Citrus, Fennel and Avo salad

I am not a big believer in taking artificial vitamins. In fact I don’t take them at all. When it comes to vitamins I believe in turning to real food. Food can have amazing medicinal properties in its purest form! Why not opt for fresh fruit that is packed with healthy vitamins rather than swallowing a pharmaceutical (the size of a horse tranquilizer) that claims to have all the supplements your body needs?

Mmmm I’m not convinced. With winter banging down the door and our bodies needing extra support, this dish is one for the whole family to keep their bodies strong. 

One of the most effective cold and flu fighters is Vitamin C. 
I paired up with Woolworths on an exciting dish that is packed with this winter warrior and bursts with the fresh flavour that so many of us crave after weeks of consuming bowls of stew brimming with meat and potatoes. 
Woolies have such a great variety of fresh citrus in store. This salad pairs perfectly with a delicious fresh piece of fish, which will offer you protein, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

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Ingredients:

Dehydrated Orange:

• 1 orange halved and thinly sliced, about 4mm

Salad:

• 4 oranges, peeled
• 2 grapefruit, peeled
• 75 grams pomegranate seeds
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (do not use the leaves)
• 3 avocado
• 6 sprigs of mint

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small lemon, juiced 

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Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 100 degrees Celsius.

Place the thinly sliced oranges on a cooling rack and pop them in the oven for 1 hour. Keep an eye on them as this can vary due to slice thickness and oven accuracy. You want them to still be tacky but crisp!  

Using a sharp knife segment your oranges and grapefruit. Remove the membrane from each individual piece. Put the segments in a bowl. Don’t be too rough with them, as all the juice will escape!

For this recipe I used the Woolworths pomegranate seeds (A lovely cheat!)

If you bought your pomegranate whole, cut the top off and score 2cm down the side. Get a big bowl of water and crack the pomegranate open under the water. This will help with the mess. Release the seeds from the compartments. Once done, the seeds will sink and the husk will float! Set the seeds aside.

Peel and slice your avocados. Drizzle with lemon to prevent browning.

On a large platter you are going to layer your salad.

This salad does not do well tossed, as it will become too soggy. Layer your citrus and your fennel with your avocado and pomegranate and top with your mint leaves and dehydrated citrus chips for decoration!

For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together and drizzle just before serving!   

Serve with a prefect piece of fresh fish!

-Melissa 

*This blog post was sponsored by Woolworths. All opinions are my own.

Orms Makers Series

July has been an exciting month for collaborations. On one of these “get togethers”, I paired up with Orms for the #ormsmakersseries. A crew followed me around on a Saturday food mission documenting The Truffle Journal’s creative process by way of a video journal while I played with the Fuji XT1; A mirrorless camera that packs a punch. What a pleasure! It turned out to be much lighter than my usual DSLR and I struggled to put it down. 

Here is the finished vid.

-Melissa

Orms Photo Books

It all began with an idea. The idea of creating something that would inspire others to create for themselves.

That’s how my personal Orms photo book journey began.

I’ve always wanted to do a cookbook. From as far back as I can remember, since around the time I learnt to read a recipe, there has been an overwhelming personal desire to contribute to the process of cooking in some way.  

What better way to test the waters than with the exciting photo book products offered by Orms.

The program is amazing and easy to use. All you have to do is download the software from the ormsdirect.co.za website and build your book step by step!

I chose the A4 portrait standard hard cover book with a leatherette finish and gold embossing (because every girl loves a little glitter.)

You can capture your memories better than you ever could with dusty photo albums and since it’s more tangible than social media, I’ll admit, it brings back a feeling of sentimentality.

Call me old fashioned, but I might just be hooked!

The cookbook is filled with 10 recipes. I chose to collaborate with a friend of mine, Nikita Stallbom. She is a health coach and yoga instructor who I respect immensely. With our powers combined (insert quirky captain planet quote here) we have produced 10 Buddha bowls that will blow your perception of healthy eating right out of the water!

It has been such an exciting journey to see my work become a hardcover book that I can gift to my nearest and dearest.

I highly recommend that the next time you want to give the gift of memories or simply create your own keepsakes, these photo books are the way to go.

Watch this space for where you will be able buy your very own copy of the cookbook,
Happiness Is.

A very apt title. 

Cape Canopy Tours

Have you ever dreamt that you are flying? I have. Several times. I run as fast as I can and some times I take off. 

Cape Canopy Tours in Elgin gave me that feeling. Zip lining through the Hottentots Nature reserve is up there on my top adventure experiences. I thought I would be a little scared! Truth be told, the 4 hours spent flying through the sky on zip lines was some of the most fun I have had. 

You have to make sure that you are dressed for adventure and ready for action. We stopped at Peregrines for a quick coffee and a snack on our way to the reserve, they ask you to arrive timelessly and make sure you have something warm in case it gets cold! 

Once you receive your safety briefing you will be off on a bumpy ride up into the mountains. I can see why they wanted to film lord of the rings in the reserve as it truly looks like something from another world up there! 

So what is zip lining? You are in a safety harness and via a pulley system you launch from one platform to another. In between? You are flying over untouched nature at its finest. From cliffs to rivers you get to see it all in the seconds you are zooming by! The longest zip line is 350 meters and it is a scream! 

Ending off with a short hike back to your vehicle and a peregrine pie back at base camp. This adventure is a must if you are in Cape Town and one of the top things to do in the Elgin area! 

p.s just don’t forget your camera! 

Thanda Private Game Reserve, Kwa-Zulu Natal

Recently I was lucky enough to take a trip up to Kwa-Zulu Natal on the East coast of South Africa. The weather is always welcoming (even in winter) and the rolling green hills are never ending. 

An added bonus was that I was able to take the Fuji XT1 along to photograph the experience, compliments of Orms.

Travelling up to northern natal (from the airport) by road for two and a half hours brings you to a beautiful game lodge called Thanda, a private reserve that hosts the big five. Big five? Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. Four out of the big five are endangered so the opportunity to see them in the wild is a privilege.

I grew up visiting the bush with my family almost every year. These memories are very near and dear to my heart. Being in the wild and hearing the sounds of nature is incredible. The stars are unlike anything you have ever seen before and listening to the roar of lions at night is something that will stay with me forever.

Included in the visit to Thanda were two games drives a day, lead by a very knowledgeable team (tracker and ranger) who shared their intimate knowledge of the bush with us. From fauna and flora to tribal mythology of the region, it was incredible learning so much on a drive while taking in the surrounds.

The drives were catered with drinks and snacks, with a special stop included for sundowners overlooking the magnificent valley and the Ubombo mountains. 

The rooms at the tented lodge were absolutely incredible.

The ability of achieving five star luxuries from the humble beginnings of a hardwearing canvas structure is something of a wonder to me.

The trees surrounding the tent give you the feeling of solitude and reflection.  Coupled with a cup of tea, just sitting and soaking it all in was the ultimate relaxation!

The XT1 makes for a perfect travel companion. Small and compact this camera packs a punch. The silent shutter proved invaluable for capturing wildlife and I managed to catch even some of the wariest animals unaware! The body is robust and weatherproof which came in handy on the back of an open land rover. 

With interchangeable lenses there wasn’t a moment missed.

I enjoyed the fact that every time the camera came out; people assumed that I was shooting on film. It was a great conversation starter and it soon became clear that there is an overwhelming appreciation for the retrospective design and of course, an equal appreciation for the ease ofmodern digital functionality offered by the Fuji XT1.

Thanks to Orms and the XT1 - I captured the bush perfectly!