A garden is more than what grows in it. It is a place to spend time, gather people, nurture life for the table, and—increasingly—reconnect with where our food comes from.
That is the driving philosophy behind Garden Day 2026 on Sunday, 18 October. Now in its 11th year, Garden Day’s theme, From Garden to Table: Grow, Gather, Celebrate, puts the direct connection between growing and eating firmly at the centre of the occasion.
Food gardens play a vital role in food security and personal wellbeing while creating opportunities to learn, share skills, and build community. For chefs, there is something uniquely satisfying about harvesting an ingredient at its peak and transforming it into something worth gathering around a table for.
Over the years, Garden Day has brought together some of South Africa’s most compelling culinary voices, each with their own relationship to growing, gathering, and cooking.
1. Bertus Basson: If You Plant It, Eat It
For Stellenbosch-based chef Bertus Basson, gardening is deeply personal. His love of plants extends to his home garden, where local fynbos grows alongside crisp vegetables and fruit trees.
“Our garden is a bit of a smarty box at the moment, a little all over the show,” Basson laughs.
Raised beds and repurposed fruit bins help him optimize space while keeping plants healthy. His garden operates on a zero-waste loop: charcoal and ash from his restaurant fires are worked directly into the soil beds, while chicken hay becomes protective mulch. He also keeps his pig well clear of the vegetable patch!
“I’m definitely more of a veggie grower. If you plant something, it should serve a purpose—either for beauty or to eat. For me, it’s always about eating!”
His Garden Leaf Salad with Mustard Dressing is a pure expression of this philosophy. At home, the Basson family picks fresh leaves every evening, incorporating non-traditional salad stars like beetroot greens, kale, carrot tops, nasturtium, and spicy mizuna.
RECIPE: Garden Leaf Salad with Mustard Dressing
By Bertus Basson
Ingredients
- Salad Base: Assorted garden leaves (beetroot leaves, kale, carrot tops, nasturtium, mizuna)
- Mustard Dressing:
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 50ml white wine vinegar
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Emulsify: Combine all dressing ingredients in a glass jar. Seal tightly and shake vigorously until smooth and emulsified.
- Assemble: Lightly toss the freshly harvested garden leaves with the dressing immediately before serving.
2. Chef Nti: A Nostalgic Taste of Home
Nthabiseng Nti Ramaboa, better known as Chef Nti, has built her culinary legacy around keeping authentic South African food stories alive. Her cooking bridges familiar heritage flavours with a modern, contemporary approach.
Her Lemongrass and Ginger Beer is rooted in cherished memories of Christmas mornings and celebrations in Soweto—a prime example of how simple garden botanicals can be transformed into a refreshing, celebratory brew meant for sharing.
RECIPE: Lemongrass & Ginger Beer
By Chef Nti
Ingredients
- 625g white sugar
- 250g fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
- 150g fresh lemongrass, chopped
- 4 litres clean water
- 2 whole lemons (juiced and zested)
- 10g active dry yeast
- 1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks (for serving)
Method
- Infuse: Bring 1 litre of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chopped ginger, lemongrass, and sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar completely dissolves.
- Ferment: Remove from heat and pour in the remaining 3 litres of cold water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and yeast. Mix well. Cover and allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 10 to 12 hours.
- Strain & Chill: Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Transfer to glass bottles and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
- Serve: Serve ice-cold over fresh pineapple chunks.
3. Karen Dudley: Letting the Garden Lead
Cape Town food personality and legendary chef Karen Dudley has always possessed a special talent for elevating vegetables to centre stage.
Her Orange Fennel Salad with Pralined Almonds and Smoked Paprika is a vibrant masterpiece tailored for Garden Day. Combining bright citrus, crisp fennel, peppery watercress, fresh herbs, creamy feta, and a crunchy, spiced almond praline, it lets fresh garden produce do all the talking.
RECIPE: Orange Fennel Salad with Pralined Almonds & Smoked Paprika
By Karen Dudley
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 6 medium oranges (use Cara Cara or Blood oranges if in season)
- 2 large fennel bulbs (reserve fronds)
- 80g soft Danish feta, gently broken into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large handful fresh watercress (thick stems removed)
- 10g fresh mint leaves
- Maldon sea salt, to taste
For the Almond Praline:
- 80g flaked almonds
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 100g castor sugar
For the Dressing:
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 tsp runny honey
- Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried thyme)
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp toasted cumin seeds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Method
- Make the Praline: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly buttered parchment paper. Toss the flaked almonds with ½ tsp smoked paprika. Sprinkle castor sugar evenly over the base of a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Melt over medium heat without stirring until it caramelises into a pale golden syrup. Immediately stir in the spiced almonds and quickly spread the mixture paper-thin onto the prepared tray. Allow to cool completely, then crush lightly with a rolling pin into fine shards.
