Every once in awhile a really absorbing book crosses our desk.  One such book is Mark Diacono’s A Taste of the Unexpected . He quite rightly believes that it is a waste of time and effort growing the usual fruit and veg available on the supermarket shelves, they are usually cheap to buy and don’t taste that much different to what’s available at the shops.

In A Taste of the Unexpected Mark discusses growing  the more unusual fruit and vegetables – Tree Fruit, Nuts, Soft Fruit, Herbs & Spices, Beans & Greens, Leaves & Flowers and Buried Treasures. He reveals that it is no harder to grow the unusual and utterly delicious than it is the entirely ordinary.

Each chapter gives fundamental advice on conditions each plant thrives on, varieties available, growing methods and process of harvesting. In addition he includes a number of mouthwatering recipes for all of the crops featured.

The book is winner of the Guild of Food Writers Food Book of the Year Award 2011.  Author, Mark Diacono, is head gardener at River Cottage and owner of Otter Farm, which has become known as the ‘Climate Change Farm.’ On his farm in Devon, Mark grows gourmet delights such as gojiberries, Egyptian walking onions, kai lan, salsify, Chilean guava, day lilies and Szechuan pepper.

Exciting and inspirational, A Taste of the Unexpected will redefine your approach to growing your own food. As Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage puts it “…I believe that this is a book that will, if you let it, if you really use it, change how and what you grow, what you cook and how you eat, forever and for the better.”

It is a book that we will definitely be using as a constant source of reference at Wickedfood Earth.

Interested in buying this book? Visit - Red Pepper Books – The South African online bookshop, is able to offer you great prices on any book you are looking for, and they deliver to your door. Pay only R369 for this book (Recommended Retail Price = R410)!  Red Pepper Books is offering Wickedfood Cooking School subscribers an EXTRA 10% off this book. Simply type in the promotional code WICKEDFOOD on the shipping page of the checkout process and your purchase will be reduced by a further 10%, and therefore pay just R332.10, a total saving of R77,90.

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Now is the time to ensure that your vegetable beds are prepared, start planting the first of your seeds, and put in fruit trees if you have not already done so (if you have not yet pruned your fruit trees, do them this weekend before it is too late).

Vegetables we will be planting at Wickedfood Earth over the next few weeks include Artichoke, Asparagus, Beetroot, Cabbage, Carrot, Lettuce, Onion, Parsnip, Radish, Swiss chard, Spinach and Turnip:

Click here for this easy to use seasonal vegetable planting guide in pdf format.

For some unusual and interesting seeds with a difference, see:

• Livingseeds – A large selection of locally grown heirloom and open pollinated vegetable seed; and
• Sought after seedlings – Open pollinating heritage/heirloom varieties that are grown to maintain the longevity of vegetables which have been around for hundreds of years, ensuring quality and exceptional taste.

Wickedfood Earth® is a community upliftment, self-sustainable lifestyle project being developed on a 38 hectare site in the Hartbeesfontein Conservancy, located within the Magalies Meander Tourism area. We are developing a self-sustaining lifestyle showcase subscribing to the ethos of “Responsible use of sustainable resources“.

Terra Madre Day aims to raise the voice of good, clean and fair farmers and producers, chefs and consumers to promote a better, local food system. 
The 1st Terra Madre Day last year saw more than 1,000 events take place across 120 countries. This year, there are even more events planned in even more countries.

Slow Food Johannesburg will again participate by showcasing some of Gauteng’s most interesting producers, carefully selected in co-ordination with the Cheese Gourmet in Linden (cnr 3rd Ave/7th St) from 3-7pm on Friday 10th December. Brian and Jo, & Slow Food Johannesburg have chosen around 20 of the most promising local producers in and around Gauteng to showcase their products. You will have the chance to talk to them as well as sample and buy products.

What is Different this Year?

