To drink summer

Both Desmond and I grew up with mothers who made Ginger beer and Grenadila (Also known as Passion Fruit) cordial as a summer cool drink.The Ginger beer was only allowed to brew to make it fizzy and non alcoholic (although I do remember becoming quite tipsy once because I scoffed down the delicious swollen raisins that I was supposed to discard!)

Desmond's mother often made Grenadilla Cordial and looking at our harvest this year the guests will be treated to Grenadilla cordial in a big way:

For every 2 cups of Grenadilla pulp, you add the juice of 3 oranges and 1 lemon. Heat 3 cups of water and dissolve 2 cups of sugar to make a thin syrup. You then add the fruit to the syrup and bottle it. It is very good diluted with soda water and ice. And a shot of Vodka and a mint leave will turn it into a summer Cocktail!

My mother made delicious Pineapple beer. She only used the rind and core, but you can use one whole small pineapple :

You will need 1 small pineapple, 2 liter water and sugar to taste.

Wash the pineapple and cut it chunks before you crush the whole lot , skin and all, in a blender or food processor (my mother used an old fashioned hand operated meat grinder) Pour the water over it and allow to stand for 12 to 16 hours at room temperature. At this stage it will smell like Pineapple beer and small bubbles will form. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Pour it through a very fine sieve (I still use 'cheese-cloth') and pour it in bottles, being careful not to fill the bottle to the top - leave about 5 cm gap to allow for the natural fermentation that will take place. Seal the bottles and leave in a cool pantry or similar spot for about 24 hours before you put it in the fridge to cool for the most refreshing summer drink you can imagine.

Ginger Beer:

You will need 250 gram raisins (with pips), 750 ml water, 1 kg sugar, 40 gram crushed ginger, 7 liter cold water and 12,5 ml tartaric acid (wynsteensuur in Afrikaans).

Keep a handful of raisins aside, then boil the rest of raisins in 750 ml water for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and squash the raisins. Pour into a glass jug, cover with a clean cloth and leave in a warm place until the raisins move to the top. Remove the raisins, set the starter fluid (called 'mos') aside and start the next phase:

Heat 1 kg sugar, the ginger and 7 liter of water to boiling point and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Allow it to cool down (it must still be warm though) Add the handful of raisins that you initially kept aside, add the 12,5 ml wine acid and the starter fluid/'mos' to the sugar water. Leave it overnight.

When it starts to form bubbles you pour it through a fine sieve or 'cheesecloth' to remove the grapes and ginger. Pour into bottles (allowing about 3 cm below the cork or bottle cap) It will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Iced Tea:

One year Desmond and I traveled to the west coast to look at veld flowers and we bought the most delicious iced tea from the local VLV ladies. To our surprise we found the "recipe" to be quite simple: they merely cooled off strong Rooibos tea which they mixed to taste with apple juice! Add a few slices of lemon juice and you'll be drinking summer!

Guests at Fairview are treated to my homemade grape juice in summer. I harvest the Catawba grapes from the vine above our front stoep, simply putting it in my blender with some Rooibos tea added after I've given it a good wash (Desmond doesn't spray the grapes, we therefore have little spiders and other goggos on it) This is then poured onto a muslin lined strainer and left to run through (helped along by pressing down with the back of a wooden spoon every now and then) At the beginning of the season the grapes are not all that sweet yet and I have to add sugar to taste. I also add about 5 ml of grenadine to enhance the colour. Two years ago Desmond tried his hand at making home-made wine from the grapes. Unfortunately that ended as a good vinegar, but as Desmond philosophically commented: rather a good vinegar than a bad wine!

Holiday on the Namibian coast

In 1994 we moved back to South Africa after a 13 year stay in Walvis Bay , Namibia. They say once the fine Namibian sand gets into your heart, there is no way you'll get it out again. For us there are other contributing factors: it is where Desmond and I bought our first house, Namibia  is where our children were born and as we had no Namibian family our friends became our family and support.

