When I first started  Wooden spoon kitchen I had visions of people cooking and eating together. Celebrating life, good food, and wine whilst sitting on long tables under the stars. That dream finally came to life a few weeks ago when Wooden spoon kitchen hosted its first supper club.

What is supper club about?

For me it is about getting together to cook and eat. Trying new foods and meeting new people. The bonus is that we got some sponsors on board to make the evening extra special and because my lovely friend and photographer friend  Tracey Kelsey documented it so beautifully I can actually let you in on our great event.

It was a beautiful evening with a chance of rain, but our Al fresco dinner only lasted until after starters and we had to rush inside and clear tables after the first signs of rain. So the kitchen was a little more messy but the spirits were high and we carried on cooking and eating inside as the storm was raging outside.

My wonderful and talented husband restored this beautiful table to it’s former glory in a mere hours before our guests arrived(we like living on the edge)  For table placements I used  brown paper bags and did the illustration and names myself. I find it so therapeutic and want to practice more calligraphy.

Babette’s bread sponsored the mini baguettes and the guests could take them home. I have abundance of lavender in my garden and just used some brown tweed string to decorate the bags.

I love the rawness of the wood and did not want to use a tablecloth so just cut some place mats with brown paper.

The lanterns I bought from Westpack and the oil even contain citronella for the pesky mosquito’s. I used some recycled jars and covered them with hessian and filled them with violet and yellow wild flowers.

My favourite part of the table decoration was the small battery powered bulbs hanging above the table. I bought them from Homestuff. I really like a rustic setting and  enamel plates and bowls wins me over every time. I can imagine using them for every supper club.

The baguettes from Babettes bread was out of this world. So lovingly handmade with sourdough and stone ground flour. Babette told me that on a Friday the bakers work during the night. How is that for dedication. If you want to get your hands on these beautiful artisan breads you can find Babettes bakery in Maboneng. She also delivers to The cheese gourmet in Linden.

Faitfhull to nature spoiled all the guests with an all natural lip balm and a voucher to spend on their online shop. They have a massive range of organic and natural products. I am always so inspired by them to keep on trying living a healthier and cleaner life.

We started the evening off with a crisp  Zandvliet Chardonnay.Such an elegant wine with peach and nutty flavours it paired really well with the tomato gazpacho and crostini bar that included griddled baguettes, basil pesto, caramelised red onions, parma ham, brie, camembert and goats cheese and 2 of Pauli’s amazing vegetables sauces.

The menu

After some hurried clearing before the rain caught us we got on with the cooking. The group split into three teams and could hardly wait to start. Team 1 made falafel, hummus, and a Tahini dressing.

Team 2 made a wonderfully fresh and zesty Quinoa tabbouleh with fresh coriander, spring onions from the garden, lemon zest, and feta cheese. They were also in charge of mint and feta meatballs and flatbreads.

Team 3 had the creative task of making three desserts and plating it. Black bean brownies, avocado ice cream and chocolate mousse (made from chickpea brine, yes you heard right) It is actually amazing how it can whisk up to an egg white consistency. Faithful to nature were real superstars and sponsored some amazing ingredients for our main meal.
We brought it all together in true Jamie Oliver style on platters. The idea was to build your own buddah bowl with falafel or meatballs, tabbouleh and spiralised carrots and baby marrows, purple cabbage,avocado roses and topped it off with hummus, a tahini dressing,toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh coriander and extra chilli. The Zandvliet sauvignon blanc paired very well with our light fresh meal.

I have been wanting to make these black bean brownies from the Hemsley sisters for ages now and decided that now was the ideal opportunity to try them out for our first supper club. They are so delicious, healthy and easy. Just look how chuffed one of the guests are with his masterpiece. The avocado ice cream was a real hit and the colour o, so pretty. We sprinkled some  pistachio’s over for some extra crunch. To glam up your plate melt some chocolate over a bain marie and paint a brush stroke over the plate with a pastry brush.

Black bean brownies recipe

Zandvliet Shiraz was a perfect match to the trio of desserts with dark chocolate notes. I can see why it remains one of South Africa’s favourite red table wines.

It was a great evening with lots of laughs and kitchen fun. Thanks also to my lovely guests, you were the best!! Our next supper club is on 25 November, only 10 spots available. The menu and sponsors are already finalised. It is going to be a good one, and all I am going to say is Italy and Gin. 

Supper club credits

Photographer: Tracey Kelsey Photography
Concept and Styling: Wooden spoon kitchen
Venue: Wooden spoon kitchen

Thank you to our fabulous sponsors:

Zandvliet wines 
Faithfull to nature
Babette’s bread
Pauli’s