Conrad Pezula | #KOF2014

I received my itinerary for the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival and almost squealed with excitement - not least because it includes a food tour and bubbly lunch at the breath-taking Conrad Pezula. If you are planning on visiting Knysna in luxury, this is the obvious option.

Not only does the hotel look absolutely spectacular - this may be one of the few occasions for heels at #KOF2014 - but after chatting to their chef, Geoffrey Murray, I'm even more excited to find out what we can expect for lunch. 

Geoffrey is a firm supporter of the slow food movement - with Zachary’s having its own organic garden, Geoffrey focuses on ingredients from local producers in the abundant Knysna region

It's too early to call it, but I have a strong feeling my visit to Conrad Pezula may well be my highlight of #KOF2014. Read below for the interview with Geoffrey - but first, a hint of what I have to look forward to at the hotel :

 

 

What is your current ‘crop of the season’ from your garden and what is your favourite way to use it?

The ingredient that I’m most excited about using at the moment isn’t from our garden but from a neighbours. It’s Jerusalem artichokes. We were watching them grow all summer waiting  for them to be ready for autumn/winter and they finally are. They’re delicious!! From our garden we’re getting lots of wild garlic flowers, rocket, herbs, baby leeks and nasturtiums leaves and flowers. The nasturtium leaves make a great spicy pesto/puree

The ‘must eat’ dish of the moment at Zacharys?.

The must eat dishes on Zachary’s menu at the moment are so many, it’s not fair to ask me to choose. One dish we are preparing  is a pan seared market line fish, with white bean and roast garlic puree, organic kale, a warm vinaigrette of white clams and a friend of mine, Hendrik Le Roux’s artisan chorizo and then it’s finished with a few of those delicious Jerusalem artichokes roasted with just olive oil and sea salt. It’s sooo good! 

Please share your favourite way to eat an oyster.

My favourite way of enjoying oysters is au natural, naked!  I want to taste the sea and where they are coming from, not tobasco and lemon. 

What is the dish you cook the most at home?

I work most nights so I cook more in the mornings after going to a crossfit class at the gym. So it tends to be eggs, organic of course, with whatever vegetables happen to be in season and  a handful of herbs from my herb garden, some 100% rye toast and maybe a piece of whatever new cheese that I might have discovered locally from a farm. 

For the enthusiastic home-grower – what three crops should they start with?

First and foremost whatever herbs that you enjoy cooking with so that they are always fresh and on hand. Herbs like thyme, parsley, mint, rosemary and basil are pretty easy to grow either in windowsill pots or in a very small area outside in the garden. And if you want to try vegetables I would suggest tomatoes for summer. There’s nothing like the taste of a home grown tomato picked in summer still warm from the sun! 

All images from here