- Make the Dressing: Whisk the white wine vinegar, orange juice, honey, thyme leaves, olive oil, toasted cumin seeds, and smoked paprika together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Prep the Produce: Slice the tops and bottoms off the oranges. Cut away the peel and white pith using a sharp paring knife, then cut horizontally into rounds. Trim the fennel bulbs (reserving fronds), cut in half, remove the tough core, and slice very finely. Toss the sliced fennel directly into the dressing.
- Assemble: Layer the sliced oranges, dressed fennel, reserved fennel fronds, fresh mint, watercress, and feta onto a wide serving platter. Top with shards of smoked paprika almond praline, a pinch of Maldon salt, and a light dusting of smoked paprika.
4. Luke and Jess: Keeping It Close to the Source
Jessica Shepherd and Luke Grant of Good to Gather have anchored their culinary identity in sustainability, farm-to-table cooking, and unfussy food that respects quality ingredients.
Their Beetroot Tarte Tatin showcases root vegetables at their finest. Earthy beetroots are simmered until tender, then baked underneath puff pastry with caramelised butter, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar before being turned out and finished with cool crème fraîche and fresh garden florals.
RECIPE: Beetroot Tarte Tatin
By Jessica Shepherd & Luke Grant (Good to Gather)
Ingredients
- 10–12 medium beetroots
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Fresh thyme sprigs
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 roll ready-made puff pastry
- 1 cup crème fraîche (for serving)
- Fresh garden salad leaves and edible flowers (for garnish)
Method
- Prep the Beetroot: Boil or steam whole beetroots for 20–30 minutes until tender. Allow to cool slightly, then slip off the skins and cut them in half.
- Build the Caramel Base: In an oven-safe skillet, melt the butter with brown sugar. Stir in the red wine vinegar, thyme, and garlic. Arrange the halved beetroots cut-side down in the pan.
- Bake: Lay the puff pastry over the beetroots, tucking the edges inward. Cut a small ‘X’ in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and deep golden brown.
- Invert & Serve: Rest for 5 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm with dollops of crème fraîche, garnished with fresh garden greens and edible flower petals.
5. Chef Ayabonga Gope: Community & The Garden in a Salad
Private chef Ayabonga Gope’s connection to growing started long before his professional career. Growing up, he accompanied a neighbour to harvest fresh produce—an experience that taught him a lasting lesson: a garden provides far more than food; it offers job creation, security, and community resilience.
Gope helped establish a community vegetable garden in the Western Cape that supplies fresh produce to local restaurants and old-age homes while creating sustainable employment.
His Grapefruit & Roasted Carrot Salad brings this ethos straight to the table. Citrus, fennel, tomatoes, basil, honey-roasted carrots, feta, and wild rocket form a colourful, generous dish that feels right at home in a South African garden.
RECIPE: Grapefruit & Roasted Carrot Salad
By Chef Ayabonga Gope
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 grapefruits (peeled and segmented/sliced)
- 2 pomelos or sweet oranges (peeled and sliced)
- 1 bunch baby carrots
- 3 tbsp black balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey (for roasting)
- A handful of fresh fennel fronds
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 block feta cheese, cubed
- Fresh basil leaves
- Wild rocket leaves
- Toasted ciabatta slices (brushed with olive oil)
- Optional extras: Pistachios or sliced avocado
For the Ginger-Citrus Dressing:
- ¼ cup fresh grapefruit juice
- 2 tbsp fresh ginger juice
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Method
- Roast the Carrots: Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss baby carrots with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast for 10 minutes. Drizzle with 1 tbsp honey and 3 tbsp black balsamic vinegar, then roast for another 3 minutes until sticky and tender.
- Make the Dressing: Whisk together the grapefruit juice, ginger juice, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper until combined.
- Assemble: On a bed of fresh wild rocket, layer the sliced citrus, fennel, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and warm roasted carrots. Scatter with cubed feta and fresh basil. Drizzle generously with dressing and serve alongside crispy toasted ciabatta.
Celebrate Garden Day 2026
There is no single recipe for a Garden Day feast. It might be a rustic beetroot tarte tatin surrounded by fresh leaves, a colourful citrus salad harvested that morning, or a cold glass of homemade ginger beer shared outdoors under the sun.
A garden-to-table meal doesn’t require a commercial farm or a professional kitchen. It can start with a pot of herbs on a windowsill, a handful of cherry tomatoes from a balcony tub, or a basket of produce shared by a neighbour.
How to Get Involved
- Date: Sunday, 18 October 2026
- Theme: From Garden to Table: Grow, Gather, Celebrate
- Get Inspired: Visit gardenday.co.za to download the free Garden Day Grow Guide, discover seasonal recipes, and find inspiration for hosting your own garden gathering.
- Join the Social Movement: Follow @GardenDaySA across social media platforms and share your harvest celebrations using the hashtag #GardenDaySA.