Welcome 2016! Plus, tomatoes.

Dear Friend of the Farm

You say Tomato, we say Heirloom Tomato. With tomato season upon us and yellow, red, pink and purple slices on our plates, we confirm what it is that makes heirloom tomatoes so much better than the conventional ones you can buy at the store any time of year - they taste like real tomatoes.

From teensy little cherry heirlooms to hefty, rippling beefsteaks with colours that range from the palest yellows to deep, dark indigo, heirloom tomatoes with all of their gorgeous hues and wildly different shapes are a vision that still-life paintings - or Instagram pics - are made of.

As tomato fans everywhere know, the unique beauty of these heirloom tomatoes is rivaled only by their outstanding, intense flavours that are varied as much as their appearance. Not to mention they are life-changing in their juicy almost buttery texture.

We'll have a few varieties of organically grown, heirloom tomatoes at Market Day tomorrow from more than 5 farmers, including:

Farmer Rob Hofmeyr of Basilhof Farm just outside Oudtshoorn - currently harvesting three quarters of a ton per week of the most divine cocktail tomatoes, grown in soil in the Karoo sunshine.
Farmer Skye Fehlmann of Naturally Organics, growing Cherry Tomatoes in Tunnels in Philippi.
Farmers Mark, Tendai and Thomas at OZCF in Oranjezicht growing Black Cherry Tomatoes in tunnels and Tommy Toe Tomatoes in the soil in Oranjezicht.
Farmers Henriette and Francois Malan of White Mountain Natural Produce - a biodynamic farm on the outskirts of Wolseley in the Breede River Valley, growing mini sweet plum tomatoes.
Farmer Eric Swarts growing Cherry Tomatoes in Stellenbosch at Spier.

Each of these have unique flavour, for example, Tommy Toes are round to slightly elongated-shaped cherry tomatoes, bright red and prolific with excellent flavour and plenty of juice.

We love what Australian retailer, Aldi is doing by taking the love of this vegetable to a whole new level. They have developed a sensual ode to the tomato:

In this ad a tomato-loving man is seen expressing his unbridled adoration for the juicy red fruit as a love song plays:

â€œBaby youâ€™re so fine,

Swaying on the vine,

It's a Roma romance for two

Baby just truss in me

from my heart to my toes

I believe, I believe, when I put my truss in you."

If you, like us, are heirloom tomato addicts, you'll come early for the pick of the crop.

OZCF on Upper Orange St, Oranjezicht is open to visitors every day except Sunday from 8am to 4pm.

Why not visit the farm in Upper Orange Street with the family. The Farm is looking exquisite, its bursting at the seams with summer abundance, and the views of the City and Table Mountain are some of the best in Cape Town. Open every day except Sunday from 8am to 4pm. You can even volunteer to help Farmer Mark erect our new seedling tunnel, or plant seedlings, mix compost and harvest with Framers Thomas and Tendai. All you need is a healthy spirit together with your hat, water and sunscreen. It's a wonderful way to connect with nature and get to know more about the world of farming in the city.

To find out more email: cityfarm@ozcf.co.za

Market Day Saturday 9 January 2016 from 9am to 2pm, Granger Bay at the V&A Waterfront

Come to Market Day and celebrate some of your local food heroes who make it possible to have delicious, fresh-from-the-farm, locally grown food.

Uber to the Market: Proud to announce that OZCF Market Day has partnered with Uber to get our customers to and from the Market safely and in style. To get you started, Uber will give you a first free ride up to the value of R150. Uber is an on-demand service that seamlessly connects you with a private driver at the tap of a button. The entire service is cash free and the fare is deducted directly from your card on file. We'll also reward you by giving you a 10% discount for purchases in the OZCF Veg Tent on sales of R200 and more upon sight of your Uber receipt. Sign up on: get.uber.com/go/ozcfarm to take advantage of this offer.

What have we got for you this Saturday?

The fiery red and spiky dragon fruit are back - the newest poster child for fruit with health benefits. Itâ€™s not uncommon to hear a chorus of beguiled gasps at the Market when a dragon fruit â€” also known as pitaya â€” is placed in front of an audience. â€œThe flower canâ€™t bloom during the day because the sun would burn the flower,â€ says Farmers Megan and Keith of Akkerdal Farm in Picketberg. â€œIt pops out at night. It blooms to the full moon. If the flower does not get pollinated, the bloom will fall to the ground. And if the bloom falls to the ground, no fruit.â€ On the continents where the cactus normally grows, bats and moths take care of pollination duties, says Keith. Farmers who grow dragon fruit domestically have to go out into the fields under a full moon and pollinate the flowers by hand.

