Feeding More Than Just Bellies....

Can you believe its been almost a year since our last blog? The last 12 months have been full of changes and activity for the Two Peas. We may have been quiet on the blog but there was a lot happening in the background while we worked to put in place our dream of a simpler life - one that focuses on sustainability and where we support ourselves though food. 

I have always loved feeding people. It was always the drive behind my cooking and nothing gives me more joy than making a meal for my loved ones. Kyle and I knew we wanted to change our life in such a way that food was at the core of how we supported ourselves. Over the past few years we have toyed with starting a deli or a brewery in a small town and then later with having a small farm to support our deli. 

In December 2016 Kyle and I discovered the book "The Third Plate" by Dan Barber. This book literally changed the way we thought about eating, farming and food. It changed my mind about what I thought sustainable eating and farming was. The book did not prescribe how to eat or take a moral stance on anything; it just neatly and concisely explains how our food is made and how a new generation of farmers are thinking about sustainability and the future of food. 

Suddenly Kyle and I knew exactly what it was we wanted. We did not just want to feed peoples bellies; we wanted to feed their souls. When we take food production and remove it so completely from nature, the way modern foods do, we remove nutrition, we destroy the soils and we impact the very ecosystem that feeds us. 

We wanted to be a part of the solution. Opting out of the conventional food system was the first step . That can be hard as you have to source suppliers you trust and not just listen to the green washing people put on labels. Our Johannesburg go-to's where our friends at Bannatynes Farm for all our meats (top tip - sign up for the emails and read the blog. They are glorious!) and Freshly Grown for our fruit and vegetables. 

Happy Pigs at Bannatynes Little Farm
Picture Credit: Bannatynes

But opting out was not enough for me. I want to be a bigger part of the solution and ultimately raise my family on a farm, close to nature and doing things the old fashioned way but with modern insights. Now, without getting into the politics of it, we didn't feel that farming in South Africa, with the associated security concerns, was a risk we wanted to take with our family. With heavy hearts, Kyle and I made the choice to move to Canada and persue our food dreams there.

Honestly, I can say it is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. We have been in Canada now for just over two months and its hard every single day. I miss South Africa fiercely. I miss its people, its natural beauty and its soul. The land has a spirit that is unbelievably powerful and it will always be home. Luckily nature, in its infinite wisdom, gave us a gift just before leaving that has helped us focus on why we are doing this and why we want to make the world better. Come April 2018 we are expecting a Third Pea... 

Third Pea - Coming April 2018

And so we are hoping you will follow us as we progress on this journey and as we pick up new followers in our new town of Windsor, Ontario. I have big plans for the spring and I cannot wait to start sharing them with all of you. 

Homemade Merlot, Rosemary and Black Pepper Salt

Its that time of year when fridges are groaning, homes are full and cooking is taking place almost 24/7. Everyone seems to be running around looking for the perfect gift for Aunty Mavis, tracking down that free range turkey or stressing about what to get your husband's third-cousin-twice-removed.

This year I decided to make Merlot-infused cooking salts for my family, friends and those people I don't know well enough to shop for. It is super easy and frankly wine infused anything is normally a hit. A few cracks of this is good on lamb roasts or chops, steaks, stews, pasta sauces, potatoes or even on salads. 

What you will need (makes 10):

1 kg course salt

200 g whole pepper corns

1 bunch of fresh rosemary - I just picked about 6 large branches out my garden

1 bottle of Red Wine - I used an organic Merlot

10 salt grinder bottles - you can either buy them empty or alternatively you can buy them filled with course salt at your supermarket and use the salt inside in this recipe

1 packet printable labels

Instructions:

Step 1: Place the bottle of wine in a sauce pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and allow the wine to reduce down until you have about 50ml left (it should be thicker but not syrupy). 

Step 2: Take off the heat and add the salt and the peppercorns to the reduced wine mixing thoroughly. 

Step 3: Spread the salt into a large roasting or baking tray (one with deep sides will work best) and place in the oven. Place the fresh rosemary in the oven on a rack above the salt (so any pieces that fall off as it dries are caught). 

Step 4: Turn the oven on to the lowest temperature possible. I let the the oven warm up to its lowest setting and then switch the oven off and leave the salt to dry overnight. 

Step 5: Check the salt is dry it might be little bit tacky but as long as its not damp its ready. If necessary place back in the oven and repeat step 4. 

Step 6: Crumble the rosemary leaves into the salt and mix thoughtfully. Discard the rosemary branches. 

Step 7: Fill your salt grinders up with the mix (you will probably find you have extra).

Step 8: Most printable labels will come with instructions on how to import a template into word so you can create and print you custom labels at home. I wanted to use Microsoft Publisher for mine so I added the template in word and then imported it into publisher to create my labels. If this all seems too much effort you can always buy blank labels and hand write them for a personal touch. 

Let me know how you went and if you have any trouble with this recipe or ideas to improve it in the comments below. Happy creating!