Whether for health, financial or environmental reasons, many people are trying to cut down on the amount of meat that they eat. Catharina’s at Steenberg Hotel has developed a three-course menu that shows off grains and veggies at their best. (The asparagus, artichoke and broad bean risotto is creamy perfection, the reviewers say.)

Chef Garth Almazan invites Slow Food guests – with a complimentary glass of wine in hand – on a guided tour of the herb garden before dinner. The garden is fed with worm-composted waste from the Catharina’s and Bistro 1682 kitchens, and chef will be using these organic herbs in your meal.

This event is not only for our vegetarian members: We heartily encourage omnivores to experience a meal that doesn’t need meat to take it into the realm of superb.

Event Details:

Date: Monday 2 April 2012
Time: 6.30pm
Venue: Steenberg Hotel, Tokai.
Cost: R195 for the three-course set menu and herb garden tour (with complimentary glass of wine).

Bookings
Sorry, bookings are now closed.

Questions or problems with booking? Email events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za to communicate with a real person!

It was a perfect, sunny day, and we all had a wonderful time.  We’ve posted new photos in our gallery – have a look!

[View with PicLens]

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And, the following are excerpts taken from two bloggers who came along with us and wrote about their experiences:

Food and the Fabulous – www.foodandthefabulous.com

A few Sundays ago, on the 28th of August, we headed off to Paternoster, a sleepy fishing village on the Cape West Coast just under two hours outside Cape Town to join Slow Food Mother City on a food forage in the local nature reserve in TietiesBaai (yes, you read the name correctly.)

What is Food Foraging?

Searching for wild plants, indigenous to an area for consumption, is as old as mankind. In the last decade, there has been a conscious reactivation of interest in foraging from dedicated foargers, freegans, chefs and curious individuals (like myself).

The closest I’ve come to foraging (apart from hopping from one stall holder to the next at some of the world’s loveliest farmer’s markets) is picking herbs and chilies from our garden. Though there were the times we picked mulberries and unripe guavas (worst tummy ache known to man) along the roadside walking home from school….

Cape Columbine Nature Reserve

Rupert, a botanist and friend of Kobus van der Merwe (Chef at Oep ve Koep, a family run business) guided us, a group of 20 through a small section of the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, mere minutes out of the village. The reserve is unusual in that it is flanked by coastline, dotted with coves and covered in fynbos, succulents and wild flowers in season…

Oep Ve Koep

Kobus looks much younger than I expected and runs through the menu in his gentle, soft spoken manner, his eyes beaming as he brings out plates of food starkly in contrast with the modest surroundings. We start with bokkum (salted, dried fish) butter and a pickled waterblommetjie followed by a calamari bobotie (egg custard savoury crustless pie) with soutslaai. The main of sandveld potato dumplings, dune spinach, veldkool, soy butter, porcini and nasturtium is my favourite dish of the lunch.

Read more, and view Ishay’s fantastic photos here.

Cape Town By Mouth - www.capetownbymouth.com

Veldkos Ramble and Lunch at Oep ve Koep

Last weekend was just perfect. Sunshine, culinary treats and a trip to Paternoster, a foodie fishing village on the west coast. If you have read some of my blogposts you may already know that I love to forage (read about mushrooms here). Foraging is something that we grow up doing in Finland and it has even become somewhat of a trend spearheaded by Rene Redzepi from Noma in Copenhagen. I have hardly been able to contain myself since I first heard about Slowfood’s Veldkos ramble. The Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest yet richest in the world and I have been dying to learn about local wild food.

20 slowfoodies pitched up at 11am on Sunday morning at Oep ve Koep in Paternoster and headed out to the veld with the enthusiastic, knowledgeable and very entertaining Rupert from Cape Nature.

We learned to identify sout slaai and veldkool (salty salad and field cabbage) as well as a prickly relative of asparagus that I can’t remember the name of (my brain switches off when plants are not highly tasty). Rupert also helped me identify sorrel. I have been happily eating it in Finland before (we call it fox bread) and some wild food enthusiasts use it in salads. Sorrel has crept into my salad pots uninvited in Cape Town and I have ignored it unsure of its edibility. I shall make sure it feels welcome from now on.

…

Lunch at Oep ve koep was an absolute treat. Kobus van de Merwe uses a lot of wild herbs and plants in his cooking. We started with bokkom butter and bread and a lightly pickled waterblommetjie. So pleased to see waterblommetjies outside of stews. These treats were followed by calamari bobotie, which was complemented by seaweed. Our palates were cleansed with pickled onion and salvia (sage related herb) soup poured from an enamel teapot. The main course was a highlight: potato dumplings with field cabbage and some dune spinach. Oep ve Koep is well worth a visit. Kobuses beautiful yet down to earth cooking is served in a cozy courtyard with missmatched tables and rambling herb bushes. His Sardines on Toast blog will have you salivating and planning a trip to Paternoster.

Read more, and view Marianna’s lovely photos here.

