BUTCHERS, BAKERS AND CANDLESTICK MAKERS

BUTCHERS, BAKERS AND CANDLESTICK MAKERS

Yeehaa!  There’s a jar of my Dukkah on some Australian chicks kitchen shelf and another jar of my seaweed salt in some Frenchies kitchen.  Ha ha. Does that classify as exporting?  Well, for their sake, let’s at least hope the stuff made it through customs ok. 

Our first market went ok.  We made a few pennies but more importantly it was great putting our seaweed products out there and getting such a good response.  There were a few people who got a rather alarmed look on their face when I invited them to have a taste of seaweed flavoured food. The rest of the public, well they were intrigued at first, then very pleasantly surprised by the taste and then bought some.   

Working the markets is also a great way to network with other vendors and I got some good leads. The best thing about Tokai Earth Market is the fact that there’s beer available. The second best thing is that the vendors aren’t shy to support the bar.  By the time the morning was over, I had knocked back a pint or 2 and was pleasantly enjoying myself although I might have euphorically tried giving the same sales pitch to people who happened to amble by my table more than once. Come to think of it, that might explain the alarmed look I occasionally received.          

Foodie people who appreciate good wholesome food go there on Saturday mornings to stock up on free range bacon, chorizo sausage, beetroot chutney, chickpea bread, olives, organic veggies, German chocolate delectables and and and.  On Wednesday evenings they meet their friends there for sushi, salad or salsa and of course more beer or organic wine.    

Today we worked the monthly Holistic Market in Obs.  That’s the one which we scouted last month where Theo back paddled when some chick offered to wash his aura with a piece of ginger.  Well it certainly is more Bohemian.  There’s nothing showy, just a rustic vibe which attracts earthy people, some with dreadlocks or hippie dresses but everyone more or less has the same agenda – good healthy food, save the planet and get in touch with yourself.   You can buy really beautiful, artistically, creative goods from leather work to felt work to paintings or go for a reading and find out where you lost your mind or make contact with Aunt Beatrice on the other side. The people selling food around us were mostly foreigners, who I think by nature are more creative in the kitchen than many South Africans who are quite comfortable munching on a boerie roll.  Other food vendors around us were a Palestinian dude doing pitas, an Italian chick who sold the most awesome, authentic vegetarian lasagne, a French dude who sold veree alfee stirfry and veree alfee jews to drink.  I saw some interesting samoosa combinations such as smoked snoek and feta, who would have thought. Theo made a pineapple and Nori curry to cater for the vegetarians and even though we didn’t do as well as we would have hoped, I left there with a whole bunch of leads and a good feeling inside.  And that’s what’s it all about.    

GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS

GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS

Back in South Africa with no adventure travel plans lined up, we found ourselves racing back to Cape Town where we hoped to come up with our next plan of action.  But what?!?  Our relationship was out of sink, our finances down the toilet and my body and soul was as operational as a blocked drain. 

We had been toying with the idea of setting up the truck to sell braaied sticky ribs at festivals around the country but nothing was finalized and quite honestly, Theo was much keener about the idea than me. Then I remembered my dabbling in seaweed at Kleinzee and an idea took root.  Selling seaweed products at foodie markets around Cape Town tickled my fancy.  I was keen to hook up with earthy people who would inspire me and remind me what I’d set out to do. 

We cruised a few food markets in the southern suburbs of Cape Town which sell really good, healthy, exotic and even organic food.  I was sure my idea of seaweed spice and maybe a seaweed potato fritter or two on the grill would fit in just fine.  I threw myself into days and days of research, looked for seaweed recipes, gathered more info about South African types of seaweed, sourced spices without additives and packaging options.  Move over Ina Parman, I was on a roll! 

We loved going to food markets which offered all new kinds of foodstuffs although chewing on plastic tofu didn’t excite Theo at all and when a chick at the Holistic Market at Observatory offered to wash his aura with a piece of ginger root, he disappeared into the crowd rather quickly.  I gave her a friendly wave, murmured something polite and chased after him.  We tried some awesome pumpkin and coconut slivered fritters and bought some wonderful smelling incense.  We found Colloidal Silver, a new product which has intrigued me since Kyro, our son, has been carrying on about how wonderful a cure it is. We chatted to a friendly lady who sold blocks of crystal and metal chips set in resin which you are supposed to place around your house to demagnetise your body or something to that effect.  I probably wasn’t listening properly but she might have suggested something about sneaking around your neighbourhood to bury these blocks under your neighbour’s petunias or under the bus stop seat and I had visions of myself lurking in public toilets, dressed like a ninja, hiding the stuff in toilet cisterns and under dustbins.  At the Earth Market in Tokai, Theo made a beeline to the meat table to taste all kinds of delectable chorizo sausages and later we slurped up a pint of local home brew beer all served on tap. You can buy top class organic olive oil if you’re not counting your pennies or treat your colon to a pipe cleaning rush with all kinds healthy treats.       

The Old Biscuit Mill in Salt River has turned into the place to be for young hip people to meet and enjoy a hip looking slice of organic pizza (well it looked loaded with fresh leafy stuff and I remember seeing gluten free signs somewhere).   

The vibe at all the markets was just what I was after, good food for the stomach as well as the soul.  I have no intentions of turning into a health guru with a packet of budgie seed in my pocket or shaving my head and joining the Hairless Krishnas but I am becoming much more tuned in to myself.  I’m thrilled to say that the black space in my head is filling up again.  Pointless attempts at applying Feng Shui to our furnished truck would be limited to moving the chemical toilet wedged in between the fridge and the nook table about 1 inch backwards.  

My mother rolls her eyes at all the seaweed dishes we’ve been serving her and the buckets of seaweed being carted through the house to hang in the garden.  In the meantime, we are cooking up a storm in her kitchen and I’m one step closer to introducing South Africa to the benefits of eating delicious seaweed, free from the ocean.