In keeping with how things are done at the Salone del Gusto in Turin, we have arranged to have the following activities and tastings:

• Interactive taste experience at the Slow Food stand;
• Product tastings with producers;
• Slow Food talks;
• 20 minute walk-abouts showcasing personal highlights;
• Audiovisual corner;
• Terra Madre & Salone Del Gusto exhibition;
• Evening snacks & dinner from Cheese Cafe including their Italian experiences from their trip to the Salone: Polenta & Cheese fondue, Cheese & Honey and more.

Who is There?

• Goat Peter – goats milk cheeses;
• Pepe Charlot – New french style goats cheese producer;
• Wickedfood Earth – Valley pickles & preserves;
• Hayden – Biodynamic raspberry jams;
• Jakhalskos – Nougat;
• Rassie – Comb Honey;
• Caroline – Raw honey & Mead;
• Pam – Midlands homecured bacon;
• Braeside Butchery – grass fed meats ;
• Boo Prince – Dehydrated fruits and vegetables;
• Bean There – Fair Trade Coffee;
• Sugarbush bakery – Crispbreads & oatcakes;
• Not Bread Alone – Breads and pastries;
• Wine Tasting – TBA;
• Slow Food – Taste Workshop & seasonal veg display;
• Cheese Gourmet Selection – Green Goose Cheese, Weltevreden Figs, Rosehope preserves and Rusks.

What is Terra Madre?

The worldwide Terra Madre network is working to create an alternative model of food production and consumption, in line with Slow Food’s philosophy of good, clean and fair: good for our palate, clean for humans, animals and the environment, and fair for producers and consumers. It unites food communities, cooks, academics and youth from 160 countries who share a vision for food production rooted in local economies and with respect for the environment, traditional knowledge, biological diversity and taste. Whether it is creating school gardens or producing honey, safeguarding indigenous food varieties or creating new local markets, the daily work of the network’s small-scale farmers, fishers, breeders and artisan producers, as well as cooks, educators and youth are political acts for a better food future.

The UK may have their Mrs Beeton, and the USA Julia Child, but we have Mrs SJA De Villiers, author of Cook and Enjoy. This enlightening cookbook,  first published in Afrikaans in 1951, is still the bible to most South African cooks, both English and Afrikaans. It has sold over one million copies and gone through numerous updates. The latest edition of Cook & Enjoy , in English as well as one in Afrikaans (Kook & Geniet), has been completely revised by the original author’s  daughter. The new edition, published in 2009, combines a readable, modern feel with the classic look of the original.

It contains everything you need to know about cooking – from measuring ingredients and operating ovens to the preparation of vegetables and meat, and how to freeze foods, along with more than 700 recipes, specially tested – from breakfasts to mixed drinks, and recipes for large function catering. A large number of the dishes are beloved South African favourites. There’s also a great section about preserving foods.

The one cookery title that no South African home can do without. At Wickedfood Cooking School we use this book as a consent sauce of reference, especially for our South African cooking classes, as well as at Wickedfood Earth for ideas on preserving the bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

See our recipe of the week – Cheese soufflé, or click on one of the links below for a few recipes from the book.

Salmon mould

Curried fish (Pickled fish)

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Wickedfood Earth is in the process of creating a rural eco-sensitive environment:

• incorporating renewable resource building methods;
• farming in as natural an environment as is feasible;
• researching the growing of indigenous and heirloom produce, together with free range livestock, and using them to produce unique products that are commercially viable on a small scale; and
• educating the public as to the responsible use of sustainable resources.

Wickedfood Earth will achieve our vision by:

• only introducing plants and vegetation that are indigenous or edible;
• farming free range livestock with dignity in as natural and environmentally friendly as possible;
• creating job opportunities and upliftment programmes for the local communities; and
• building rural facilities that:
  • are ecologically sensitive to the environment;
  • can process vegetables, fruit, dairy and livestock in a preservative free, humane way;
  • incorporate a lecture hall, a test and teaching kitchen, dining area and accommodation facilities for both individuals and groups of consumers, so that we can impart the knowledge gained.