It's six weeks ago tomorrow. Until you lose your life partner, it's impossible to imagine the void and how profoundly your life and your life view changes. Spare more than just a thought for 
This weekend, friends of ours visited. T's mum has lived in the village since before we arrived. T and I have connections that go back to school and university days. Those links are good. They stay with us me when they visit and their way of reciprocating is to take us me out for dinner. Last evening was a wonderful experience and a more than just a distraction.
We joined a small group for a fabulous experience at a local boutique olive farm. The owners host evenings that include an olive oil tasting and a home cooked meal using the farm's produce.
What follows is largely a photo dump but sometimes, pictures speak a thousand words.
Oh, and as we arrived, the lights literally went out. South Africa continues to be in the throes of loadshedding. Most of the evening was in darkness. And being a clear winter's evening, and in surrounded by tanks in a barn, it was cold. Candles are not a great source of warmth.
The table setting was simple. Bare wood and olive trea fronds. I loved how the water bottles seemed to be covered in water drops....
Although it was cold, the evenings are beginning to lengthen and the sunset light from the stoep, although too cold to linger, was just glorious.
Given the lack of light, our hosts were uncertain about whether to delay the olive oil tasting to the end of the meal or scrap it.
After our homemade lemoncello (delicious) aperitif, they consulted the diners and the consensus was to neither delay, nor skip it.
An informative, fun and candlelit tasting of all their products including freshly pressed olive oil ensued. If you're ever in the area, a visit to Marbrin Olives is a not negotiable part of your itinerary.
I digress.
Back to the evening. Our three course meal started with a spiced pumpkin soup served in mugs. The dearth of light made a decent photograph impossible, so we'll skip to the main.
The main was so what The Husband would have relished: Kudu (venison) fillet served on mash infused with truffle infused olive oil. Accompanied by a red jus and the most delicious beetroot cooked in their own red wine vinegar reduction.
The dessert - I say dessert, not sweet - was just as memorable. Not your traditional bread and butter pudding because not only did it miss (happily for me) the raisins, but it was topped with a freshly hulled, lightly salted pecan nut crisp. The creme anglaise was a perfect foil to a not too sweet dessert. I'd love to try and replicate it...
A lovely evening ended with one of our fellow diners insisting on celebrating a wonderful evening. It seemed apt.
Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post script
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Original artwork:
- lastly, graphics are created using partly my own photographs, images available freely available on
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