Granny's Drop Scones

My favourite way to eat these is with butter & golden Tanzanian honey

I’m not sure if you can tell yet, but I LOVE to bake. I am trying to balance the recipes on my blog, so that they do not consist mainly of baking recipes ! I enjoy cooking but would bake all day, every day if I could (and if weight gain was not an issue - as I can’t resist tasting what I bake !)

My Granny Edith used to make these for tea when we were children growing up in what was then Salisbury, Rhodesia. They are also known as “crumpets”. They are so simple and quick to make. I remember making them once as a teenager, for my Mum who had some ladies around for an afternoon WI or Book Club meeting at our home in Northern Natal, South Africa. I vividly remember frying batches of them in an electric frying pan, and serving them hot with jam and whipped cream on the top !

When I had my first job, I lived in a quaint white washed cottage on a strawberry farm in the Magaliesburg, South Africa and I did not have an oven – only one of those counter top stove plates that you plugged in. So I used to make these on a regular basis for tea or breakfast - especially when trying to impress a new boyfriend ;)

You can serve these with butter and jam/honey/syrup with or without a topping of cream. They also work well with a sliver of cheese on top in place of the jam.

I have not changed this recipe at all – there’s been no need to, as it has worked perfectly since the ‘70’s (and probably before) !

Granny’s Drop Scones

4 heaped dessertspoons* Flour
1 level dessertspoon* Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1 heaped dessertspoon Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
Sufficient milk to make batter
Margarine or butter for frying (seems to work better than oil for this recipe)

* A dessertspoon measures 10 ml's & is slightly smaller than a tablespoon, which measures 15 ml's

Sift the flour, baking powder & salt. Stir in the sugar, & add egg and enough milk to make a stiff batter. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture into a hot saucepan. Lightly fry until golden and cooked through. Serve hot.

The Matriarch of Our Family

Zonde's favourite place to be, is lying 'begging' on the kitchen floor when I am cooking ...

How could I not yet have introduced you to Zonde ?! My beloved Zonde, who has walked by my side for almost 12 years now ………….

Everyone who knows me, knows Zonde. She has lived with us in 2 African countries – she is known in the cities and even in the small villages here. She is feared by many - yet loved by many more. She is a constant source of amusement to the local village kids because of her size (compared to your average, mangy village dog !) and because she loves to lie on the couches on our veranda and bark at people going by …too lazy to even get up !

We got her when we lived in South Africa – before we were engaged, married or had started a family - when she was just 6 weeks old. She is now almost 12 years old, and I honestly don’t know where all the years have gone … I looked down and there was a bright, playful, cheeky puppy nipping at my ankles and when I looked down again a few moments later, instead I saw a grand old lady shuffling along beside me – her eyes are dull now, her teeth are blunt - and I love her more than you would ever know.

She was cared for by my family – and then in long term boarding kennels – when we were working in National Parks here, where no domestic animals are allowed. As soon as we were settled in town with a home of our own, we flew her here from Johannesburg … aside from the day my daughter was born, it was the happiest day of my life ! (She caused havoc at the Kilimanjaro Airport – but that’s another story !)

For many years we lived in a very remote part of the country and my husband worked a lot – it was before our daughter was born, and Zonde was my only constant companion there. She has been with me through so much, she has protected me and loved me and has never left my side.

Yet now - her body is riddled with cancer. This dreadful disease is taking over her insides, and she is slowly dying – and after all she has done to save me over the years, there is nothing I can do to save her now.

All I can do, is to make her last days as comfortable as possible. She is not in any pain (yet) and all her major organs are all still functioning. She is too old for chemotherapy (which is difficult to come by here anyway) and the best we can do is to control it with excellent medicine (imported from Germany especially for her), a good diet and of course, lots of love and rest. But I know that once she begins to suffer (I would never allow that) I will be faced with a painful decision. Then I will have to do what is best for her, and not what is best for me.

We may have a year – or more. We may have a couple of months – or less. All I can tell you that I know for sure, is that I don’t know what I am going to do when the day comes that I finally have to let her go ……………..

Diet Friendly Chocolate Sauce (Yes, really !)

As you can see, I am still making good use of my glut of bananas - here are some smothered in chocolate sauce !

Can it possibly be true ? The words “diet” and “chocolate” in the same sentence ? It certainly can ! This is a great almost fat free chocolate sauce …. I say “almost fat free” because the cocoa powder does, of course contain some fat (if we really want to split hairs !)

I was amazed the first time I tried this sauce … it tastes almost like the real thing. I think that the addition of the cornflour thickens it to such a degree that it has the texture of the real thing – which makes it that much more convincing !

Pour it over fruit or ice cream, or stir it in to milk and make a guilt free hot chocolate drink with it … mmmmmm !

(You can even play around with the amounts of cocoa powder and coffee, to get the “perfect” taste which appeals to you ………..)

