The Corkless Mind

Tag: Autumn

Off the Beeten Track – Why you should Visit the Swartland and Wellington Wine Regions
Why visit the quiet, dusty region of Swartland? I can give you plenty of reasons, starting with their daring winemaking techniques shaking up the wine industry, the picturesque vast landscapes that feel as though you’ve packed up your life and moved to a remote part of Mexico, not to mention the ample lovely places of accommodation in the area. In need of a quiet getaway to gather your thoughts and reflect? This is the place to do just that!

A last minute honeymoon surprise by my husband led us to the ever popular Kalmoesfontein farm, where the renowned A.A Badenhorst winery is situated on. A long and winded gravel road leads you to the farm that has three cottages on with a few more still to come. We stayed in the Silo cottage which has an open-planned farm feel with lots of fresh modern touches to the tranquil space.

Upon check in there was this magnificent picnic spread of cheeses, charcuterie, spreads and freshly baked sourdough bread that was baked on the farm! A picnic basket with a blanket was added in case we decided to take our picnic out on the farm wherever we chose. However, we were so exhausted from all the wine road-tripping that we chose to have our romantic picnic indoors in the comfort of our suite. With no TV, and no mobile devices brought along but lots of books, this place is ideal for the ultimate digital detox, couple getaway or the perfect family vacation for everyone.

We arrived a tad late which to my dismay meant for us that wine tastings were closed for the day/weekend. My dismay quickly turned to joy when the onsite manager Christine organised a bottle of their deliciously popular Secateurs Chenin Blanc for us to make up for no tastings, which proved to be the perfect accompaniment to the leftover cheese board!

A simple yet moreish farm breakfast with the freshest homemade sourdough toast accompanied with locally made relish, marmalade and jams and locally produced coffee that gives you just the kick you need to start off your day on the right footing. Breakfast is catered for by the incredibly warm and friendly staff on site. It is encouraged to roam around freely on the farm (with the main homestead off limits of course) Surrounded by patches of veggies, indigenous fynbos, and trees of plump ruby red pomegranates hanging like baubles on a Christmas tree ready to plucked off.

Our first day, after brekkie, we went wine tripping through Wellington. Stopping by Diemersfontein first to get a taste of their vast offering of wines. I’ve heard so many good things about them but prior to this visit have never been to visit. Well known for their award-winning Pinotage that keeps on racking up plenty of awards every year, Diemersfontein has recently launched another wine label under Thokozani wines.

Thokozani means “a celebration” and is a BEE Based and belonging to the POC Farmworkers. Thokozani prides itself on empowering their staff on the farm by making them shareholders in the company. This is such a great initiative seeing as the South African winelands does not exactly have a glowing reputation in terms of farm labour. They have 6 different wines, 5 of which are under the label Ovation and are available for sale at Woolworths’ Wine section. R65 gets you a tasting of five different wines of your choice. My favourites are the full-bodied Pinotage and the slightly tannic merlot.

The staff behind the tasting counter is incredibly knowledgable about their wines and the region in general, and even offered us a few options on where we should go next. Setting us off with a wine map and a taste for more of what the region has to offer.

Our next stop after a few u-turns, was Andreas Wines. A boutique Winery only specialising in Shiraz winemaking and growing only this varietal on the farm. Situated in the Bovlei valley, just outside of Wellington, this boutique winery is a well hidden gem comprising 4.5 hectares of vineyards, an elegant eighteenth century house and incredibly lush gardens. Having not called ahead and made an appointment for a tasting, the winemaker himself had accommodated us after a Skype call to partners in the U.K. Shaun Meyeridricks, formerly from Boekenhoutskloof (if you’re as much of a fan of their renowned Chocolate Block) Then you’ll want to start planning your visit to book a tasting and maybe even a stay at their luxurious cottages on site!

Shaun is incredibly passionate and not to mention knowledgable about Syrah as a cultivar. We spoke for almost two hours about Andreas wines, it’s origins and of course all things wine in general. The name Andreas was named after a previous owner, which the now new owners and partners from the U.K decided to keep. Booking is essential and tastings cost R45 pp. We tasted the 2015 vintage of Andreas Shiraz. Bruised dark berry, tart plum and a hint of spice on the palate, with incredible length! To say I was infatuated was understatement! If you buy a bottle or like me a case, the price of the tasting falls away. The one thing that really stuck with me after we left Andreas was the warm hospitality of Shaun, and Henry in charge of their lovely accommodation which I cannot wait to stay at next time! Oh and something Shaun mentioned to us “A bottle of wine should tell a story of the day you went to visit the estate.” To me, opening a bottle of Andreas Shiraz will now remind me of our perfect but brief visit to Andreas and how uniquely passionate the winemaker is.

