Innholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2018 i go! Platteland

Could you imagine life in the 21st century without hard cash? At a time when profit is the name of the game? Check it out: everyone’s spinning like hamsters in a wheel, and all around us MBA chiefs sit in their glass cubicles, staring at Excel puzzles to devise ways of making more money than the year or the month or even the day before. It’s almost a new religion that forever promises growth and throws around concepts such as “360 approach”, “strategic drift”, “bespoke solution”, “potential for momentum”, “customer-centric approach”, “fit for purpose”, “leverage best practice”, “turnkey”, “ideation” and “ROI” just to entice a few more cents from someone’s pocket into the collection bowl. There is an alternative, one that’s as old as the mountains but today considered as…

As we write this, Cape Town has at last woken up to the likelihood that there will not be enough water in the dams to maintain piped municipal supply until the winter rains come. It’s all anyone here can talk about; the panic is palpable. If nearly every person cuts their water use to below 50 litres per person per day, “Day Zero”, when the taps are turned off, could be pushed back to May. The odds of emergency supplementary supply projects and early winter rain saving us from Day Zero are low. Agricultural allocation from city supply dams has already been cut. Essential water saving depends on huge behaviour changes. During the Australian drought from 2000 to 2010, best average use was 129 litres per person per day. More…

Charles Masango Donkey-cart owner Charles and his wife, Florence, live with their four children in a settlement on the Laersdrif road and he receives a disability pension from the state. He and his two donkeys, Vaaltyn and Pappas, collect wood for use at home. “I love living here,” he says, “because once you’ve put your cattle in the kraal, no one steals them. I use the cattle for ploughing so I can plant mielies and grass, which I bale for winter.” The only problem is that there are no shops here: if he’s lucky, he’ll get to Dullstroom or Lydenburg about once a month for shopping. But otherwise he has no complaints, says Charles. “No, there’s nothing bad here, no crime.” Adele and Jaco van der Berg Owners of The…

Anton Greeff of Pam Golding Properties in Dullstroom is showing two properties in the Tonteldoos area. pamgolding.co.za anton.greeff@pamgolding.co.za 013 254 0205 or 083 680 8170 R420 000 At this bargain price you will get… wide-open spaces! This 16-ha farm is undeveloped and boasts lovely views towards the Stoffberg Valley. Two strong fountains feed the two dams on the farm, which need some repairs. A beautiful getaway for city slickers. R2,5 million There are two houses on this farm, each with beautiful views and offering the best finishes. The main house overlooks a dam fed by an ancient furrow with pristine water from the nearby hills. The main bedroom is en suite and has a fireplace and walk-in closet. All the other bedrooms have floor-to-ceiling built-in cupboards. Underfloor heating, wall heaters…

David Macvay David and his wife moved from Randfontein to Kathu five years ago to work at the mine. She works for a water purification company, and he used to work for an explosives company. “We’ve both always dreamt of owning our own business. So when I saw the opportunity to open the coffee shop, I resigned and put much of my pension money into it,” says David. The Daily opened recently so it’s too early to say how successful it’s going to be but, David says, so far so good. “My wife and I understood that one of us would always have to guarantee a secure salary, so she is still working.” David says they enjoy life in Kathu. “It’s peaceful here and no one ever walks by without…

Cosmos and khaki bush”, the way Gerrit du Plooy says it, makes it sound like he is talking about a saucy radio story or a steamy novel. But this morning, in the old milking shed on Oppermanshoogte, his mother-in-law’s maize farm between Oranjeville and Deneysville near the Vaal Dam, he’s actually singing the praises of two of the more unconventional botanical ingredients in the “pure Free State” gin he and his two younger brothers are distilling and selling under the De Vry brand. Although these two weeds were brought into the country with animal feed from Argentina way back when, they’re such a big part of the cultural landscape of the Free State today that the Du Plooy brothers simply had to use them. Their dream was to distil spirits…

Spinach is a great crop to grow if one is new to gardening or has limited space available for growing food. Although it is one of the more inexpensive items in the produce aisle it is often not fresh enough to look very appetising. Growing your own food has a much larger beneficial impact on scarce resources such as water than most people realise. Vast amounts of produce never make it to consumers’ tables and end up as waste somewhere, rotting away, causing environmental hazards or attracting vermin. One does not need a dedicated vegetable patch either: productive plants such as spinach can be just as ornamental as others that grow in the flower garden. Take your pick In layman’s terms a variety of species pass for spinach: 1 True…

