Those who have visited Granny Mouse Country House and Spa with its picture perfect gardens all year round will know that our team of garden minders definitely has green fingers!

The passion of our gardening team coupled with the enthusiasm in our kitchens when presented with super fresh ingredients is the reason why we’d like to inspire those of you with gardens to start growing some veggies.

Take it from us – there’s nothing better than watching your own food grow and enjoying the fruits of your labour at the dinner table.

You might think that the colder months aren’t great for growing veggies but, in South Africa, the time between April and the end of May is perfect for growing winter veggies – and, although much of this press produce may end up in a winter soup, there’s a strong chance that you’ll be enjoying home grown salad leaves and even fruit for months to come.

A bonus for winter veggie growers is the fact that snails and other pests are much less of a problem during the cooler months – and you usually don’t have to water as much as you do during the hot summer months when evaporation is high.

If you’re sowing winter growing vegetables from seed, you may want to cover the ground with perforated polythene to encourage the seeds to germinate. Seedlings, on the other hand, should be able to cope without protection.

Here are some great winter veggies to consider this season:

1. Shallots

Although all onions are easy to grow over winter, shallots are probably the best money-saver as they’re more expensive in the veggie shop than ordinary onions. Plant the mini bulbs, called sets, so that the tip just protrudes through the soil. Leave a space of 18cm between each one. A big tip while the shallots are growing is to make sure the soil drains well so they stay quite dry. Harvest in June after the leaves turn yellow. They’re delicious when added to stews.

2. Cauliflower

Did you know that the head of a cauliflower is called the curd? Cauliflower is one of the best vegetables to grow in winter because you don’t have to worry about caterpillars chomping away at your prize veggies when it’s chilly! Seedlings must be planted about 60cm apart. Grow them in richly fertilised soil, taking care not to let the soil dry out. Sow at intervals so that you can have fresh cauliflower throughout the year. Also avoid planting cauliflower in direct sunlight as this causes discolouration. Tie the leaves closed with string to protect the curd.

3. Broad beans

Autumn is the best time to sow delicious broad beans as established themselves in the still-warm soil and can be left over winter for an early taste of spring later in the year. Sow seeds into a rich, moist, well-drained soil at a depth of 5 to 10cm with about 15 to 20cm between plants. Pick to eat from August. Podded beans are best eaten young. You can also snip off the green tops after the first pods appear – they’re delicious when sautéed in a little butter. They grow best in direct sunlight but need to be sheltered from the wind.

4. Thyme

This hardy herb is low-growing so it makes great ground cover in a border or it can be planted in pots together with other evergreen herbs like rosemary. Water seedlings well. If you are cultivating thyme in a pot, plant slightly deeper than the plastic pot it came in and leave room for the plant to fill out as it grows. Thyme is so versatile and can be used to liven up meat, vegetables, soups and stuffings.

5. Garlic

Garlic is one of the easiest vegetables to grow in winter. Start it off in seedling trays so they take root before you transplant them outdoors. Break the bulbs into cloves, push each clove into the compost and put in a warm bright spot. Keep the soil moist until shoots form, then plant outdoors later in May.

Your garlic should be ready to harvest in September, but you can also snip the green garlic shoots and use them in recipes as you would chives. Garlic does best in well-drained, well composted rich soil in a raised bed. 

6. Spring onions

Mini sweet onions are easy and cheap to grow. Choose a variety that’s hardy in winter and sow seeds from early autumn so they’ll be ready to harvest in late winter to early spring. If you have spring onions you have bought from the store, replant these from the root, and within a few weeks snip off the stems to use again. Spring onions thrive in loose soil that’s well-fertilised and drains well. They’re great in salads.

7. Spinach

This popular vegetable doesn’t do so well in summer, preferring cooler autumn weather. The trick to good spinach is a good start. Keep it moist and cool and don’t be shy about fertilising.

Sow spinach seeds thinly, 15mm deep in rows 30cm apart and, as long as the weather isn’t really cold, they’ll germinate in 5 to 9 days. Make successive sowings for a continuous supply. Harvest from July, picking smaller leaves for salads.

8. Fruit trees

Most fruit trees, like apple and pear, should be planted any time from April through winter. You need to buy a small but established tree from your local nursery as this is way easier to grow then directly from seed. Plant now and harvest the fruit from late next summer. If you don’t have much space, mini trees such as dwarf citrus trees thrive in pots.

