Anybody with cats or kids knows: Saturday mornings are not for lazy lie-ins. Nor are Sundays for that matter. Being quite a scheming little feline, Merlot varies her strategy for getting me up and getting herself fed, but basically it boils down to a combination of flirting, yowling and biting. I don’t mind this (too much) as it means I get my weekend shopping done early. And so it was last Saturday when, freshly showered and recently bitten, I drove the all of 6km from my house in the ’burbs to Oranjezicht in Cape Town’s city bowl. There, nestled basically at the foot of Table Mountain, is what I consider one of Cape Town’s most awesome gems – a farm in the heart of the city.
Established by local residents on municipal land that had fallen into disuse, the Oranjezicht City Farm project is a perfect example of the wonderful things that can happen when people care – about their communities, about education and skills transfer and about the environment. I love the ethos of it. But I love the fact I can get organic, locally-grown veggies for a steal even more. You can be all Earth Mother about it and pick your own at the OZCF (on Wednesdays). Or you can be lazy like me, and get it at the adjacent OZCF market on Saturdays. The market only opens at 9am (which is late if a cat started biting you at 6am) but I kill time by wondering around the farm cuppa in hand, staring at the mountain and Table Bay and generally thinking how incredibly wonderful life is.
Oranjezicht City Farm Market: Bring your basket and load up for the week.
When the market bell rings at nine, I politely elbow my way through the other early birds and get my veggie fill for the week. Pomegranates for just R10 each? I’ll take two. White radishes? Haven’t seen those in a while. Purple figs? I’ll take the lot. Of course veggies isn’t all you can get at the market. Grab a cappuccino then check out the breads, pastries, home made cordials, charcuterie, free-range eggs, jams, cheeses and, and, and… This is laid-back stuff. Bring the family and labradoodle, spread out a blankie under the oak trees and have breakfast. Eggs baked on a spicy tomato sauce served with soft Turkish bread sounds just up my street. Con Amici calls it Shakshuka. I call it delicious. Finish it off with a bit of mid-morning theatre at the Nitro Creamy stand where local, David Stone, and his nephew Michael play with nitrogen to make ice cream on demand. The kids’ll love it.
Visit the OZCF Market Day this weekend. You won’t be sorry. Oh, and check out the wonderful educational trips they offer here.
where
Homestead Park, Upper Orange Street,
Oranjezicht, Cape Town
when
9am-2pm every Saturday
family friendly
Absolutely
doggie friendly
Bring him too
About this article: I only write about places and things I actually really like. Should I receive complimentary meals/tickets/diamonds, this will always be revealed. I’m not in the rubbishing business, so if something is not my cup of tea, I’ll simply not write about it (but I’ll keep the diamonds). Therefore this is not so much a review, as a personal recommendation of places and things I like. Living in Cape Town, I focus mainly on the Western Cape, and I can only cover so many places (there is that troublesome thing of trying to make a living, after all). This is where I need your help. Please share your favourite markets, festivals, restaurants and wine tasting experiences from all over the country with others by using the ‘COMMENTS’ section below.
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