Mynhardt Joubert - My Station Street Kitchen

Table of Contents

Published in 2022 by Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Company Reg. No. 1953/000441/07

The Estuaries, 4 Oxbow Crescent, Century Avenue, Century City 7441, Cape Town, South Africa

PO Box 1144, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa

www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za

Copyright in published edition: Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd 2022

Copyright in text: Mynhardt Joubert 2022

Copyright in photographs: Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd 2022

Copyright in illustrations: Mynhardt Joubert 2022

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and the copyright holders.

PUBLISHER:Beverley Dodd

MANAGING EDITOR:Aimee Carelse

EDITOR & INDEXER:Cecilia Barfield

DESIGNER:Randall Watson

PROOFREADER:Anita van Zyl

PHOTOGRAPHER:Donna Lewis

STYLIST:Mynhardt Joubert

FOOD PREPARATION:Frikkie Janse van Rensburg

Reproduction: Studio Repro, Cape Town

ISBN 978-1-48590-082-5 (print)

ISBN 978-1-48590-094-8 (ePub)

CONTENTS

M y food journey started firmly in the eastern Free State where I was born, and I had the incredible good fortune of spending my early years in this magical part of our beautiful country. So many things in my life stem from the memory of the green foothills, dark blue Maluti mountains and even bluer sky.

When I close my eyes I can distinctly hear the whisper of the highland wind in the grass and the soft echoes of Sesotho voices in song. I can see the horizon stretching into infinity from the top of our farm, Tempelhof, to the vast foothills and majestic mountains that surrounded us. It was a wondrous setting and backdrop to a happy childhood with long days in the veld, mountains, cherry orchards and asparagus fields. That time, marked by very little adult intervention and loads of adventures, has directed my path ever since. To this day I think my parents would have disciplined us well, had they known half of what we were up to, but it was an age filled with colour, magic and endless wonder.

Farm life was always noted for its abundance and a never-ending supply of fresh produce from the very fertile vegetable garden. The orchard was filled with peach and apricot trees, as well as cherry, fig and chestnut trees. We drank fresh milk from the dairy and could stick our heads straight into a natural fountain that came down from the mountain, spouting an endless supply of ice cold, pure water.

As a child born in the 70s and growing up in the 80s and 90s, I know South Africa had its own challenges, but we were blessed with free-thinking, liberal parents who allowed us to grow up in our own world unencumbered by the politics of the day. At 6 years of age I started ballet class, pursued the visual arts and participated in non-conformist activities as far as possible. Needless to say this was met by many raised eyebrows, but looking back I am so thankful for the opportunity to develop outside of the mould and there was always our beloved farm and family home to return and escape to when faced by the punches.

The farm itself presented an endless kaleidoscope of guests, family and friends, many of whom stayed overnight and were welcomed with open arms in true Free State hospitality style. Every occasion was celebrated with food, and from an early age we were allowed to be part of the preparation and excitement in the kitchen and around the dining table. Im convinced that this was the true origin of my fascination with food the power that it had to convey messages of love, reviving the most weary traveller and cementing family ties and friendships. The message and food philosophy of my cooking flows directly from that, just like our beloved mountain fountain, and I use my food to make people feel welcomed, cared for, entertained and loved. So much more than mere recipes and ingredients, the message of hospitality is the real driving force in my kitchen.