Unfortunately we did not get a chance to visit some of my other favourite wineries in the Swartland area due to monthly or quarterly scheduled tastings. We will certainly be back and this post will then be updated with plenty more wineries to choose from!

On my list was:
- A.A Badenhorst Family Wines
- The Sadie Family
- Testalonga
- David & Nadia
- Mullineux & Leeu
This week Friday I am headed back to the Hemel-en-Aarde region with a few industry professionals to visit Creation Wines. A winery that was on my list when there but sadly had to give it a skip. The excitement is building and I cannot wait to share with you my experience!

And this folks was the end of our honeymoon wine trip!

Happy Wine Wednesday! 🍷

Dominique x
June 12, 2019
Off the Beeten Track – Visit the Hemel-en-Aarde Wine Region

Being a new-found wine geek, I’ve only recently discovered that Walker Bay/Hemel-en-Aarde is renowned for South Africa’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay during my recent WSET courses. This left me with a curious palate and a sense of adventure to travel to the wine region. Not knowing the area very well, I opted to stay in an AirBnB close-by to the glorious valley and the sea-side town of Hermanus. This is the second instalment of my three part wine-trip honeymoon series. I wish we had more time to explore all of the regions and wineries in each region but alas reality was calling.

Hemel-en-Aarde is a top cool climate for winemaking in South Africa situated towards Hermanus along the scenic and picturesque R320. There is beauty in abundance in the valley, it definitely feels as though you are between Heaven and Earth.

Hamilton Russell

The most southerly situated wine farm in the region was purchased in 1975 by founder Tim Hamilton Russell. Mr Hamilton Russell is said to have founded the Hemel-en-Aarde region. With his fascination of Pinot Noir as inspiration to bring this soft and delicate gem of a varietal to South Africa. His son, Anthony Hamilton Russell, who took over in 1991 and then buying the property in 1994, narrowed the winery’s range to Pinot noir and Chardonnay only and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an Estate, committing to work only with grapes from their terroir.

We were in a very laidback kind of mood and thus didn’t make any bookings for wine tastings, which is encouraged especially with this region having lots of boutique wineries that sometimes insist on bookings. I would imagine this is because of the small number of staff on the farms. We were lucky enough to show up and have the tasting room manager assist us in an impromptu and very insightful tasting experience. ladies and gentelmen, this was the day I fell head over heels in love with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay! Something for the fellow wine geeks – this region’s soil is made up of a stony, clay-rich, shale-like minerality and is optimal for the growth of varietals produced in this area.

The HR 2018 Pinot Noir has elegant balance and structure, elevated length that carries the delicious notes of dark red fruit, alluring spicy and savoury notes on the palate. Reminiscent of a very good burgundy. The Chardonnay entices with lime, crisp green pear on the nose, has bright natural acid and earthy minerality which the terroir lends to this wonderfully elegant wine. The 2018 Ashborne Pinotage/Cinsault is an unwooded blend of 80% Pinotage and 20% Cinsault and is made from grapes sourced from old vineyards in the Swartland appellation. The richness and depth of the Pinotage is sophistocatedly freshened by the lightness and brightness of the Cinsault. This had me beaming with excitement, as our next wine region stop was the exciting and daring Swartland! With all the wedding gift money we were so lucky to receive ,we left with a few bottles of 2016 Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and the 2018 Ashborne Pinotage/Cinsault, and a few rocks I requested from the tasting room manager that was on display in the charming tasting cottage for reference for my next WSET Level 3 course. This was certainly one of a few highlights of this trip for me. (not the rocks, the wine guys!)

Newton Johnson

A short drive from Hamilton Russell, is the acclaimed Newton Johnson. Like HR racking up local and international awards with the likes of Decanter and Platters is an easy feat with the quality of their wines and passion of their winemakers. Owned and managed by the Newton Johnson family, the farm is situated in the upper Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Well known for their mastery in producing Pinot Noir at its best, they believe in making wine with purity of flavour and natural expression. They offer three ranges of wines, namely the Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Range, The Newton Johnson range, and Felicité by Newton Johnson. The first and second bowled me over. Specifically the Windansea Pinot Noir unfortunately not for tasting and exclusively available only at their winery, originates from a specific block on the Estate, and of course the 2017 Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir which has such bold expressive characteristics and elegant structure.

