SAMP AND APRICOT SALAD WITH SPEKBOOM PESTO

Spekboom pesto adds lovely colour and herbaceous flavour to this crunchy salad of quinoa, samp, sweet peppers and cucumber sprinkled with honeyed apricots.

SERVES 2

DIFFICULTY: EASY

PREPARATION TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES

RECIPE DEVELOPED BY:

Ivan van Aswegen – ICA 3rd-year student, specialising in Product Development (NPD)

STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY:

Kim Nielsen – ICA 3rd-year student, specialising in Media Communication

WINE PAIRING:

Jennifer Keenan – ICA 3rd-year student, specialising in Professional Wine Studies & Event Coördination

Alvi’s Drift Signature Range Pinotage Rosé 2022

GRAINS

30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) samp, cooked
250 ml (1 cup) quinoa, cooked
1.25 ml (¼ tsp) salt

SPEKBOOM PESTO

1 bunch (30 g) fresh coriander
1 garlic clove, creamed
30 g (¼ cup) hard cheese, grated
80 g (1 cup) large leaf spekboom leaves
60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
5 ml (1 tsp) salt

TO SERVE

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
40 g (1/2 cup) large leaf spekboom leaves, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 (60 g) cucumber, diced
Handful of rocket
8 (60 g) dried apricots, chopped

For the grains, bring a large pan to medium heat. Add the oil, garlic, thyme, samp and quinoa and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat. Season with salt.
For the spekboom pesto, combine the coriander, garlic, cheese and spekboom in a food processor and blend until fine. Slowly add the oil while the motor is running. Add the lemon juice and salt.
To serve, combine the grain mixture, yellow peppers, spekboom, red onion, cucumber, rocket and a tablespoon of pesto. Stir in the apricots and serve with dollops of pesto on top.

TIP: Add a spoonful of nuts to the pesto for some extra crunch.

WINE PAIRING: Alvi’s Drift Signature Range Pinotage Rosé 2022

I wanted to create a hearty salad whilst still using fresh elements.

Large leaf spekboom requires very little water to grow. It has an interesting flavour profile with a slight acidity but is also balanced with tannins. It efficiently offsets carbon dioxide into oxygen – the leaves act like a sponge to contain more CO2 than other plants. In fact, spekboom is 10 x more effective at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen per hectare than any tropical rainforest!

Dried fruit is a popular South African ingredient, used in various uniquely South African dishes, which is why I chose to use dried apricots in the final product.

By using methods such as minimal trimming and the efficient use of each ingredient, the dish aligns with the principles of sustainability and minimal waste. The bare leftovers can be utilised for composting in your vegetable and herb garden or for cooking flavourful stocks.

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