Could it be time for us to show some love to our much-maligned garden weeds? Despite their inherent goodness and vitality, they endure all kinds of verbal abuse, savage yanking and even worse – extermination – in the modern age. Whether they’re in the midst of a Cinderella moment or, more likely, represent a deep and timely desire to return to simpler ways and ancient plant-eating wisdom, it seems that weeds – those former outcasts of flower beds and lawns – are the new greens on every respectable plate.
“Look at rocket. It was once seen as a pesky weed; now it’s a cherished salad green,” says weed enthusiast Cherylle Cowley, the Cape Town-based food product design pioneer and former advertising creative who would like to see nasturtiums, dandelions and mallow take up their rightful place in dishes across the nation. And not just as a garnish either.
“Think of all the goodness they can bring to your table,” she says, presiding over a magnificent spread of dishes starring garden weeds that she has created in her industrial farmhouse kitchen in the Table Mountain-hugging suburb of Tokai. Some, like the green nettle cake drizzled with pale violet-hued malva icing (the plant, not the pudding) have gemstone-like allure. We all know nature’s most colourful fruits and vegetables are healthy, but do you know how delicious a pastrami on rye can be with mayo made from pulverized red nasturtium petals? Or a wild and “tamed” b’stilla: a vegetarian version of the Moroccan phyllo pie, filled with layers of soft omelette and a mixture of steamed spinach, basil, amaranth, and dandelion?
この記事は Woolworths TASTE の January - February 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Woolworths TASTE の January - February 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Award-winning Food: Trending Plates
Fine-dining takes on both nostalgic and African ingredients - from Cremora and polony (yes!) to okra and beetroot - were food trends singled out by the judges of the 2022 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards.
Everything you need to know about quinoa
If it was good enough to sustain the Incan armies - and NASA's astronauts - you'd better believe this protein-rich seed will see you through your afternoon slump.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
The kids will love these quick-and-easy snacks that won't break the (piggy) bank.
82 words on...
THE FROZEN APEROL SPRITZ is the hottest way to keep cool this summer, says Jeanne Calitz.
MEET ME AT THE RIVER
Plan a visit to the new Mukwa River Lodge on the banks of the Zambezi to experience Zambian food with a twist, courtesy of head cook Aaron Menezes and four passionate members of his kitchen team.
FIRE STARTER
Celeb TV chef Clem Pedro - of Afternoon Express and Expresso fame takes the art of hosting to pro level and not because he went to hotel school or worked for TASTE, but because he started in his mom's kitchen. We asked him to share his food nerd roots and family braai secrets.
PLANTS IN PARADISE
Former Durban creative (and one-time carnivore) Neil Roake and his daughter Jordan's epic travels led them to collaborate on the all veg cookbook Castaway. They shared their meat-free adventures on the Filipino island of Siargao with TASTE.
ΤΟ MAY-ΤΟ, ΤΟ MAH-ΤΟ
Midsummer tomatoes are impossible to resist, we know. So when you find yourself with a bounty of exotic varieties - heirlooms, Italian Romas, ripe Mediterraneans and sweet Rosalinis - Hannah Lewry is here to help.
HOME TRUTHS
At her Joburg eatery, established in the iconic former Women's Jail at Constitution Hill, Mpho Phalane has worked to create a space that both honours the historic site and feels like home. She spoke to Khanya Mzongwana about the food journey that brought her here.
Morogo magic
Budget-friendly indigenous leafy greens - fresh, sautéed or preserved for later use are on Mokgadi Itsweng's menu at this time of year.
