La Petite Ferme Summer Blog

Thursday, 5 December, 2019
La Petite Ferme
The advent of summer in our valley brings with it a tide of holiday spirit. It's been an incredible year at La Petite Ferme which has seen some exciting opportunities for us and some wonderful changes on the cards.

In this issue, we look ahead to the future with gusto as we launch our Summer Menu 2019. We share with you our plans for building a bright future and what that means for some of our home-grown young talents. As we wrap up the year, we are grateful for so much; our beautiful farm, all our fantastic guests and our valued team who make it all possible.

A taste of summer with Chef Kyle

This season Chef Kyle has delivered a fresh, light menu that maintains a delicate balance between our heritage-inspired plates and forays into dishes of the new world. All ingredients are sourced as close to the restaurant as possible. To dine at La Petite Ferme is a local-led journey of culinary bliss.

Our delicious starter of Springbok carpaccio sets the tone; served with Wasabi Crème Fraiche, miso yaki, garnished with Buchu dust, radish crisp and sorghum popcorn it is guaranteed to be a firm favourite this season. The main course selection invites your palate to embark on a new adventure. Smoked Pork Rib Eye with sage and sunflower crumb, Kimshi apple, grilled artichoke (a summer favourite), carrot and ginger Kampuchea, crunchy mange tout and grilled scallions. The Heritage Lamb features as our ever-popular heritage dish accompanied by a chocolate mint yogurt, butter potato frikkadel, crispy onion and kale with a biltong Yorkshire pudding. The beetroot spaghetti brings a ‘pop’ of colour and the dish is finished off beautifully with a fresh pea jus.

Are you opting for meat-free meals this holiday season? Our vegan, gluten and dairy-free options will delight you. Try our Spicy Cauliflower Steak with roasted pepperdew puree, garlic fondant, dukkah spice and a South African favourite, pickled onion, garnished with parsley oil and carrot jus. Desserts lead you down a path of wild, sweet abandon. Be sure to leave room to dally with Pastry Chef Ester’s inspired take on Peppermint Crisp tart, one of South Africa's most beloved summer indulgences. The dish is a rapture of coconut cake, brandy caramel espuma, mint ice-cream and honeycomb shard.

Each of our tables enjoys terrific views of the verdant valley below. Our team will assist you in pairing your menu selection with our beautiful wines. Our Sauvignon Blanc is a firm favourite in summer. Hints of green apple, passion fruit and pineapple. Semillon rounds off the wine and gives length to the palate.

Before you return home, visit our gift corner in the lounge opposite the restaurant. Here, you will find a selection of handpicked gift items; each has a remarkable story to tell. You will also find some homemade treats by Chef Kyle and his team. Our beautifully crafted fine wines are on sale too and make for excellent gifts for your cherished loved ones. Make your booking online and join us for a celebration of summer.

The future is bright and belongs to our youth

Once again, this year, we had the privilege to be a part of the Mayoral Youth Skills Development Programme. We partnered with Stellenbosch University and training company, eXtraordinary Solutions to train and recruit unemployed youth from the Franschhoek valley. The program is a community development initiative launched in support of Youth Day on 16th June.

We have faith in the local talent of our valley and are delighted to participate as a host employer. From the start, we enjoyed being actively involved in the three-month training curriculum. The students that were hand-selected after undergoing a stringent entrance evaluation succeeded due to their passion, determination and commitment to all-round excellence. We are proud to welcome two of the program graduates into our fold this season. We wish them a prosperous career journey with us at La Petite Ferme. All participants, particularly the students, can be very proud of their achievement. There is much to look forward to next year, and we look forward to sharing all our exciting developments with you. Enjoy the festive season and all the beautiful celebrations with your loved ones. If you're travelling, go safely. If you are visiting us, we look forward to welcoming you. From all of us here at La Petite Ferme in Franschhoek, happy holidays!