In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.
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30 November 2014.
Early in the morning, the world around us sleeps while I
pick strawberries for breakfast; the world sleeps as I check the plants and
soil. The worlds still sleeps as I sugar koeksisters and make a fresh pot of
tea, allow it to infuse. In the meantime,
the kitties wake up and mew because they are hungry and as I open the backdoor
they bounce out and amongst the rows and rows of potted plants. No peeing in my
plants! Look what you did to The Sage.
I cast mine eyes unto the mountains and it looks
superimposed on the blue skyline, breathtakingly beautiful Masha Allah. As I do my rounds the artichoke bushes are
crowning, yep baby heads are appearing and the okra bushes are starting to show
their lady fingers. Small ellipses of eggplants hang on the brinjal bushes and
the tomatoes are being reddened by the sun – big splenders and konfyt tomatoes
and teenie tiny ones for salads, yay! And
I did cook the Chinese cabbage in oumense onder die komberse stew. It
was not too bad but the texture is definitely softer but I did not want it to
go to waste. It is much better suited for stir fries though, in the stew it was grealyt enjoyed none the
less.
A few nights ago we made a delicious chicken curry with
aromatic basmati and I added some of the fava bean about two handfuls,
unshelled. I added it to the curry just as I put in the potato and all I can
say is wows all-round the table! It was soft and creamy and just downright
delectable. I am so planting more. I
have been giving everyone to cook and to taste and never got round to that
vegetarian curry yet so ja, fava bean, broad bean is excellent in any curry.
Went off to the
movies yesterday, it’s been a long time. So we sat close to the front because
Abu forgot his specs and man, the screen is in your face! But we had a lekker
time, popcorn and chocolate and giggles. Today Abu and the kids are off –
Luqmaan is druk busy with carvings and new designs. And it is so peaceful here.
A dog yelps in the distance and occasionally a car passes I guess everyone is
on the beach. Me, I am still marking with a smile on my face for some of the
comments at the end of scripts.
Yesterday I was in Zen
mood and would have loved a small
Japanese garden with beautiful boulders to balance on and a rake to make neat
little patterns that make the mind
peaceful . So instead took four square clay pots, transplanted the overgrown
plants in them, washed them out and displayed them on the concrete bench. Like
an artist I walked around them, perused it from a distance and then, a
lightbulb moment. Hmmm some hardy plants, some white pebbles, go for the
minimalist look. Could look grand down the
centre of a dinner table ne?
I am not cooking
lunch it’s far too good a day to be spent in front of pots. I am still looking
for unripened green figs to make konfyt with – Abu bought me a konfyt pot and
it is beautiful. It has a thick base and a good size so now I don’t have to
cook in two pots Alhamdulillah. The
smaller fig trees are starting to fruit but alas too few about 12 green figs if
I am lucky. Next year is my fig year,
should Allah spare me, the small trees have grown to over a metre already. I am already thinking of ripe figs in salads;
grilled with slices of camembert on toast; with ice-cream and on its own hhmmm.
Hey maybe not to count my chickens ne the Lansdowne area fig trees were all
infested with bumble bee eggs and had to be chopped down.
Well Abu is back
with some fresh lamb chops. Did I say I am not cooking? I lied. While I make an
awesome curry my daughter makes rotis. My grandson Mikaeel has a filled a bath
of cool water and is lounging in it to cool off - hoping to entice the kitties
to join him. They smell the bath and lift up their arrogant chins and strut off
to lay in a cool corner somewhere, the heat is turned up today. If I have energy maybe I’ll make some dessert or
bake a bread, you know what Sundays can be like, it may just be a lazy day
lounging around like the kitties.
Plant food and take
a walk on the beach when it cools down.
Yasmine
Some pics from the Gourmet garden at IPSA:
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