Crush Gets Cooking With Westfalia Fruit

Words: Jess Spiro

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At Crush we love the opportunity to meet and interact with of our readers and there’s no better way to do this than with our readers events. Last week Thursday the 29th of September, we partnered up with our friends from Westfalia Fruit, to host a reader event inspired by all things avocado. The event was held at The Giggling Gourmet’s Cook’s PlayGround in De Waterkant, and 30 loyal readers joined us to cook along.

The evening was a celebration of the delicious avocado fruit, and so all aspects of the evening, from the decor to the menu, showcased the fruit. Renowned food stylist and Westfalia Fruit ambassador, Heleen Meyer, was in charge of all things food and she and her team put together an incredible spread of snacks to welcome guests.

Our wine partner for the evening was Peter Falke and the pouring of welcome drinks began as guests walked through the door. To start, there was a choice of the delicately oaked Chardonnay or the complex and fruity Blanc de Noir, which proved a crowd pleaser and saw invitees gear up for a fun night.

As guests mingled they whet their with the generous offerings of Westfalia guacamoles and even an avo hummus– perfect for scooping onto Santa Anna’s nacho chips. There were also delicious, straight-from-the-oven flatbreads drizzled with Westfalia avocado oils and topped with caramalised onions and ripe and ready avos. Guests were also invited to taste Westfalia’s range of flavoured avocado oils to learn more about their flavour and versatility.

After much snacking and chatting, Heleen took the reins, and started her demonstration for the group. She ran everyone through exactly what they were going to be making, (a Chilli and Herb Steak with Avocado Sauce and a Roast Butternut and Cauliflower Salad) including tips for cooking their steaks, to tricks behind selecting the perfect avo. From there, guests were let loose to cook dinner for themselves!

First things first, all guests donned their aprons for the evening and then got to work tackling their recipes. The cooking process had been very streamlined by Heleen and team, and the guests were responsible for marinating and cooking their steaks, making their avocado sauce and compiling their salads. Butternut was tossed in a mix of zesty lemon-flavoured avocado oil, cinnamon, cumin and rooibos and popped in the oven to roast. Chickpeas and cauliflower were then combined, along with feta to make a hearty salad. A quick and easy sauce of guacamole and fresh avocado was then put together, to go alongside the beefy main course. The steak had been sitting in a quick marinade of chilli and garlic flavoured avocado oils that had been spruced up with fresh herbs, coriander seeds and ginger. The guests, following Heleen’s expert guidance, then seared the steaks and cooked theirs to their taste.

Once the hard work was over, the diners dished up other delicious sides including Avo on Greens salad and Feta and Herb Beer Bread and then made their way to sit down and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Everyone was awed by the artfully decorated tables with Jomeri Mouton’s beautiful flower and veggie arrangements taking centre stage. It was the ideal time to switch up the wine, and glasses were filled with Peter Falke Cabernet Sauvignon – a perfect pairing for the steak.

Despite mountains of food being consumed, there was still space for dessert and those after something sweet, could tuck into and irresistible skinny dark chocolate mousse (made with avocado, but you really wouldn’t even have known!), chewy chocolate biscuits and fresh lemon and blueberry cupcakes, all three made with Wesfalia avocados and avocado oils. Organic rooibos teas, by Carmien proved the perfect accompaniment.

Before long it was time for everyone to head home, but not empty handed. Everyone received a Westfalia shopping bag, fit to burst with a bottle of Westfalia Avocado Oil, avocados to ripen at home, Santa Anna’s nacho chips, a selection of Carmien teas, a refreshingly healthy Craft Soda and a tub of Beer Country Karoo Dust spice mix. Everything one would need to prepare for a weekend snack session . All in all, a fun and exciting night was had by everyone, interacting with the delicious and versatile Westfalia Fruit products plus learning more about this wonderful fruit!