I recently spent a week camping with rural locals, which was enjoyable as well as packed with new insights and cultural and linguistic revelations.
One of the most surprising learnings I had took place when I made coleslaw to have with our dinner – nothing unusual for me. But when the kids saw the coleslaw, their immediate response was to ask, ‘Who died?’
It turns out that coleslaw is usually served at rural funerals (and not really otherwise).
In fact, I discovered that coleslaw is known in our rural areas and townships as Johan (pronounced Joo-hun) 14. This refers to Chapter John 14 of the Christian Bible, which famously begins:
1 Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
I was amazed to realise that I had been unaware of such a simple thing for so long, and having Johan 14 at a non-funeral meal – more than once, nogal – was a new experience for everyone else. Our laughter filled the valley.
Speaking of cabbages, it’s still a good time to get seeds into the ground, especially with all the rain we’ve been receiving. Cabbages like sun, and it’s worth planting a lot of marigolds between the cabbages to deter cabbage moths. Other herbs, such as dill, sage, thyme and rosemary, as well as pungent onions and garlic, also help to keep the bugs away. Keep the soil well mulched to reduce water loss. Remember to let your strongest plant or two go to seed for next year.
If you do get bugs, ‘khakibos water’ and ‘white oil’ work well. To make white oil, mix 1 part dishwashing liquid with 2 parts vegetable oil. Shake it well to get a milky concentrate. Dilute this concentrate with water (10-20ml concentrate: 1 litre water) before applying it to affected leaves. The white oil concentrate should keep for around three months in a cool, dry place.
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