t e x t: r u t h d e c e r f f ; p r o d u c t i o n : d e a n va n a s w e g e n ;

p h o t o g r a p h s : r o b y n dav i e p h o t o g r a p h y; p o r t r a i t
p h oto g r a p h : a n n a l i z e n e l

house
garden
aperitifs

000
italian tapas
feast of all the best
a table-groaning
susan greig created
alfresco evening feast
Susan Greig on the art of the
Legendary host, and now caterer,
La Dolce Vita
T
he surprise sixtieth
that chef and hostess
Susan Greig threw
for her husband
Christopher kicked
off midweek at dusk,
with what she dubbed
an aperitivo theme; casual Italian cocktails
and tapas. Trays of Negroni and Aperol
Spritz circulated and a large buffet table
boasted a seemingly endless array of
traditional Italian tapas.
An Italian menu was par for the course,
considering the man of the hour’s Italian
roots, as well as the pure delight Susan
herself takes in the cuisine: ‘It’s the most
universally delicious food on the planet,
and the wide choice of recipes and food
inspiration made it easy to create an
abundant buffet table — which is what
I wanted to create — a table groaning
with food.’
For Susan, the key elements to
hosting are simple: bite-sized appetisers
and glasses that remain full. With both
children out the nest, she now has the
time to use hosting and catering
as a way of further exploring her
passion for ‘creating beautiful food
and deliciousness’.
She recently took her company, Flavours
of Susan Greig, to the next level by adding
a catering service to her already esteemed
cooking school, with partner, Cathy Joyner.
Unsurprisingly, her speciality will be lavish
harvest tables of fresh, delicious flavours
appropriate to the season and occasion,
which she will drop off for clients who want
to use their own serveware.
However, she is also available to provide
an entirely bespoke service including staff,
drinks, plates and platters and arranging
the table. In short, the answer to zero
headache hosting and happy parties.
n8 susangreig.co.za

28 house garden
 aperitifs

The Menu
Roast fillet with a mustard selection
Roasted gammon
Prosciutto
Cheese boards with breadsticks,
preserves and a bread selection
Arancini Red peppers filled
with ricotta, garlic and chilli and with
anchovy, tomatoes and olives
Rocket, Parmesan and pine nut salad
Spinach spanakopita Pasta fresca,
with raw cubed tomato, Italian
rocket, Parmesan, chilli tossed in
olive oil, onions and garlic
Mushroom and truffle oil spanakopita
Burrata with figs and pesto sauce
Caprese salad platter Fresh green
asparagus with shavings of Parmesan
Bagna càuda with fresh, raw vegetables

Aperol Spritz
50ml Aperol
75ml prosecco
25ml soda water
orange slices, for garnish

1. Fill a wine or balloon glass with ice.

2. Combine prosecco and Aperol, finished
off with a dash of soda water. 3. Garnish
the cocktail with orange slices.

For her husband christopher’s sixtieth

birthday party, susan opted for the
freshly back-in-vogue buffet lunch. The
italian-inspired offering was both fresh
in flavour and vibrant in colour

house garden 000