MPUMALANGA Boer & Brit Day 10 March The town of Val presents its ninth Boer & Brit Day where a re-enactment of the Whisky Train incident takes place. Also on the cards: a best-dressed Boer and Brit contest, mountain-bike races, traditional food, music, books and a pretty photo booth. TIME 10:00 CONTACT 082 550 5540 info@valhotel.co.za WESTERN CAPE XTN Fig Festival, Voor-Paardeberg 17-18 March Figs in every form, plus farm animals, food stalls and trucks, good wine, good music… WHERE? Eksteen Family Farm, Uitkijk, Wellington TIME 10:00-18:00 CONTACT XTN Fig Festival 2018 xtnfigfestival@gmail.com KZN Splashy Fen Music Festival, Underberg 29 March – 1 April Mountains, people and some of the country’s best-known musicians – an annual highlight on the South African music calendar. COST Options vary – book on the…

Pot cover (17cm in diameter and height) R70 Streepsak streepsak.co.za Woodstock Brewery craft beer (440ml) R24-R28 each Norman Goodfellows ngf.co.za or woodstockbrewery.co.za Wildebraam Diced Chilli Beetroot in a mild spicy sauce (430g) R59 Bistro 44 bistro44.co.za or wildebraam.co.za Lagos tagine (28cm in diameter) R250 Poetry poetrystores.co.za Love Milo cotton shopper with leather straps (50cm x 50cm) R800 Design Store designstore.co.za Ega Non-alcoholic Beverage with green grapes, pomegranate and rooibos (750ml) R60 Winefolk winefolk.co.za Vondi’s Khakibos Shampoo (250ml) and Powder (100g) act as flea repellent on pets’ fur and bedding R70 each Vondi’s Holistic Pet Nutrition vondis.co.za Himalayan Italian Salt (300 g) R80, Himalayan & Herb Salt (100 g) R35 and Braai Shaker (300 g) R80 Funky Ouma funky-ouma.co.za 079 123 7087 Kitchen Craft hessian vegetable preserving bag with a blackout…

Distance from the big city? When you take the shortest route, via Middelburg, Tonteldoos is 226km from Pretoria and 252km from Johannesburg. But the number of lorries on the road means it’s not only a dangerous trip but also takes longer. Rather drive via Belfast, which means Pretoria is 254km away and Johannesburg 280km. Facilities The town has a general dealer that stocks basic groceries, as well as a liquor store, coffee shop, eatery and a shop selling home-made goodies. For basic shopping excursions, the locals travel to Dullstroom (23km), and if they want more they drive to Lydenburg (75km), where there is a Checkers, or Middelburg (135km), which has a mall. Nearest hospitals, schools and retirement facilities Dullstroom has a medical doctor, dentist, pharmacy, vet, physiotherapist and psychologist. The…

Do, walk, shop General dealer This shop sells basic grocery items, but the top sellers are Boxer tobacco, bread… and Chappies! Friendly Thabitha Makuwa is at her post every day from 08:30 to 17:30. Contact 078 425 7516 adele@thethirstywalrus.co.za The Cheese Shop This is the home of Tanja Camacho and her team of friendly dogs. She sells jams, pickles, cheeseboards, chilli pastes, cheesecake, coffee, knick-knacks and felt products. When you drive past you’ll probably spot her watering her garden. No wonder it’s so beautifully lush. Contact 072 731 8134 tonteldooscheeseandyarn@gmail.com Jas Venter (Mampoer) Jas is a farmer, but he primarily makes mampoer. He distils every fruit imaginable and sells it either as pure mampoer, or uses it as a base for 17 liqueurs. Jas prefers a slightly weaker spirit with…

