When roadside produce stands, fresh food markets and grocery stores brighten with fresh fruit that seems to gleam and shine more than ever, leaves that bounce and crunch, and peas and beans that snap freshly between your teeth, it’s a sign that spring has made its way into the seasonal group chat. It’s celebrated for its flowers and foliage but perhaps unsung for its natural provisions.

I’ve said this before, but I’ll joyfully say it a thousand times over: eat with the seasons, people. It’s a mantra that shapes my culinary world and deepens the flavours on my plate. The environment remains grateful, plus it supports local farmers, inadvertently sparing me the environmental and financial consequences for shopping out-of-season produce shipped in from Spain or Italy.

I fall in love anew in springtime. I feel cured when I walk around Observatory and see people washing their cars, watering their gardens and walking their dogs in the warmth and early light. I want to exercise again. I yearn to lie on the grass, but mostly, I’m eagerly planning my next meal. You should, too. If you live a life of waiting for the next mealtime while you’re eating the previous one, you’ll understand the exciting anticipation of cooking dinner. Alternatively, if you’re tired of standing over the stove stirring soups and stews all day, spring brings with it a reprieve from all that work and an opportunity to eat less elaborately prepared, lighter meals.

If you’ll have me, I’d like to be your food therapist. I want to heal your relationship with cooking by showing you ways to feed yourself that don’t feel like a sentence to hard labour. This spring, let me guide you through this, the prettiest, most popular and outgoing sibling of the seasons. I’ve put together some recipes that aren’t homework, and that feel good to eat and share. It’s warm outside; set down those picnic blankets, get the Tupperware and flasks ready and for the love of Mary, turn off the TV and get outside. But only once you’ve cooked this very outdoorsy food that tastes its best in dappled light. Make spring all the more delicious with my special pick of TASTE recipes below, in accordance with what’s in season!

1.Asparagus

Abi makes this often enough in her home for it to be an expectation when there are guests over – very classy. The addition of anchovy butter might be my favourite thing about this recipe and the hunk of cheese alongside it doesn’t hurt either.

Asparagus with anchovy butter recipe

2.Avocado

I hate to toot my own horn, but this ice cream has been my best use of avocados so far and is such a fitting recipe for the season as it warms up.

Avocado-and-lemon ice cream recipe

3.Stone fruit

My mild allergy to stone fruit is NOT a deterrent. I prefer the stone fruit of midsummer, but if you just can’t wait, the nectarines on shelves right now are great in salads and other savoury dishes, like this nectarine, apricot and verjuice roast gammon. Abi is our in-house genius.

Roast gammon glazed with nectarines, apricots and verjuice recipe

4.Strawberries

I might be late to the party, but I love this use of strawberries by Hannah Lewry. Strawberry curd is just outrageous, and I’m trying it right away. You should, too – it might just beat lemon meringue pie.

Strawberry curd meringue pie recipe

5.Kale

The best way to enjoy kale is very thinly sliced, bruised and doused in this orange vinaigrette. It requires no cooking whatsoever and is fabulous as a braai side.

Kale slaw recipe

6.Baby marrows

Charlie Lakin was kind enough to share his gorgeous recipe for baby marrow tarte fine and I feel like this is perfect spring fare. It looks beautiful in the middle of the table and needs nothing more than some well-dressed leaves on the side.

Baby marrow tarte fine recipe

The post Step lively, it’s spring! appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

We noticed an obvious change in direction towards simpler, more affordable recipes that’ll have you spending less time in the kitchen and more time huddled in front of the heater. One-pan meals, stews and soups led the charge as the most popular choices this month, and, honestly, we don’t blame you. There were also a couple of special days this month, including Father’s Day, and many of you opted to do something a little different and cook dad a good old-fashioned brunch. When it’s cold, we tend to get snacky, particularly for a sweet treat, and you all loved our oat crunchie recipe – they make great dippers for hot beverages, so we get it.

You also enjoyed a lot of the heartier meals – one-pan bakes, dombolo and mielie bread were some of the recipes that made the cut. If you’re looking for a little more inspiration according to the stats, look no further than the recipes below.

1. The fluffiest flapjacks 

Hannah Lewry’s incredible flapjack recipe always gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. She has mastered the perfect, most fool-proof recipe for the fluffiest flapjacks ever and has been generous enough to share it with us. Click on the link below to make these. Save this recipe because it’s a generationally good one.

The fluffiest flapjacks recipe

2. Smoked cheese and bacon pork griller skewers 

These delicious skewers were an experiment that clearly worked out – they’re more than the sum of their parts. Once you get those juicy bacon pork grillers on the grill and that irresistible smoky aroma fills the air, you’ll be hooked for life. Make these when you need to rustle up something for unexpected visitors or for an easy weekend lunch.

Smoked cheese and bacon pork griller skewers recipe

3. Roast sirloin with sweet potato bake

If there was any dish that signifies winter, it would be this one by Hannah Lewry. That hearty sweet potato bake is high on your list of things to cook right away, and we don’t know anyone who can resist a succulent steak.

Roast sirloin with sweet potato bake recipe

4. Red wine beef stew with dombolo 

Masego Mbonyama’s stew is a certified classic. Beef stew and dombolo might seem like the predictable, safe thing to prepare on a cold winter’s night, but that’s the whole point when temperatures drop – ease and comfort. If you haven’t cooked this one, what are you waiting for?

Red wine beef stew with dombolo recipe

5. One-pan chicken Florentine

Hannah Lewry’s creamy chicken dish is the perfect mix of homely and impressive. It’s a great one to have with Woolies’ impossibly smooth frozen mashed potatoes and a side of sautéed green veggies. Perfection.

