The annual Schreiner Festival usually takes place in June in Cradock, where Olive Schreiner spent much of her childhood.
Regarded by many as the first South African literary superstar, Olive Schreiner’s most famous work is The Story of An African Farm. Her home where she lived as a child is now curated as The Schreiner Museum.
What a perfect excuse to indulge in warm Karoo hospitality; feast on farm food, mingle with like-minded spirits and marvel at the star-studded Karoo night sky!
The formal program is enriched by unplanned synergy and happy surprises during informal fireside chats, open microphone sessions and chance encounters with remarkable people.
Most events take place at Victoria Manor and Schreiner House, which is an easy walk from the legendary Die Tuishuise & Victoria Manor, the home-base for the Festival guests.
If you love food, people and the Karoo, come to Cradock for the annual Karoo Food and Wine Festival. The festival’s core theme is to provide festivalgoers, both local and from out of town, the opportunity to taste the traditional dishes associated with the region and, in particular, the world-renowned Karoo lamb. Do not miss out! We have over 60 stalls, food, wine, craft beer, a kid’s play area, decor, music, entertainment, workshops, fun run and so much more. Come and enjoy our local hospitality and a wide variety of food, drinks & entertainment.
Food is a very important part of any Karoo Heartland travel experience. In the Karoo, we share our treasured family recipes, celebrate Slow Food and enjoy the produce of our region around kitchen tables, surrounded by family and friends. Lamb chops, fresh produce, jams and preserves; whether gourmet or country cooking, you’ll love the way we celebrate food in the Karoo Heartland.
Mom and daughter team, Lani & Louzel, from Cradock’s own True Living Coffee Shop have been cooking up a storm on the M-Net TV Show, My Kitchen Rules – doing our Karoo Heartland in the Eastern Cape proud. Below is an example of their flavoursome cooking: a familiar favourite of malva pudding, with a modern twist.
Malva Pudding domes with salted caramel ice cream, candied ginger & salted caramel crumb
Photo: M-Net
Malva Pudding
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
30ml butter
2 eggs
30ml homemade apricot jam
500ml flour
500ml milk
30ml vinegar
15ml bicarbonate of soda
500ml cream
500ml sugar
500ml milk
15ml vanilla
45ml ginger brandy
Method
Cream sugar, butter, eggs and apricot jam. Add flour, milk, vinegar, bicarb. Spray the moulds with non stick spray and divide the malva pudding mixture between all the moulds. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. For sauce: Combine cream, sugar, milk, vanilla and brandy. Don’t let the sauce boil. Turn off and re-heat if required.
Salted caramel ice cream & salted caramel crumble
Ingredients
2 cups sugar, divided
7 eggs, separated
4 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk
2 vanilla pods
1t salt flakes
Method
Melt half the sugar to make the caramel. Add half the cream. Spread on a non-stick baking sheet or silpat, sprinkle with salt and let cool. When cooled, bash it in a mortar and pestle to create the crumb. In a double boiler, combine egg yolks & remaining sugar. Cook until thick ribbons form. Heat milk and remaining cream. Temper with egg mix and cook in a saucepan until thickened. Pour through a sieve twice. Cool completely. Add salted caramel and add to ice cream maker to churn Once frozen, move to freezer in the same mould shapes as you baked the malva pudding in, to get the same shape.
Candied ginger
Ingredients
2 large gunger roots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Method
Skin the Dissolve sugar in water. Bring to boil. Add ginger. Reduce to a candy. Cool.
Plating
Place the salted caramel crumb on the plate. Prepare the malva domes by removing some of the centre of the dessert then fill it with the ice cream and place on the crumb. Top with the candied ginger. Pour over the hot sauce. SERVE IMMEDIATELY
Fresh and hot from the oven, these scones from Chantelle & Marizanne of Camdeboo Cottages and Karoopark Guesthouse in Graaff Reinet are made with a recipe passed down from their grandmother – it doesn’t get more authentically Karoo than recipes shared through generations. Happy baking!
560g (4 x 250ml) flour
2ml salt
250ml buttermilk or maas
2 eggs
40ml baking powder
80g butter or margarine (Chantelle says she always uses butter)
125ml water
Pre-heat oven to 240 °C
Mix all dry ingredients together
Rub in butter or margarine, handling as gently and lightly as possible
In a bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and water together
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, just enough to make a medium-firm dough
Pat out the mixture and cut scones 3cm thick
Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes
Slather with butter, jam, cream or cheese or any combination thereof! Enjoy!
Wrap up in the warm embrace of Karoo Heartland cooking this winter with this irresistable roast lamb recipe from the Rabbit Hole at Hillston Farm‘s Chef Adrienne Southey.
How to make the easiest roast leg of lamb or mutton:
(mutton has more flavour, so we prefer it, you just have to cook it a bit longer than lamb to get it nice and tender)
Rub the meat with 2 teaspoons of salt and some black pepper.
Place in a roasting dish and pour 1 1/2 cups of water around the meat. Crush 2 cloves of garlic and slice an onion and scatter over the meat along with 3 twigs of rosemary and 7 whole cloves.
Cover and place in the oven at 180’C for 2-3 hours until the meat looks completely irresistible.