The Midlands is part of South Africa’s craft beer revolution – think Nottingham Road Brewery (the oldest microbrewery in KZN), Lions River Craft Brewery, Happy Days Brewery, Clockwise Brewers and more.

Since 2012, the hip and trendy have been ditching the mass produced, bottled variety and gone for tipple that is brewed with plenty of personality as well as natural ingredients, no chemicals and additives, using old school traditional methods.

The end result is a plethora of fascinating brews that are well worth the much higher prices than their commercially replicated counterparts.

Craft beers have taken a few leaves out of the wine book and you can now enjoy beer tastings and food pairings.

Just because you aren’t a traditional wino doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the fun of combining a flavourful beverage with a delectable meal, according to Granny Mouse Country House and Spa’s culinary artist, Theo Mannie.

Every now and again, he sneaks away from our resort’s amazing wine cellar and enjoys a cold one….To the point where he is now coming up with his own beer and food pairings and raising a glass to guests who appreciate a well brewed beer that complements and enhances flavours whilst refreshing the palate.

Braai and Beer – This is a standard for locals who are happy to toast a good game of rugby with a frosty glass. Theo Mannie suggests trying an icy pale ale while manning the flames, as they go well with steak and boerewors. For a nice big, juicy beef roast on the spit or a thick T-bone, you’re going to want a nice big beer to stand up to it – try a stout as the roasted malt flavours work perfectly with the carbonized chargrilled tang on meat.

If you’ve ditched braaing for the cooler months, try a comforting potjie. Here richer brews do best and, as a special tip from the Granny Mouse Kitchen, add two bottles of milk stout with your beef stock when creating your slow cooked masterpiece.

Pork Chops or Pork Sausages – Sausages or chops, are some of the most versatile dishes to pair with beer. An ice cold draft lager or light beer goes really well with the fatty, meaty flavours of the sausages and pork.

Burgers – Classic hearty meal – especially for the start of the weekend – can be washed down with a decent beer. As a rough guide, strong blue cheeses work well with dark beers such as stouts. Spicy cheeses like Cheddar work well with IPA which is bitter and hoppy.  Soft white cheeses, such as Brie or Camembert, work well with Blonde Ales 

Chicken – As a rule, we pair our beers with the marinades or sauces in which we cook our chicken. The general rule when it comes to poultry, is to go with lighter beers such as pilsners and lagers that won’t overpower the more delicate flavours. With bready, malty sweet flavours and earthy hop tastes, they bounce off the subtle taste of the chicken.

Seafood – Again, pair the delicate taste of seafood with a delicate beer. Beer batter is great for fresh fish and Theo Mannie’s favourite with shrimps and shellfish is a pale ale with fresh, zingy hops.

Light Salads, Chicken and Fresh Fish – Cutting down on heavier food, or heading for a light lunch? Light food works really well with subtler, somewhat zingy beers. Pale Ales are a good choice, with the fantastic hop aroma bringing out the flavours of your meal. For something a little more neutral, lager, blondes and pilsners are both light and refreshing.

Spicy Curries – If you’re a lover of curries and a spice monster and want to crank up the heat a bit, try an IPA. The intense bitterness and hop aroma will really raise the temperature!

Rich Red Meat, Stews, Soups and Braised Dishes – Generally, heavier meals work well with brown ales, porters and stouts. These stand up to the rich flavours of such meals, with malty sweetness and roasted notes breaking through the richness of the food.

Dessert – Rich, chocolate or coffee desserts are crying out to be paired with a pint of something dark. Stout is the perfect choice with the roasted malt taste offering a certain bitterness that works perfectly with the bitterness of the dark chocolate or coffee.

Our Chefs Favourite: The Granny Mouse Culinary Artists favourite meals, that incorporates beer, is a compressed belly of pork, broccoli florets, apple and maple puree, baby heirloom carrots, cider and apple jus served with Flying Fish apple beer. (Okay, that’s not strictly a craft beer but it is still a little off the beaten track!)

So, don’t just order the usual, enjoy a beer that really works with your next meal and see the difference it makes! Remember, variety is the spice of life, and as time goes by you’ll discover the styles you really love with certain foods. Cheers and bon appetite!