Diet Friendly Chocolate Sauce

½ Cup Skim Milk
1 tsp Cornflour (Cornstarch) – blend with a little of the milk above for easier mixing
½ tbsp Instant Coffee powder
¼ cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
¼ cup Brown Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla Essence

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, & bring to the boil whilst stirring constantly. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes to “cook” the cornflour taste out of it. This can be stored in the fridge for around 2 days.

Some Carrot Ideas ...

Grated carrots quickly stir-fried with fresh ginger & soy sauce. You can also add some chopped coriander.

Now, because man simply can't live on biscuits, cakes, and meat alone, I thought that I'd better do a few healthy vegetable posts (!!)

I enjoy carrots – in fact, they’re one of my favourite vegetables. I couldn’t bear eating them the same way all the time, so I’ve experimented with different ways of cooking them-:

• Peel whole carrots & then spray them with non-stick spray (or use olive oil), sprinkle fresh thyme and salt over and bake in a hot oven, turning frequently. (Thyme & carrots go really well together).

• Peel and slice the carrots into rings. Add a sliced leek to the pot as you boil them in the usual way – the leek adds so much extra flavour !

• Stir-fry grated carrot over a high heat with some finely grated ginger. Add some chopped coriander, and a little soy sauce – cooked in their own juices quickly like this, helps to retain a lot of the nutrients. (Pictured above – without the coriander though, as I’ve just replanted it so had none to add !)
  
  I usually keep a big re-sealable bag of grated carrots in the fridge. That way I can quickly pull out a handful to throw in to a casserole or stew, make a coleslaw, sprinkle over a salad, or cook up my “stir-fry grated carrots” above. They also make a quick & healthy toddler snack (& look quite pretty sprinkled over floors, carpets and sofa’s … as I discovered the other day why my toddler had been so quiet for about half an hour after I gave her her carrot “snack” !)

Oriental Roast Pork Fillet

Oriental Inspired Pork

We really enjoy oriental food and are lucky to have some great Chinese restaurants in our local towns. Some we have been visiting for 10 years now and we don’t even have to order off a menu anymore as the owner’s know our favourite dishes – they are simply placed in front of us !

I cook a fair amount of Chinese inspired food at home. When I travel, I bring back Chinese ingredients which are difficult to come by here (things like Star Anise, Chinese 5 Spice and Hoisin Sauce). But this recipe below does not require any ‘special’ ingredients, and provides maximum flavour for minimum effort !

I just made the recipe up one day from ingredients I had on hand and my husband (and toddler) absolutely loved it – so it has since become a regular on our dinner table .....

Oriental Roast Pork Fillet

500 gm Pork Fillet
Olive Oil

Salt
4 tbsp Soy Sauce
4 tbsp Orange Juice
2 cm pce fresh Ginger, finely grated
1 bunch spring onions, chopped (incl. tops)

Rub the oil in to the fillet & season with the salt (not too much, as the Soy Sauce is quite salty). Mix the soy sauce & orange juice together, and pour over the fillet. Scatter the ginger & spring onions over this, and cook (uncovered) at 190’C/375’F/Gas Mark 5 for about 30 minutes, or until done. Baste with the juices a couple of times during cooking.

I serve this sliced, on a bed of egg noodles.

Mum's Banana Bread

Delicious served with cheese, too !

Thanks to everyone for the great comments and emails on what to do with my glut of bananas ! I had also not thought to freeze them whole for use in smoothies and milk shakes - that sounds like a great idea, and I will definitely try it soon.

This is an “old faithful” recipe that I have been making since …. well, it’s been so long I can’t remember as it feels like it’s something I’ve always made ! Before that, my Mum made it for us when we were growing up. I can remember having it for afternoon tea, and in my school lunch box too.

The great thing about this banana bread is that it freezes very well. The recipe makes 2 loaves so I usually slice and freeze the second one (if you slice it, it is easy to just remove a few slices at a time). My husband likes his with butter and cheese, but traditionally this bread is just eaten plain or “as is”. If it lasts longer than a few days (!!) and begins to go a bit stale, it is also great toasted.

Mum’s Banana Bread

½ Cup Margarine
1 ½ Cups Sugar
2 Eggs, beaten
2 cups Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
¾ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Cup roughly mashed Bananas (the riper the better)
¾ Cup Milk

Cream margarine & sugar together. Add beaten eggs. Mix well and add the rest of the ingredients. Blend well and pour in to 2 greased loaf tins. Bake at 180’C/350’F/Gas Mark 4 for ¾ hour to 1 hour.

Crumbed Pork Steaks with a Cheese Sauce

The addition of Hot English Mustard & Worcester Sauce to the Cheese Sauce, makes for an interesting taste

I hesitated to post this recipe, because it isn’t really a recipe as such, and also because the accompanying photograph isn’t that great. So here you go ….

