Natural colours, wonderful textures, bold flavours and beautiful décor all inspired by the African landscape … take a look at the safari-inspired Christmas table that all of our ‘Out of Africa’ dreams are made of!
SAFARI-INSPIRED TABLESCAPE
We are all about celebrating our heritage this year and so we asked the talented owner of Love Laugh Flowers, Cindy Rynhoud, to help us put together an African bush-inspired Christmas table. Cindy, who is passionate about creating beautiful events, arrived at our chosen venue, the Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate’s beautiful new clubhouse, armed with giant acacia thorns, hints of animal print and a magnificent floral centrepiece. “We went for a modern, safari look and feel,” says Cindy. “I included as many natural elements as possible, such as wood, terracotta, various wild grasses, horn, acacia thorn and some foraged wild olive and greenery.” Cindy added bold splashes of black with her stunning black-framed Hurricane candle holders and black cutlery. “The terracotta trend is back with a vengeance, so we had to incorporate it. The terracotta pillar candles are from our new candle bar, as well as the new twisted black candles. These were very popular in the 70’s … and now they’re back!”
ABOUT LOVE LAUGH FLOWERS:
Apart from being just the most magnificent floral retail space, Love Laugh has recently added two new elements to their Ballito store: a wrapping station where customers can buy exclusive ribbons, cards and upmarket designer gift wrap (or have their gifts – even those not bought in store – expertly wrapped, including a card, gift wrap and gorgeous floral detail) as well as a candle bar, which, Cindy says, was inspired by a trip to Europe a few years ago. They have a huge range of pillars and dinner candles in a rainbow of colours, as well as a selection of twisted dinner candles and even their own, scented botanical range of 1kg candles. Details: Love Laugh, Lifestyle Centre Ballito, www.lovelaugh.co.za,
[email protected], 032 648 0039, FB: @LoveLaughSA IG: @lovelaughproteas
SIMPLE, SEASONAL, SHOWSTOPPING FARE
The highly talented and well-known chef and owner of Ray’s restaurant in Salt Rock, Raymond Friedman will soon be opening a second restaurant in the stylish new Zululami Coastal Estate clubhouse. We asked him to rustle up an African-inspired Christmas lunch spread … and he did not disappoint! “The reason I went with this combination was to allow you to serve your guests a simple, seasonal menu that is not complicated to prepare and can be prepared a little in advance as well (so you don’t spend all Christmas day in the kitchen).” Ray says the menu can be dressed up if you’re wanting to ‘up the ante’ a little by adding some grilled peri-peri prawns with savoury rice. “This would be a nice way to bring the coastal element in a little. The salmon can also be swapped out for more local trout and a cold smoked salmon or trout would work just as well.” Details: www.rayskitchen.co.za, 032 525 4505
On the menu:
• Oak and bourbon smoked Norwegian salmon with horseradish dressing, chargrilled asparagus and crusty bread;
• A slow braised beef short rib with Chimichurri sauce, served with roasted plum tomatoes, hasselback potatoes and honey and cumin scented baby heirloom carrots;
• Mixed bean salad with a lime vinaigrette
• Grilled peaches and chilli halloumi salad with baby greens, mixed berries and candied pecan nuts.
Ray’s tips:
• Make your Chimichurri fresh on the day if you can!
• Salad ingredients can be prepared before, just don’t combine the ingredients or dress them too early.
• Marinate the grilled peaches in some fresh thyme, white balsamic and good olive oil.
• Make sure you slow cook the whole short rib.
Ray shares his recipes for Hasselback potatoes and his delicious Chimichurri sauce recipe:
HASSELBACK POTATOES
Serves 4
You’ll need: 1.5km medium-sized floury potatoes, peeled if preferred; 4 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 garlic cloves, bashed; a few sprigs of rosemary; sea salt flakes.
To make: Heat oven to 200°C. Use a metal skewer and insert through the back of one of the flatter sides of the potato. It should go through most of the potato. Place on a chopping board, skewer side down, and slice through the potato (don’t cut all the way through). A sharp knife helps make slices a few mm apart. Repeat on all remaining potatoes. Put potatoes cut-side-up on a shallow baking tray and drizzle over the oil. Rub each potato with your hands to coat well in the oil, getting some in between the slices. Toss in the bashed garlic, rosemary and season well. Roast for 50 minutes to one hour, until tender throughout and tops golden brown. Baste with oil from the pan halfway through cooking to get extra crisp.
AUTHENTIC CHIMICHURRI
You’ll need: ½ cup olive oil; 2 tblsp red wine vinegar; ½ cup finely chopped parsley; 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced; 2 small red chillies (or 1 red chilli) deseeded and finely chopped; ¾ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 level teaspoon coarse salt; pepper to taste (about ½ tsp).
To make: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to release all the flavours into the oil. Ideally, let it sit for more than 2 hours if time allows. Use to baste meats (chicken or steaks) while grilling. Add a couple tablespoons to the meat to serve as well.
A STYLISH AND SPECTACULAR SETTING
Not only about extraordinary design in a spectacular setting, the Wetland Club at Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate is the quintessential gathering place for people to enjoy the spoils of North Coast living. Intentionally designed to embody the nature-first ethos of Zululami, with a seamless flow from the outdoors in, each area has its own distinct identity. From the poolside pavilion to the lounge, restaurant, kids’ zone, courtyard and bar, there’s always a connection to the beautiful seaside vistas which stretch beyond. A business meeting in the deli, catching-up over coffee, rooftop sundowners, a dip in the emerald pool, a playdate for the kids or even birding from the viewing deck, Zululami’s clubhouse (which officially opens in early 2022) offers something for everyone.
Details: Zululami Luxury Coastal Estate, www.zululamiestate.co.za IG: @zululamiestate FB: @ZululamiLuxuryCoastalEstate
Text: Leah Shone | Photographs: Chris Allan Photo
