It’s time for book club!

Call it a tea party, a pop-in, a ladies’ tea, a book club or just a get-together, call it what you will, but one thing is certain – we women enjoy getting together and chatting. Add something delicious to nibble on and you have the winning recipe for a good-old hen party!

It is here, among the chatting and eating around the tea table, that friendships become closer, problems become lighter and being a wife and mother becomes easier and more bearable. Naturally, every self-respecting country town still has some or other women’s society where some women of the community are more welcome than others, but here at my table you are always welcome. All the food is fresh and made with much love and care, and there’s always room for one more. So draw nearer … better yet, bring a friend and I will pour you a drink.

Fruit punch – with or without a kick

Remember those big glass bowls, with cups hanging on little hooks, from which wonderful punch was served? The big glass bowls have made way for big glass jugs, but the contents remain refreshingly delicious!

We did not serve any alcohol at our wedding and one of the younger guests remarked: ‘I never knew one can have such a lovely time without any alcohol!’

• 500 ml pineapple juice
• 500 ml orange juice
• 500 ml berry juice – cranberry juice gives the punch a lovely colour
• 1 lime, sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 750 ml sparkling wine (optional)
• 1 litre tonic water – if you prefer a sweeter punch, use ¹⁄₂ lemonade and ¹⁄₂ tonic water

1. Combine all the ingredients except the sparkling wine and tonic water. Add these just before serving the punch. Freeze some mint leaves, edible flowers and bits of fruit in ice cube trays and add just before serving – this will make the punch jingle!

Makes 2.5 litres

Seductive summer peach drink

This thirst quencher always sparks off a lot of interest. People are crazy about it!

• 500 ml peach juice – make sure it’s real peach juice and not just peach-flavoured juice
• 4 sweet stone-free peaches, peeled and cut into pieces
• 30 ml sugar
• juice and grated rind of 1 lime
• 750 ml rosé sparkling wine or ginger ale
• fresh mint leaves for garnishing

1. Place all the ingredients except the sparkling wine or ginger ale and mint in a food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Taste and adjust if you think the punch needs a little more sugar or lime. Pour the mixture into a plastic container (a 2-litre ice-cream container is perfect) and place in the freezer. Using a fork, loosen the ice mixture after every hour in the freezer to form a sorbet. Repeat until the sorbet has frozen completely and contains loose flakes or ice crystals. Pour the sparkling wine or ginger ale into glasses and spoon some of the sorbet into each glass. Serve garnished with small mint leaves. This drink is an ideal welcoming drink to serve to the ladies attending your hen party!

Enough to quench the thirst of many people

Bacon tartlets

Bacon and cheese remain a winning combination, and these tartlets are no exception. It’s a good idea to double the recipe – they freeze very well.

• 250 g bacon, finely chopped
• 250 ml grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 eggs
• 5 ml mustard powder or pre-made Dijon mustard
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 40 ml chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Fry the bacon until crispy and combine with the remaining ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the tartlets from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve with a tasty Beetroot pineapple chutney (see recipe on p. 165).

Makes 12 tartlets – the recipe can easily be doubled

The bacon can be replaced with 250 g fried mushrooms for a vegetarian dish, or with 250 g smoked snoek for variety.

Thai salad bites

This is food for conversation. Seat a bunch of chatting women around this Thai feast and you’ll never get them to keep quiet. Healthy and quite delicious! Adjust the ingredients according to the number of people.

Salad bites

• young spinach leaves or cos lettuce leaves
• salted peanuts
• spring onions, finely chopped
• carrots, peeled and julienned
• fresh coriander
• bean sprouts
• lemon grass, very finely chopped
• red and green chillies, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
• fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips

Soy dipping sauce (enough for 2: adjust according to the number of people)

• 125 ml dark soy sauce
• 15 ml honey
• 5 ml lime juice
• a few drops of fish sauce
• a few drops of sesame oil
• 5 ml finely chopped fresh ginger

1. Place each salad bite ingredient into its own bowl. Combine the sauce ingredients and serve each guest their own bowl of sauce. Guests make their own Thai rolls by rolling up the salad ingredients in a spinach leaf.

All-in-one fish dish for book club

This dish is made in no time at all and is ideal for cooler evenings. Just make sure that nobody in the group is allergic to shellfish.

