12 Ways to use Quinces

April 19th, 2016

It’s believed that station commander Jan van Riebeeck planted the first quince trees in Africa from pips that he brought from Holland. Quince trees are often used as rootstock for other fruit trees. In our garden, we’ve grafted old-fashioned medlar trees onto some quince rootstock.

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The Bee’s Knees

October 2nd, 2015

You know that slightly rushed, panicked feeling that characterises most of our lives? It is no excuse. Bees have it too, in fact they live to be only six or seven weeks old. What they achieve in so little time is remarkable. Through their masterful pollination skills and their sexy little dances, they are responsible for over one third of all the food we eat.

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Dark Chocolate Terrine of Black Olives & Walnuts

April 7th, 2015

We grow quite a number of olive cultivars, some we use for pickling, and the rest we use to make our extra virgin olive oil. ...

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Summer Salads

October 30th, 2013

Summer is here and we’re enjoying watching the last spring blossoms turning into ripening fruits.
Our new summer menu in Babel is inspired by the ...

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Babylonstoren Mushrooms

September 30th, 2013


October is mushroom month at Babylonstoren. In our mushroom cellar, a hi-tech space in which light, humidity and temperature are strictly controlled, we are ...

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Waterblommetjiebredie

August 6th, 2013



A great Boland convention is waterblommetjiebredie (a delectable, hearty stew). Waterblommetjie (Aponogeton distachyos) literally denotes “water flower” and is endemic to the Western Cape.  During the ...

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Biltong & Olive Salt Recipe

July 9th, 2013

Seeking a creative alternative for everyday table salt? We’ve been making a biltong and olive salt for the farm shop and restaurant. This salt compliments ...

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Muesli Tart Recipe

March 13th, 2013

One of our favourite breakfasts (and a great mid-afternoon snack, too). We offer a fresh fruit, yoghurt and muesli or granola breakfast to our hotel guests ...

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Stay warm this weekend! Glühwein Recipe

August 10th, 2012

There’s some pretty icy weather forecast for the Western Cape this weekend, so we can’t think of anything more appropriate than making a big pot ...

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