From Field to Plate

Every winter our master baker and chef Karen Pretorius flies abroad to work alongside fellow artisan producers. This year she left little Trompie and the chicken brood heartbroken to spend time with animals of a different feather.

Karen is now in Denmark (think top restaurant Noma, Karen Blixen who wrote Babette’s Feast). She’s at Steensgaard, an organic farm amongst rolling hills in the southern part of Fünen, the 3rd largest island of Denmark.  The area is renown for its culinary tradition and natural beauty. At Steensgaard cattle, sheep and pigs are raised. Meat is also processed in the slaughterhouse, matured and dried in the ripening cellar. There’s also an eatery and a farm shop offering a variety of raw cuts, charcuterie, fresh veggies, chocolate, honey, wine, craft beers and coffee … all ecologically produced.

What sets Steensgaard apart, is the journey from field to table: from growing feed to rearing the animal, then slaughtering it and finally offering a quality slice of meat –  all taking place in house.

They also boast a veggie garden with their very own “Gundula”. Her tomatoes are yummy, sun drenched with summery flavours. The secret, Karen reports, is Baroque music played to the plants, although it seems that the tomatoes can’t abide  Vivaldi!

Karen not only baked artisan bread, but worked alongside Steensgaard’s two butchers to fashion a variety of products from the four pigs and one cow they slaughtered while she was there: sausages, pâtés and charcuterie – all made organically without  artificial additives or preservatives.

Back at Babylonstoren look out for Karen’s delicious plum-wood smoked bacon served at our hotel breakfast, moist beef biltong and some glistening Christmas hams in December. We’re looking forward to the Karen Blixen touches, keep you eyes peeled.

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