What's in season during March

and THREE delicious New Restaurants

Mar 15, 2025

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What’s in Season in March

The Southern Hemisphere is starting to move into Autumn, which fills me with joy. It’s my favourite time of the year. If I ever want to visualise what’s in season, I go to the Oranjezicht City Farmers Market and see what’s on display.

Fruit: We start saying goodbye to most of the stone fruit but still have nectarines, peaches and plums around. Apples, pears, figs, grapes, passion fruit, persimmons, pomegranates, and quinces are at their peak.

Roast fig tartines with blue cheese and prosciutto

Figs are so versatile and can happily swing from savoury to sweet. I adore these open tartines with salty blue cheese and prosciutto. The thyme adds herbaceousness and the honey an extra pop of sweetness.

Crimson grape sorbet

This red grape sorbet is a refreshing and perfectly balanced iced dessert with a splash of red wine to give it a softer texture. Any darker (fresh) red grape juice will work with this recipe. It’s 36 degrees Celsius today and this is all I feel like right now.

Passion Fruit (Granadilla) Curd Loaf Cake

A delicious and moist loaf cake made with granadilla curd, which I added to both the cake itself and ot the frosting to give it a distinctive tropical flavour. This is a slice of summer on a plate and perfect with a cup of tea.

Vegetables: Pumpkins, butternut, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, leeks, fennel, and green beans are all filling the markets and shops right now.

Fresh herbs and aromatics such as basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, coriander, parsley, garlic, and ginger are all around.

Roasted pumpkin with chilli yoghurt and coriander sauce from Ottolenghi

This is one of the more simple recipes from Ottlenghi’s Plenty More and has a relatively small list of ingredients. It’s a great side dish to so many things. Meat and chicken in particular.

Roasted pumpkin and ricotta gratin

I adore this dish, which makes a perfect side in place of mashed potatoes or potato gratin.

Herb & fennel crusted salmon with roasted garlic sweet potato chips

This easy and delicious salmon recipe is mostly hands-off, yielding perfectly succulent fish with a crispy, flavourful crumb topping. You can use trout, too.

Easy tomato and spinach baked ravioli

This is a delicious and easy weeknight supper recipe where store-bought spinach and ricotta ravioil is drenched in a creamy tomato sauce and baked.

3 delicious New Restaurants

There has been a flurry of new restaurants opening in Cape Town, and I feel a bit behind in getting to them. We have such a vibrant food scene, but it’s always exciting to experience new places.

Here are three that I have tried and love.

EDGE X VUE

Talented chef Vusi Ndlovu and his partner Absie Pantswha have set up their summer residency for their EDGE concept at Vue on Shortmarket Street, with plans to make it a permanent home later this year. A renovation is set for July to bring their personal touch to the space.

Vusi Ndlovu is a celebrated South African chef known for his mastery of open-fire cooking. A former S.Pellegrino Young Chef Africa finalist, he brings a deep respect for local ingredients and traditional techniques to his cuisine. His approach blends bold, smoky flavours with refined execution, highlighting the richness of African food heritage. Through his cooking, he tells stories of the land, using fire as both a tool and an art form.

I was blown away by the bold and inspired African flavours in every dish. Each one was exceptional, but the crispy-skinned mackerel with jollof rice, tomatoes, and jollof essence stood out. The leek dish with aged Cheddar and mushrooms was another highlight, evoking the nostalgic taste of cheese and onion chips in the best way possible.

PS: The cocktail list is unique and extraordinary, and care has been taken with the wine list. I loved the Thamnus Chardonnay, which paired beautifully with some of the dishes.

The Fountain at The Mount Nelson

The Nellie has transformed the lawn around their iconic fountain into an informal alfresco dining space, complete with pink umbrellas and tables. With a Mediterranean-inspired menu by chef Luke Barry, I enjoyed delicious pizza flatbreads, vibrant salads, and classic Italian desserts. It’s the perfect spot for casual summer dining—just keep in mind they don’t take reservations.

They are open Monday to Sunday - noon to late.

The Table at Oak Valley

The Table, known for its relaxed al fresco lunches at De Meye, has expanded to Oak Valley in Grabouw. Owners Brendan and Leigh Thorncroft bring their signature communal dining experience to a beautiful new setting, featuring a terrace by a turquoise pool and shaded lawn seating. The menu stays true to its roots, focusing on hyper-local Elgin and Grabouw ingredients served family-style.