Yesterday I made my first seed bombs together with a energetic group of food bloggers. It was the media launch for the Eat Out Dstv Food Network Festival taking place in March, and was hosted by urban farmer and food blogger Matt Allison (formerly known as ‘I'm no Jamie Oliver’).

We sat under umbrellas in the garden, spraying ourselves with misted water infused with Matt's herbs, whilst making these seed bombs from clay, seeds and compost. (Read the recipe here.) 

In between, we munched on gorgeous rosy beetroot and Turkish delight cupcakes that had been frosted and topped with Iranian fairy floss. To cool us down were oversized beakers filled with watermelon juice, colourful Mojitos and homemade coconut, white chocolate and pineapple frozen lollies.

The festival, which happens on Friday 15 March and Saturday 16 of March, includes the Produce Awards (at which we’ll announce all the winners), a night and day market, pop-up picnics and a market-to-table dinner, for which some of our top chefs with prepare a dinner for you using the winning products. This will all take place at The Neighbourgoods Market in Cape Town.

Yesterday was one of those days that leave you inspired and happy. Especially with those delightful parting gifts that were so beautifully packaged: little paper bags filled with homemade salted caramel popcorn (closed up with a colourful paperclip and label); terracotta pots with planted herbs; and bottles of homemade apple, orange and ginger juice with the cutest knitted green woolly hats! We left full to the brim with all things wonderful, and munching just-dug carrots from Matt's plot, where he grows an abundance of produce that he supplies to restaurants.

And this morning the seed bombs that I brought home with me are drying outside, waiting to bake brick hard in the sun. Then we can go guerrilla gardening and throw them over walls and onto neglected lots, wait for rain, and see them explode into marigolds all around.

Happy days!
Abigail

See our Facebook gallery of the event.