Ed’s note: We are very lucky to have the OK from John and Lynne Ford to publish their Main Ingredient newsletter on the Wines Online Blog. Main Ingredient offers gourmet foods, ingredients and fine wines. It has won Eat In guide’s Outstanding Outlet for the past three years. You can find them at: Shop 5, Nedbank Centre, 15 Kloof Rd, Sea Point 8005, Cape Town, South Africa. phone: +27 21 439 5169, or find them online.
WINE ON THE RIVER
This was, as expected, great fun and we tasted lots and lots of really good wine from one of our favourite wine areas. We bought quite a lot too for the shop. We were delighted to find some new cheese sold at the Dairy at Rigg’s restaurant near Bonnievale – really strong Cheddar and a good aged Gouda. There was also some unspeakably bad goats cheese at the festival (the makers shall remain nameless and really should be doing something else), it resembled school erasers. We also had the best Venison pasties we have ever had. Temperatures reached 35ºC on Saturday and we had a delicious Braai at our lovely hired cottage on the river in Bonnievale that evening. We really do have such a wonderful working life.
THINK PINK TWO will take place on Tuesday 4th November (not the 5th) starting at 6pm and finishing at 8pm. Our first pink tasting, last Tuesday, was a huge success and the wines were well appreciated and bought. We will be repeating the three most popular wines (De Grendel, Morgenhof Fantail and Ridgemore), with a new selection to make up the 12 Rosés. Please Note: these tastings do have to be booked as we can only accommodate 22 people if we only have one bottle of each wine. Sadly, a few people came who had not booked and, as we were really full, we had to turn them away – regretfully – which we hated doing. We do hope they will come to the next one. There are a few places still available, so please phone Lynne (021 439 5169) to add your name to the list. There is a tasting fee of R25 per person, payable in advance, and there will be snacks to accompany the food.
The tasting after this one will be SERIOUS SAUVIGNONS – a selection of some of the best and rarest Sauvignon Blancs like Cederberg Ghost Corner, Constantia Glen, Ataraxia, Oak Valley and Iona. None of them are in the economy class, but all will be very special and perfect for celebrating the summer and the Christmas season. The date, for your diary, will be Wednesday 19th November, but YOU MUST BOOK AND PAY IN ADVANCE as we anticipate that this tasting will be even more popular than the Rosés and it is our way of allowing you to taste before you buy very, very special wines which are not always generally available. The tasting fee will be R25 per person and bookings will be confirmed once the tasting fee has been received. Again, it will be a one-bottle tasting and will therefore be limited to 22 people.
One of the most popular snacks on Tuesday was Pissaladière - the French version of pizza from the Provence area. You should use a pizza yeast dough for the base but, if you don’t have the time, use a bought flaky pastry – the one with cheese and herbs works well.
PISSALADIÈRE
A roll of cheese and herb flaky pastry
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 t salt
1 to 2 T olive oil
a jar of anchovies
pitted black olives, sliced in half
mini Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
black pepper
fresh thyme leaves, stripped of stem
Line an oblong baking tin with baking paper or a silicon baking sheet. Unroll the pastry and roll out to the same size as the base of the tin. Put in the fridge for half an hour. Cook the onions in the salt and oil till they are caramelizing, sweet and beautifully soft – make sure you stir regularly. Warm your oven to 200ºC. Spread the onions evenly over the pastry right to the edges. Cut several anchovies in half lengthwise then make a trellis with them so you have diamonds about 5cm in width. Put half an olive in every alternate diamond and fill the others with half a tomato. Add a grinding of black pepper and sprinkle over some fresh thyme leaves. Bake until the pastry is nice and crisp. Remove from the oven and slice into squares and serve with a good dry Rosé, of course!
NEW IN STORE
The amazing Italian Truffle salt has arrived, slightly earlier than expected. We have lots of orders to fulfill but we do have a little extra – do come quickly as with the exchange rate the way it is going, we may not get much more and this is definitely a ‘must have’ if you love truffles. We have a really good Mango and Lime Atchar from Zest, new stocks of Black Gold Balsamic reduction in normal and huge catering size, also a new chilli sauce called Sweet Fire. More stock has arrived of Froggit’s two Balsamic reductions and we have a few super new 3D Christmas cookie cutters. Tahini and Za’atar should arrive on Friday.
BEST FINE DINING
We were treated to a wonderful dinner at Jardine last night by John’s Australian cousin and got to sample George Jardine’s new menu. Quite delicious. We had a slice of Confit of Lamb shoulder with globe artichokes which were surrounded by a Christmas wreath of fresh spring peas, baby leaves and tiny sun dried tomatoes in a sherry vinegar, a baked salmon trout tapenade with gooey aubergine in a tomato jus and new season fresh white asparagus in a sweetcorn basil purée topped with crispy pancetta. The starters were enjoyed with a glass of Raats Chenin Blanc.
John had a really good twice baked crispy duck, Lynne had a Spanish-style monk fish with butterbeans, tomatoes and chorizo and our host had his first ever kingklip with roasted baby leeks, parsnip puree and straw potatoes which he loved. We partnered this course with Vriesenhof Pinot Noir, while our host opted for a sparkling glass of Villiera Tradition.
George Jardine’s sauces always delight us. The chocolate dessert was also a killer and was complex enough to suit Jordan’s Mellifera Riesling noble late harvest admirably.
Recommended Events:
The Khayelitsha Festival, a community festival celebrating leadership, lifestyle, community spirit, cultural creativity, entrepreneurial achievement & excellence, artistry, music & sporting prowess heralds the 25th Anniversary of the vast, sprawling community of Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats area of Cape Town. The Khayelitsha Festival, due to be staged from tomorrow to 26th Sunday, will reflect and crystallise the genesis and development of Khayelitsha over the last 25 years
In Johannesburg, RMB WineX will take place between Tuesday 28th and Friday 31st October. Entry prices are: early bird R80, two-night pass R140 and three-night pass R200 on sale until 26th October; Thereafter at the door: Tuesday R90, Wednesday and Thursday R100; Friday R120, including a tasting glass and unlimited tastings. Group bookings of 10 tickets or more enjoy a special discount for Tuesday night only, booked via the organisers.
Jordan wine estate will hold their Open Day on Saturday, 29th November between 10h00 and 15h00. Relax on the lawn with family and friends to the sound of local community band, the “Stellenzicht Music Project”. A selection of food and wine will be available during the day.
Our wine tasting this Saturday
Mooiplaas is one of our favourite wine estates in the Bottelary area near Stellenbosch. They have launched two new easy-priced wines, Langtafel red and white. We will feature these as well as their deservedly popular Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc and their excellent Pinotage. Mooiplaas always offers amazing quality at a really affordable price and we are sure that you will enjoy them.
Our Weekend Pavement Market
Audrey Grobbelaar from Robertson will be with us tomorrow and the two following Fridays, and Nelle from Wolseley, is with us every Saturday, with their freshly laid, really free range eggs (think backyard chickens), home-made pies and breads and cookies and whatever fresh produce they have been able to pick. If you want real food, naturally grown, this is where you’ll find it.
