October 15 is National Garden Day!
On this day, South Africans across the country are set to celebrate their unique green spaces and gardens in every shape and size. National Garden Day is a chance for people across the country to down tools and celebrate their gardens.
Everyone can take part, regardless of the size of their gardens – rolling lawns, potted window sills, urban rooftops, and patio planters – all are welcome.
To celebrate, Garden Day has enlisted a crew of enthusiastic amateur and professional gardeners to help inspire others.
Notable supporters of Garden Day since its inception in 2016 have included the likes of media personality Suzelle DIY, a host of South Africa’s most well-known chefs including Siba Mtongana and Mogau Seshoene aka the Lazy Makoti, interior designer and television personality, Donald Nxumalo, singer and motivational speaker Jo Black, and entrepreneur Jo-Ann Strauss, all of whom take up the benefits of gardening and cultivate green spaces in their own lives.
This year, new friends of Garden Day include celebrity chef Zola Nene, comedian and Smile FM DJ Angel Campey, TV presenter Marciel Hopkins, award-winning botanist Rupert Koopman, private chef and TopChef SA finalist Ayabonga Gope, chef Johnny Hamman, tech analyst and long-distance runner Fatima Mabulu and notable event planners Hannes Maritz and his wife Tina.
Sharing recipes that you can try this Garden Day is Hamman, who won the hearts of fans after winning season two of the reality culinary show “Kokkedoor”.
Watermelon tomato feta salad
Tomatoes and watermelon are two of the best fruits of summer, and they combine in this recipe to make a wonderfully refreshing salad.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp chopped mint
4 large tomatoes, chopped
500g Watermelon, cut into chunks
200g pack feta cheese, cut into cubes
Fresh mint leaves
Stokbrood
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 egg
75ml milk
5 tbsp water
Method
Scoop out the watermelon and cut it into cubes.
Make the dressing by mixing the oil, vinegar, chilli flakes, and mint with some seasoning.
Put the tomatoes and watermelon in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and leave to stand for 10 minutes to allow the fruit to get really juicy. Gently stir through the feta, then serve in the scooped-out watermelon - garnished with fresh mint leaves.
For the stokbrood
Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Rub in the butter. Mix together the egg, milk, and water and add to the mixture to form a dough.
Let it rest for 30 minutes. Roll out and cut into strips 20mm x 300mm long.
Twist around a skewer (or for a bit more fun - use the ends of wooden spoons!) and seal the ends with a bit of water.
Braai until done, on a medium-heat fire.
Flower and herb shortbread biscuits
Ingredients
1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
3 large egg yolks
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups mixed edible flower petals and tender herbs
Sugar, for sprinkling
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and salt on medium speed until completely combined.
Add the yolks and mix until combined and then add the vanilla and stir until just combined.
Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball.
Place the dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment on top and roll out the dough until it’s about 5 mm thick.
Remove the top piece of parchment paper and stamp out the biscuits with a 7.5 cm round cookie cutter, then decorate each round with the edible flower petals and/or herbs.
Replace the top sheet of parchment paper and gently roll over each biscuit to fix the flowers in place.
One by one, remove the flower-pressed biscuits with a spatula and place them on a parchment-lined cutting board.