With the flowers starting to bloom already, what better time of the year to visit the West Coast than in Spring? And so we are excited to announce our Veldkos Lunch and Veld Stroll event, hosted by Kobus van der Merwe at Oep ve Koep, Paternoster.

If you haven’t already heard about Oep ve Koep, have look at Kobus’ blog at Sardines on Toast (just don’t do it before lunch). Kobus has built up a fervent following, by keeping his menu ‘West Coast’ and using locally sourced (often foraged) ingredients to whip up sumptuous dishes. If you thought Veldkos was purely about sustenance, this event might just make you think twice about how you view indigenous ingredients.

On Sunday 28 August, Kobus will be preparing a very special three-course Slow Food Mother City lunch.  To work up your appetite, we are also honored to have a field botanist to take us for a short exploration of the area to show us what and where Veldkos actually is!

Event details:

Date: Sunday 28 August 2011.
We will be meeting at Oep ve Koep at 11am, to commence our walk-about at 11.15am. The walk will be about 1 hour long and will take place either around Paternoster or the nearby nature reserve, weather and plants depending!
Lunch will be a specially prepared 3 course set meal, jugs of water provided. BYO is allowed, with 1 bottle between 4 people at R20 corkage, however Oep ve Koep has a small but very reasonable regional wine list, which you are encouraged to support.

Children: Whilst we endeavour to include children at our events, Kobus’ kitchen is a ‘one man band’ and the menu is likely to be quite unusual, there is no capacity to make an alternative children’s menu. Babies that are too small for food are welcome to join us, but otherwise, we feel that this event is not suitable for children under 14. Our apologies!

Cost: The cost for the whole event is R280 for Slow Food members, R320 for guests. .As Oep ve Koep can only seat 20, we will be limiting numbers to first come, first served.

We very excited about this trip to Paternoster, and we hope you will join us! Book here to do so.

Warm Regards,
Slow Food MotherCity

To book for the Saturday 9 July workshop please fill in the booking form below.  Those already on the waiting list for the first event will get first dibs on this second event, after which we will open it up to the rest of our members.  As with all our events, you should automatically receive email confirmation of your reservation. If you do not, please email and let us know!

LELIEBLOM CHARCUTERIE WORKSHOP IN A NUTSHELL:

Details: Farmer Michael Basson shows us how to make our own pork sausage, salami and bacon, which we then take home for maturing (and eventually eating!). Followed by soup and farm bread in the farmhouse, made by the lovely Karen.

Date: Saturday 9 July 2011

Time: 10am

Location: Lelieblom Farm, Darling (1hour 15 min drive from Cape Town; we will send you directions in advance)

Cost: Members – R180 per person; guests – R200 per person (only one guest per member, please). This cost includes: light lunch, workshop and 500gr bacon, 500gr salami and 1kg pork sausage per person.

Children: Children are welcome at this event. Those 12 and under pay R20 for lunch (no workshop meat taken home). Parental supervision is essential.

Bring: An apron, and a cooler box/bag for your meat.

Extras: Michael will have more meat available for purchase on the day (more salami, bacon and pork sausage, as well as eisbein and boerbok meat). So please bring extra cash!

Sorry - this event is now fully booked! If you'd like to go onto a waiting list, please email events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za and provide us with a contact number so we can let you know if there are any cancellations!

We’ll spend a couple of hours with Michael in his new workshop learning how to make our own pork sausage, salami and bacon, which we’ll then get to take home with us. This will be followed by a delicious lunch in the cosy farmhouse:  hearty winter soups and farm-baked bread, prepared by Michael’s wife, Karen.

Charcuterie is the fancy term for the curing, seasoning and smoking of meat. It began as a way to preserve meat for longer periods, but has developed into an art of its own. This workshop with Michael will be a simple introduction to this age-old art, which will give you the basic skills to experiment more widely at home.

Some of you will have fond memories of our first visit to Lelieblom in winter last year, when we waded around in the farm pond, foraging for waterblommetjies. We enjoyed a delicious waterblommetjie stew for lunch and were bowled over by the amazing selection of local producers that Karen had invited to her home.

We went a little crazy purchasing cured meats, creamy local cheeses, Darling Brew beers, the most delicate oyster mushrooms. We’re thrilled to be going back to the farm again, and we’d love you to join us.

Event details:

Date: Saturday 4 June 2011

Time: Please arrive at Lelieblom at 10am. We’ll do the workshop first and then move on to our lunch in the farmhouse.

Cost: Members – R180 per person; guests – R200 per person. This cost includes your take-home meat: 500gr bacon, 500gr salami and 1kg pork sausage per person, as well as your simple hearty lunch.

For children’s prices, please see the note below. Please note that Lelieblom is not licensed so you’ll need to bring your own wine to have with the lunch. Some juice may be provided but it’s probably best to bring your favourites with you.

Bring: An apron for the workshop (it will get messy working with meat) and a cooler box to take home your meat and other purchases.

Extras: Michael will have more meat available for purchase on the day (more salami, bacon and pork sausage, as well as eisbein and boerbok meat). Karen will organise for local producers to come and present their delicious wares, so bring extra cash for purchasing extra meat and delicious cheese, mushrooms and preserves.