I buy pork steaks from my local butchery in the “big city” (as my actual local butcher does not have electricity but simply hangs a carcass in the open window and you go in and ask what cut/how many kilo’s you’d like – preferably on the day of slaughter ! I should add that I buy meat from him only when I am running short on food for my cat feeding programme.) Okay …. where was I now ? Oh yes, I then wrap the steaks in plastic wrap and pound them lightly with a rolling pin to flatten them and make them bigger. (The plastic wrap prevents things from getting too messy !)

Then I dip them in a mixture of beaten egg, and dip them into breadcrumbs. I buy my breadcrumbs from my local (city) bakery, and season them myself with salt, dried rosemary, thyme and sage.

I then place them on a baking tray, and slosh olive oil all over them (flip them over and do the other side, too) and bake them at 190’C/375’F/Gas Mark 5.

You could fry them on the stove top, but I use this method as it is healthier and when I fry them in a pan, I always find that the crumbed coating sticks to the bottom of the pan and comes off.

I then serve them with a cheese sauce (below) which is a basic cheese sauce with a “twist” !

When I was working at a private Game Reserve in the Hoedspruit area (South Africa) a long time ago, our chef there used to make crumbed impala steaks (he used roughly crushed cornflakes to coat the steaks in place of breadcrumbs) and he also added champagne to the cheese sauce. This was a delicious dish that sort-of inspired my idea for the ‘recipe’ above. (I have yet to add the champagne, though !)

Cheese Sauce with a Twist

2 Tbsp Margarine
2 Tbsp Flour
¼ tsp Salt
Pinch of Pepper
¾ Cup Milk
¾ Cup Cheese (Cheddar works well)
1 tsp Hot English Mustard (optional)
1 tsp Worcester Sauce (optional)

Melt the margarine & slowly add the flour, salt & pepper and blend until smooth. Add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until the sauce is thick & smooth (it may take a little while to thicken). Add the cheese, mustard & Worcester Sauce, and boil for about 2 minutes. Serve hot. (The addition of mustard & Worcester Sauce goes especially well if served with pork).

A Weekend of Food, Fun & Friends !

Kilimanjaro yesterday - with her snow capped peak just visible above the clouds

I’m back after a wonderful weekend of socializing, eating & drinking ! My husband and I had a great time and my toddler had fun playing with both new and old friends alike.

The weather was glorious and both functions were held outdoors. Saturday night’s birthday dinner consisted of a pig on a spit and chicken pieces and beef barbecued on an open fire, along with red snapper fish which had been seasoned and cooked over the hot coals in tin (aluminum) foil. A lovely selection of salads accompanied the meat – prawn & avocado (the first time I’ve seen this as a salad combination, but it worked well) potato salad, green salad, pasta salad and coleslaw - and pudding was a boozy ice cream cake !

On Sunday the lunch was a selection of curries .… beef, chicken, chicken & prawn and vegetarian (lentil) with all the side dishes - sambals, poppadums, naan bread, homemade chutney and salad. Dessert was a really yummy strawberry pavlova and a mango salad with an unusual (fresh) ginger and sugar crunchy topping sprinkled over it. The mango and ginger went really well together and I think I might just have to ask the hostess for this recipe to try at home sometime !

I did manage to meet up with my old chef – he was surprised to see me there, it’s been around 7 or 8 years since we worked together in the Serengeti National Park and it was wonderful to catch up with him again. He was responsible for overseeing all the catering yesterday, and did an excellent job !

The picture above was taken of Mt. Kilimanjaro on our way home yesterday – it was just before sunset, so the light was not very good. This is what I get to look at every day and I realise how very lucky I am. Isn’t she lovely ? (Not that I have any intention of climbing her - in this lifetime, at least !)

The Long Road To Freedom ...

The road to town is paved with .... mud, mud and even more mud !

Well … not quite !

This is our main farm road – actually, the road which eventually brings you directly to our house. This photo was taken in the rainy season, hence all the water (my car has become stuck in this very section of the road before – but that’s another story !)

Anyway, we are off for a weekend of freedom (ha !) to the “big city”. We have been invited to a birthday party/dinner tonight in town, and will be staying over with friends who have 3 children who will be babysat tonight along with our daughter. I’ve only ever left her once before (with this same baby sitter) as the other times she’s been left have been when I’ve been visiting my parents in South Africa, and they have looked after her (whilst I’ve gone clothes shopping!) So I’m pretty nervous about leaving her for a few hours - but am sure she’ll be just fine !

Then tomorrow we have a combined wedding blessing ceremony/Christening/Wedding Anniversary lunch in a lovely spot about half an out outside the city. We have been invited by the couple who first employed us in Tanzania over 10 years ago. We really do owe them as they were willing to give us a chance here when not many other people would, as we did not have enough experience at that stage, as hotel managers. They gave us a job as Camp Manager’s for a luxury tented safari camp in the Tarangire National Park and the rest, as they say, is history ….

