Cooking classes

We’re happily busy in the kitchen, training, learning and giving cooking classes, furthermore winter is a good time to perfect our skills and learn new recipes for new courses. Indeed snow is on the Swartberg Mountains in view of the cooking school and the kitchen is a hearty place to be.

Lockdown classes are conducted with full health protocol. We are running small and safe open classes for groups or families. Our chefs are happy to conduct private classes one or one.

Our resident local chefs Hendry, Shane, Kentin and Madri focus on our Karoo tapas, heritage and South African dishes, baking, savouring and sweet.  Madri Rossouw recently joined the African Relish team. She belongs to a gifted cooking family and will be bring her sweet baking skills to the deli, our team and cooking classes.

New cooking classes include a vegan course run by Lara Evans of Green Lentil. Including dishes such as creamy beetroot and sweet potato soup, Greek style stuffed peppers, kale, leek and butterbean stew and toffee apple caramel brownies. See recipe below.

In addition is a longer course with Brett Bard, his talent being in his healing garden and penchant for permaculture. This two day course would include a visit to his farm Tortoiseback Vegan Haven in the Great Swartberg valley and foraging in his organic gardens.

Out of town chefs returning for masterclass weekends this summer include:

• Gordon Wright and Karoo Food 10-12 September 2021.
• Nina Timm An early summer feast 1-3 October 2021.

In the pipeline is an original course with Loubie Rusch @makingkos. Loubie has just published a Cape Wild Foods growers guide, in collaboration with The Sustainability Institute. The course will also include recipes from her cooks guide.

We enjoy developing courses with clients. Think of family celebrations, cycling groups, team building and yoga retreats.  Classes take on fun cook-offs and tastings, or custom designed recipes with a specific theme. Give us a call on 023 541 1381 or email virna@africanrelish.com.

• Escape Cycle Tour: 18-22 September 2021.

Recipe – Toffee Apple Caramel Brownies

• 2 Large Rose Apples
• 5 tbs Light Brown Sugar
• 5 tablespoons Vegan Margarine
• 1 & 1/2 cups/200 g Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate
• 1 & 1/2 cups/170 g Self Raising flour
• 1 & 1/4 cups/180 g Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbs Cocoa Powder
• Pinch Sea Salt
• Pinch Cinnamon
• 1 cup/240 ml Dairy Free Milk, I used Oat milk.
• Handful Walnuts
• Handful Pumpkin Seeds
• Caramel Sauce – makes over 2 cups
• 2 cups/400g Caster Sugar
• 4 tbs Water
• 1 cup/240ml Oat Milk, Coconut Cream/ or a Dairy Free Cream
• 5 tbs Vegan Margarine 

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven at 180 C
2. Add wet ingredients; 5 Tbs brown sugar, vegan butter, water, add the cubed apple
3. Chocolate method, add to bain-marie roughly chopped dark chocolate
4. Mix all dry ingredients together

Instructions:

1. grease proof paper to baking tray.
2. add chocolate and melted butter to dry ingredients to the baking tray spread evenly
3. add toffee apple mix over the top of the wet mix
4. add pumpkin and walnuts on the top
5. add extra dry choc chunks for extra decadence
6. place in the pre heated oven for 20 to 25min
7. cut it into squares and serve with coconut cream or hot custard