I think Spring has *FINALLY* arrived in Cape Town and I’m rather pleased. Despite being an Autumn and Winter person, I’m happy this season has ended. It was by far the worst winter I’ve known. I recently got back from an incredible adventure in Spain which I haven’t got round to writing about yet. I want to share all the delicious finds as soon as possible. We visited some incredible restaurants, including one which might be one of my all-time favourites, and ate unforgettable meals. I want to make sure you know about these, so stay tuned.
I launched into October with a brand new website. Drizzleanddip underwent a major revamp and I couldn’t be more excited. I have over a thousand recipes that needed to be better arranged, and you can now navigate to them via a range of categories and search tools.
My recipes are divided by meal type, cuisine type, ingredient and other categories like healthy eating, vegetarian, Air Fryer and quick and easy. I even have a cheese category and I hope you enjoy these new tools and find it effortless to move around. You can check it out at Drizzleanddip.com
A few recipes to get you into Spring
*New*
I have one new recipe since my last newsletter and it’s a goodie. I’m late to the viral whipped feta party but my version is topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic. They get all jammy and delicious and I’ll be making this all summer long. This is so easy and comes together in 30 minutes with only about 10 minutes of hands-on time.
Whipped feta with roasted tomatoes and garlic
It might be going semi-viral on TikTok which is quite exciting to watch. I haven’t quite found my groove on this platform but I’ll keep trying. My voiceover was not good but I couldn’t face recording yet another one, so just let it go. Voiceovers are hard. I think TikTok is where it’s at to be honest although Instagram is my main platform.
Make right now
By the time Spring and summer arrive, I’m longing for summer tomatoes and stone fruit.
I’m ready to eat all the salads and you can find a list of my favourite salads for a braa/BBQ here.
Including my best BLT pasta salad which is a keeper
A Greek Panzanella with the BEST dressing
I often create vibrant Mediterranean flavours and for me, this is summer in a bowl (even though I eat it all year round).
Pasta with tomato, olives and anchovies
Baked whole trout with herbs and lemon is easy, hands-off, delicious and super healthy. Just bang it in the oven and dinner is served. I like a fresh new potato salad with spring onions, dill, radishes and chives on the side. Steamed asparagus and a glass of Rosé finish things off perfectly.
For dessert, I love this Honey & rosewater panna cotta recipe which can be made in advance and perfect for a dinner or lunch party.
A lunch with Dalewood Fromage at The Kraal at Joostenberg
Dalewood Fromage make a few of my favourite cheeses in South Africa so I was delighted to have been invited to a lunch featuring their cheeses in each course at The Kraal recently. I had visited (and took dozens of pics) just after it opened and it was lovely to see how the garden has grown. The food is top-notch and I can’t wait to return for lunch soon.
Dalewood Fromage is a family-owned artisanal cheesery located in the Cape Winelands, passionately dedicated to crafting high-quality cheese using milk from their single pasture-fed Jersey herd, resulting in an authentic estate product.
Dalewood recently launched their Simond Cheese which I hadn’t tried before. It’s a mild cheese designed for everyday use and I fell in love with it. It has been matured for 6 months.
See my baked Camembert with sundried tomatoes and thyme (this is my favourite easy snack to serve guests. Everyone goes MAD for it), and for something sweet, my baked Camembert with baked apples and thyme.
Tyrrel Myburgh and his team from Joostenberg Wine Estate farm organically so be sure to taste the wines with lunch. The full range of Joostenberg wines, including some rare bottles from the small batch collection and specially kept older vintages, are on offer. The wine-tasting room is open from 11h to 15h every weekend.
Reservations, trading hours and prices for The Kraal
Booking is essential, as they only cater for the number of guests who have reserved a table.
They are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for lunch, and bookings can be made from 12h00- 14h30.
A set lunch is served, and the menu changes every week.
Costs: R420 per adult || R200 per child 5-12 YO || no charge 4 years & under.
Bartholomeus Klip hosted their annual Spring Pop Up recently and I went along to experience it. They turned their sheep shearing shed into a whimsical venue for the night. Louise Gillet and Christo Pretorius from the 12 Apostles put together a delicious 10-course small-plate dinner inspired by their travels, friends and family in the Swartland. The menu was beautifully paired with Mullineux wines. The team knocked it out of the park and this special dinner is one to put on your calendar. The farm is one of my all-time favourite places to stay in South Africa.
Melissa Nelsen of Genevieve who also happens to be a former pilot (wow) launched her 2019 vintage along with her very exciting 2013 Blanc de Blanc. This unique wine has been aged for a decade and perfected using the Recently Disgorged (RD) method. The wine showcases a delightful interplay of fruit and brioche notes. I got to taste both vintages at Sea Breeze Fish & Shell in Bree Street this week. The wines were paired with delicious seafood canapes.
I’m a big fan of Genevieve and the 2013 is a very special wine to look out for.
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Sam x