Former Port Elizabeth couple Vanessa Marx and Mark Dorward are back in the province with their fun food trailer this festive season.
The well-known pair - she’s a renowned South African chef who put the kitchen at Savages on the map and many will remember him as past owner of The Music Kitchen in Newton Park – are bringing their Culture Kitchen concept to Morgan Bay from December 15 to January 7.
They will serve breakfast and lunch from 7am until about 3pm daily in what is their third stint in the popular holiday village.
“The menu will change day-to-day but we will have the favourites – BBQ pulled pork buns, smoked sirloin buns, Eggs Benedict, homemade muesli cups, gourmet hotdogs and a few fresh salads – along with ice cream, coffee and sweets for the kiddies as well,” Vanessa said.
“And for all those wondering, yes, our famous bacon and peanut butter cookies will be on the menu!”
Culture Kitchen will be doing special evening catering again, but by prior booking only.
“We’ve teamed up with Hillock Wines again and will offer food-and-wine pairings for groups of eight or more,” Mark said.
The two have had a busy year and recently bought a huge truck called the Chefs Bench. It is a more premium offering than their trailer and has been up and running since the end of November.
“The kitchen in the new truck is incredible and the exciting things we will be able to create from there have no bounds,” Mark said.
“We have also built a new industrial kitchen in our double garage at home in Joburg for all of our prep, as the work was too much for our little home kitchen.”
Mark and Vanessa have grown their business from employing just a chef when they left PE in August 2016 to five.
“Some of our favourite events of 2018 have been the launch of the new Absa branding, all our work for Montblanc which allowed for some travel as well, and all the beautiful weddings we have done.
“As far as the festivals, Comic Con and SA Bike Week were my favourite because I am both a bit of a petrolhead and a nerd when it suits me,” Mark chuckled.
“This year has been really great and we can't wait to end it off in style in Morgs,” Vanessa added.
Both, however, still miss the Bay.
“PE is where Vanessa and I grew up, and where we first fell in love 19 years ago. It will always be home to our hearts,” Mark said.
“We do come home for visits quite often because our families are still there – and we also still have EC number plates!”
The couple said when they first built their Culture Kitchen trailer it was their dream to do pop-up events at the beach.
“We both love Morgan Bay and know lots of people who holiday in the area, so it was an easy choice,” Mark said.
“The locals and holiday makers are all beginning to know us and look forward to us being there.”
For more information about Culture Kitchen, and to book for food-and-wine pairings for groups of eight or more, contact 082-873-9759 or e-mail: mark@culturekitchen.co.za
Recipe: Chicken skewers with dips and seed flatbread
Vanessa’s recipe is sure to get you into the mood for street food. It serves four as a main course or eight as a starter or snack.
Ingredients for chicken skewers:
600g free-range chicken breast2 lemons1 Tbsp wholegrain mustardsalt and black pepper30g chopped oregano8 sosatie sticks (you can cut them in half if you want smaller ones for snacks)Canola oil for frying
Method for chicken skewers:
Cut chicken into cubes, each about the size of an ice cube. Put in a bowl and add the zest and juice of the lemons, mustard and oregano, then season with salt and pepper.Leave to marinade for an hour or so, then skewer the cubes of chicken onto the sticks. Put a pan on medium/high heat and add canola oil. When hot, add skewers and allow them to cook on the first side for about two or three minutes before turning them. Cook the other side for another two or three minutes, then check between the pieces to see that the flesh is white and no longer translucent. The chicken must be cooked through but not dry. Remove from the pan from heat and set aside.
Ingredients for hummus:
1 can chickpeas, drained125ml extra virgin olive oilJuice of 1 fresh lemonsalt and pepper5ml tahini1 garlic clove, peeled1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Method for hummus:
Put chickpeas, oil, lemon juice, garlic and tahini into a blender or food processor; season with salt and pepper.Blend until smooth. Scrape hummus into a serving bowl, top with sesame seeds and drizzle with olive oil.
Ingredients for tzatziki:
1 cup plain yoghurtJuice of half a lemon15g fresh mintsalt and pepper½ a cucumber
Method for tzatziki:
Grate cucumber into a bowl and squeeze off excess water. Add yoghurt, lemon juice and mint, season and put into a serving bowl
Ingredients for tomato pesto:
100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil30g roasted plain almonds10g fresh parsley, chopped
Method for tomato pesto:
Roughly chop tomatoes, then put in a blender along with the oil. Add almonds and parsley, and pulse to combine into a chunky pesto. Scrape into a serving bowl.
Ingredients for seed flatbread:
100g wholewheat flour100g oat flour150g cake flour100g plain yoghurt250g water (lukewarm)1 sachet yeast2 tsp salt50g mixed seeds: sesame, flax, sunflower, poppy, pumpkin
Method for seed flatbread:
In a large bowl, add flours, yeast, salt and seeds, and mix together.Mix water and yoghurt together. Make a well in centre of dry mixture and gradually add yoghurt/water little by little. Mix together to form a dough. Stop adding liquid once dough comes together or add extra if dough is too sticky.Knead to form an elastic ball of dough, then separate into golf-ball sized balls. Put a griddle pan on medium high heat. Dust a clean working surface with a little flour and roll each dough ball into a flat bread about 3mm thick.Place flatbreads onto the hot griddle and cook until a little golden and firm on the first side, and then repeat on the other side.
To plate:
Place flatbreads on a board or platter and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add dips and skewers, and sprinkle with fresh herbs.