 Christmas is upon us, and I swear the older I get the faster it comes around!
One of the things that put me in the festive family feasting mood was lunch with the Roos family at their Mooiplaas wine farm. What a fabulous day - down to earth people, divine wine and really good food, all enjoyed at their langtafel, which was just that, a very long table along which 30 of us sat…and all in the homely comfort of the Roos family home.
Their Chenin Blanc 2007 (now listed on the Blue train) is the wine I fell in love with, although it’s their Sauvignon Blanc 2007 that’s festooned with awards. I also absolutely adored their Pinotage 2003, unusual for me, it’s not a cultivar I’ve really acquired a taste for, but clearly there is a first time for everything!
They also make a cheap and very, very cheerful white - Chenin Blanc / Sauvignon Blanc 2008 blend and a Cabernet / Merlot / Shiraz 2008 blend, under the langtafel label. They’re extremely well priced and just what you need for all the festive season quaffing. I know, my friends and I are now the proud owners of many a case! Go to www.mooiplaas.co.za to find out more.
So that’s the boozy bit, now onto the food.
Dirk Roos, who’s day job is marketing the wine, clearly knows his way around the kitchen - I do love a man who can multi-task – and whipped up a really fabulous home cooked meal. We nibbled on tiny and truly delicious Mooiplaas olives (they make oil too) made by his sister-in-law Janine Roos, before tucking into a light and lovely curried butternut soup – perfect with the Chenin.
The rest of lunch was buffet style – fabulous meat balls in tomato sauce, a great springbok and prune terrine, loads of roasted baby tomatoes, freshly cooked, marinated artichokes, piles of steamed asparagus, potatoes, bread, huge bowls of crunchy greens – it really was like eating at home, without having to do a thing – bliss. Later came pud: cheese, fruit, and of course loads more wine.
What a great day, a rare incident of eating in, out!
On that note, here’s to lots of happy eating in over the silly season, and with the new and much needed drinking and driving laws, the global recession and everything else, it truly is the best safest and cheapest way to go.
Merry Merry, Happy Happy and all that good stuff….
Buy your copy of EAT-IN now
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| Please note that the the gorgeous recipe - prawn and snow pea sprout salad with chilli sauce featured in the last newsletter is from Marie Claire’s fresh + fast simply delicious food by Michelle Cranston (Murdoch books). First of a sequence of three new cookbooks from Marie Claire, this is definitely one for the shelves. R195 from all good booksellers. Find the review on Eat In. |
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The results of 2008 Tri-Nations Wine Challenge
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How to make cupcakes
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Start a small herb garden
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 Chorizo and caramelised onion tart
• 1T (15ml) olive oil
• 2T (30ml) butter
• 6 onions, sliced
• 1T (15ml) brown sugar
• 1T (15ml) balsamic vinegar
• 1 x 400g roll puff pastry, rolled
• 1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• handful fresh sage leaves
Serves 4
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Heat olive oil and butter. When bubbling, add onions, cover and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add sugar and vinegar and cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lay puff pastry out on paper and spread with cooled onions, leaving a 3cm border around edges.
5. Randomly scatter sliced chorizo over onions and sprinkle with sage.
6. Brush edges of pastry with egg and bake for 25 minutes until edges are browned and puffed up.
Serve hot.
Quick and easy and ready in an hour, serve this delicious tart with large bowls of dressed green leaves. (See the latest issue of Eat In p35 for how else to use chorizo.)
Dirk Roos suggests pairing it with the lightly oaked, soft and fruity Mooiplaas Pinotage 2004 or the well rounded, well-balanced Mooiplaas Chenin Blanc 2007.
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