Soil samples of the three blocks on the vineyard.

Bouchard Finlayson

Home to the 2018 SA Wine Index 100 point award for the elegant Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, the 125-hectare property only has 22 hectares under vine with the rest left wild to conserve the indigenous Fynbos flora. The winery began as collaboration between Paul Bouchard, celebrated Burgundian winemaker, and locally awarded Peter Finlayson. Together, they built what is today world-renowned as Bouchard Finlayson.

The Husband taking in the view

When visiting, the tasting rooms were abuzz with wine-influenced bubbly chatter and laughter, with a few groups of tourists and one or two locals indulging in some leisurely wine-tasting on a weekday. Having only tasted a select few, like the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir which was an interestingly structured with a hint of jammy red fruit. The highlight for me was the legendary Kaaimansgat-Crocodile’s Lair Chardonnay. The Kaaimansgat /Crocodile’s Lair vineyard is hidden away in the Elands Kloof Valley behind the village of Villiersdorp, just 80km from Hermanus. A spot inside a valley nestled amongst majestic mountains. I can certainly see why this winery pulls so many awards! Other cultivars from the farm include Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese, Chenin Blanc and Riesling as well as some newer varieties: Nebbiolo, Barbera and Mourvèdre.

Ataraxia

I adore the architecture of the tasting room building of this invigorating winery, incredibly bold, and at the same time traditional like a majestic old chapel. Greek for “a serene state of mind, free from worry and preoccupation”, Ataraxia certainly lives up to the hype and name. This was our last stop in Hemel-en-Aarde with only so much wine I could consume in one day. Make sure to keep hydrated with lots of water (no, wine doesn’t count) and line your tummies with lots of tasty food to soak up all the wine! Please also make the responsible decision to have a designated driver along with you when wine-tripping, so you can really go all out and have as much fun! 🙂

In 2004, The Skyfields Farm was visioned into the Ataraxia wine label when husband and wife team, Kevin and Hanli Grant and a few friends purchased this 47-hectare prime vineyard property situated on a steep slope in upper hemel-en-aarde, with views that only can only dream of if not seen with your own eyes! Okay, Wine geeks fix your eyes, there are fourteen soil types on Ataraxia derived from the deposits of Table Mountain Sandstone, Cape Granite and Bokkeveld Shale. Collectively, all of these deposits make up the geology of the Hemel-en-Aarde region and can be traced back to more than 1000 million years. Interesting stuff, right?!

The 2017 Ataraxia Chardonnay, is an exquisite example of the varietal and this one commands respect, like our insightful wine consultant enthusiastically mentioned. This Chardonnay has bold crisp flavours of green apple peel, lemon zest and vanilla on the nose. The 2016 Pinot Noir is what I had to leave with. It’s intoxicating earthiness, minerality as well as bruised dark fruit made it such an easy choice, but who could choose between these two elegant wines! I adore the ruby red colour, especially glistening in the autumnal sun.

Another highlight of our trip?

Where to eat:

Fisherman’s Cottage

This legendary eatery is listed on the Top 100 Eat Out list as a unique dining experience not to be missed. They come highly recommended to all I’ve spoken to in the know. Don’t leave without trying their famous Seafood Curry!

Again, on a very lax and lazy buzz, because I mean honeymoon! We decided to pop in without phoning ahead to see if we were lucky enough to snag a spot in the local seaside eatery. Upon Entry the restaurant was packed to the rafters for a Tuesday evening, however the chef himself warmly welcomed us in and insisted he make space for us at the best seats in the house, in a little nook right next to the kitchen. Something I appreciate being that close to all the action and intoxicating aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Starters was a plate of fresh West Coast Oysters, a glass of Gabriëlskloof Rosebud Rosé which would prove to pair perfectly with both the starters and the mains which of course was the incredibly delicious seafood curry, served with freshly made naan. My Husband had “the best fish ever” which was a dish of succulent Snoek with sweet potato that had been roasted then fried to a crisp on the outside. The salty, smokey and sweet combination is what he loved but more over the texture of the fish was spot on!

Plaaskombuis

A farm-stall diner with delicious home-cooked meals and old-school thick milkshakes and family-friendly garden outside with a play area for the kids. Conveniently situated along the R320 between the wineries for those looking for a pitstop to fuel up on wholesome deliciousness. They have a cute little store on site, where you can stock up on your trip snacks.