Child-friendly event: While we generally welcome children to our events – and Lelieblom is a great venue for them with many hand-reared tame farm animals – we are cautious about having children in the meat processing workshop. This is due to the limited space in the workshop, as well as the presence of raw meat and sharp knives. We’d like to ask you to think very carefully about whether your children will be well-behaved and safe in such a setting. Parents will obviously be completely responsible for their children at all times. Children 12 and over will need to pay the full price, and under-12s will only be charged R20 towards their lunch (but obviously do not get any meat to take home).

Space on this workshop will be limited by the size of the meat processing room, so hurry and sign up soon. For now, we ask that members bring only one guest each. As we get closer to the time, if there are spaces left, we may allow already signed-up members to bring additional guests.

If you would like to join us, please book now using the form below.

Sorry - this event is now fully booked! If you'd like to go onto a waiting list, please email events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za and provide us with a contact number so we can let you know if there are any cancellations!

On Saturday 11 June 2011, Slow Food Mother City will be visiting the Green Point Park & Biodiversity Garden.

The Biodiversity Showcase Garden is situated in the new Green Point Park in Cape Town. It features over 300 local Cape plant species, animal sculptures, interactive displays, demonstration gardens, a Khoikhoi display and more.

Taking us on a guided tour will be Marijke Honig, who helped design and create the garden last year.

Marijke is a botanist and landscaper who specialises in indigenous plants and sustainable landscapes.  During the tour, Marijke will give us an overview of how the garden was created, but will focus in particular on the KhoiKhoi Food Garden and tell us more about how food was gathered from the wild and prepared in various ways.

The tour will start at 10am, and last approximately an hour.  Children are welcome (under supervision).

Dates & times: Saturday 11 June 2011.  10am.
Location: Green Point Park
Cost: R55 (members), R65 (guests).  Free for children under 12.  R35 of each entry goes towards raising funds to maintain the park.

Numbers are limited.  If you would like to join us, please book now using the form below.

Warmly,
Slow Food Mother City

On Sunday, 13 March 2011 27 March 2011, we will be visiting beautiful Glendirk Farm, one of the few remaining private farms in Constantia, to collect fallen sweet chestnuts from their grove of chestnut trees. You can take home whatever you harvest, and children are especially welcome.

TIME: 10.30am

LOCATION: By the gate of Glendirk Farm, next to the entrance to Chart Farm, Wynberg (we will send directions closer to the time). For security reasons, we must all drive into the farm together, but you can leave whenever you wish.

COST: R20.00 per adult, children are free. This admin fee contributes towards the running costs of Slow Food Mother City. This is payable in cash on the day.

NOTES: Please wear strong shoes (such as hiking boots) as chestnut husks are prickly, and shoes are useful for splitting any unopened husks on the ground. Please bring baskets or plastic bags for holding your chestnuts.

To RSVP, please click here.

This is a brief notice to let Slow Food members and enthusiasts know that a few of us will be visiting the Paul Cluver ‘Garden of Elgin’ tomorrow morning (Tuesday 11 January 2011), and we invite anyone interested to come along.

The Garden of Elgin is a specialty vegetable and herb garden (and orchard) created by Dr Cluver and Norwegian celebrity chef, Andreas Viestad.

We are lucky to be able to have Andreas Viestad himself show us around, and share his enthusiasm for the many heirloom varieties cultivated in the garden.

Obviously, this is very short notice – the expedition is essentially a scouting mission, rather than an official Slow Food outing (we hope to organise a more structured visit later this year).

If, however, any of you are not yet back at work, and would like to join us,  please email events@slowfoodmothercity.co.za, and we will send you further details.

Saturday 11 September, 2010

On Saturday 11th September our sister convivium, Slow Food Cape Town, will be visiting Solms Delta wine estate outside Franschhoek to tour their culinary veldkos (indigenous food) garden project. They have kindly invited us to come along. You can view their invitation here.

Now, here’s the complicated part.

They have also arranged a delicious two-course lunch at Fyndraai, the Solms Delta restaurant, as part of the outing. However, as we try to offer affordable events, we have arranged with them so that members can choose to either attend both the veldkos garden tour and the restaurant meal for R230 for members and R250 for guests, OR they can attend only the vegetable garden tour for R40.

If you wish to attend both the vegetable garden tour AND the restaurant meal, please book through Slow Food Cape Town, by emailing Adrian at: adrad@mweb.co.za. Please note booking closes on Monday 6 September.

If you wish only to attend the vegetable garden tour and then make your own plans for lunch, please book through Slow Food Mother City, by filling in our online booking form.

Members who choose not to attend the lunch at Fyndraai restaurant are welcome to make their own plans for lunch in the area. The Slow Food Mother City committee will be picnicking and viewing the plum blossoms at a neighbouring private farm, and you are also welcome to join us on our picnic for no extra cost (aside from your own food and drink!).

If you are confused or just wish to ask a question, please contact Kate at kate@slowfoodmothercity.co.za.