Lifestyle

Welcoming farm sounds and smells, a large stoep, activities in nature, and tranquillity await visitors of the farm Houtenbek in Mpumalanga.

Since diversifying into accommodation and fine dining in 1991, Free State Merino farm De Oude Kraal has become a landmark. Brian Berkman recently visited it and soon understood why it has gained its excellent reputation.

Dominique Marchand says her recipe for tiramisu was inspired by Table Mountain. This tiramisu needs only a few ingredients, requires no baking and can be made in a jiffy!

Fly fishing is as synonymous with the Eastern Cape district of Barkly East as are Merino wool and snow-capped mountains in winter. As Mike Burgess writes, the legacy of fly fishing in the region is not only rich, but evolving.

Traditional meets modern in this easy-to-make meal. A roasted leg of lamb meets a boozy ice cream bombe to really ignite the jolliness of the season.

In the past, Christmas lunch in our family was an event of 50 to 60 relatives, friends and neighbours, held on the back lawn of my grandparents’ house under the enormous old pecan-nut trees.

Turkey has long been the traditional Christmas lunch on our farm. It takes my mother two days to prepare the whole bird, starting with an overnight brining and ending with half-an-hour in my father’s smoker.

To assist in the annual struggle against cold weather, make and serve this hearty, warming, comforting and fine-tasting meat-free pie.

Recreation in natural areas is an excellent way of reconnecting people with the environment. Besides the educational function, it is also a possible income stream for farmers.

Avitourism, or birdwatching, has the potential to provide farmers with an additional source of revenue, write Dr Adam Viljoen and Christelle van Zyl, researchers at North-West University’s Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society.

This recipe is slightly different to the classical recipe, as it contains rosemary, cinnamon, lemon and cloves. These ingredients not only give the koeksisters a wonderful aroma, but also skyrocket their taste!

This seed bread is healthy and delicious. Use it to make your lunch sandwiches, or spread your favourite jam on it for a real treat. You can also eat the bread on its own, as it isn’t at all dry.

This slow-cooked shredded beef is the perfect stuffer for a roti, flatbread or sandwich. It’s even a delight on a bed of white rice!

This classic recipe can best be described astagliatelle Alfredo’s rich uncle. It is a joyous salute to excess, a luxurious combination of ingredients,flavours, textures and aromas.

When making this bread, you can use a variety of toppings. What’s more, the dough can be formed in whichever way you like, from a pizza base to a bread stick. The end result is just as delicious!

There’s real joy to be experienced in the production of this meal. It is quick and simple enough for the out right beginner, yet the unexpected presence of asparagus will convince your guests that your cooking is in the five-star league.

This classic comes in a thousand variations, and is just waiting for your imagination to make it 1 001! Here beans, chicken stock, pasta, pancetta and wine come together to banish the gloom of winter.

If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but still long for something creamy and delicious, try this savoury, baked, blue-cheese cheesecake with dessert-wine jelly garnish topped with herbs. It works equally well as a cheese course to finish off a fine meal, or as a decadent treat on its own.

Whatever you choose to call it – brinjal, aubergine or eggplant – there is nothing as magical as converting three of these wondrous things into a sesame influenced, za’atar-enhanced, smoky spread.

This carrot cake loaf, with its delicious, zesty cream-cheese icing and chopped walnuts, is soft and full of flavours.