Moffat Museum After 1980 the historical buildings of the Moffat Mission were restored and opened to tourists. Come here to walk in the footsteps of Sir David Livingstone and find out more about what missionaries Robert and Mary Moffat accomplished in the 50 years they spent here. Among other things, Robert translated the Bible into Tswana and printed it on the mission’s own press, which was imported from the US. 083 604 0804 Die Geel Kombuis This little spot, in Kuruman’s northern neighbourhood, is a cross between a coffee shop and a farm stall. Apart from coffee and light meals, it also offers plenty of handmade goods for sale. A night market is hosted every now and then, where locals sell a variety of interesting items they’ve made themselves. Die…

Die Droë Rooinek Dry Gin “This is a fresh, dry gin with calming citrus, peppery and floral notes but it’s not juniper-driven,” says Pasch, even though juniper berries count among the 14 botanicals, that also include coriander, angelica, chamomile, lemon and orange, the farm’s cosmos and khaki bush, and pink peppercorns plus a couple of secret ingredients. The brothers are ageing a limited quantity in barrels and will release their third gin as soon as they deem it ready. Die Soet Rooinek Cherry Gin Plump, ripe, pitch-black cherries are hand-picked by Pasch’s father-in-law, Gys du Toit of Du Toit Fruit in Ceres. The cherries are then bruised gently and the fruit (and pips) soaked in Die Droë Rooinek Dry Gin. When the colour and flavour are right, the gin, now…

1 Is there a need for a community vegetable garden? Who will benefit? Who will be involved? Who will support it? 2 Organise a meeting of all parties who are likely to be interested, involved and excited about the idea – community organisations, food schemes or soup kitchens, gardeners and gardening societies, neighbours, family, friends, tenants, the municipality… Form a planning committee to tackle specific tasks (funding, construction, communications) and, importantly, choose a well-organised co-ordinator. 3 Plan – and be specific. You need a clear vision, mission, short- and long-term goals, and ground rules if you want a large group of people to move in a specific direction. How will the work be divided? Who will qualify for free produce? Who will have to pay for it? How are decisions…

Zigi says... Plywood splinters easily, so it is better to cut it by hand rather than with an electric saw. Be patient and use a file if the joints don’t fit together evenly in the beginning. You can sand and varnish the finished box, but we wanted to give ours a green-fingers feel – turn the page for step-by-step instructions on painting the box. Get everything ready SHOPPING LIST • 2 sheets of plywood of 610mm x 1 200mm (thickness 9mm) • 1 pine plank of 144mm x 2 400mm (thickness 12mm) • 1 pine plank of 69mm x 1 800mm (thickness 16mm) • 1 packet (250g) panel pins • 2 hinges (100mm) with screws TOOLS • measuring tape and pencil • saw • wood clamps • hammer • wood…

Spinach and her sisters Swiss chard, English spinach and tender baby spinach can be used interchangeably. Baby spinach is delicious raw, just as it is, but the others should be washed thoroughly and have the tough central stems removed before the leaves are chopped finely. Baby spinach wilts almost immediately when heated, but the firmer varieties need to be exposed to heat slightly longer. The best way to cook any spinach is to sauté it in butter in a pan over a fairly high heat. This causes the water in the spinach to evaporate while the leaves wilt. Never cook spinach in water, unless the recipe specifies plunging it into boiling water. If you have an abundance of spinach, chop it finely and freeze it raw in Ziploc bags. Or…

Menu April eggs Cardamom milk tartlets Savoury bread-and-butter pudding Supersized ginger muffins Éclair scones with grapefruit filling April eggs Don’t let the anchovy or rosemary put you off – this recipe from April Bloomfield’s book A Girl and her Pig elevates the humble egg-for-breakfast to a treat your guests won’t forget any time soon. Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes YOU NEED • 2 tablespoons (30ml) butter, plus extra for greasing• 1-2 garlic cloves• 1 teaspoon (5ml) fresh rosemary leaves• 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped• 6 tablespoons (90ml) thick cream• ½ teaspoon (2,5ml) finely grated lemon zest• 4 eggs• 4 pinches dried chilli flakes• 4 pinches salt flakes• 4 teaspoons (20ml) crème fraîche or cream cheese THIS IS HOW Preheat the oven to 200ºC and grease…

