Our favourite things – products & recipes recommended by MGFC members

I run a Good Food Club – which is essentially a monthly buying club from our home in Cape Town. We facilitate Farm-to-Table style living by supporting, for the most part, local, sustainable, natural/organic style small businesses.

We have the most incredible families who participate in this club. With over 800 products available to purchase, we have so many different styles and intentions when shopping. From hormone free meat, to grass fed farm butter, to chemical free cleaning detergents and menstrual cups.

Last month I asked my members to share what they loved buying from the Good Food Club and why… and this was what I received back.

From Debbie Knighton-Fitt (me!):

So you know I’ve always been a greenie right? It’s pretty much the reason I started the GFC.

So here are my non-negotiables, every month…

Butter, Eggs, Swiss Cellar – pickled onions and jams (once you start, you LITERALLY can’t stop), strawberry yoghurt, mozzarella cheese (for pizzas). Cake flour (we make a lot of pancakes and pizza bases), beef mince, mango strips (my absolute spoil), oh mega peanut butter, and my (fantastic!) new wellness doc really recommends Superfoods’ Super Thrive Women.

We eat the chicken burgers once a week, as well as boerewors for braais, and nachos with the corn chips. Another spoil is the (chocolate and) hot chocolate from cocoafair (YUM!). We buy 5 packs of salami and freeze them, and take them out when needed. It is THE most delicious salami I’ve ever tasted. I always buy frozen blueberries, strawberries and plain yoghurt for smoothies. The honey is a must, I love the spices (mainly cinnamon and cumin) and Eikelaan & Metro Organics fresh produce! I try get my hands on as much organic fresh produce as possible. I also buy the salmon now (due to Cara’s influence) and eat it with my 2 year old to get some good omegas into her.

A few other favourites: fresh organic coriander, quinoa, dates and raisins (for lunch boxes), halloumi spring rolls (YUM!) and 1kg cashew nuts when I’m feeling flush.

Body products: Love the Pure Beginnings range for us all, the natural deo (is incredible!) and I cannot CANNOT recommend the menstrual cup enough. If you’ve ever thought about buying one, DO it.

From Lauren Potgieter:

I love buying the angelfish for Jamie Oliver’s FISH PIE. It’s full of good things like carrots, spinach and boiled eggs (weird I know, but it works) and if you don’t want to use double cream you can use double cream yoghurt instead.

From Cara Eachus:

Salmon offcuts: I use it often in pastas and with scrambled eggs or on a sandwich with cream cheese and cucumber.

I also do the venison-droewors-in-the-freezer-trick for lunch boxes. It defrosts super quickly though so I keep it in the freezer and just take out little bits each evening when I make the boys’ lunch.

I do a yum meal with the pork fillet. I make a chutney by frying a diced onion, a clove or two of crushed garlic, thyme and some grated apple then smoothing that onto puff pastry. Searing the fillet in the pan and then placing that into the pastry and baking it for about 30 minutes. A delicious meal! 

The strawberry JAM! I am never going back. It is to die for. Also a big thumbs up to the raw creamed honey, one of my faves. I love a spoon in a banana smoothie or on toast.

A little treat is the edible flowers. I add them into ice cube trays to make interesting ice or top baked goods with them. For Harry’s dedication tea I even added them on top of sandwiches.

The frozen berries which are so extremely well priced are used in smoothies, Harry’s fruit purees and in muffins or cakes. At Christmas I made a big sorbet with them.

I really love the halloumi. I fry slices in lemon juice and place on top of vegetable pastas (I try make meatless meals at least twice a week) or eat as a snack.

The eggs and venison mince are also well priced and make many good healthy meals with those good proteins. I have recently started buying the boerewors and pork sausages (both delicious!) and make a sausage pie with them or use them for bangers and bash otherwise boerie rolls. I used the lamb stew meat last night in a tomato bredie – oh my yum – but am definitely keen to try the chuck stewing meat next time.

From Jolene Bonney:

I love the venison mince. My two favorite dishes are Keftedes with Tzatziki (Jono makes the most amazing greek yoghurt that we use for this) and the other dish I use it for is a venison mousaka. If we need a quick and easy dinner I make a halloumi cheese salad and throw in a generous amount of blueberries too.

I’ve included the keftedes recipe:

Venison Keftedes 

  • 3 slices bread (I use oats instead)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons finely fresh mint
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano (3 tablespoons if using fresh)
  • 500grams venison
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Olive oil, for frying
  • flour for dusting

Method:

1) soak oats in milk and eggs for a little

2) mix everything else in

3) let the mix sit for about an hour

4) roll into small balls

5) dust with flour

6) fry in olive oil

From Garth Stephenson:

So here is what I generally do with the stewing meat I buy from you:

Brown the following in a large pot

Once the meat is browned, add the following:

  • ½ cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • ½ pack of mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 x tomatoes, chopped or 1 can of diced tomato mix
  • 2 x table spoons of balsamic vinegar
  • ½ x bottle of wine, red or white (I prefer red)
  • ½ l water
  • Mixed herbs and rosemary to flavour (fresh or dried)
  • Salt and ground black pepper to flavour
  • A dash of tobasco sauce

Bring to the boil, and then let simmer on lowest heat for 1-2 hours (depending on how hungry I am). Stir regularly and add more water/wine if liquid boils off.

Before serving, add beef stock and let simmer for 10 minutes.

From Yvette Newton:

Chuck stewing is great for beef bourginon, tomato bredie, wraps with warm veg and hummus. It also goes quite far if you use a tomato base and add veg/beans etc.

Mince – I buy 2kgs and then make bulk meatballs and freeze. Each 500grams is used for a meal – spaghetti bolognaise, nachos, meatballs mash and veg, burgers.

Rib stewing is good for potjie. We make it once a month during winter.

Salami packs are great for quick lunches and pizza toppings.

From Michelle Gibbs:

Venison sliced biltong, it’s a WIN, gonna try order more and keep half frozen next time I think but very happy with it so far!

Pork fillet 👌🏼 drizzle with oil, sprinkle herbs & oven roast 180 degrees, 20-30min’ serve with mash/veggies etc & gravy. Delicious! We cook it on braai too with marinade, its always a win 🙂

Desiccated coconut, amazing price, great for crunchies!

Stir fry greens, delicious sliced & thrown in at end of stir fry

Nu Eco dishwashing liquid, works brilliantly, I’ve tried a few earth friendly and this is by far my fave. Great smell & bubbles, cleans excellently & MGFC price is fab! Natural deo works really well.

Treat: I love white choc covered hazel nuts.

Crunchies:

  • 250g butter or margarine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1tbspn golden syrup/honey
  • 1tspn bicarb

Melt in microwave approx 1min (or stove top!)

Mix in:

Combine well, spoon into greased baking tray.

Oven 180 for 15 – 20min.

When remove from oven immediately divide into blocks with spatula in tray, leave to cool in tray.

Pancakes:

Combine well, ladle onto hot oiled frying pan, spread around & fry, flip & fry until done 😉

Thank you to everyone who sent in their suggestions! Enjoy your shopping and your cooking xxx

 

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