Super excited to have hosted, together with Wild Organics, my first workshop on Tuesday evening in the lovely Soute Venue in Salt River. I was delighted to have so many people interested in learning more about organic food, I love the fact I could share my knowledge, passion and experience with the group.

We are all on our own food journey, one that changes constantly and the aim of my workshops is to INSPIRE people to incorporate more natural food into their lives by showing them how you can produce delicious food with very little effort and time.

I have always cooked but my real food journey started about 15years ago while living in London. I was amazed by the variety of fruit and vegetables, flown in from all over the world, only to find what they gained in appearance they desperately failed in taste. In a quest to find food which is full of flavour it naturally led me down the road to eating according to the seasons and thus naturally.

With natural food I mean food that is grown: with minimal chemicals, in line with the natural seasons, and outside in healthy soil by passionate people caring for the environment. This might seem like a long list of requirements in a world where ‘cheap and plentiful’ seems like the only considerations but there is hope, organic farming is the hope.

According to the international standard set by the IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement) the word organic is far more than just buying vegetables without chemicals and by supporting organic food you are supporting better farming practices, tradition, biodiversity and fair relationships for all.

‘I love the concept of voting with your fork – by supporting organic you say YES to better farming practices and natural food with less chemicals ‘

Although I have been eating majority of my fresh produce organically for over 15years I still managed to find some amazing and interesting facts about the differences between conventional produce and organic produce in terms of the nutritional value as well as the environmental impact they have. Charl, of Wild Organics and a supporter of organic farming for many years, gave some insight on the certification process of organic food as well as sharing the fact that on a organic farm the abundance of life is everywhere to be seen. In strong contrast to the arable land decreasing by a third in the world.

In short, organic farming is better for you and the planet!

It was time to turn our bag of organic veggies into a feast as I cooked, with the help from some volunteers, some tasty quick and easy recipes.

What was in our bags? Beetroot, Carrots, Aubergine, Chard, Corn, Courgette, Coriander and Spring Onions. We discussed, recipes, flavourings, how to prep, store and cook each of these veggies. What I wanted to showcase is the versatility of these veggies by cooking and tasting dishes you won’t normally associate them with, think beetroot hummus.

It was a relaxed atmosphere were everyone shared stories, cooking tips and last meal on earth dishes, all washed down with a glass of wine.

I can’t wait to inspire you at my NEXT WORKSHOP event on the 16th of March where I will be showing you how to create vegetarian based dishes that the whole family can enjoy! Read here

Myself and Wild Organics will be hosting another Workshop soon…