Here's what you need to know about the fruit that should be at the top of your shopping list this weekend. First of all, dragon fruit is beautiful. You kind of donâ€™t want to eat it just because it looks so good on your kitchen counter. Dragon fruit is often called pitaya. It grows from cacti. And has beautiful flowers...Dragon fruit comes in three colours - yellow dragon fruit, red and white or crimson inside. Most important, it is really good for you: thought to be high in Vitamin C and phosphorous, low in sugar and full of antioxidants. And surprise, it's just as gorgeous inside. We'll have 20kgs for you this Saturday at Market Day at Granger Bay, 9am to 2pm.

Thereâ€™s something special happening in the vineyards. Not the vineyards of wine and romance â€“ but vineyards laden with innovative artisan table grapes and unique new flavours. Farmer Eddie Redelinghuys of St Peters Roche Farm in Paarl and owner of Reliance Organic Compost, has supplied us with two varieties of early season own-grown organic black, and green seedless table grapes. Regal Seedless is a South African bred green grape with a tough skin and good shelf life and Sweet Surrender, an early-season black seedless grape with deep rich flavour. Available in 1,5kg boxes and 500g punnets.

This week, we'll have the last (we know we've said that before) of Alan Garlick's Klondyke cherries in 2kg boxes for R180, R90 for 750grams and R35 for 250grams. Two varieties: Sweet Reds and Heidelfinger.

It's such a privilege for us to get the best organically grown vegetables for you from our valued farmers all over Cape Town. Farmer Eric Swarts who farms a piece of land near Spier told us, "Always stand by your principles - you may be less well off financially, but you will be better off in yourself", and Farmer Mosima Pale, who recently move from farming a 750 square metre piece of land off the main road in Wynberg to a hectare site in the Philippi Horticultural Area, and who supplies some of our spinach and kale, says , "I have always known that I love all things green and now I am doing what I love and making a living out of it."

Choose from an A-Z of vegetables and fruits grown by more than 30 local farmers â€“ Nantes Carrots, Golden Beets, Seasonal Salad Mix, Easter Egg Radishes, Victoria Rhubarb, Marvel of the Fours Seasons Lettuce, Red Spring Onion, Curly Kale, Marrow Flowers, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, Rocket, Green and Purple Basil, Savoy Cabbage, Pak Choi, Stinging Nettle, Fennel, Acorn Squash, Striped Butternut, Green Beans, White and Yellow Nectarines, Cling Peaches, Plums and more.

Bringing your own canvas bags is not only the chic, green thing to do, but it will also help ingratiate you with the traders, who are operating on slim profit margins. If you can get to the market early, you are guaranteeing yourself the best selection, and there are sometimes bargains to be found at the end of the day.

Charcuterie is no longer the old-fashioned butcher down the block. The gastronomic tradition is being redefined using the best ingredients. We welcome new trader, Richard Bosman Quality Cured Meats, with delicious handmade, small batch cured meat. Choose from Truffle, Fennel and Citrus Whisky Salamis, Korean Chorizo, Wild Boar Coppa (Salami), Prosciutto and Fuet, Cacciatorini (Small cured sausage), Cured Pork Fillet and Pork Crackling, Soujouk (Turkish Sausage), Gemsbok Bresaola (aged salted beef), Confit Duck and Duck Prosciutto. The pork is sourced from Oak Valley Farm in Elgin, Buttons Farm in Piketberg and some from Glen Oakes in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. They are free range or pasture reared. If you want to taste on site, Richard will also make Woodstock Bakery croissants filled with prosciutto, rocket and shaved Parmesan. Richard is conducting a charcuterie course on the 5th February 2016. It is a one day course covering block work, salami, sausages, bacon, prosciutto and coppa. You get to take home your own products too. Looking for the gift for someone who has everything? This course is ideal - Contact: richard@richardbosman.co.za.

