Let’s hit the road

During our winter school holidays we always headed north. The planning and packing adventure was almost as good as the holiday on the farm. The padkos (roadside snacks) basket was, of course, an important part of the planning. Dad always had to find a box that would fit exactly between the two front seats of the old snub-nosed Mercedes. Dad’s other important task was to collect dry vine stumps and put them in a burlap bag. The bag was then carefully tied to the axle of the Venter trailer for the braai at the side of the road!

Mom’s job was to get hold of lamb necks, not too big, not too small – the butcher knew exactly what she needed. The night before the great exodus, the lamb necks were thoroughly roasted in the oven with salt, pepper and coriander until the meat almost fell off the bone, then neatly wrapped in foil and put straight into the padkos basket, together with a sharp knife and a damp cloth for each member of the family. The other treasures in Mom’s food basket were moist tomato sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs and, naturally, tasty sausage for the braai!

The next day we would hit the road, the planned timing of the trip had us arriving at Three Sisters, just before Beaufort West, at daybreak. What great excitement it was for us children to see who could spot the Three Sisters mountains first! Well, as soon as one of us shouted ‘I see them! I see them!’, Dad would immediately pull over to the side of the road, and the vine stumps would be lit right there to braai the lamb necks and sausage. After a lovely cup of sweet black coffee, we would be ready to take to the road again for the long journey ahead!

Oven-roasted lamb necks

Undoubtedly the highlight of our padkos basket. If the mutton or lamb necks are a bit too big, you have to share, but the ideal is to buy small necks so that everyone can sit on his or her own anthill and enjoy this bit of meat.

• 30 ml dried coriander seeds
• 4 small mutton or lamb necks, cleaned, excess fat and skin removed
• 30 ml olive oil
• 20 ml salt
• 20 ml pepper
• 15 ml Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan over a low heat until you can smell the coriander. This usually takes 2–3 minutes. Crush the seeds using a pestle and mortar, a food processor or even a coffee grinder. Drizzle the lamb necks with the olive oil and then rub it in so that the necks are completely covered. Season with the salt, pepper and coriander, and then drizzle with the Worcestershire sauce. Place the necks in an oven casserole, cover and roast for about 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 120 °C and roast for another hour. Increase the heat to 180 °C again and remove the lid. Roast for 20–30 minutes until the necks are nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before wrapping in foil. Remember to pack a good sharp knife and a damp cloth scented with rosemary!

Enough for 4 people

My virtuous meatballs

A food basket without meatballs can hardly be called a food basket, and some gourmets will judge a woman’s virtue and calculate her worth in rubies by the quality of her meatballs. The idea is that meatballs should remain soft but not disintegrate. My foolproof plan for meatballs is to flatten them slightly like burger patties and then fry them in a pan, making them crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.

• 3 slices of white bread, soaked in cold water or dipped in a little milk, liquid pressed out
• 500 g lean beef mince
• 250 g pork mince
• 7.5 ml salt
• 2.5 ml ground cloves
• 10 ml ground coriander
• 5 ml coarsely ground black pepper
• 100 ml chopped fresh parsley
• 1 onion, peeled and coarsely grated
• grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
• oil for frying

1. Place all the ingredients, except the oil, in a mixing bowl and mix well, but do not over-mix. Dampen your hands and shape the mixture into small, flat meatballs. Heat oil in a pan and fry the meatballs until golden-brown and cooked. Drain on paper towel, allow the meatballs to cool and pack them in foil.

Enough for 6 people

• When you make meatballs, first fry a bit of the meat mixture so that you can taste and decide if the seasoning needs to be adjusted. Adjust the seasoning and then make your meatballs.
• You can replace the parsley with mint and serve the meatballs in mini pita breads with salad and Greek yoghurt.

Jiffy ‘vetkoek’

Many people prefer the porous, chewy kind of ‘vetkoek’ you make with yeast. I do too, but if you’re planning a holiday and a long, exciting journey, you can take short cuts in the kitchen. These feather light ‘vetkoek’ are ready in a jiffy and delicious with a cup of steaming hot coffee.

• 500 ml self-raising flour
• 10 ml baking powder
• 5 ml salt
• 250 ml milk or water
• oil for frying

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a mixing bowl. Heat about 1 cm-deep oil in a pan and fry tablespoonfuls of the dough until cooked, crispy and brown on both sides. Serve with golden syrup and cheese.