So I’ll be back after the weekend with all the news and hopefully some exciting reports back on what food we ate (the birthday dinner tonight is being hosted at a local restaurant). I am hoping to also meet up with an old Chef who used to work for me years ago as I think he will be doing some of the catering for tomorrow’s lunch.

‘Til then …..

Freshly Baked Foccacia Bread

Delicious served hot out of the oven !

It is really satisfying to make your own bread. If you’ve never tried, I urge you to give it a whirl ! It may seem quite daunting at first .. but what’s the worst thing that could happen ?

I find it therapeutic and rewarding to knead bread dough (granted, I’m sometimes a little bit odd !) … there’s just something about creating a loaf of bread from a few simple ingredients that I can’t quite explain ?

My basic bread dough recipe comes from the South African “Woman’s Value” magazine of August 2000. I first used it when we were living on an even remoter farm than this one (we were there for 3 years before we moved here) where we only got in to town once every 2 months or so – so I had to bake my own bread all the time, else we went without !

This recipe makes 2 small loaves, or 1 small loaf and about 5 rolls and yesterday I made 1 small loaf and used the rest of the dough to make Foccacia bread (pictured) which was delicious ! (For Foccacia instructions, scroll to end of recipe)

Basic White Bread

680 g White Bread Flour (I use whatever flour I can find !)
10 ml salt
1 sachet (10g) instant dried Yeast
30 ml Oil (I use olive, but sunflower is fine)
450 ml lukewarm Water

Place flour, salt & yeast into a bowl. Mix the water & oil together in a jug (Yes, I know they don’t mix … grrrrr … silly recipe writer !). Pour water/oil into flour mixture & mix quickly to form a soft dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface & begin kneading. Knead by folding the dough in half towards you, then push down away from you, using the heel of your hand. Give the dough a quarter turn & repeat the process. Knead for 10 minutes until dough is smooth & elastic. Place dough in a large greased bowl & cover with a clean, damp dish cloth. Place in a warm spot & allow to rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until doubled in size.

Then knead dough lightly again for 2 minutes. Press dough out to form a flat shape the length of your baking tin/s & 3 times the width. Fold in edges of the long sides to the centre, then carefully place into the greased baking tin with the join underneath.

Cover again & let rise for another hour until doubled in size. Bake in preheated oven at 220’C/400’F/Gas Mark 6 for 30 – 35 minutes.

For the Foccacia bread I simply spread the dough into a greased baking tray, lightly pressing indentations into it with my fingers as I went along. I then poured some olive oil over it (about 2 tbsps), seasoned it with salt and dried garlic flakes, and poked rosemary into it. This I baked for only 20 – 25 minutes. (It was delicious served with a salad and cold meats for lunch …..)

A Glut of Bananas

Bananas, anyone ?!

The bananas have ripened ! As you can see by the photo, I have more than I know what to do with – it’s not as if I can make banana jam or freeze them now, can I ?!

We had around 4 bunches this size. I kept one for our family, and gave the rest to our house staff to share amongst themselves.

I once asked a Tanzanian mother what her ultimate treat was to give her children to eat, and she replied “bananas”. So, our staff are very happy as their children (our one gardener has 6) will be given “a treat” this weekend.

That’s something to think about, in our material, money obsessed world … where children are spoilt with the latest TV shows, clothes, toys, gadgets, sweets – yet always want more …. that there are children in parts of the world, who’s entire weekend will be filled with the simple joy of …. bananas !

These are what we call “finger bananas” – they are tiny and absolutely delicious – very sweet with a slight lemony tang to them. (My toddler wants to know where the Daddy and Mummy bananas are and why there are only baby bananas all on their own ?!)

Seeing as there is a limit to the number of bananas that our family can actually eat (before they start getting too ripe) … expect to see some banana related recipes appearing here soon ……..

Second Chances

Mbwenya "Before" & "After" - it just goes to show what a little food and TLC can do !

We’d only been living on the farm for around 2 weeks, when a pathetic looking, starving animal appeared on the outskirts of our garden one evening whilst I was feeding our dogs. At first I thought that it was a jackal (as we do have them on the farm). On closer inspection, I realized that this poor mite was, in fact, a dog. She was so timid and of course ran off the minute I tried to approach her. I shut our dogs inside the house, put a bowl of food out and waited for her to return – which she did.

She returned every night after that, and slowly became a little tamer. I de-wormed her, and treated her for ticks and fleas. She got fatter around the belly, and I suspected that she was pregnant. After a few weeks, she disappeared for several days and then re-appeared a lot thinner than before, and I could tell that she was nursing pups. She had made a nest in the bush, and kept them safely there. I made sure that I gave her good quality food and lots of supplements. After a few weeks, I sent Justin (my right hand man – more about him in a future post !) to follow her one night, to find out where she was keeping the pups. He found them, but said that they were still very small/young. About a week or two after this, she returned (alone) permanently to our garden and when Justin went to see if he could find the puppies in the ‘nest’ she’d made … they were gone.

