Chitchat

I bought your first magazine when we were living in the Cape, but we already knew we’d be moving to the platteland in the near future. My only conditions were that there had to be a PEP, a Spar and an ATM at least.

And then we moved to Hopefield with its rich history and interesting people. For the first time I played bowls and went to auctions on Saturdays. I wanted to show our son, Sebastiaan, what it’s like to grow up in a platteland dorp and give him the freedom of fresh air, climbing trees and riding his bike in the streets, all of which I had in Saldanha.

Along with the house we got a lekker large erf that now boasts a few fruit trees, my herbs in a wheelbarrow, and a pretty succulent garden. I had already practised preserving fruit in Cape Town, because I didn’t want the tannies to put me in the shade… And so the preserving bug bit me well and proper.

I go about it the other way round: When I see something at a good price, I buy in bulk and then I look for a recipe. My collection has grown – at such