Spreading wholesome love

 Over the last year they have built three enormous nests in the forks of companion msasa trees, overhung by whispering bamboo. These nests are extraordinary constructions – as tall as a man and made with grass and sticks and leaves. We gather mulch for our vegetable garden and during nest construction no sooner is the mulch laid on the ground then the hammerkops are swooping down to add it to their collection of building materials. Long dried banana leaves along with coloured plastic and bits of hessian trail along the outside of the nests as decoration.
The Hamerkops perform ‘ceremonies’ on their nests – and also on our garage roof. We see them in the early mornings – running circles around each other, raising their crests and fluttering their wings. Later they preen themselves in the sun before flying off to spend the day wading in streams and hunting for food in shallow vleis.
I was thinking about these strange birds, about rituals in the animal kingdom and  about the rituals that landmark our human lives as I attended a wedding this weekend. Weddings are about love and abundance, about families and sharing and welcoming.  It can be a challenge for the caterer to keep calm and accommodating in the midst of changing plans and schedules, inadequate home kitchens, small children, demanding elders and sometimes drunken guests. This wedding required a sit down lunch for around fifty guests and later on the feeding of what appeared to be hundreds.
The wedding took place in a beautiful quirky home on a hill-top forested with msasas and with an expansive view. After the ceremony we moved to a lower level of the property where tables were set out under the trees and where the first course was already plated and waiting. Good idea as timing for hot food gets stressful. Lovely lemony fish – a variation on the South American ceviche which is a favourite of mine. I make it at home a lot.
The basic ingredient is raw fish marinated in the juice of an acidic fruit, salt, and seasonings – usually chillie. (not in this case though – and a little more bite would have been welcome). Depending on how long it is marinated, the citric acid alters the structure of the proteins in the fish, making the fish more opaque and firm, just as if it has been cooked with heat. This fish felt a little cooked as well as marinated which made it a bit leathery – but the flavouring was nicely piquant, as was the dressing on the accompanying salad.  Accompanied by lots of crusty, fresh bread and butter and washed down with good champagne and nice rose wine, it was a good start to the meal.
Caterer, Amanda Wessels, of Fusion continued keeping things simple with a buffet main course of beautifully cooked cold ham and cold chicken in a curried sauce. This was served with a cornucopia of flavoursome roast vegetables. We finished with chocolate cake and strawberries and some good cheeses.  Lovely food on a sublimely sunny afternoon.
On arrival we noticed some beasts being roasted over spits – and these turned up later – as sliced lamb and pork stuffed into soft bread rolls with salad to feed the party hordes as the celebration continued into the night.
It was a lovely celebration of diversity and a big yes to abundance and togetherness.  Next week it will be time to venture out to public places again!
– g.jeke@yahoo.com