A few months later, she disappeared for about a week, and we found her tied up on a short length of wire in the hot sun in one of the local villages, with no food or water. I immediately removed her, challenging the lady who argued and claimed “ownership” of her to open a case of theft against me at the Police Station if she wanted to get the dog back again. (She never did !)

By this time she was tame enough for me to handle, and I managed to get her in to a travel crate and take her to a wonderful couple who run horseback safari’s here and also happen to be vets. They spayed her for me, and vaccinated her. She is now one of my “village dogs” and lives happily in the garden. We named her “Mbwenya” … she was supposed to be “Mbweha” which means “fox” in the local Kiswahili language – as with her odd ears she looked a bit like a bat eared fox (!!) but this proved too tricky for my toddler to pronounce, so she became Mbwenya instead !

The first time she ever started to play with me - daring me to chase her and jumping and gently nipping me and then scampering away with a cheeky glint in her eye – I actually had tears in my eyes, realizing how much just a little love and TLC had done to change this cowering, timid and starving animal into the content, happy and brave little dog she had become.

She is a fiercely loyal little dog, and follows me around constantly when I am outside in the garden or walking up to the main farm workshop area, and is very protective if anyone comes too close to me.

She was my first “rescue” on the farm … although at the time, I did not know that she wasn’t to be the last … but more of that some other time !

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash with thyme & garlic - before being popped into the oven

There was a time when we could not get Butternut Squash in Tanzania. Then suddenly, it started appearing here and there in some of the little roadside market stalls. (I must remember, the next time I am at my local “Mama’s” market stall, to ask her where she sources them from.) Anyway ….

It is one of our family’s favourite vegetables. I usually slice it in half, scoop the seeds out (with a serrated grapefruit teaspoon – easier than using a knife !) and either spray it with non-stick pan spray (diet friendly !) or pour liberal splashes of olive oil over it and then season it with salt, pepper, garlic flakes, fresh herbs (I used thyme in the picture above) and bake it, uncovered, at 200’C/400’C/Gas Mark 6 for about an hour - or until done.

Another way I serve it is stuffed with a mixture of finely chopped spinach and garlic, a little salt and then wrapped in tin foil. I bake it in the same way and this method “steams” the butternut and the filling – delicious !

I refer to vegetables like pumpkin and butternut squash as “end of the month vegetables” as they keep really well in a cool pantry for weeks. I use all my “beginning of the month” vegetables soon after a town trip … things which don’t keep that well like spinach, for example. I also have “middle of the month” vegetables like carrots - as, stored in re sealable plastic bags they keep for ages in the fridge.

After years of living in remote locations I have learnt how to stretch out our food supplies. When we are eating tinned foods and pumpkin night after night, and are greedily cracking open the expired jars of condiments and actually quite enjoying them (!!) … we know that a town trip within the next couple of days is imminent.

There’s a limit to the amount of butternut squash and pumpkins a girl can eat, you know !

Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscuits

If you look carefully, you can see the peanut flecks through all the chocolate - yum !

The other night after supper, I was sitting watching TV when I heard a distinctive “clink” sound coming from the kitchen – it was the sound of my husband lifting the lid of the biscuit jar which I have sitting on a counter there. The “clink” sound was followed by the words “Ahhhhhh ………. no …………….. what …… no chocolate biscuits, then ?!” (Seeing as we haven’t had chocolate biscuits in the house for ages now, I gathered that this was a hint !) Then yesterday morning over coffee, he asked me outright “What about those chocolate biscuits you promised, then ?” I was just about to say “I never promised anything of the sort !” (being the beginning of the week and all good intentions with the diet, etc) when my toddler started jumping up and down in excitement “Mama ! Mama ! Baking ! Yes, let’s make biscuits for Daddy !”.

So, yesterday afternoon was spent baking chocolate peanut butter biscuits. I have no baking margarine in the house at the moment, so had to use a recipe that contains oil, instead. (Also, the high fat content in the peanut butter used in this recipe helps …)

I got this recipe off the internet ages ago, and have adapted and changed it beyond all recognition. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the original version contained margarine and no oil ? I do know, that at some stage I halved the oil and made the balance up with milk (which works very well).

I should also mention here, that in Africa ‘biscuits’ are to us what ‘cookies’ are to American readers. (Same thing, just different names !) I promise that they taste the same !

We are blessed here in Tanzania with an abundance of locally made pure peanut butter which is made simply with .... peanuts (and sometimes a little salt). In this recipe I have used slightly crunchy (unsalted) peanut butter, as I find the flecks of peanut show up nicely against the dark chocolate of the biscuit dough.

Needless to say, my husband was happy to come home last night and find a full biscuit jar sitting on the counter …. and there are not many left this morning !

Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscuits

1 ½ cups Flour
¼ cup Cocoa Powder
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
¼ cup Sunflower Oil
¼ cup Milk
½ cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Sugar
½ tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Egg

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt & baking powder together. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, milk, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla essence & egg together until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix well. Roughly shape the dough into rounds and squash with a fork on a greased baking tray, and bake at 190’C/375’F/Gas Mark 5 for 10 – 12 minutes. Makes around 30 biscuits.

Unruly Rosemary

My unruly rosemary bush !

I’ve always battled to grow my own rosemary. I’ve tried to grow it every which way … different soils, (different countries !) different varieties, less sun, more sun, less water, more water, in a pot, in the ground … you get the picture ! So, imagine my delight when we moved to the farm and there was this huge, rambling old rosemary bush tucked away in a corner of the garden ? I’m not sure who planted it, or how long it’s been here, but it looks quite old and has thick, gnarled and woody stems at it’s base.

We’re not great lamb eaters, and everyone knows how well rosemary goes with lamb. So I’ve tried using it in different ways – sometimes as part of a lemon based marinade for chicken, thrown in to casseroles or tomato based sauces for extra flavour and I’ve even done a “Jamie Oliver” and threaded meat and veggies onto rosemary stalks in place of kebab sticks, and thrown them onto the barbecue. (This method is not recommended as it all sounds really great in theory, but the rosemary stalks are actually quite soft so you end up with a “floppy” kebab which is difficult to handle on the “Barbie” !)

I sometimes even include long sprigs of rosemary in my flower arrangements (we have some lovely flowers in the garden and I am – luckily - never short of freshly picked flowers for the house) and they give off a lovely fragrance. The older rosemary is often covered with tiny, delicate lilac coloured flowers, too (which you can just make out in the photograph). Seeing as I have so much of the stuff, I also have 3 large, dried bunches hanging in my kitchen … they really do smell lovely ….

As we cannot buy fresh herbs here (apart from the odd limp looking bunch of coriander) I also grow my own basil, thyme, mint and coriander. I’ve had no luck with other herbs, so I stick with what I know will grow here. These are all planted in pots and as I’ve just recently re planted, I’ll post some pictures once they’re more established. I’ve also planted thyme in to some of my flower beds and it makes a lovely, fragrant change to boring old shrubs !

My next planting session will include different lettuce varieties (we can only buy the boring old iceberg variety here, and no matter how well I transport it back from town, it’s never very fresh) and rocket. I ADORE rocket. Especially the kind that makes your eyes water !

So, I’ll post from time to time about what I’m getting up to in my herb and veggie garden !

An Easy Potato Salad Recipe

This potato salad seems to taste even better the next day !

I believe that less is often more when it comes to cooking. (Especially when it comes to simple dishes like this one.)

I’ve never had an actual recipe for this potato salad - I’ve always just made it from memory after watching my mother making it when I was growing up. (I added the mustard idea, though.)

Whenever I make this, people always ask me for the recipe and there are never any leftovers – always a good sign !

It’s best to make this the day before you plan to eat it, as the flavours are more intense the next day as the potatoes have had time to really absorb the mayonnaise mixture -:

Simply Delicious Potato Salad

5 large potatoes, peeled & chopped in to cubes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup of Mayonnaise (a ‘tangy’ type works well)
1 tsp English Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chives or Spring Onion tops, snipped

Boil the potato cubes in salted water until cooked through & edges are soft. Strain, add the onion, salt & pepper and leave to cool. Add the mustard to the mayonnaise and mix well to blend. Pour over the cooled potato cubes and toss everything together gently until the potato cubes are well coated. Garnish with snipped chives or spring onion chops.

I always make sure that the potatoes are well cooked – there’s nothing worse than underdone potatoes in a salad … ewwww ! The mustard really brings the flavours of this salad out and when I haven’t had English mustard on hand, I’ve also used Dijon or Wholegrain.

A Cat's Tale

Tessa - slightly annoyed with a wild bird which was just out of reach !

There is no animal rescue organisation in my remote corner of the world, and as I cannot bear to see animals suffering (some people here can hardly feed themselves and their children, let alone their dogs) I cannot turn any needy animals away.

When we first moved to Tanzania 10 years ago, I could not bear to see starving dogs & cats, and the only way I could handle the situation was to look the other way. But I cannot do that anymore. If I look at this situation as a whole in this country, it would be too overwhelming for me ... so instead, I decided to just care for those animals which I could. I live by the motto "To save one life, is to save the world entire". (Oh, how I wish that every expat here would just care for one stray dog or cat, or at least help their staff to look after and spay/neuter/vaccinate their own animals - it would make SUCH a difference.)

I've 'saved' several dogs and cats which have wandered onto the farm in the 3 years we've lived here. They've either wandered into the garden, or I've removed them from their "owners" who have had them tied up on short chains in the blazing African sun, with no water. They are now plump and content, and lounge in the shade of our garden all day. I have found homes for some and all have been spayed/neutered and vaccinated.

