Whilst working at Villa Michaela I found some serious inspiration with the whole "going green" intiative. Will the Kiwi got me thinking about it a lot. Growing your own vegetables, herbs and living sustainably is slowly becoming the in vogue thing to do. I've noticed more restaurants back home are adopting innovative ideas to implement these measures, and it seems to be working. One institution that comes to mind straight away is Corner Cafe in my hometown, Durban, where owner Judd Campbell grows a lot of his own produce which he incorporates into his everyday dishes.
Two years ago I went back packing through Africa with my friend Calvin. I remember being shown around his farm in northern Zambia and simply being in awe. Because Mkushi is a small farming block and therefore fairly remote, it kind of makes sense to grow one's own fresh produce, and to keep chickens for eggs and meat so as to minimise unnecessarily long trips into town. Calvin's farm was incredible, and his mum Mary had immaculate gardens growing every kind of vegetable imaginable. Not to mention that they grow their own coffee beans, which were picked and roasted first thing in the mornings in potjie pots over open fires before being ground and brewed. But who's to say that we can't do this in the city? We may be pressed for space, sure. But what's stopping us doing it on a smaller scale?
Alright, I don't want to sound like a tree-hugging hippie blabbing on about saving the universe. But more than anything, there is ultimately something rewarding about "growing ones own". The satisfaction of going into a garden, picking and preparing a salad comprising solely of things that you have nurtured and cultivated yourself is hard to beat. Growing and eating seasonally also makes it more interesting and fun. So why not buy a pot, find a corner of of your balcony, and plant a couple of herbs and see where the season takes you? I know when I return back to South Africa from Italy I have some big plans for our house back home. I'm excited... Going green is in!
Here is an awesome South African gardening blog I found the other day, it is fantastic: http://www.sprig.co.za/
And here's a link to Judd Campbell's blog about his restaurant, Corner Cafe. He's eccentric and brilliant, and his blogging will have you in stitches: http://cornercafelovesyou.wordpress.com/
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