We tend to come for a holiday in either Swakopmund or Walvis Bay every 2 to 3 years and this December we did a home exchange with  friends who live on the Walvis Bay lagoon, not far from  'our' house. Once again Desmond could carry his windsurfer across the Esplenade road and take off over the lagoon. We felt that we slotted right back into Walvis Bay life as if we never left : buying our daily 'brotchen' at Probst, going for a seafood feast at Anchors, going shopping in Swakopmund, meeting with friends for dinner or coffee...

Even though December and January is very hot in the interior, the weather is super on the coast - summer holiday weather at it's best. Mornings often appear overcast, but it is only a high mist which will disappear at about 11 am, so be very careful to put on sunscreen every morning because your skin can burn even though the sun is not out yet. We are amazed by the development in both Walvis Bay and Swakopmund. Tourism is the third biggest industry (after fishing and mining) and it shows.




My 'must see / must do' list for Walvis Bay:
1. Take an early morning walk along the Eplenade to watch the flamingos dance while they feed - the Walvis Bay lagoon is  a birders paradise: Flamingos, Cormorants, Pelicans,  White Chinned Petrel, Wilson’s Storm Petrel,  Cape Gannet,  Black Oystercatcher.  We were lucky enough to even see dolphins!
2. Go on  a morning kayak trip on the lagoon with Naude and Katya Dreyer's company Pelican Point Kayaking.
3. Book a kite surfing or windsurfing lesson at the equipment hiring kiosk just behind the 'Raft' for the afternoon when the wind will come up (this is Walvis Bay we're talking about!)
4. Go for an afternoon cocktail at one of the watering spots on the rustic waterfront and for the BEST seafood EVER: the one and only Anchors...
5. Do not miss the little art gallery on top of the gift shop . I love the photography of Megan Dreyer
6. Go on a guided 4 wheel trip into the dunes.
7. Or book a 4X4 trip down to Sandwich Harbour and the Namib dunes.
8. Go on a catarmaran trip with Mola-Mola Safaris.

9. Climb Dune

10. Go fishing.

Lavender Garden

We initially planted a rose garden in front of the house ,but because of the huge  trees in front of the house, the ground is quite dry and they did very poorly. The lavender can cope with the dry and poor soil and gives off the most amazing scent as you walk through the path toward the front door.Desmond replaces lavender that becomes too woody and he does feed it with slow release fertilizer two to three times a year - especially the two flower beds that are closer to the Australian Gums.

There is such a lot to do with lavender flowers: I love making small posies using lavender and roses ; I also tie small bunches on a ribbon and hang it in the wardrobes or I tie it around the bath taps and it give off its perfume as the hot water runs over it. Ten sprigs of  lavender in about 500 gram of castor sugar gives you a delicious lavender sugar (I sprinkle it on French Toast which I then serve with bacon; garnished with a lavender flower)

We also planted lavender in below the swimming pool. This is a very sunny spot and they thrive here.

Lavender Jelly

You will need: 1 kg tart apples, 1 cup of lavender flowers, 500 ml water, 30 ml cider vinegar, sugar.

1. Chop the apples coarsely (with skin , core and pips) Place in a pot.

2. Add the lavender flowers along with 500 ml water and boil uncovered until the fruit is soft.

3. Add 30 ml cider vinegar and boil another 3  minutes

4. Strain the layers through a double layer of muslin or cheese cloth (do not be tempted to stir or press to help the process along as this will cause a milky jelly)

5. For every 250 ml strained liquid add 200 ml sugar. Now put the strained sugar liquid into a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring gently until the sugar has dissolved. Once all the sugar has been dissolved, turn up the heat and boil rapidly for about 20 minutes. It should now become jelly-like.

6. Remove from the heat, skim the surface if foam has formed, test by putting a drop on a saucer and put it in the fridge for a few minutes to see if it sets. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.



Lavender Shortbread

You will need: 250 ml cake flour , 250 ml self-raising flour , 250 ml cornflour , 250 ml lavender infused icing sugar , 250 gram butter , 25 ml finely chopped lavender leaves , more lavender sugar for dusting.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius

2. Sift the dry ingredients together.

3. Rub in the butter, then add the lavender leaves. Combine well and press onto a greased baking sheet. Poke little holes into the shortbread with a fork and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

4. Remove from the oven and cut into finger biscuits. Dust with lavender sugar and garnish with lavender flowers once cool.