WATERBLOMMETJIES IN DIE BOLAND, WATERBLOMMETJIES IN DIE KAAP
MAAK DIE BREDIE NET SOOS IN DIE WYNLAND, EN SÊ JY’S BAIE LIEF VIR MY VOOR JY GAAN SLAAP
A very popular Afrikaans song sung by many great Afrikaans legends like Sonja Heroldt and Anton Goosen. And the words can’t ring truer as this meal is a warm winter’s meal to be enjoyed between friends and family. Our lives have become so fast and instant gratification addictions are where we are losing some golden treasures, which just can’t be done fast. Things like rusks baking in the oven overnight and then to be enjoyed with that first cup of coffee with the smell still hanging fresh in the kitchen, a homemade jersey made with love by granny, peaches and figs cooked in its sugary sauce to be bottled and slow cooked food, not just a quick meal but a gathering of loved ones spending the entire day and then enjoying a meal prepared and cooked with love.
This brings me back to the waterblommetjies – it is a little water flower called Cape pondweed or Cape Hawthorn, they flower during winter and spring in large areas of the water in the Western, Southern and Eastern Cape. They are adapted to grow in ponds which dry up in summer. The dormant tubers sprout again as soon as the pools fill in autumn. This used to be a well known local delicacy for the cold winter months, traditionally made with lamb or mutton, onions, and sorrel. A delicious stew (bredie) which needs to be slowly cooked and when done it is bound to leave your guests and family with warm hearts.
One of the popular guest farms in Rawsonville offers a very unique opportunity. It is a cooking course where one starts off the day cleaning the harvested plant, cooking the meal from scratch and then, of course, enjoying it around a big wooden table with your loved ones.
Picardi Place also offers overnight stays in one of their beautiful rooms or cottages so one can enjoy a full, adventurous day filled with great memories. This is indeed a unique opportunity and promises to leave one with a very satisfying day and of course very satisfied taste buds.
