Jan-Feb-2016_Final-1-4-16-attempt2

SOUTH AFRICA

outside of Capetown, through the hills and valley and wine farms of Stellenbosch, where Mulderbosh and Neil Ellis are made, Franschhoek, and Paarl (where Man Vintners, Nederburg and Fairview are produced). Along with the above, Rouses carries also carries Protea (named after South Africa’s national flower), Grinder Pinotage (a South African crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault), Fairview, Rib Shack, and Beach House (one of the biggest selling South African wines in the United States). Lunch was at Babylonstoren, one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms. There are eight plus acres of vegetable, fruit and flower gardens from which the chef at Babel selects her ingredients (flowers were featured in many of the dishes). Babel is an example of true farm-to- table cooking, and the menu changes by season, specials by day. I picked up a great idea to make salads more interesting: arrange them by color. I chose the yellow salad that day, made with pineapple, gooseberries, granadillas, yellow tomatoes and apricots (the other salads were red and green). Main courses were lamb, chicken, beef and fish (there was a vegetarian version as well). Desserts were divided by flavor — sweet, sour, spicy, bittersweet and sweet-and-sour. After lunch and a stroll through the gardens, we piled back in the bus for a return trip to Capetown. The next morning it was back to the States. South Africa was exotic, but I felt right at home, from the pap and sausages and seafood we ate, to the friendliness of the people, to the cacophony of languages and accents (I live in New Orleans, where people speak Uptown, Metairie, and Kenner brah , and I work with Cajun in Thibodaux and Lafayette, and drawlers in Denham Springs, Mississippi and Lower Alabama, so I’m used to it). I can’t wait to go back.

Bobotie Serves 8 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 3 tablespoons butter 2 onions, chopped ½ teaspoon crushed garlic 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 ½ cup bread crumbs ¼ cup Rouses whole milk 4 tablespoons lemon juice 1 2

tablespoons Rouses vegetable oil

pound minced lamb or minced beef

tablespoon finely grated lemon rind

1 1 1

egg

teaspoon Rouses salt

teaspoon Rouses black pepper ounces dried apricots, chopped

3

1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and chopped ¼ cup golden raisins 1½ ounces slivered almonds, toasted in a dry frying pan 6 bay leaves TOPPING 1 cup Rouses whole milk 2 eggs ½ teaspoon Rouses salt HOW TO PREP

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a large casserole. Heat remaining butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant, stir in the curry powder and turmeric. Remove skillet from the heat and add the minced meat, stirring to coat. In a medium size bowl, mix together the crumbs, milk, lemon rind and juice, egg, salt, pepper, apricots, apple, raisins and almonds. Place minced meat in the casserole using a fork or spoon to level the top. Make a second layer with milk and fruit mixture. Roll up the bay leaves and bury them at regular intervals. Cover casserole with foil and bake for 75 minutes. Raised oven temperature to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together milk, eggs and salt. Pour over casserole. Bake uncovered until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve with rice or grits.

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