the sugar and beat for 10 minutes on high speed, or until stiff peaks form. The mixture should be smooth and glossy
Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in lemon juice and vanilla extract, then the cornflour until well blended.
Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the greaseproof paper. Using a spoon, make an indent in the centre to allow room for cream. Bake for 75 minutes, then turn oven off and leave meringue in oven for another 30 minutes without opening the door. The outside will be dry, crisp and pale (almost white) and the inside should be marshmallow-soft
Transfer the meringue, on the greaseproof paper, onto a wire rack and leave to cool to room temperature
Beat cream until thick and spreadable. You can add 2 tbsp of sugar if you like but we prefer it without as the meringue is quite sweet on its own
Once cool, and you are ready to serve put the meringue on a pretty plate and top it with the whipped cream and fruit and serve

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019

Lunch at Russell's on the Port, Port Owen

On the way home from our Summer Holiday, we made a reservation for lunch at Russell’s on the Port hotel and restaurant at Velddrif. We had lunch there last January and vowed to be back. It has both great food and a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s next to the Port Owen Yacht club
The harbour view
We specifically asked for a table on the terrace ...
... and were shown to a good table with a large umbrella. Behind Lynne, you can see the special of the day on a blackboard
They were enticing
There are many small fry in the harbour and this Arctic tern was enjoying spear fishing them
They are quite magnificent when diving, caught in flight
There was music by extremely talented guitarist Dawid van der Merwe. He played Recuerdos de la Alhambra, a difficult classical guitar piece by Francisco Tárrega. We often listen to Julian Bream play the same piece and he is just as skilled. But he also played some good light pieces, jazz and pop and mellow. So nice to have good music with lunch
You could buy his CDs
The menu of the day. Service is very sharp and quick and the waiting staff are well trained, friendly and helpful
The gin and beetroot soaked gravadlax trout was magnificent. With avocado, cream cheese, peeled segments of orange and pink grapefruit and squid ink crackers; a good mix of flavours and textures and just right for a hot day
John went for the chilled Gazpacho with lots of roasted red peppers, chilli, tomato and cucumber. This comes topped with a 'wood-fired' prawn toast, topped with peeled prawns, avocado and sour cream. John's comment was the chilli was just in the background and the flavour of the peppers was to the fore
Another local wine, the Darling Cellars 2018 Arum Fields Chenin Blanc, a lovely wine for a warm day and these starters. Very reasonably priced at R105
The large choice of main courses
Wow this was such a good choice. Perfectly cooked Belly of Pork with a plum glaze adding a nice piquancy. Not too fatty, falling apart with the best crackling in a very long time. Served with scorched onions, greens and a clean onion 'gravy'. The creamy mash was a little grainy, almost as if polenta had been added, but the chef, with whom Lynne had a chat afterwards, said no, just the potatoes
Another impressive dish, perfectly pink medium rare (as ordered) Springbok loin with a rosemary and mustard crust. It has great umami flavours, the texture of springbok is quite dense but tender. On the side a potato and wholegrain mustard croquette. topped with a butternut purée. Accompanied by a good gravy and herb oil and seated on creamy Swiss chard
So relaxing just watching the water lapping at the yachts moored to the jetty
We resisted dessert and coffee and were now ready to head home
The bill
We thoroughly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area
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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019