• 30 ml oil
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into strips
• a stalk of lemongrass, bruised with a meat mallet
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 15 ml brown sugar
• 20 ml ready-made green Thai curry paste
• soy sauce or fish sauce to taste
• 750 ml fish stock
• 4 × 100 g portions firm fish – such as yellowtail or hake
• 16 black mussels
• 8 medium prawns
• 200 g calamari rings
• 1 × 410 g can coconut cream
• fresh basil for garnishing

1. Heat the oil in a large pan or Chinese wok. Place all the ingredients up to and including the soy or fish sauce in the pan and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the fish stock and simmer for a few minutes to develop the flavours. Place the fish portions in the liquid and reduce the heat. Cover the pan or wok with foil and simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked. Keep the heat low to prevent the fish from falling apart. Remove the foil and add the remaining seafood. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened up and the prawns are cooked through. Add the coconut cream and taste for seasoning. Serve each guest a portion of fish in a bowl and arrange the other seafood around the fish. Pour the soup over the fish, garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Enough for 4 people

Artichoke, potato and cheese tart

Very rich and very tasty. The cheesy crust goes perfectly with the robust artichoke and potato filling. Really a very filling meal!

For the crust

• 250 ml cake flour
• 250 ml grated strong mature Cheddar cheese
• 125 ml soft butter
• 5 ml mild mustard powder

For the filling

• 30 ml cooking oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2.5 ml smoked paprika
• 6 jumbo or extra-large eggs
• a pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 × 250 g tub plain cream cheese
• 125 ml cream or milk
• 250 g strong Cheddar cheese, grated
• 180 g marinated or roasted and quartered artichokes

For the crust

1. Spray a 25-cm tart dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a dough starts to form. Refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough, then press it over the base and sides of the tart dish. Set aside until needed.

For the filling

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and potatoes with the paprika until soft and lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly. Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, cream cheese, cream or milk and Cheddar cheese and carefully pour into the crust. Evenly spoon the onions and potatoes over the egg mixture and arrange the artichokes on top. Bake for 30–40 minutes or until the filling feels firm to the touch. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve for lunch topped with shavings of Parmesan cheese alongside a fresh rocket salad.

Makes 1 medium-sized tart

Chinese pork rolls with sweet and sour plum sauce

This is probably not the most diet-friendly recipe, but you should give yourself a break every now and then.

For the sweet and sour plum sauce

• 20 small plums
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 12 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 50 ml soy sauce
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped

For the filling

• 200 g pork mince
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 10 cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 30 ml thick soy sauce
• 10 ml cake flour
• 5–10 ml sesame oil
• a pinch of salt

For the rolls

• 20 Chinese spring-roll sheets (available at Chinese supermarkets)
• 40 ml cake flour
• 40 ml water
• oil for deep-frying

For the sweet and sour plum sauce

1. Halve the plums, remove the pips and then cut the halves into smaller pieces. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, pour into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pour into glass bowls and serve at room temperature with the Chinese rolls.

For the filling

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

For the rolls

1. Place a spring-roll sheet diagonally on your work surface. Combine the flour and water in a separate dish – this will be your ‘glue’. Spoon some of the filling onto the spring-roll sheet just below the centre. Brush the edges of the sheet with the flour mixture. First fold the bottom corner over the filling and then fold the two side corners towards the centre, forming an open envelope. Now roll up the sheet from the bottom of the open envelope. Repeat with the remaining sheets. Heat the oil to about 190 °C and fry the rolls, a few at a time, until the filling is cooked and the rolls are crispy and golden-brown. Serve with the sweet and sour plum sauce.

Makes 20 pork rolls

Double apple scones – perfect for afternoon tea

The little cubes of apple give the scones a wonderful flavour and keep them moist too! Serve with a large pot of tea

• 225 g self-raising flour
• 60 ml castor sugar
• 2.5 ml salt
• 5 ml baking powder
• 60 ml butter, cubed
• 10 ml grated lemon rind
• 125–150 ml plain yoghurt or buttermilk
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small cubes, then drizzled with the juice of ¹⁄₂ lemon to prevent browning
• 1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Grease a baking tray or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sift the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the lemon rind and stir through. Add 125 ml of the yoghurt to the flour and mix. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more yoghurt. Finally, add the apple cubes and mix until combined. The dough should be firm and keep its shape after being placed on the baking tray. Turn the dough out onto the baking tray, shape it into a circle with your hands and flatten to about 4 cm thick. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into 8 wedges, but don’t slice all the way through to the baking tray. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 20–25 minutes. Serve with fresh cream and apple purée (see recipe below).