Enough for 4–6 people

• Add 250 ml fresh or canned corn kernels to the dough to transform the ‘vetkoek’ into delicious corn fritters.
• Add 125 ml grated biltong to the dough for a savoury snack.
• Add 125 ml freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the dough and serve as a snack with good-quality tomato sauce.
• Fill the ‘vetkoek’ with curried mince.
• Press a Rolo chocolate into the middle of the dough before frying to transform the ‘vetkoek’ into a sweet treat for the children. Sprinkle icing sugar over the cooked ‘vetkoek’.

Wors and potato sosaties

It is important to use the very best boerewors for these sosaties. To me, boerewors should have a coarse texture and undertones of cloves and coriander. If you braai the wors and potatoes together, the potatoes absorb the wors juices and flavours as they cook – delicious.

• 1 kg good-quality thin boerewors (sausage)
• 4 bamboo sticks, soaked in water
• 8–12 baby potatoes, boiled until just tender
• 8 fresh bay leaves or sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 15 ml olive oil
• 10 ml Worcestershire sauce

1. Cut the boerewors into 4 pieces. Now skewer each sausage in an S-shape onto a bamboo stick, interspersed with potatoes and bay leaves or sprigs of rosemary. Pack into a foil container until you are ready for your roadside braai. Combine the oil and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the mixture into a small airtight plastic container to use as a marinade while you braai. If you don’t want to make these sosaties for padkos, you can fry them in a griddle pan, regularly brushing with the marinade, until done.

Makes 4 sosaties

• For extra goodness, skewer mushrooms with the sausage and potatoes.
• For a vegetarian option, use cubes of halloumi or feta cheese instead of sausage.
• You can also chop the sausage into smaller pieces and skewer these onto the bamboo sticks.

Cream cheese and pineapple roll

We South Africans love our meat and heavy padkos, but eating only rich food can make you sleepy, and if you’re driving, fatigue is not an option! Do pack some lighter alternatives in your basket – these lovely fresh rolls are ideal.

• 250 g cream cheese
• 5 ml curry powder, mild or hot to taste
• 5–10 ml sugar or honey
• 15 ml chopped chives
• grated rind and juice of 1 lime
• 4 fresh whole-wheat rolls
• a few fresh frilly lettuce leaves
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1. Combine the cream cheese, curry powder, sugar or honey, chives and the lime rind and juice in a mixing bowl. Slice open the rolls, spread the cream-cheese filling over each half and then place the lettuce leaves on the bottom halves. Place the fresh pineapple slices on top. Cover with the top half of the roll and pack for the basket.

Makes 4 rolls

• Replace the whole-wheat rolls with bagels.
• Add a few drops of Tabasco sauce for an extra kick.

Fruit salad with granadilla syrup

I always remember my Mom peeling apples while we were on the road – huge big Starking or Golden Delicious apples. She used Dad’s black rib-handled knife and peeled one apple at a time. Then she would hand thin apple slices to us in the back of the car – a few slices were just enough – until she started on the next apple. I, however, don’t have Mom’s patience, and all the apple peels in the car don’t work for me, so this fruit-salad is my version – I hope Mom will forgive my laziness! The syrup should be made a few days in advance to ensure that it can be properly chilled.

For the granadilla syrup

• 500 ml water
• 250 ml sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, sliced open
• pulp of 5 granadillas or 1 × 300 g can granadilla pulp
• a pinch of salt

For the fruit salad

• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 2 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cubed
• 2 large peaches, peeled and cubed
• 250 g berries – use strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackberries
• 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments with a sharp knife
• juice of 1 lemon

For the granadilla syrup

1. Pour the water into a pot and add the sugar and the vanilla pod. Heat slowly to melt the sugar. When the sugar is melted, bring to the boil and boil for 4–5 minutes to thicken the syrup slightly. Add the granadilla pulp and the salt and boil for a further 2 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod and pour the syrup into a sterilised glass bottle. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Makes about 750 ml syrup

For the fruit salad

1. Combine all the fruit in a large bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit and toss to cover all the fruit in lemon juice. Spoon the fruit salad into small plastic containers. Pour a bit of the granadilla syrup over the fruit and seal with plastic lids. Keep the containers of fruit salad in the cooler bag until you feel like eating something refreshing.

Enough for 6 people

• The quantity of granadilla syrup is much more than required, but it can also be used for cocktails, so keep some handy in the fridge.
• In winter, fresh berries and soft fruit are scarce – instead, use canned fruit that has been preserved in natural juice.
• Remember to pack plastic or bamboo spoons.