Behold the winding road that leads to my soul place, the steep downhill to Die Hel, an escape route to a sanctuary where Jacob Zuma and his cohorts cannot be heard or seen. To me it is heaven. This is the kind of place where I want to die: in the shadow of Vaal Johannes or Koot Cordier’s cottage in the kloof into which the sun plops like a burning orange and an early-evening peace descends like a soft woollen blanket. After travelling the 40km stretch to the historical settlement in the kloof, a pilgrimage route for many, I made my home in Vaal Johannes’s renovated cottage in the furthest corner of the kloof. (Johannes was called vaal – Afrikaans for “dull” – because he was shy and withdrawn. If…

Ask anyone who has attended one of Platteland’s popular workshops: You’ll learn a new skill, get to know great people, talk the hind leg off a donkey, and then go home with a mountain of knowledge, the fruits of your labours and a bagful of gifts. Book your spot now! BREAD-BAKING Boerekos expert and blogger Annelien Pienaar will discuss the benefits of quality stoneground flour and real sourdough bread. Then she’ll demonstrate how to make a sourdough starter, as well as how to bake white and whole-wheat bread, and ciabatta. HARTBEESPOORT Saturday 7 July 2018 at Van Gaalen Kaasmakerij in Skeerpoort. CAPE TOWN Saturday 21 July 2018 at D’Aria in Durbanville. CHEESE-MAKING Annelien will also present our cheese workshop, where you’ll learn how to make feta and mozzarella cheese. Bonus:…

What a Great Idea! Awesome South African Inventions by Mike Bruton South Africans are veteran whingers who often forget the wondrous inventions our compatriots have come up with – including the Kreepy Krauly, Pratley’s Putty, dolosse (those concrete blocks used to protect harbour walls), the Thawte Internet security system, the world’s first computerised ticketing system, the first digital laser, Oil of Olay and lithium ion batteries. This book tells and shows you everything! R295 Jacana jacana.co.za 011 628 3200 WIN 1: Idea The Home-Brewer’s Problem Solver by Erik Lars Myers There’s been much boutique-beer brewing happening here at the southern tip of Africa, but every now and then a new dilemma emerges. This book discusses 100 of the most common beer-brewing problems – plus, of course, practical solutions. R250 Struik…

The Ford Kuga has always been a great car and we’re happy that, after a year of negative publicity, the new version is altering perceptions. We left Johannesburg for Tonteldoos in the new and improved Kuga, then headed to Roossenekal for the Geelvarkoorfees (see page 140), after which we travelled in the direction of Thabazimbi (look out for the Winter 2018 issue of Platteland). Finally, we drove to the Free State to meet the Du Plooy brothers and discover more about their gin, vodka and rum, made on the plains near the Vaal River (read the story on page 80). We travelled on 2 000km of tarred roads (some badly potholed, especially in the Groblersdal area!), gravel roads and farm roads, and this wonderfully compact and luxurious all-wheel-drive car made…

Prieska is not a place many people pay much attention to – if at all. Niekerkshoop, lying north of this Northern Cape town, is only accessible via less-travelled gravel roads. But between these two places, along the meandering Orange River, lies the farm Lowerland. This is how the farm’s website describes its location: Where the Bo-Karoo crashes into Kalahari dunes / and Bonsmaras wake to the fish eagles’ tunes / the vines are nurtured by hand / on our beloved farm, Lowerland. This is no ordinary farm. Interesting things happen here, like the entire enterprise moving towards being organic. And the man with the compass in his hand and the plans in his head is a former rocker. Bertie Coetzee was the lead singer of the Afrikaans rock band Zinkplaat…

Do, walk, shop Simply do nothing The environment, particularly the mountains, the passes and the deafening silence, is spectacularly blissful. It really is the kind of place where time stands still and you can freely practise the art of doing as little as possible. Remember to bring along everything you need because there are no ATMs or fuel. Hansa’s Trading Store (closed when Platteland visited) and its tiny kiosk sell only basic products like cooldrink, long-life milk and tobacco. There is also a cross between a shebeen and a bar, where a few sad souls sit around outside. Visit the battlefields Geluksburg is close to several Anglo Boer War battlefields such as Ladysmith, Spioenkop and Colenso. Read more on the website battlefieldsregionguides.co.za. Go bird-watching or get your adrenaline pumping About…