I have helped a few cats, too ... and this is a picture of the newest addition to our family, Tessa. She was found as a starving kitten at the end of last year - her right front leg and tail had been broken and she was unable to fend for herself. She would have died within days, with no food - or would have been caught my local dogs. Her leg was mended and she is now "whole" again. She is loved and cuddled and pampered and living a pain free life now, and has the most incredible little personality.

My animals play a huge role in my life here, and I will slowly introduce them all in future posts .....

An Easy Recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken

The edge of the dish looks a bit messy - served straight from oven to table !

I stumbled upon this recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken several years ago in a South African magazine – either “Fair Lady” or “Femina” … I can’t remember now. Anyway, it caught my eye because I happened to have all the ingredients listed in my pantry at the time – they are the sort of ingredients that you usually do have on hand yet would never think to use in this combination.

It makes for an unusual but tasty meal and has made a regular appearance on our dinner table over the years, especially when we’ve had friends and family to stay. In fact, it’s become a sort-of standing joke amongst some family members “Oh - first night at Lynda’s means it’ll be Marmalade Chicken !” Which is true, I usually do serve it to people on their first night’s stay with us !

I have to say that my toddler does not enjoy this one, which is unusual as she eats almost anything. She says it’s “got too much chilli in it, Mama” which I suspect is actually the peppery tang of the ginger she’s referring to. Still, she loves helping me pick the rosemary sprigs that go in it ……..

Orange Marmalade Chicken

8 x chicken pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 tbsp Orange Marmalade
2 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard
2 tbsp English Mustard
2 tsp Ginger, finely grated
¼ cup Orange Juice
¼ cup Chicken Stock
1 tbsp Mustard Seeds (Optional)
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Place the chicken pieces in an ovenproof dish, & season with the salt and pepper. Mix the remaining ingredients together to make a sauce, & pour over the chicken pieces. Tuck fresh rosemary sprigs in between the chicken pieces and bake (uncovered) at 200’C/400’F/Gas Mark 6 for about an hour, basting the chicken with the sauce at least twice during the cooking time.

I usually remove the cooked rosemary sprigs and decorate with fresh ones before serving.

A New Neighbour

The lunch table set out on our veranda

Our farm is quite remote and we only have one set of permanent neighbors, who live about an hour away from us.

So, you can imagine my delight when we heard that a new farmer had moved to the area recently - he has taken over an old farm a mere 20 minutes away from ours ! Of course the first question I asked my husband was “Does he have a wife/girlfriend/kids ?!” Unfortunately he does not. (But I suppose there’s always hope that he might meet someone here and I would then have a female neighbor, and children for my daughter to play with !)

Anyway, we invited him to lunch today and it was nice to finally meet him. I served lunch out on our veranda, which has lovely views out over our garden and to Mount Meru beyond. I usually serve lunch out on the veranda when we have guests, and if I am feeling particularly energetic, I serve it out under the ancient fig tree at the bottom of our garden. It’s a lovely spot, but quite a “schlep” to lug tables, chairs, crockery and cutlery up and down – not to mention the food !

For lunch I served an old stand by of mine, “Marmalade Chicken” (which I will post the recipe for shortly). This was accompanied by a potato salad, a greek salad and fresh garlic bread, and finished off with a peach and pear crumble with custard. It was an enjoyable day, and there were hardly any leftovers – which is always a good sign !

An African Sunset

Sunset over Mt. Meru, from my veranda

I count myself lucky - very lucky - to be living in such a beautiful part of this world.

When I look out my windows, I have Africa's highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro, to one side and Africa's 5th highest peak, Mt. Meru, to the other. I vowed when we moved here, to never ever take this for granted - but sometimes, I admit, I do. Some days I am too busy, or stressed, or otherwise occupied to look up and see the beauty around me. But I know it's always there ....

Surprisingly, Kilimanjaro does not look that high. She is a freestanding mountain, perhaps that's why. She is permanently capped in snow (which, sadly, is rapidly diminishing as the years go by) and her shape - with the snow on the top - always reminds me of a huge Christmas pudding covered in brandy butter .... yum !

This photo was taken at sunset yesterday, from my veranda.

Tomorrow I'll be posting a really easy recipe for scones which can be made up in a matter of minutes !

Lazy Sausage Casserole

It looks a bit dry in the pic, but there is actually a lot of 'hidden' sauce

Do you ever have days where you just couldn’t be bothered to cook but still want a wholesome, tasty family meal in a hurry ? Well then, let me introduce you to an old standby of mine … a simple sausage casserole, made with whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand.

I usually serve this with rice or cous cous, and I often keep a toddler sized portion (or two !) back and freeze it for a quick, nutritious meal for a night when we’re eating non child friendly food (i.e. a hot curry!)

