A perfect accompaniment to the cold, wet Cape winter weather is a warm pot of waterblommetjiebrede, made with the flowers of a waterlily plant – it’s about as traditional a stew as one can find in the Cape. Although we’re looking forward to using the fleshy older flowers in our bredie soon, we’ve been picking a few of the early crop, which are sweetly fragrant, decorative, and also nice to nibble on.

How beautiful it is to have a pond strewn with flowers! It is worth taking a moment to inhale their sweet fragrance and to gaze across the calm waters at the plants outlining the reflection of the Simonsberg Mountain. Wintertime in the Cape at its best.