Ballito Umhl - NOV 2020

Chilled beetroot soup
All the fresh fruit and veggies at the lodge are
grown in the shamba (the Swahili word for kitchen
garden), where the challenge is not the successful
growing, but keeping out the elephants and eland,
the porcupines and baboons, and the nondescript
speckled mousebird (the biggest thief of all).
This beetroot comes straight from the shamba.
You’ll need: 6–8 medium-sized beetroots, thoroughly
washed; 2 cups cold water; 2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp sugar; 300ml buttermilk; 200ml yoghurt plus
an extra 50ml for serving; 1 Tbsp lemon juice; salt and
freshly ground black pepper; fresh dill, finely chopped.
To make: Peel the beetroot then roughly grate (wear
gloves!). Put the beetroot into a large saucepan and
cover with water (use more if necessary – it must be
covered). Bring to a boil slowly, then turn down the
heat and leave to simmer very gently for 20 minutes
(they must not boil too rapidly). Once the beetroot
has softened, add the stock and sugar. Stir well and
refrigerate until completely cold (for at least 4 hours).
Before serving, liquidise the soup and add buttermilk,
yoghurt and lemon juice. Season well. Serve with a
swirl of yoghurt and dill (serves 6).
Kitchen notes: At Angama Mara all the soups are made
with their own vegetable stock (but a good storebought
one in liquid form works well). This soup can
also be prepared with a good chicken stock.
Gazpacho with olive tapenade
This recipe is from the lodge ... where guests dine out on
the deck, looking down into the reserve, where they’ll see
giraffe journeying across the open grasslands, a family of
elephant and another of buffalo. We can’t help you with
the view, but can give you the recipe.
GAZPACHO
You’ll need: 2 ½ cups diced cucumber; 1 cup diced red
pepper; 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes; ½ cup diced red
onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 cups tomato juice; ½ cup olive
oil; 2 tsps sugar; 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce; salt and
freshly ground black pepper to taste
To make: Blend all the ingredients together and chill.
Garnish the soup with a generous blob of tapenade and
a swirl of good olive oil. (Serves 1)
OLIVE TAPENADE
You’ll need: 1 cup pitted black olives; 2 Tbsps capers; 2
cloves garlic; ½ tsp chilli flakes; ½ cup fresh basil; ½ cup
fresh parsley; 2 Tbsps olive oil
To make: Blend all the ingredients in a food processor
until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep for
up to a week.
Compiled by: KYM ARGO
November 2020 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga 37