Lazy Sausage Casserole

1 pkt of Pork Sausages, cut into pieces
1 Large Onion, chopped
Garlic Cloves to taste, chopped
1 tin of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 large Courgette (Baby Marrow), sliced
2 large Carrots, sliced
1 large Potatoe, cubed
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
Mixed Dried Herbs, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste
A little water

Mix everything together in a large oven proof dish and bake, uncovered at 190’C/375’F/Gas Mark 5 until done – about 45 minutes to an hour.

You can substitute any of the vegetables as you see fit. You can also add 2 tbsps of tomato paste if you’d like more of a tomato hit. Fresh herbs can also be used in place of dried.

(This tastes delicious cold the next day, too.)

Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Sauce

It also makes a great topping for cheese sandwiches !

This is a simple, delicious sauce which goes well with hamburgers, as a relish for cold meats & cheese, or as a sauce for chicken or pork.

I keep it in a screw top jar in the fridge, and usually serve it cold. (My fussy husband gives it two thumbs up - so you know it must be good !)


Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Sauce

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped
1 tsp Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp Vinegar (Balsamic works well)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Mustard Powder
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
150 ml Water

Fry the onion in the oil until soft. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients. Allow to simmer until mixture has thickened slightly & onions are soft. (You can add more/less vinegar or sugar according to your taste).

A Garden Full of Fruit Trees

Luscious Bananas on one of our many trees

When we moved to the farm 3 years ago, we were lucky enough to inherit a lovely 2 1/2 acre established garden along with the house, which had been lovingly laid out by one of the previous farm manager's wives (who - amazingly - also happened to be a landscape gardener !)

The house and garden are over 35 years old, so we have some well established fruit trees which include -: banana, orange, tangerine, peach, avocado pear, pomegranate, mulberry and figs. We also have a macadamia nut tree and some gooseberries. So, I would say that we are truly blessed in the fruit department - that's if the birds don't get to them first !

The banana tree's are laden with large, green bunches of bananas at the moment - as you can see in the photo above - and in a few days the bunches will be cut down and left to ripen until they are a deep, golden colour. You really haven't tasted a banana, until you've tasted a Tanzanian banana. They are nothing like the bland offerings found on supermarket shelves ....

(When you see me posting some banana recipes, you'll know that the banana's have ripened !)

Sweet Valentine Biscuits & Safari's

Sugar Biscuits - complete with bouganvillia decoration ;)

Hubby is away "on safari" (the term used here when anyone goes anywhere - be it to town for the day or on a month long trip to the Serengeti and beyond). So he is spending Valentine's night at a delightful sounding guest house called "Liquid Gold". (Yep, that's right - that really is the name of the guest house !)

He will be tucking in to a delicious Valentine's dinner of bacon, cheese and chutney rolls with "Chinese savoury crackers with chives" (what it says on the box !) and some coffee and biscuits for dessert - I always pack him plenty of food for his trips away as he refuses to eat at any local establishments due to the hygiene factor. (I am quite happy to eat Tanzanian "street food" but hubby prefers to play it safe).

So I will be making up for the bacon rolls, with a slap bang Valentine's meal for him once he returns.

My dinner tonight consisted of oatmeal porridge (yum !) because quite honestly, I can't be bothered to cook when hubby is away and the toddler had spaghetti bolognese (frozen meal I made a few weeks ago) and salad. So, seeing as I could hardly post a recipe for oatmeal porridge, and in keeping with the Valentine's theme - here is a recipe for "Sugar Biscuits" which I made last week -:

Sugar Biscuits

1/2 cup Margarine

1 cup Sugar

1 Egg

2 tbsp Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence

2 1/2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

Cream the marg and sugar. Add the egg, milk & vanilla essence and blend well. Add the sifted flour, baking powder & salt. Mix well. Roll out thinly (about 3mm thick) & cut in to desired shapes. Place on greased baking tray and bake at 190'C/375'F/Gas Mark 5 for about 10 minutes.

Makes about 60 biscuits (depending on how much raw dough is eaten by assistant toddler/s)

Warning - these are "dunk in your tea or risk breaking your teeth" biscuits as they are quite hard. But delicious (and well worth a chipped tooth or two)

Every Man And His Dog, Has A Blog !

Our House

Well it's true, isn't it ? Everyone seems to have a blog these days, and there are blogs on just about every subject you can think of ! I've often thought about starting one ... but wondered what, exactly, I'd write about. My day-to-day life - aside from living on a farm in Africa - is pretty much the same as everyone else's and some days, there's not much to report (other than toddler tantrums, grumpy husbands and my latest dog deworming programme).

So - I've decided to focus my blog on something which I do do every day - and that's cooking ! I love, love, love to cook (and bake especially). I grew up in a family of food lovers, married one and worked in the food (hotel) industry with several - before I became a "farmers wife" ! I've also learnt to be quite inventive, as several ingredients are unavailable here ... and living around 2 hours from the closest shops doesn't help matters, either !

So, I promise to post regularly and whilst the majority of my posts will be about FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD, I'm sure that there will be other topics that crop up from time to time. (Like my latest dog deworming programme.)