New this season - charming little place for arts, crafts, used books, a bit of fashion, odds & ends, some pies, refreshments and garden ornaments - on the R102 near the Mooi Uitsig Kroeg & Kombuis (our next stop)
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A bit of spur of the moment inspiration - dropping into Robertson's Craft Brewery's new location in George to pick up some beer.... Also check out their Facebook page.
After devouring a delicious roast chicken (done on the braai, of course), served with one of my favourite white wines (a DMZ Chardonnay), it was time for dessert...
Limes are a scarce commodity in South Africa, so when they show up (usually in Woolies), I scoop them up. This time, I had particular motivation - recreating the fantastic Ginger Margarita I had at the W's Spice Market restaurant a few months ago. Executive Chef Peter Lloyd was visiting this particular W location from London and we got chatting. I wonder if he might be interested in a free week's stay at The Island in exchange for whipping up a single fantastic dinner? hmm.... Anyway, he gave me the drink recipe - but it's also on the web, freely available to all. If you want to do the 100% real thing, here's the original recipe. I opted to use this one instead (no lemon grass, and using ground ginger instead of "making your own" from scratch....) - just as good and not quite as labour intensive (well, actually, at two days in the preparation, this was *the* most labour-intensive drink I've ever made!). Most of the work went into preparing the ginger-lime syrup. Was it worth it? You betcha! You're going to need fresh lime juice for the syrup... I used 4 bags (4 cups of juice) and I bought an extra bag for garnish and an extra squeeze or two when mixing the drink. The actual drink recipe only calls for 1.5 tablespoons of the syrup per serving - it does boil down, but not by much. So, unless you're a bit of a margarita madman like me, 1 bag should be more than enough. Turns out this was about 7.5 cups of ginger - I only needed 4 (the syrup is comprised equal parts lime juice, sugar and sliced ginger). So, looks like we'll have plenty of stir-fries (I could double the drink recipe, but there are no more limes available!)... Luckily ginger freezes well - just pop it in a sealable bag. There you go - the concoction after the boil. All that juicing and slicing was not in vain! Then you let it cool, stick it in your food processor and puree before finally pressing the sticky mess through a fine-meshed strainer, trying to extract as much of the juice from the ginger as possible. Another very messy operation - don't let your spouse see you doing this with their blender - or else, be very fast on the clean-up, as I was... Now, you're friends and house guests who have all been enjoying the beach while you've been slaving away come back from their fun and are ready for those long-promised drinks.... First things first, wet the glass, then get that rim salted with a combination of ground ginger and sea salt (very tasty, actually). And then the good stuff - some 100% Agave Reposada Tequila and some Cointreau. I once did a "Tequila Tasting" and my Mexican hostesses were very firm: Jose Cuervo just doesn't cut it. That doesn't usually stop me, but with discerning guests in town, I decided I'd better use some of the better stuff this time around. This time, I opted for the "mild" chillies at Woolies, rather than the "Russian-Roulette-Meets-Bear-Spray" variety I've used before, which have left guests gasping for breath (see http://www.theislandgreatbrak.com/island-blog/post-beach-walk-bear-spray-stuffed-chillies). There were no tears this time (personally, I like a challenge...) Looking for another great little road trip? Why not head across the Outeniqua Pass to Hops Valley (Waboomskraal) - through the clouds and beyond, into the sunshine - where you'll find the Rosenhof Estate and the Rosa Blu Cafe (you'll find plenty of reviews on TripAdvisor). I had the Blue Fig Burger - delicious! Made even better with the accompanying India Pale Ale from Robertson Brewery. hmm, I should go visit them, I think... Check out this earlier blogpost about Rosenhof - as well as more photos on our Flickr photostream.
We drove up the narrow, gravel Montagu Pass in search of a bit of adventure on the way to the tiny hamlet of Herold (no, not Herold's Bay). The scenery is spectacular along the Outeniqua Hop. We passed the tollhouse (built in 1847). We made it to Herold Wines, but unfortunately for us, they were busy with a couple of large groups of holidaymakers, so we decided not to stay for a tasting. Better luck next time! If you're feeling a bit peckish, they have a charming looking little cafe. Pushing on a bit further, we decided to stop by the Over The Mountain Guest Farm for coffee and scones and visit with the feral peacocks! I haven't managed to get my hands on Jan Braai's award-winning "Red Hot" cookbook yet (named one of the top 3 "Barbecue Books in the World" at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in June this year - and one of the best in South Africa in Dec 2013 - BTW, the term "barbecue" is their's not mine!) - Jan, is of course, the brains behind South Africa's National Braai Day - but I'm a big fan of Durban's Neil Roake and his Life's a Beach Cottage series (these are also former award winners but most are out of print as they go back 7-8 years now) and, of course, Carmen Niehaus of Huisgenoot fame. This year's Christmas Dinner was a fantastic "Royal leg of lamb" (the butcher in town deboned it), a great couscous salad, a few veggies and a nice Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2010 (from Waterford Wine Estate). Of course, what's a braai without a few improvisations? Sometimes I wonder how I'd manage without a decent hammer (to mostly whack things besides nails) and then duct tape and vice-grips to hold the things I've whacked with the hammer back together... And yes, my South African friends, I *do* know a gas Weber is not considered a *real* braai! What can I say, I plead guilty and know I can't offer a suitable excuse.
For those of you who may not be from South Africa, there are pretty firm beliefs/rules here when it comes to what rates as a "real" braai: a wood braai (the only "real" braai), followed by a charcoal braai (which is barely tolerated by most South African braai fundies), and then much, much further down the list is the lowly gas braai, which basically doesn't even count as a braai - I know, I know... But it was still lekker! :) If you are a fan of oysters, you're in for a treat: on Dec 12th, Hein Eksteen (South Africa's 2007 Spearfishing Champion) opened "Oyster World". It's a cozy little oyster bar with outdoor seating right on the bank of the Great Brak River, near the Hardware Store. Hein's Wild Jumbo oysters are the largest I've seen in South Africa (the Large were also pretty Jumbo!). Lekker man! I was turned on to this gem by a fellow Islander - if you are looking for a day trip, this really is a must-do. Drive out towards Knysna and take the Rheenendal exit and keep driving for about 12 kms. You'll see the old General Store & Petrol Station on your left - Totties is around the back. You'll find yourself in a wonderful garden oasis with simply amazing food - in the middle of nowhere. We had the stuffed brinjal and the pesto chicken wrap and were blown away by the presentation. If the photos above don't inspire you, visit them on Facebook or see their webpage for more photos and their menu. We went for lunch mid-week, so no reservation was required, but I understand that for Sunday Lunch bookings are absolutely essential (not surprising!).
If you're not quite sure where they are, there's a handy map on the new Rheenendal Ramble website which highlights a number of other things to do in the area (it's pretty well-known for mountain bike territory, of course). Finally, if you are headed out that way be careful if you return via the old 7 Passes Road via George, as there are large logging trucks using it during the week - if you're not expecting it, it can be quite exciting when you're confronted by a fully laden truck headed directly towards you at high-speed as you round a corner. Those drivers must know every twist and hairpin turn like the back of their hands. The full 7 Passes drive from George through to Knysna offers great scenery along a windy gravel road - it's well worth it if you're a road trip fan. |
AuthorTheIsland@GreatBrak features the occasional blogpost in between braaiing and beach walks - stay tuned or drop me a line. Categories
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