I had the opportunity to attend a GINJA food experience a few weeks back and this is how it all went down…
On arrival we were greeted by Chef Francois with a welcoming drink – the healthy option was a taste of Juiced Co.’s vegetable and fruit juices! They were really pleasant actually, and that’s coming from someone that only eats vegetables because I know I have to. Next on the list was a Wolftrap Rose, which would not be my drink of choice, but still fairly light and not too dry.
The “lunner” (lunch and dinner) table was set in an adjoining room; it looked like it had been taken straight out of the GINJA magazine! We moved to the dinner hall to get stuck in, but not before we had a little snoop around the large kitchen area which is set up as a food studio and is used for team building events and cooking classes (something I’d love to give a try!)
The first course was Haddock & Hake Mousse served with Raisin Relish and Home-Baked Seed Loaf, paired with a Wolftrap White blend. I must say, the seed loaf was so tasty I had well over my fair share! The raisin relish had a sweet taste that complimented the food and would be something I’d like to put on a nice piece of cheese.
The second course, or palate cleaner, was a small Green Salad with Fynbos Vinaigrette. This little salad looked too pretty to eat; I felt bad breaking it apart. This feeling soon changed to delight once I had my first mouthful. It was delicious!! I’m not sure was it was about this salad that was so tasty, but it definitely had the underlying taste of parmesan cheese… and as I am sure you have guessed,I love cheese!
The main course was Traditional Tomato Bredie served with Green Pepper & Onion Flavoured Samp & Beans. This was honestly my first taste of samp and beans, and I have seriously been missing out!! The textures and tastes were on point! The bredie was a mixture of lamb and beef, and it fell apart in your mouth; I’m salivating now just thinking about it. The wines we had with the main course were Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2013 and Porcupine Ridge Syrah with Viognier 2013. These wines are definitely more to my taste. At this point in the evening the conversation at the table was in full swing. People at the table included chefs, bloggers, previous masterchef contestants as well as a few people in the media – all were great conversation.
When desert came out, everyone was quiet for a few minutes, only because everyone had their mouths full! Dessert was Koeksister Cassata with Pomegranate Relish. This is basically the best ice-cream you’ve ever tasted. The koeksister was still fresh and crispy, even though it in a pool of ice-cream. To accompany this sweet delight a La Motte MCC or JC Le Roux Scintilla 2008 was served. Chef Francois opened the bottle using a huge knife, slicing the top off (which I’ve only ever seen in movies!) I learnt this is called Sabrage: Sabering the champagne bottle. It was really amazing to watch, I had always thought the bottle was just being broken open! This way of opening the bottle actually leaves the top at a perfect pouring angle, almost like a built in speed pourer.
The conversation extended well into the evening, people were tweeting about the wonderful food and great company. On our way out we received a little goodie bag with some of the delectable things we had eaten in the evening, including that raisin relish (for my cheese of course) and parmesan infused olive oil. All-in-all this was a great experience and I would highly recommend the recipes that are put in the GINJA magazine!
Website: www.ginjafood.com
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