Albatross This restaurant at the Kalahari Country Club overlooks the golf course and beautiful camel-thorn trees. It’s the perfect place for winding down in the late afternoon, and many locals say you’ll find the most delicious food here. It has a pizza oven, and the toppings are generous. Albatross Restaurant Kathu 053 723 2306 The Daily If you’re in search of good coffee, look no further – in fact, it appears to be the best coffee shop in town. The menu includes a variety of breakfasts and light meals, and on Fridays people come for the children’s specials and milkshakes on offer. The Daily Coffee Café Kathu 053 004 0281 Kameeldoring Guest Rooms Two tidy self-catering units are available, each offering a double bed, air-conditioning and DStv. Visitors share a…

Hotazel Slaghuis An authentic platteland butchery offering a variety of excellent meat products. You will also find some of the tastiest chilli bites and droëwors in the country, as well as refreshing slush puppies for sweltering summer days. 053 741 1288 Kalahari Cottage The guest rooms are very neat and all of them are air-conditioned. Hotazel has no eateries but if you book here by midday, you can take a seat for a delicious buffet dinner. The coffee shop is open for light meals during the day. kalaharicottage.wixsite.com 053 741 1455 of 073 178 8156…

The Plant Library is a great source of information for South African gardeners and landscape designers who want to garden with indigenous and eco-friendly plants. The site helps you choose the right plants for your garden according to its unique needs. You’re guided by a variety of criteria: habitat, seasons, frost, water needs, wildlife, regions, rainfall, A-Z, garden situations and categories. Under “Habitat”, for example, you can select grasslands, rocky places, hot and dry places, coastal Eastern Cape, the Western Cape’s fynbos, ponds and wetlands, or urban streets. “Garden situations” has subdivisions with plans for shade, potted gardens, gardens that get a lot of wind, small spaces, and security and screening. “Categories” from which you can choose include small to large trees and shrubs, ground covers, succulents, perennials, climbers and…

At the height of summer, Clanwilliam is not only the rooibos capital of the world but is also right up there as one of hell’s most scorching satellite offices. The sun idles over the town, say the locals, and burns so hotly you’d swear its rays were concentrated by a magnifying glass. Oom Theunis Jooste, on the other hand, has no time for idling, even though his ID book states he was born on 6 December 1916, so he really should have “retired” by now. Every day – in summer at 05:30, “before the sun starts to show its ugly side”, he says – he leaves his house in Eike Street and walks the roughly 2km down Ou Kaapse Road to a substantial piece of land in Foster Street, where,…

Mer~Dragon: Community merdragoncommunity livingspring.co.za Imagine driving home with a boot packed with two white stinkwood trees, a few trays of vegetable seedlings, plant bags with herbs, Shasta daisies and artichoke plants, a few lemongrass bulbs, a paper bag containing comfrey cuttings, another with fresh turmeric bulbs, and lots of brown paper envelopes and cellophane packets filled with enough seed to start a nursery. On them are exotic names written by hand: “Moringa from Santa Paloma”, “jelly melon”, “wild rosemary”, “red chicory”, “asparagus chicory”, “scarlet beans”, “Nigerian oil seed sonneblom”… Moreover, every single item in your overloaded boot was free, as well as the cake, goat’s-milk cheese, bread and coffee you devoured – and most of it was given to you by people you don’t know from Adam. In fact, the…

Chicken curry with spinach A quick, easy, delicious and economical chicken curry Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 12 minutes YOU NEED • 4 skinless free-range chicken breasts• 2 teaspoons (10ml) Ina Paarman’s Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning or Masala Spice• 1 cup (250 ml) hot water• 1 tablespoon (15ml) Ina Paarman’s Chicken Stock Powder or 2 x 25g Ina Paarman’s Liquid Chicken Stock• 1 onion, chopped• 1 large bunch spinach, shredded• 1 sachet (200ml) Ina Paarman’s Tikka Curry Coat & Cook Sauce• ½ cup (125ml) fresh cream or coconut milk• ½ punnet (15g) fresh coriander leaves, to garnish THIS IS HOW Season the chicken with Lemon & Black Pepper Seasoning. Pour the water into the pan and add the Chicken Stock Powder or Liquid Chicken Stock and…