The Boers planted their vegetables and fruit from pips that they had carried with them on the wagon trail (the wapad) and, in many cases, it took tenacity and patience to succeed but they did,  and did so well. Peaches, cherries, oranges, figs, apricots and more were successfully planted in various regions and today some of them are still amongst the largest fruit growing regions in South Africa. Fruit was used in much of the cooking and it is common to find sweet fruit preserves and chutneys served with meat dishes and often even cooked with meat. Here  a  modern version of one of the oldest drupes on earth, the olive.

OLIVE PASTE

Ingredients

• 350 g preserved black olives, pitted
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 100 g capers
• 45 g preserved anchovy fillets, oil discarded
• 1 tsp lemon zest, grated
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 15 ml brandy
• 15  ml extra virgin Karoo olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Using a pestle and mortar, pound all the ingredients together to form a smooth paste and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.