I don’t know a whole heckuva lot about South Africa. But I have some awesome blog-friends from there. I truly enjoy their posts and hobbies and photography. I’m learning.
So, this is what I know firsthand…
Squash.
My Mom has traveled there for her job. She brought back some squash seeds, and put me to work growing South African squash in Iowa.
It worked!
And wowsers, are they better than plain old American yellow squash! Smaller, but oh-so-much better tasting!
I also know that they have many more exotic animals than we could ever hope to see here.
She said the zebras were rather snobbish, as they wouldn’t pose for her and would only show her their rear-ends. 🙂
But I suppose my anxiety would be much worse if I were to step out on my deck at sunset to hear the snort of a wild boar, or see a herd of water buffalo grazing in my back yard. The cats would most likely need to be medicated as well! They are a tad high strung over the neighbor’s fenced-in horses already…
And finally, I know that they have beautiful sea shores.
Maybe someday I shall know more of South Africa, but this is what I can share for now.
Thanks for stopping by!
yarnchick 
What a lovely post 🙂 I remember you told me that your mom came over here for a bit (I think you said on business?), did she come to Cape Town at all?
Your squash look perfect, and they are one of my favourite veggies. How do you cook them? We tend to prick them with a fork (skin can be quite tough) and then boil for about 20 mins, and then cut in half, remove pips, and eat with a bit of butter and salt and pepper. They are a very undervalued and yummy food.
Weird animals? Depends where you go! haha. I’m guessing your mom went to a reserve or a national park? There are ‘wild’ elephants in the Knysna forest, but only about 5 or 6 left, I believe. Until relatively recently there used to be leopards on Table Mountain, but I don’t think anyone has spotted one for a good while, so maybe there aren’t any left now. It’s a shame.
Last week two hippos escaped from a private game lodge somewhere a couple of hours out of Cape Town. I’ve told my neighbours to keep a close eye on their fishponds – when those girls want water, nothing stands in their way…
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HI Jill! My Mom is a research scientist for our zoo – but she just calls herself a “plant-nerd”. She lectured in Johannesburg and Durbin back in January. And you are correct, she went to a reserve for those shots. You say leopards, as in WILD LEOPARDS and escaped hippos?? See, you DO have a whole bunch of fantastic animals nearby! I hope the conservation efforts continue where you are – I shudder to think of all the lost species.
As for the squash, we tend to just slice it up (rather thin) and saute it with olive oil or butter in a skillet until it’s tender-crisp. I often season it with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, but I suppose you don’t have that in your stores? A close approximation is to season it with salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika. I am trying to reserve some of the squash for seed to plant next year, but it’s just so tough to leave them on the vine and not pick them to eat!
Cheers 🙂
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