I can’t stress how much you need to visit the valley between Heaven and Earth and the seaside town of Hermanus! I would suggest going in the off peak seasons to benefit from the fact that accommodation would be more affordable and will be a tad bearable if you’re like me and can’t do crowds.

I would suggest calling ahead and booking if you’re in larger groups of 5 or more. I think in our case, we were really lucky to just pop in, especially with the smaller boutique wineries.

Happy International Chardonnay day! What will you be celebrating with?

Dominique x

**This post is not sponsored. All expenses were personally incurred**

May 23, 2019
Off The Beeten Track – Bot River

In my haste to help plan my honeymoon together with my now husband, yes! it’s been just over a month since we said ‘I do’! My head had been full of all of the outlandish ideas of travelling South Africa, maybe even abroad but weddings do cost quite a bit of money. This is when the thought occurred to me whilst sipping on a glass of Saboteur – Luddite “Aha! we’ll go wine tripping!” lucky for me my enthusiastic other half was happily on board with my plans and even planning a secret stay at the end of our blissfull week away.

Where did we go? We started our wine region road trip in Bot River with a stay at the breathtakingly beautiful and secluded Copia Eco Cabins some 7-8 km’s from the sleepy town, and toured some of the wineries in this spectacular region. We moved on to two other wine regions, Hemel-en-Aarde/Walker Bay and the exciting Swartland.

Because we saw and tasted quite a bit in those respective wine regions, I will be breaking it up into three parts per wine region. The name Bot River derives from the meaning ‘Butter River’, where the local Khoi tribe used to sell butter. With just an hours drive from Cape Town you get to feel like you’re in a different country, with small town charm and picture-perfect views. Perfect for a family getaway or a romantic honeymoon.

Copia Eco Cabins

Affordable, high in demand, incredibly beautiful and so serene, our stay at Copia certainly was the ideal breakaway that this city slicker needed. If you love looking after your car as much as we do, then beware of the gravel road with many bumps along the way to the cabin, either take the chance (like we did) or hire an off-roader if you can. I highly recommend booking a stay here but do it at least a good couple of months in advance it tends to fill up very quickly.

Copia provides you with firewood, firelighters, tasty rusks, sugar, coffee, and a few farm fresh eggs. With only one little mini market in the town selling only the basics, so do take a few goodies with you that you could cook on the braai (barbecue) or on the two plate gas stove in the fully equipped modern kitchen. There’s no TV and there’s absolutely no signal out there, perfect for a digital detox! I’d recommend bringing a few good books accompanied with your favourite wines to enjoy on the wood-clad balcony or in the luxurious hot tub overlooking the valley. Top tip: The hot tub is powered by a wood-fired stove, although there are instructions on how to fire it up, it does take a while to master the art of keeping the fire alive, so start a few hours in advance before you plan on soaking it up like a boss.

Gabriëlskloof

Try the Tapas for two that comes with a tasting of their Estate range of about 6 wines. The Tapas and the Rosebud Rosé was by far the highlight of our visit. The tapas board consisted of freshly baked flatbreads, the most fragrant dukkah ever, two types of hummus, the butternut one though! You’ll need a moment of silence for it, pulled pork tacos, and crispy salt and pepper squid, with every morsel and sip of wine, it’s clear that care and thought went into the making of not only the delicious bites of food but their wines too. Did you know? Gabriëlskloof produces their very own olive oil from groves on their farm, they are also renowned for their award-winning old-vine Chenin blanc, Elodie.

Wildekrans

Just a short drive away from Gabriëlskloof we reach Wildekrans Wine Estate. The first thing I notice is the informative board about mountain leopards that roam freely in the nearby woods, just then I had heard a crunch of leaves, my heart starts pounding at the thought that it could be a leopard lurking close by but to my relief it was only a cyclist zooming past. Okay, enough excitement for one day! Here’s why you should visit: the tasting room is situated in the original Cellar building built in 1936, which has been restored to its former glory, the Barrel Select Pinotage which a cool climate Pinotage show elegant complexity with delicious juicy red fruits and dark plum with hints of leather and tobacco on the palate. All this wine tasting can work up a decent appetite, next to the tasting room is their popular restaurant Forage. Sadly the kitchen was closed when we arrived.