Late last year we were introduced to Titia Blake's story. This is a tale of the humble beginnings of a product called, "That MAYO: The Best Mayo In This World''. In and around 1980, a beautiful blonde violinist was in Cape Town to be found, making hours of music with the local symphony orchestra. At that stage, her culinary talents did not yet match her expertise in Vivaldi. Fast forward a few years, and a Valentines gift it did make to her chosen love, the foreign trumpeter, who had admired her from across the orchestral stage. To him she did bestow in the early days of their courtship a year's supply of the taste sensation. Whether it was this surreptitious gift, or her long blonde locks, we will not know, but today they remain bound...music ever playing...a jar of the mayonnaise always present in their home. Shortly after the birth of the mayo, came an easily bored, ever-determined daughter who thought...this mayo...is delicious...everyone loves it...this is just so obvious...everyone should be able to have it.

But there were some problems. At the stage when That MAYO was conceived, things like gluten, wheat, dairy, sugar and preservatives were all the rage, and certainly not a profanity on an ingredients list. As such, and to appeal to the refined nose of the daughter, some significant reorganisation of the ingredients was required. Sugar was out, stevia was in. Sulphured pre-squeezed lemon juice was substituted for delicious fresh organic lemons from Citrusdal. Store bought spirit vinegar was banished and beautiful cloudy organic apple cider vinegar took its place. White sea salt was ditched in favour of perfectly pink mineral-enriched Himalayan rock salt. Store-procured, flour-infused chilli powder was transformed to rich, flavoursome organic spice. And so the star was born. To complete the transformation, a name, That MAYO, was chosen, as even in its infant stages it wasn't going to be any mayo, it was, always, going to be, That MAYO. Just the one. The only one worth eating. There is another secret to the magical mix. In honour of its musical heritage, That MAYO, is always made, dancing, joyfully, in the kitchen. Come and try some this Saturday.

Salad Lover have a new salad - chickpea, carrot and spinach salad with smoked paprika dressing. Yum. If that's not mouthwatering enough then try bean sprout and pear salad with sesame seed dressing or roasted aubergines and mushroom salad with fresh basil leaves and home-made teriyaki sauce or the veggie patties served with tomato and onion relish.

Louise Steenkamp of Wild at Heart Cordials, tells us that her Elderflower Cordial is still available exclusively from our Market Day this coming Saturday. Infused into a botanical cordial, Elderflower becomes a delicately aquamarine tincture destined to dance with champagne in elegant saucers, or mingle between the bubbles of San Pellegrino at smart garden parties. Sometimes, it even finds itself cast as jelly, wobbling wantonly with fresh fruits of the forest, or coupled with a cool and tart raspberry sorbet. Simply enchanting, elderflower cordial is a wondrous thing.

There's local, artisanal cheeses from Around Cheese and The Culture Club, crusty loaves from Woodstock Bakery, honey from the Honey Connoisseur, West Coast oysters and mussels from The Oyster Lady, smoked fish and snoek pate from Stef of Delifish, a selection of sublime olives from Chrisnaâ€™s and so much more to buy to take home and to eat on site.

Don't miss Spades and Spoons irresistible vegetarian buffet, much of which is completely raw and vegan or try a Sababa shakshuka (a spicy, Middle Eastern take on eggs and tomatoes), or a Spanish paella by The Spanish Kitchen.

Can't get to Market Day? Here's how you can still get great local veg every week

Not everyone can get to Market Day on Saturday mornings, but if you're in Cape Town that won't stop you from getting healthy veg grown chemical-free by small farmers right here in the Mother City.

Sign up for a veg box subscription. What better way to get the new year off to a lekker start than ensuring your supply of a full season of fresh, local veg? The veggies come from projects that help empower the disadvantaged and make our local food system more healthy and just. We have three options to choose from:

A Farm box collected from the Oranjezicht City Farm on Wednesdays, ideal for families of 3-4 people (or 1-2 juicing fanatics!). Just R150 per week.
A City box collected from 75 Harrington Street on the edge of District Six on Fridays, ideal for 2-3 people. Just 120 per week.
A new CSA veg box from FairFood SA that will be delivered to your door on Tuesdays, direct from Farmer Eric Swarts in partnership with the Ethical Co-op. Ideal for 3-4 people. Just R150 per week plus R45 for door-to-door delivery anywhere in Cape Town.

With 2 locations on 2 days and an option for delivery to your home or work place, there's no excuse not to sign up. E-mail vegbox@ozcf.co.za to sign up or for more details on any of these options.

American celebrity chef, Bobby Flay is attributed to have said:

"Go vegetable heavy. Reverse the psychology of your plate by making meat the side dish and vegetables the main course".

We like.

See you at Market Day at Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront or at the Farm in Upper Orange St, Oranjezicht.

And Remember to Eat Your Greens.

The Oranjezicht City Farm Team