Lion and Rhino Park Johannesburg

  On a recent trip to Jo'burg we visited the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in the Cradle of Humankind.

It was a lovely sunny Saturday morning and within an hour and a half we saw lots of lion, buck, rhino, zebra, wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards and more.  It was a great experience.

 Lions next to the road, I was terrified!

 The white lions where in there own camp and waiting to be fed, so we couldn't go in.  You could see that they where really hungry, walking up and down the fence and growling and staring!  Very, very scary!
   

The Warthog or Common Warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa.  (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The Secretarybird a large, mostly terrestrial bird of prey. Endemic to Africa, it is usually found in the open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Sahara.   (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 Friends eating together.

African buffalo, they apparently have a very unpredictable nature!

"I have to say my prayers before I start eating!"

"Please take a Photo of me too?"

 

 

 They keep lion cubs in a camp, you can pay to have your photo taken with them.  (they call this camp the creche)
 I didn't feel comfortable doing that, as to me it seemed like they where a bit anxious and disturbed.  But this one was really posing very relaxed for a photo on the rock, for some time!
 

 It was still the dry season, so the poor Zebra's stripes where more black and brown, than black and white.

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Photoshoot of the kids

Chicken fillet stuffed with spinach and feta

Tonight we had chicken fillets, stuffed with spinach and feta, on mash and  carrots drizzled with honey.

Not really very unusual, but easy to make and very tasty.  The Wellington's sweet chillie sauce makes the chicken soft and moist.

Four free range chicken fillets, sliced to be stuffed.

A few spinach leaves (soon from my own garden, for tonight I still had to get it from Checkers) chopped and 1 wheel feta cheese with black pepper.  I grated a garlic clove into the feta.

Put a squirt of Wellington's sweet chillie sauce inside the fillet and then add the spinach, feta and garlic.  Use toothpicks to secure the meat.  Cook in oven for about 1 hour 15 min.  (I put it in the oven and then turn the oven on)

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with some olive oil and soy sauce.

Mash your potatoes, I added spring onions from the garden.  Slice carrots and cook slightly in salted water, when starting to turn soft, add a little bit of honey and cook through.

 I mashed some ripe avo that had to be used and put it on the side.  The men enjoyed all of it! (Me too)

Ouma's Pickled Fish

Ouma is 85 and use to make pickled fish in Swellendam and Witsand, since we where little and we still love it!  Problem is, we don't have the recipe.  So I bought a Yellowtale and asked her if we could make pickled fish. Thinking that I will have the recipe after we're done.
 

The fish had to be cleaned and ouma was the best one to do that. 
7 Sliced onions for the sauce, topped with 1,5 lt white vinegar (no water to be added). Fish filleted and salted, ready to be fried. Make sure the fish is dry before you fry it.

Mixing the curry, turmeric and sugar for the onions was a big secret, as ouma does not measure with a spoon.  "Jy gooi net so en dan proe jy of dit reg is"!

 
Ouma watching that everything is going according to plan.

The end result. Layers of warm onion-sauce and freshly fried fish.  Topped up with the last sauce.

And now we need to wait for at least 3 to 5 days before we can taste!
I had a "skelm" taste and it sure tastes like Witsand!

Johan's at Longridge

On a visit to Cape Town this weekend, we went to Johan's at Longridge (between Somerwet West and Stellenbosch)   It was a beautiful winters day and on our arrival at 12 o'clock, we where welcomed by Chris (Restaurant manager) and Janine, who seated us on the stoep, from where we could see Table Mountain.  Stunning views!

The Brut MCC 2008 (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir) was just the right thing to start off the day!

Our starter was a green salad with homemade cheese and all ingredients in the salad from there own garden.

The Chenin Blanc 2009 was a perfect pairing with the pork served on black beans.

Longridge Chardonnay 2008 (Top 100 wine in South Africa 2011) was served with the Stompnose on Fennel rice.  I remember having Stompnose as a child, when my dad use to fish, this was a trip down memory lane. Only difference, this time the Stompnose was perfectly cooked to my taste (maybe I could only appreciate it more now) and I could have wine with it! 

The Longridge Pinotage (ABSA top 10 Pinotage) was paired with the venison (Kudu) on a bed of spinach, served with fennel rice and special green beans from the garden and caramelized kumquats!  Amaizing!!  We couldn't help trying the Shiraz and Cab Franc with this too.

If you need a break, want to enjoy excellent food and wine, go to Longridge, take friends, take the family, go on your own... You'll enjoy it!  It's a Winery and Restaurant well worth visiting!