11 Jan January 2024 Newsletter

Posted at 11:31h in Uncategorized by

Paardekraal Produce January 2024

I can’t believe we are one month into a new year.  Thank you for your support throughout 2023.  It’s been a difficult year but then every year in farming is challenging with its own unique issues.

So currently whilst writing this newsletter, the temperature outside is north of 40C. It has been an excruciatingly hot summer.  Last December I did a pop-up stand in Graaff Reinet where the temperature was 42C. The Tequilla guy did really well and sold more cocktails than he bargained for.

My pop-up stand is going from strength to strength. I initially started it to target the December Joburg through traffic (the guys from Joburg heading to the coast) but the locals have found me and have been supporting me too. Its always nice to see friends and familiar faces especially when you live in an isolated spot such as ours. This also allows me to be part of the local community in which a lot is happening. There is an Artisinal Food Fair planned for April and the annual Stoep Tasting is going to be over 2 weekends in May and the annual Spring Market will take place in September, to name but a few.

We have not had the rain that we were forecasted to get so that has been most disappointing but at least we got something over the December / January festive season time. Some people have had nothing since October, so we are lucky.

However, the dams continue to remain full due to the fountains supplying them. Geoff and I even had a braai on the dam wall behind the farmhouse one evening. It was absolutely magical! The first time we have ever done that and hopefully not the last.

Years ago, Geoff had an earthen dam made by our neighbour (below the farmhouse) and our neighbour told us the dam would never hold water as the soil is too sandy. The years following this, every time it rained the water would pour in and the next day the water had disappeared (filtering through the soil). Since the middle of last year, the picnic dam (above the farmhouse) had so much water in that instead of letting the water go down the river (from this dam) Geoff got the water diverted into the lower dam that did not hold water. The ducks and geese have been swimming in this channel sending mud down to the dam. We moved the pigs into the camp where this dam is, as the boar kept breaking the ball valve of the water trough. After about the 3rd time of fixing this ball valve we moved him and some of his ladies.  These pigs moved straight into the dam and at times they look like hippos wallowing in the water. We think that with the pigs tramping the dam floor together with the mud the geese and ducks have created the dam has sealed and is holding water for the first time ever. A most likely contributor to the sealing, is all the dunging that the fowls and the pigs do. Moral of the story manure seals.

We have been under attack from both the air and the ground. The mongoose continues its raid on the chickens, and we suspect there are 2 coming from different parts of the yard, but now an African Marsh Harrier thinks we are the local KFC and has been taking his share too.  At one point we were losing 1 chick a day to these predators. Geoff has been seen standing in the yard shouting /swearing and waving his arms at the Harrier and after 2 weeks of daily performances the Harrier has moved on and the yard is now more at peace. This is what happens when there are free ranging chickens and ducks with their offspring.

We borrowed a live trap cage and put the carcasses of dead chickens in the cage in the hope of trying to catch the mongoose to relocate him. So far, no success but we did catch an African spotted genet. I have only seen them from a far a couple of times, but up close they are even more beautiful.  Needless to say, the genet was released.

Our pickup vehicles have also become the local home to Dassies. Imagine lifting the bonnet of the vehicle only to have 3 fat Dassies peeling out.  This is the latest in the yard antics. It’s not something we want as I am sure they will chew through wires. I had to go up to the pumphouse to check the reservoir water levels and see if the pumps were working. When I stopped at the pumphouse (having driven up in the bakkie) a Dassies ran out from under the vehicle he must have been in the engine. Luckily for him I did not drive to town otherwise we would have had roast Dassie for lunch.  I believe Dassie meat is quite a delicacy.

The vegetable garden is now producing flat out.  The tomatoes and various beans come to the kitchen in baskets every day.  We are also getting beautiful courgettes that I either grill on the braai or roast in the oven, absolutely delicious.  I have also made a courgette, farm bacon and chevre pasta sauce.

The basil is thriving so real basil pesto has been made using pinenuts, pecorino, parmesan, olive oil and garlic – no preservatives so you are only getting the good stuff.

Tomatoes are being turned into sauce and I will soon be making tomato-based pasta sauces but have also used this in the courgette and tomato bake that is on offer.

The beans that we have are the red adzuki, a black runner bean and the long snake beans.  The red adzuki and the black runner beans have gone into the green bean bredie whilst the snake beans which are only coming on now, will be preserved in olive oil and herbs.

For this month I have the following on offer:

  • Karoo Day – Feta
  • Karoo Gold – marinated chevre
  • Free range chicken eggs
  • Free range duck eggs
  • Apricot jam
  • Real Basil Pesto
  • Courgette, Bacon and Chevre pasta sauce
  • Roast courgette soup
  • Frozen organic spinach
  • Courgette and Tomato Bake
  • Pork Stroganoff
  • Green Bean Bredie
  • Goat Milk soap

 

All produce is made from free-ranging animals.  We do not administer growth hormones or antibiotics on a routine basis.
Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones from the dishes, care should still be taken when consuming.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Paarderkraal Produce January 2024 Price List

  • Chicken eggs – free range chicken eggs (per 12 eggs) – R60.00
  • Duck eggs – free range duck eggs (per 6 eggs) – R40.00
  • Karoo Day (goat milk feta cheese) 200g – R70.00
  • Karoo Star (goat milk chevre style cheese) 200g – R70.00
  • Karoo Gold (marinated chevre in olive oil, vinegar & herbs from the garden) – R90.00
  • Apricot Jam – homemade with only sugar and apricots nothing else – R80.00
  • Frozen organic spinach – grown in the Paardekraal vegetable patch 500g – R40.00
  • Real Basil Pesto – organically grown basil from Paardekraal, pinenuts, pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil – R80.00
  • Courgette, Bacon & Chevre Pasta Sauce – courgettes, bacon from our own indigenous pigs and chevre with chicken stock – R70.00
  • Roast Courgette Soup – made from organic courgette, grown on Paardekraal, with chicken stock (no cream) 600g – R50.00
  • Courgette & Tomato Bake – organic courgette and slow cooked rustic tomato sauce, layered with parmesan and mozeralla cheese – R120.00
  • Pork Stroganoff – farm reared organic pork in a cream and mushroom sauce 600g – R150.00
  • Farm Green Bean Bredie – farm reared mutton with organically grown red adzuki and black beans 600g – R160.00
  • Goat milk soap – handmade soap from our own goat milk, great as an exfoliant whilst nourishing the skin at the same time 80g – R80.00


Please note:

  • The vegetables and meat are sourced from Paardekraal.  The meat is free ranging and free of growth hormones and antibiotics.
  • All meals are frozen.
  • The dishes do not include rice or fillers
  • Whilst every effort has been made to remove bones, care should be taken when consuming
  • Portion sizes are minimum:  large 600gram of meat.

 

Thank you for your support!