Makes 4–6 scones

Apple purée

• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed
• 15 ml butter
• 30–45 ml sugar
• 2.5 ml ground cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 100 ml water
• juice and grated rind of ¹⁄₂ lemon

1. Place all the ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5–8 minutes or until the apples are soft and starting to disintegrate. Spoon the purée into a pretty dish or jar and serve warm with the apple scones.

Greek hot beef fillet salad

Definitely not your cheapest cut of meat, but fortunately you can go pretty far with a roast fillet.

For the salad dressing

• 60 ml red wine vinegar
• 60 ml lemon juice
• 60 ml chopped fresh origanum
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 5 ml coarsely ground black pepper
• 7.5 ml salt
• 10 ml sugar
• 250 ml good-quality olive oil

For the salad

• 2 kg beef fillet
• 500 g cherry tomatoes – they look beautiful in the salad if they have been kept on the vine
• fresh rocket leaves
• 250 g pitted black olives
• 250 g feta cheese
• warm pita breads or ciabatta to serve

For the salad dressing

1. Place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor and mix. Gradually add the oil while pulsing so that the dressing forms an emulsion. Pour into a bottle and set aside until needed. When you are ready to marinate the meat, pour half of the salad dressing into a glass dish that is big enough for the fillet. Place the fillet in the dish, refrigerate and marinate for at least 2 hours (a whole day is even better). Turn the fillet every now and then. Add the tomatoes 10–15 minutes before the end of the marinating time so that they can marinate with the fillet.

For the salad

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Heat a griddle pan on the stove until very hot, then sear the marinated fillet on all sides. Place the fillet into an overproof dish, brush with some of the marinade and roast for 20–25 minutes, depending on how well done you prefer your fillet. Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and roast for about 15 minutes. Remove the fillet and the tomatoes from the oven and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes. Cut the fillet into thin slices and place them onto a large salad plate. Arrange the roasted tomatoes, rocket, olives and feta around the fillet and pour the remaining half of the salad dressing over the salad. Serve with warm pitas or slices of ciabatta.

Enough for 10 hens, but only 6 men

Take a short cut by using two bottles of ready-made Greek salad dressing – use the one with the vinegar base and not the creamy kind.

Tuna fishcakes with spicy mango salsa

These are the perfect summer snacks. Make small fishcakes and serve them on bamboo forks.

You can make smaller fishcakes and serve them as a snack with a delicious dip!

For the mango salsa

• 2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
• grated rind and juice of 1 lime
• 10 ml sugar
• a pinch of salt
• fresh coriander for garnishing

For the fishcakes

• 1 kg fresh tuna or hake – if you can’t find any, use 2 × 410 g cans salmon, deboned
• 3 spring onions, chopped – use both the green and the white parts
• grated rind and juice of 2 limes
• 10 ml salt
• 10 ml coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 small red chilli, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
• 250 ml fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs – if using fresh fish use 3 eggs
• 2 handfuls fresh coriander leaves
• oil for frying

For the mango salsa

1. Combine all the ingredients, taste and adjust the salt and sweetness to your taste.

For the fishcakes

1. If using fresh fish, use a sharp knife and chop the fish very finely. You could chop it in a food processor, but if you do it by hand the texture of the fishcakes will be coarser and they will taste better. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside for a while to allow the flavours to develop. Heat oil in a pan; it should be quite hot. Test the oil temperature by dropping a small piece of bread into it. If the bread fries immediately and the oil forms small bubbles, then it is ready. Meanwhile make 16 small fishcakes by forming 2–3 tablespoonfuls of the mixture per fishcake into a round. Fry the fishcakes in the oil until golden-brown and cooked. Drain the fishcakes on paper towel and serve with the mango salsa.

Makes 16 fishcakes