One-pan chicken Florentine recipe

6. Oatie crunchies 

This is a recipe we’ve had on the site for a long time, but its enduring nature brings you back every time. An old-school, bake-sale kind of treat, this one is fail-safe and so great to keep around the house for those snacky moments when you need a little something sweet to tide you over before dinner or during a busy day.

Oatie crunchies recipe

7. Cheesy sweetcorn bread   

This one is a goodie by Clem Pedro, and the perfect fridge-dive recipe. We all have those pesky scraps that remain in the fridge that we feel too bad about throwing away. This recipe provides a delicious solution. Make it today!

Cheesy sweetcorn bread recipe

8. Beyond Plant-based pieces Bourguignon

We know that a lot of people are opting for plant-based meals lately. This one ticks all the boxes and is comforting and tasty to boot – plus, you don’t need to be vegetarian to enjoy it. It’s easy and quicker to make than beef so it saves power while giving you all the comfort of a stew that’s been bubbling away for hours.

Beyond Plant-based pieces Bourguignon  recipe

9. Roasted butternut soup

Classics are classics for a reason, and this soup is testament to that fact. Roasting the butternut deepens flavour and makes this offering even more generous.

Roasted butternut soup recipe

10. Bone broth 

Bone broth is big these days. It not only makes a delicious base for many dishes but can also be sipped on its own for a warming, comforting collagen boost. Make this and freeze in bottles to use for soups, stews or just as is.

bone broth recipe

Which of these recipes have you tried? Tell us in the comments.

The post The recipes you loved most in June 2026 appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

“Tamu” means “delicious” in Swahili. Jane’s debut offering started out as a journal entry and evolved into an insightful body of work. It addresses African food in a way that has not previously been done and explores plant-based, gluten-free African cuisine in modern and accessible ways.

ALSO READ: 9 African chefs and foodies to keep on your radar 

Start with a cup of tea

Jane starts off by calling on the reader to sip a moringa latte as they page through the book. This is the first recipe that appears in it, ingeniously setting a scene and encouraging the reader to settle into the book as slowly as they wish. So, I invite you, too, to take a sip as you dive into this review with me.

What is TAMU about?

TAMU is regionally organised – into south, west, east and north Africa – and features over 70 recipes honouring the continent’s unique, rich bounty. The 12 chapters work in a specific order, taking the reader through the countries that Jane has lived in and the nations she’s been exposed to by way of the people she has shared meals with.

The recipes range from easy, weekday fare to celebratory feasts, all of it nutritious food that feels good to eat. It’s said that colour is flavour, and there is much of both to be discovered on these pages. Deciding what to cook first between the Ghanaian jollof, fried spicy cassava and the okra chickpea omelette will be your greatest internal debate.

“I had trained my taste buds to not only enjoy food but also to taste ingredients individually. When I decided to go plant-based in my early twenties, my love of food and cooking grew. I became passionate about developing recipes with perfect textures, aromas and flavours that are like the ones I have loved since my childhood. A burning desire awakened in me to start a revolution of taking African plant-based food to the world.”

But TAMU is about more than recipes. It’s a courageous work that narrates what it means when your world completely comes apart, and the fortitude to build anew. It doubles as a memoir of Jane’s life while placing African ingredients in the spotlight.

“My siblings and I lost our parents in 1994 during the turmoil in the country and became refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), then known as Zaire. As we tried to survive and navigate life in a refugee camp, my older siblings had to find ways to put food on our non-existent table.”

These experiences of tragedy and scarcity shaped Jane’s initial relationship with food and fostered a resourcefulness and a greater appreciation for every provision. In TAMU, each recipe is a dedication to every road Jane has travelled and serves as a sweeping ode to her community.

African ingredients in the spotlight

Jane also educates readers on a more conscious way of eating that is entrenched in Earth-friendly cooking and eating practices. No matter which part of the world you occupy, several of the ingredients that appear in this book may be new to you, and Jane brings them into clear view. She explains their properties, where and when they grow, then unlocks their full potential with an exciting batch of recipes. Substitutes are also offered, making this an inclusive work that considers every type of cook.

“I was disappointed by how little the world knew about African food, and how African ingredients and flavours are often so underrated and inaccessible, even on the continent. It breaks my heart that I can find restaurants that make international dishes on every busy street in Cape Town and yet there are very few African cuisine restaurants,” Jane says.

Jane now lives in Cape Town with her family. There, she hosts educational pop-up dinners and is fulfilling her assignment to popularise African cuisine and reframe it in novel ways while respecting its provenance and traditional cooking practices.

ALSO READ: Celebrating South Africa’s heritage through food

Parting shot

“As you dive into these recipes, remember that cooking is an evolving art. Mistakes often lead to the best discoveries, so embrace them. Who knows? You may end up creating your own recipes inspired by unexpected moments, just as I did.”

Styled with incredible detail by Livhuwani Ravele, TAMU is just as much a treat to look at as it’s practical and easy to cook from. It’s a heartfelt gift that echoes the lived experiences of many Africans.

TAMU is published by Prestell in Germany and is yet to hit South African shelves but can be preordered via Wordsworth Books.

X Recipes from TAMU to try

1. Vegan bolo Polana

Vegan bolo Polana recipe 

2. Green banana curry

Green banana curry recipe 

3. Viazi karai (crispy fried potatoes)

Viazi karai recipe 

4. Ethiopian platter: tikil gomen (Ethiopian cabbage) and kik alicha (Ethiopian split pea stew)

Ethiopian platter recipe 

5. Egusi soup (melon seeds soup)

Egusi soup recipe

6. Banfora cakes (traditional pastries made from flour and spices)

Banfora cakes recipe 

7. Jollof rice

Jollof rice recipe 

The post TAMU: African recipes through the lens of Jane Nshuti appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.