an edible flower and wine pairing lunch with earthbound
Last week I shot an inspired lunch hosted by Earthbound Wines where the menu was designed to incorporate edible flowers that paired with their range. The wines are farmed organically along Fairtrade pinciples so the idea of using flowers makes perfect sense. Chef Shannon Smuts from Pure Good created the menu, and the lunch was hosted at a lovely private home in Constantia.
Half way through the floral feast, the guests were taken on a tour around the beautiful garden and to take a closer look how the family on Welbeloond live sustainably. From generating their own electrictricy via solar panels, to growing fruit and vegetables, hosting honey bee hives and chopping their own wood, it was inspiring to see and hear how we could all be treading a little more lightly on our Earth. sadf
Lunch menu
Earthbound Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Cream of green pea & lavender soup with citrus
marinated spring onion, sweet basil petals & lavender crisp
Earthbound Organic Chenin Blanc 2015
Smoked snoek terrine with apricot & violet jelly,
sweet peach chutney, nasturtium blossoms
& viola baked bun
Earthbound Organic Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Slow roasted venison ravioli,
with smoked red cherry reduction,
floating rocket & rosemary blossoms
Earthbound Organic Pinotage 2014
Braised lamb with dark chocolate & plum jus,
creamed nasturtium mash, sautéed, sweet spice,
shimeji mushrooms & tempura flowers
Earthbound OIC Pinot Noir 2012
Blackcurrant panna cotta with pansy pear jelly,
rose water meringue & mascarpone
A little more about Pure Good and Shannon:
Pure Good Food is the enterprise of MasterChefSA finalist, chef Shannon Smuts. It focuses on food that is fun, delicious, affordable and made from healthy, fresh, nutrient-rich ingredients. It is an in-house restaurant solution for corporate businesses that value their staff health and wellness (many of whom subsidize their staff meals). She is also committed to social development and supports Baphumelele Fountain of Hope farm in Philippi just outside Cape Town where organic produce is grown by orphaned youth between the ages of 18-21yrs.
Pure Good Food opened its first café in 2013 in Gardens and followed on in 2014, together with GetSmarter, to open Pure Good Cafeteria, the company’s in-house restaurant. 2016 sees Pure Good expanding their module of corporate health and wellness to offices across Cape Town and taking services online to service a wider variety of offices. www.puregood.co.za
A little more about Welbeloond
Welbeloond is a Constantia smallholding with an historic 100-year-old farmhouse. It’s the birthplace of a ground-breaking solar energy business and home to an expansive organic garden. Not only does a river run through the property, creating a wetland breeding ground for the endangered Western Leopard toad, but Leigh de Decker and Mark Bleloch have replanted the gardens and orchards according to organic and permaculture principles. Their solar PV rooftop, which launched BrightHouse Solar, supplies the household and feeds excess into the municipal power grid. The business was singled out at the Western Cape Government Premiere’s Entrepreneurial Recognition Awards last year. brighthousesolar.co.za