Beaumont Family Wines

Hosted by none other than Winemaker Sebastian Beaumont himself. He had sent his staff off to Cape Town for a post-harvest celebration, which meant he was manning the tasting room. We started off with the white wines and worked our way to the reds, my favourite from the first flight is the 2018 Hope Marguerite Chardonnay. My hubby’s fave is the Beaumont Vitruvian red blend. Why the peculiar name? The key component of their 200 yr old water mill is known as a Vitruvian Mill. This is where the inspiration for the name came from. We were lucky enough that it was a quiet time of day in the little town of Bot River that I got to pick Sebastian’s brain about wine, South Africa Wine on the international stage and how we are actually in a league of our own in terms of what we have to offer as a new world wine region. He surprised us with a little memorabilia for our honeymoon, a 2000 vintage bottle of Beaumont Mourvedré! Certainly one of those keepsakes you get to look at but don’t open, given its age. Thank you Sebastian for the hospitality and great memory we will always have!

Luddite

It was at The Shortmarket club that the sommelier had recommended a glass of Luddite Saboteur red blend to accompany the chargrilled lamb rack, and what a match made in heaven! Ever since I’ve been a Luddite fanatic. A year ago, we drove from Cape Town to Bot River just to have a tasting at Luddite and to my surprise the winemaker, Niels Verburg had hosted it himself around the long table with other wine enthusiasts alike. That day we went back home with boxes of our favourite varietals and vintages and a jar of apricot jam that Niels had suggested we absolutely must take home.

This time, having our Luddite wine stash back at home, we knew to make a stop as we headed out of the town to stock up on that delicious jam. Yes, it is just that good! The jam is made from apricots grown on the farm, and made on site too. I highly recommend you take a drive soon to see what i’m talking about.

Eat Out in Bot River

Manny’s Kitchen serves the best damn chicken prego roll and chips I have ever devoured in my 31 years of life! Over the train tracks and what looks like an old train station is The Shuntin’ Shed. The theme is American dinner meets South African bistro. They serve up a mean gourmet burger and their pizzas are pretty good too. Although we never made it out to this vibey spot, The Bot River Hotel has a lovely restaurant which proves to be quiet busy every day.

*These are my own views based on my experience thus this post is not sponsored. All accommodation, tastings etc was at our own expense. *

Cheers!

Dominique x

May 3, 2019
Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.
At the moment I am cooking my way through Nigella’s book, At My Table. I admire her careless abandon and prowess in the kitchen. One of my favourite recipes so far is the Roasted Salsa, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding.At My Table is perfect for anyone who wants to cook good, simple food.

Tomatoes are a favourite of mine. My cousin introduced me to eating it in a whole different way. She would take an enormous bite of a juicy tomato and sprinkle salt on as she eats her way through the deliciously plump fruit. This to me was foreign and strange, seeing my mom only ever cook with it and never seeing anyone eating it as is. Now to this day, that is exactly how I enjoy eating a tomato. I love this recipe because I always have surplus tomatoes, and who doesn’t want salsa they know exactly what ingredients are in it!?

Nigella’s Red-Hot Roast Salsa.

Ingredients:
- 10 Medium sized Roma Tomatoes (halved across the equator)
- 4-5 Red Chillies, I used dried ones, you can of course stick to the original recipe and use fresh if you have any on hand.
- 1 large Red Onion, peeled and chopped into eighths
- 2 Red peppers, de-seeded and chopped into strips
- 4 large Garlic cloves, peeled and smashed or bruised with the back end of a knife
- 1/4 teaspoon of Smoked Sweet Paprika
- 1 teaspoon of Smoked Sea Salt flakes, plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil
Method:

Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C/200 fan. Add the halved tomatoes cut-side up in a large roasting dish. Add the chillies around the tomatoes, then the red onion wedges, strips of red pepper, and the garlic. Season with the salt, paprika and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 40 – 45 minutes, until everything is soft and slightly charred around the edges.

Take out of the oven and set aside for 5 minutes. Pull off the stalks of the chillies and discard. Transfer everything into a large bowl or blender(If using a blender wait 10-15 minutes for the roasted mix to cool down further, to avoid explosions across your kitchen) and blitz with a stick blender or stand blender. Until smooth but with a little chunky texture. Blitz according to preference. Add a little more salt and store in a sterilized jar or wait to cool completely before serving with tortilla chips or spread over a breakfast burrito.

