Nostalgia with Makataan konfyt (watermelon preserve)

I am cheating a bit this time, as the preserve in the blog was not actually made by me, but by my mom.  I thought you would not mind, as this is such a special recipe and so very time consuming to make, that it deserves a post.  It just does.

We found a huge makataan at the farmers' market last weekend and when we did, my mom and I were both giddy with excitement.  It has been years since we found a watermelon with a skin thick enough worthy of the effort of making preserve.  Makataan is just perfect, as the skin is all you are really after.  

My mom took on the almighty task of preserve making this week and by friday she was ready to bottle them.  This is not a process for the fainthearted, because it takes a full week of tender, loving care to get the end result in the bottle, but boy is it worth it.  Nothing, absolutely nothing compares you for that first bite into the sweet, sticky, gingery, syrupy deliciousness.  

For me a smell or a taste, sometimes even a sound can transport me to a different place.  I am not talking about anything extra-ordinary or outer-body, just imaginary.  Eating the preserve did just that.  It gave me a nostalgic glimpse into a past shared with grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Making preserves, jams, dried fruit, special biscuits were such a big part of our lives growing up.  A huge chunk of my childhood memories consist of us, sitting around a table in our or my grandmothers' kitchens peeling, boiling, tasting and eating.  Both my grandmothers were very industrious in the kitchen and their pantries were always filled with jars and cans and tins of goodness.  I adored that about both of them.  My mother continues the tradition and I hope to fill her shoes one day too.

Orchid outings, sweet potato-hazelnut cakes and plum compote

Our family often spend our weekends in summer somewhere in the mountains looking for orchids.  Not so much looking for anything specific these days as much as enjoying being out in the veld and the cooler mountain air.

Mention going to the mountains and the kids will grab their boots and hats and wait in the car.  They love it there.  We all do.

The escarpment around the Lowveld where we live hosts some of the most spectacular orchids in South Africa (well, maybe I am a little biased).  But there are some really beautiful ones that make wading through wetlands or hiking up steep slopes to see them absolutely worth it.  Want to see some photos?  You can go here and here.

Of course orchid hunting is hard work and eating something is always a must.  Our co-authors spoiled us rotten when we went on field trips while writing the book.  They were amazing and always brought the best eats and most amazing cakes, complete with cutlery and proper mugs.  These days when it is just us, plastic picnic style cutlery has to suffice, but we still like to take something special to eat.

These sweet potato cakes are a new favorite in our household.  The recipe is originally from Cannelle et Vanille, one of my all time favorite blogs.  Aran's pictures are just simply breathtaking and the recipes absolutely genius.  I often search her site for some inspiration.  These cakes happened because a friend handed me a bag of sweet potatoes from his farm one day at school and I wanted to try something different with them.  I found this recipe and now it is often on the tea table or in the lunch boxes.  That is the wonder of the web, it makes finding a special recipe and some inspiration so much easier.