Urban foraging and cooking in Cape Town
Sat Jun 10, 09:00 - Sat Jul 8, 15:00
Meeting Point
ABOUT
There are edible treasures growing wild all over Cape Town; you just have to know where to look. And that’s where Charlie Standing, also known as the Urban Hunter Gatherer, comes in. Foraging is his forte, and after spending a day with him, you’re guaranteed to look at your surrounds in a whole new light.Highlights
- Get back in touch with nature and the origin of food
- Inspiring day outdoors
- Forage for your own ingredients
- Learn more about edible food sources in your surroundings
- Join in the creative process of cooking together
- Perfect experience for outdoor enthusiasts, groups, sporty types, foodies, the whole family, couples and adventurers eaters
6 hours
Schedule:
- 10 June 2017
- 8 July 2017
Overview
From nasturtiums growing on city sidewalks to mushrooms clustered in shady forests, expert forager Charlie Standing knows where all of Cape Town’s wild-growing edible treasures can be found.
The experience starts bright and early at the decided foraging location where Charlie gives a short briefing on foraging sensitively, safely and respectfully towards nature – the golden rule is to only ever take what you need – and then the foraging fun begins. As all that hunting for ingredients makes for thirsty work, Charlie packs a picnic with classics like nasturtium pesto and loquat jam with freshly baked bread to keep you energised.
As foraging is weather and season dependent, each excursion with Charlie is different. In spring, you might go picking wild sweet peas against the slopes of Table Mountain, indigenous sorrel growing between pavement cracks in the inner city, or Cape pondweed a short drive from the Mother City. Summer, again, is a good time for foraging for different seaweeds, mussels and limpets along the coast, while Autumn is the season for finding mushrooms like porcini and pine rings, agave buds and loquats.
When the group has gathered its fill of ingredients, it’s back to Charlie’s where you’ll transform the morning’s loot into a 3-course feast in the kitchen of his home and then sitting down for a well-deserved lunch. Talk about enjoying the fruit of your labour!
- Informative talk on foragables
- Practical demonstration on how to forage and prep the edibles
- Light picnic of pre-prepared foraged nibbles and local bread
- Foraged ingredients for the cooking class
- 3-course meal cooked with foraged ingredients, ranging from nasturtium pesto to kelp lasagne
- Transportation to and from the experience
- Transportation between various foraging locations (must have own transport)
- Permit fees (mussel license if foraging tours coincide with low tide). Mussel licenses can be purchased at the post office by customers beforehand
- Vegetarian option available
- Tours are adapted according to seasonal availability
- Dress for the outdoors: sunscreen, hats, beachwear, sandals for the beach or trainers for the forest.
- Basic level of fitness required as there is walking involved
- The experience is weather permitting. Should there be heavy rain, the foraging part of the tour will not take place but cooking with foraged ingredients and the meal will still take place.
- Please advise of any food allergies. (All allergies can be catered for.)
- Not wheelchair friendly
- Scheduled dates are dependant on a minimum booking of 4 people