African Vanielje on Aug 11 2007 at 12:52 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
For as long as I can remember our family joys and tears, dramas and triumphs have spilled out over my mother’s much scrubbed, much loved old oak kitchen table, mixing indiscriminately with the sugar and flour, sweeping up the Malay spices, damming briefly against steaming mugs of Blue Mountain, Columbia & Mocha Java (my mother’s personal blend) and ultimately tumbling unrestrained into the day, subtly flavoured with cardamom, cloves and the ubiquitous Madagascan Vanielje that always perfumes Kassie’s kitchen.
It is to my own kitchen I now stumble first thing in the morning, summer sun streaming through the large sash window, the scent of basil and jasmine warm on the breeze, to grind a handful of fresh dark beans and fill my espresso pot, to lean heavily on my wooden counter (not oak but with the same patina of love and use as Kassie’s), to wait bleary eyed and finger tapping until the rattling hiss alerts me. I inhale the hints of South American mountains, dusky African air, and memories of my mother’s small, competent hands preparing breakfast assail me. Infinitely beautiful, infinitely dear. Aaah…Good Morning!My eyes can focus now. I sweep them round my sun drenched haven. They lovingly caress the racks of mottled copper ( I must clean those today), hover over the cornucopia of bottles and jars and linger longingly over the bursting earthenware bowl of fruit. What will my magical pantry offer up as adequate sustenance to meet the challenges of the day ahead? More importantly what are the challenges of the day ahead? My caffiene sharp eyes flit to the calendar board…oh it’s Saturday. Not many challenges on Saturdays. A quick trip to the farmer’s market for fresh fish and some olives. No bread today, I’ll make it. Maybe a lazy walk in the orchard later, a couple of chapters of my new book in the hammock outside.
Right, something light then. In Africa it would be slices of lush pawpaw, the glistening black seeds loudly proclaiming their fecundity, fresh squeezed OJ from the tree outside the kitchen door and maybe some toast and homemade lemon curd. Mmm..my mouth watering now I snag a ripe nectarine from the fruit bowl and with sweet sticky juice escaping down my chin I check the bread bin. Great, the heel of one of Kassie’s wholemeal seed loaves I baked 2 days ago, perfect for breakfast toast. No lemon curd, bursting with sweet-sour sunshine, it will have to be the last bottle of the organic Seville marmalade I made in February. Not quite as in your face as the rich & creamy lemon spread, but we’re in England now, the subtle tang of the marmalade will suit perfectly.
Happily humming I slice, toast, butter, spread, lick my fingers while I wait for my second cup of coffee to brew. Maybe I’ll make a batch of lemon curd later…
Recipe Journal
Bread is such an important part of my family’s diet both physically and emotionally and we all have our favourites. I buy fresh organic loaves at the local delis or farmers’ markets and I make my own. The flour you use makes all the difference to the end taste so play around and buy the best you can afford. Local, organic, unbleached, stoneground are all good. Once you find something you like keep some in your store cupboard as this bread is deceptively easy to knock up, even for the novice breadmaker.
Kassie’s Wholemeal Seed Loaf (makes 2 medium loaves)
Preheat oven to 200*C
- 3 t (15ml) dried yeast
- 1/2 t (2.5ml) brown sugar or honey
- 1 cup (250ml) handhot water
Mix and allow to stand to activate yeast
In a large bowl combine
- 6 cups (1.5litres) wholemeal flour
- 1/2 cup (125ml) plain white flour
- 1/2 cup (125ml) sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup (60ml) poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup (60ml) pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup (60ml) crushed flax seeds
- 1 T (15ml) sea salt
- 3 T (45ml) dark brown or molasses sugar
Make a well and add
- 1 T (15ml) sunflower oil
- 2 T (30ml) molasses (the molasses is optional but it does give a distinctive flavour to the bread)
- The frothed yeast
Mix in to dry ingredients and slowly start to add approximately 3.5 (875ml) cups hot water
Mix well until you have a fairly sloppy, sticky dough
Put into well buttered tins and leave in a warm, draught free place to rise (15 – 30 minutes)
Decorate with lines of seeds on top and bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
The bread should come easily out of a well buttered tin and have a firm crust. If it doesn’t pop it back in and check every five minutes until done.
Cool on a rack before slicing.
This bread makes fantastic sandwiches, or a filling accompaniment to soup. It stales quickly so makes great toast on the second and third days. In the unlikely event that you still have some left over, slice and freeze, and then you can toast it straight from the freezer.
Luscious Lemon Curd
(makes 2 large jars)
Ripe juicy lemons make all the difference here. If you find your lemons are a little selfish with their bounty, use more, or wait to make curd another day. A thin & sour curd will only be too eggy and ultimately disappointing.
- 6-8 unwaxe organic lemons (med – small)
- 2 cups (500ml) organic caster sugar
- 1 cup (230g) organic unsalted butter, diced
- 4 large organic free range eggs + four large yolks (don’t even think about throwing the whites away – you can fridge or freeze them and make meringues!)
Finely grate the lemon zest and add to a heat proof bowl with the juice (no pips please)
Add the sugar and diced butter and stir over a pan of simmering water until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted
Beat the eggs and yolks together and add to the mixture, straining through a sieve directly into the bowl. Whisk well
Keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the curd has thickened and coats the back of the spoon
Pour directly into sterilized jars and seal. Best used within 3 months (they won’t last that long) and remember to refrigerate once open.
Pleased to meet you! It’s always nice to encounter another South African expat in the blogosphere. Didn’t realise when I responded to your comment on my Meatless Braai post that you only started blogging this month! If you want more help with adding a link, let me know and I will try and talk you through it.
Thanks Jeanne, as the new girl in town I could use all the help I can get. I’m better in the kitchen than on the keyboard.