I used this salsa in every way imaginable, to get the best out of it. I spread a generous amount over chicken breasts with garlic, parsley and a lemon juice, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes on high. This was such a great way to add moisture and flavour to the lean and sometimes bland part of the bird.

Let me know in the comments section if you love salsa and the different ways you use it.

Have a delicious week x
March 12, 2018
Olive oil, lime and coconut biscotti.

It’s been a while since I’ve baked anything, I find the process of baking quite calming and sort of a temporary escape from the real world in exchange for that a realm of whimsy and wonder. Now if only I could escape washing the dishes after the mess that ensues… With my olive oil purchase from Babylonstoren from the Olive workshop, thought I should do something a little out of the ordinary, instead to just use it primarily for cooking and drizzling over salads and luxurious homemade pastas. Whilst flipping through a stack of food magazines early this week, frantically searching for inspiration, I happily stumbled across a recipe for olive oil biscotti, and with zeal recreated the recipe with my own take and improvised here and there. This recipe is for an advertisement for the S.A Olive association, featured in the Fresh Living magazine.

The recipe is adapted from the recipe as mentioned above, and thus used as a guideline. I added dried cranberries, cashew nuts, coconut flakes, the zest and juice of two limes, this I find works complementary with the grassy peppery notes of the extra virgin olive oil.

Olive oil,lime and coconut biscotti.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

250g sugar

330g cake flour

2 free-range eggs

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp vanilla paste

1/2 cup dried cranberries

100g cashew nuts roughly chopped

50g coconut flakes roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 2 limes

A pinch of sea salt flakes

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. In a bowl or standmixer beat the oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla paste together. In a different bowl combine the flour and bicarbonate of soda and whisk till combined. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. Divide the dough into two, form each piece into a log/roll, as long as your baking tray lengthways. Press down to a 13mm thickness. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice the logs into 13mm slices. Place the slices cut side up and bake for a further 5-10 minutes on either side. Serve with a freshly brewed espresso.

May 25, 2017
Roast cauliflower and quinoa salad

This gorgeous warming salad is inspired and adapted by a recipe from the Gourmet Traveller Australia. As said in my previous post, I’m finding more ways to (excuse the pun) spice up my vegetables and make it into a main dish that is both filling and delicious. Thought I would share a little piece of news with you, I have recently started working for a recipe sharing site called Cookpad, I am expanding their reach to South Africa as their online community manager.They are very successful in Japan, Indonesia, the U.K and the U.S to name but a few. I am very excited to begin this journey to help grow their platform and reach in S.A and I can only hope that this is just the beginning of a fruitful and exciting journey with Cookpad! So if you are an avid home-cook based in South Africa, visit the site and sign up if you love sharing your recipes. Please follow this link if you are interested: https://cookpad.com/za

A belated happy Mother’s Day to all the rockstar moms! I spent the day with my mom and family, and what a beautiful day it was! Seems that winter is unfortunately on hold for Cape Town at the moment with unusually warm weather in May and not a drop of rain in sight for the parched province.

This recipe can be made ahead of time and as a great idea can be packed in for lunch to take to work. I usually boil quinoa for my partner and slow roast tomatoes with garlic, with a mix of baby spinach, toasted pumpkin seeds and some canned tuna or leftover chicken works just as well with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. It makes me so happy that I can make him something nourishing and uplifting for him to take to work.

Roast cauliflower and quinoa salad with a yoghurt dressing:

Ingredients:
300g sliced cauliflower florets

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp turmeric

A pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup of quinoa ( I used red and white)

1 cup of vegetable stock

100g baby spinach leaves

50g almonds

50g sunflower seeds
For the dressing:

180ml plain double cream yoghurt

Zest and juice of half a lemon

1 garlic clove crushed

Drizzle of olive oil.
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. In a dry pan, toast the raw quinoa for 1-2 minutes on a medium to high heat. Remove and transfer to a small saucepan

With the stock and bring to a simmer for 25 minutes until all liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Set aside to cool.

Toast the spices, sans the turmeric in a dry pan for 30-40 seconds. Add to a pestle and mortar, adding the turmeric then grind. In a roasting dish, add the cauliflower, toasted spices and drizzle of olive oil, roast for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, mix together the crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest along with the olive oil.

To assemble, in a bowl or plate, add the baby spinach, the quinoa, the roasted spiced cauliflower, almonds, sunflower seeds and a drizzle of olive oil and a lashing of dressing over the salad.

Enjoy! 🙂

May 17, 2017