FALL, ORANGE, MARIGOLDS

WELCOME TO THE FIRST DAY OF FALL, AND WELCOME TO PUMPKINS.

MY LITTLE AFRICAN CORNER, BEADED ANIMALS WITH A RUSTY BUCKET I BOUGHT AT THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW IN LONDON!! WITH BITTERSWEET BERRIES PICKED OUT OF THE WOODS.

A BUNCH OF NASTURTIUMS PICKED OUT OF MY VEG GARDEN - THE SCENT IS HEAVENLY AND THE COLOR SHOCKINGLY FANTASTIC FOR ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR, BUT THEY SEEM TO LOOK ESPECIALLY HAPPY NEXT TO ORANGE PUMPKINS.

ONE LITTLE PUMPKINS NESTLED AMONGST MY COLLECTED TREASURES - I COLLECT STONES FROM EVERY BEACH AROUND THE WORLD I VISIT, PIECES OF CORAL, OLD POTTERY AND ONE LOVELY GREY OYSTER SHELL.  THE "BEADS" ARE SEEDS THAT THE AFRICANS STRING INTO NECKLACES AND I HAVE MANY STRANDS OF THEM TO DECORATE WITH.

HAPPY FALL.

SOUTH AFRICA - THE BRIGHT AND THE BEAUTIFUL

On my recent trip back home, I photographed everything in sight.  I wanted to capture the colors, the smells, the delicious taste of the food, the feel of the soul of Africa.  Here are a few random pics around and about Cape Town - to me, the most spectacular area in the world.

One of the many stunning bunches of flowers with local protea and vynbos

A few local kiddies sheltering from some drizzling rain, outside the Hout Bay market

Umthombo Wesizwe - a multicultural program that my niece went through - aimed at the youth of South Africa age 11-15 to "develop an identity that will enable them to evolve as responsible citizens and ethical leaders, within a multicultural society".  

Coffee bar at the Hout Bay market.  I "needed" this old red metal jug with a bunch of locally picked pincushion proteas.

A box decorated as a "building block" by one of the kids at Umthombo Wesizwe.  They symbolically added their "brick" to the wall as they received their graduation certificate.  

Food stands at the Hout Bay market - serving the most delicious meals - I wanted one of everything

In the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Strelitzia and purple Plectranthus

A small multicolor Pincushion Protea - not sure of the species but amazing how it changed color as it progressed from a bud to a full open flower.

A wall of "building block" boxes decorated by the graduation kids of Umthombo Wesizwe - describing their dreams and hope for South Africa.

A spectacular sea of Pincushion Proteas

A sheet decorated by the kids of Umthombo Wesizwe, their footprints left behind.........

A blaze of color in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town

On a steep street corner of Bo-Kaap, a suburb of Cape Town, sits Haas - the most outrageously interesting and eclectic mix of goodies to buy in this decorating/coffee shop.  How are these cushions!!!

Bo-Kaap, also known as the Malay Quarter on the slopes of Table Mountain, above the city of Cape Town.  With cobbled streets and multi-colored houses, this is a very interesting area of the city to visit.

Private open gardens in Franschhoek, outside Cape Town - this one of an artist with interesting rusty collections of pot lids, spades, barbed wire and garden tools.

A courtyard area of Haas, a coffee shop/decorating store in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town.  They have an incredible collection of chairs and couches, old furniture, including a few velvet couches out on the pavement, to lounge around on, sip coffee and indulge in one of their yummy meals.

More colors of Bo-Kaap

Roses competing for pinkness against a wall in Bo-Kaap.

A multi-colored locust munching on the Clivia seed pods in my sister's garden

Vygies, ice flowers, or also known as Mesembryanthemums - desert blooms

Champagne, rose and white wine area of the bar at The Grand Cafe and Beach Bar in Cape Town

Purple columbines

Pink Alstromeria against a backdrop of yellow Nasturtiums

I couldn't imagine painting my house this color, but in the Bo-Kaap, it works - adds to the spicy aroma of the locally cooked malay curries.

Inside the ladies loo at The Grand Cafe and Beach Bar

Glorious pelagoniums (geraniums some say)

More garden art hanging in a private garden in Cape Town - lids of tin cans and a bit of beadwork - interesting

I loved this old red General Electric fridge standing inside Twist, a lovely restaurant out in the Cape winelands, with a simple bunch of pincushions, daisies and leek flowers.

THE MOST DELICIOUS DESERT EVER - a white chocolate and lemon tart - served at the glass house conservatory at Babylonstoren in Franschhoek, Cape Town

A breathtaking view along the roadside, driving from Cape Town to Camps Bay, looking down over the four beaches of Clifton - white sands and cold aqua water.

A delectable display inside the deli of Babylonstoren in Franschhoek of pickles, preserves and cordials.

My absolute favorite flower ever - I have many, but the Protea is the national flower of my homeland, huge, exotic and complex but breathtakingly beautiful.  Taken here for sale outside a farm shop at one of the many wine farms we visited.

The exotically amazing and over decorated but divine Cape to Cairo restaurant, overlooking the little fishing harbor of Kalk Bay outside Cape Town.

An old wooden rowboat bobbing peacefully in Simonstown.

TOMATOES - the bounty of Summertime

My veg garden, 4 8x8ft raised beds because of horrible heavy clay soil.  Planted up and growing nicely June 16th.  Organic with no pesticides, no sprays.  

Growing vigorously, tomatoes supported with wire cages - June 25th.

Almost needing bamboo sticks as they are growing so tall - July 3rd.  I did not prune back side shoots, but did fertilize with an organic seaweed fertilizer that was watered on to the leaves and flowers, only once last week.  

Starting to ripen, cocktail tomatoes.

Plants are healthy, large with lots of flowers and fruit.  July 25th. I read an article about pollinating tomatoes by "shaking" them, so I tried (when I remembered), to give the plants a gentle shake.  Tomatoes are self-pollinating.  

July 27th, summer growing.  Outside planted up with runner beans and Hydrangeas Annabel (grown from small slips), and lavender on the outside.

Starting to grow some lovely big tomatoes and a few beginning to ripen in the sun.  July 30th.  I planted a lot of butterfly and bee flowering plants around to attract them, to do the pollinating - and because I love them.

Cocktail tomatoes.

Beefsteaks - July 30th.

Some of the bounty - picking of tomatoes, cucumbers and jalapeño chili peppers. August 8th.

Staked with long bamboo stakes as they are outgrowing their wire cages, heavy with fruit.  August 13th.

Basil - outstanding companion plant with tomatoes and great added to tomato sauces - I chop and add once it's done so that the basil is fresh and delicious.

A few ripe, many, many bunches of green cocktail tomatoes. Aug 13th.

More cocktail tomatoes and cucumbers picked August 13th.

Today, August 25th.  I had so many ripe tomatoes, I decided to make some sauce to freeze and add to soups, curries, stews when there aren't any fresh tomatoes.  I chopped up a large bowl of fresh tomatoes, added 2 jalapeños.  I like hot stuff!

A nice big bowl, picked a big bunch of fresh thyme and tossed it in.

Into my Le Creuset cast iron pot, added a 1/2 tsp of Himilayan Pink Sea Salt, a 1/2 tsp of crushed black pepper and a rounded tsp of organic raw Turbinado sugar - you can leave this out but it's a small amount and I always add to tomato dishes to cut the acidity.  

Bring to a boil, simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool, divide into useable portions and freeze.  This would have been absolutely delicious eaten as is, with crusty warm bread to sop up the juices.  You do not have to add the chili.  Use as a base for any dish calling for a fresh tomato sauce.