Janice Tripepi

So Jade has invited me to join her “Glitter Girls” club – I point out that I live in Durban and she lives all the way down in Robertson – but that didn’t seem to bother her at all. We agreed that I could send them Milky Lane vouchers and be present in spirit when “The Glitter Girls” convene to chat about fashion etc. – they would toast absent friends (Moi!) with their milk shakes. How cool is that?

If any of you have the occasion to go down to the promenade in Sea Point – don’t miss the opportunity to go and see Marieke Prinsloo-Rowe’s “Contemporary Staging’s of the Tableau Vivant”. The eighteen sculptures are set out along the promenade. As you walk from the beginning to the end of the story – you are taken on a journey – you get to “Walk the Road” and in doing so become part of building our new nation. “The Little Girl in my fable-like interpretation thus represents a young South African democracy and the Dragonfly visualises a dream of freedom, equality and hope that we as a nation pursue.” I can only describe both the sculptures and story as enchanting. Marieke has, by using a little girl in her representation, captured the essence of South Africa right now – the innocence and fragility of our fledgling democracy and the child like wonder of our infancy. Go –LOOK-SEE and ENJOY!!!  Read more about Marieke’s outstanding work here.

Today is the first day of spring – and Mamma Mia has Durban come alive! The beach this morning was teeming with excited surfers and body boarders literally sprinting down to the water’s edge. The male pigeons were busting their best John Travolta moves and tunes – the females pigeons were batting their pretty little eye lids! A young couple were enjoying a sunrise picnic between sweet kisses, snuggles and huggles – Love is IN the air people …….. Everywhere you look around.

When I was at the Meerendal Wine estate I purchased a jar of Plum Jam – which is absolutely delicious and packed with loads of plums – so by mutual agreement – Jade and I donned our kitchen clobber and roasted a shoulder of pork in the garnet coloured plum jam. Oh baby – ‘twas delish – and the left over’s were slapped on some Panini with lettuce, tomato, roast red pepper and mayo for lunch the next day. Plum-a-licious baby!!!

I do have some BREAKING NEWS … I am a finalist – YES – FINALIST in the South African Blog Awards – so I shall be making a right nuisance of myself – by begging mostly and humbly – for your votes!!!  If necessary I am not above bribery ….. hehehe …. See-re-usly, if you enjoy my stories and blog posts – recipes etc.  PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VOTE FOR ME!!!!  It’s easy peasy  – please click on this link and WALLA … my nomination can be found under the Food and Wine Blog Section ……. it’s free – Mahalla – bucksheesh – bokeroli moola ……. 

                                                                 http://website.sablogawards.com/2010/

Ingredients

Line up the usual suspects for a roast

8 whole carrots peeled

2 sticks of celery

2 nice juicy big onions cut into quarters

A head of garlic

Roasting herbs – rosemary, thyme, bay leaves

2 chicken stock cubes or 500ml of good chicken stock

Pepper

8 Tbs plum jam

1 bottle of good white wine – in this case I used a Meerendal Chardonnay

I just love roasts, because, although they take a few hours to cook in the oven – once you have flavoured and trussed them up with all the bits and bob in a roasting pan,

it really doesn’t require any further attention.

My dear MIL – used to bang out roast silverside of beef in like 25 minutes with the aid of a pressure cooker.  I am sad that I didn’t get her to show me the ins and outs of that fiesty piece of kitchen equipment that would just huff and puff its way through a recipe in the blink of an eye!

Pre-heat your oven to 240d.

In the bottom of your roasting tin – place the carrots, onion, celery and herbs.

In your microwave  heat up 6 of the 8Tbs of jam and pour it over the veggies in the roasting tin.  

As the meat roasts  the juices will combine with the wine and jam and create wonderful rich gravy.

Pour over about ¾ of the bottle of wine and season well with pepper and a chicken stock cube.

The piece of pork that I roasted was rolled and held together with a net. Because of this – I covered the roast and kept it covered throughout the cooking process. If you want nice crispy crackling – then make sure that the skin on the meat is dry, that it has no net and is well salted and scored when it goes into your oven and don’t cover it at all.

Click here for my recipe for Roast Loin of Organic Pork – with Jaw Breaking Crackling!!!

Place the pork roast on top of the veggies and place in the oven for about 30 minutes on high – ie 240 degrees – then turn it down to about 100 and let it continue to roast gently and slowly and you will land up with soft – juicy and tender pork.

 When the meat is cooked, which will take approx an hour – melt the last 2 Tbs of plum jam and brush it over the top of your roast and return it to the oven and grill it until it’s nice and bubbly and browned.  

Set the meat aside for a few minutes while you boil the gravy down – reduce it by at least half – keep tasting it – and adjust the seasoning to your liking.  The more you reduce the sauce the more condensed the flavour

will be.  If you reduce it too much – don’t worry, just add some boiling water to thin it out a bit.

Carve the meat and Serve with the carrots that you roasted with meat and some veggies.

You could – peel and cut a few potatoes in half and add them to your roasting pan – I made roast potatoes

with my roast pork – but you can cook the potatoes in the pan with the meat at the same time – they

really do taste awesome.  Miss Jade was in the mood for crispy roast potatoes on this particular

night.

Of course – an ice cold glass of the Meerendal Chardonnay

to wash it all down – goes without saying!

Buon Appetito

xx

jan

Chef Jade tucking in!