Category Archives: Life Style Spain

Nov22

Harvest Time

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Seems an age since I’ve blogged, well it’s not that I’ve been sitting idle. I decided to re-write my website

La Rosilla – Catering

and give it a new look, gosh that took some time, much more than I’d planned. So my scribblings about life on the mount, have been out of the window for a while. Although not putting my happenings in type, they’ve still go on..never a dull moment on the mount.  So while flowers come back to bloom after fresh rains, Autumn brings with it some mountain house keeping, and preparations for the months to come.

Living in our own olive grove, with some 50 trees scattered precariously on rockie ledges and hard to reach places, the annual task of pruning and harvesting the olives, isn’t one we look forward to with relish.

Olive Picking La Rosilla

 

So this year when our neighbours , offered to do the job in exchange for oil. We jumped at the chance. The Mulos, had flattened the areas under the trees a few months before ( Think the neigbours were planning ahead) so two days later, after they proposed their question, our trees were plucked, shaken and pruned.

We kept one tree for ourselves for eating olives. We have a lovely old Hojiblanca tree, whose olives are too beautiful to press. A big bucket load was gathered, then each olive was bashed by hand, by all the family, a laborious hand aching job, taking care not to crush the stone. They were washed then put in a large jar, filled with clean water. We will leave them in here, changing the water daily, until they can be eaten without tasting bitter, some say a week – I say more like 4 weeks. After this curing time, I will bathe them in spices, and salted water, and some special few, will be put into the our 0live oil a little honey, a squeeze of orange, cumin & bay. These will be enjoyed at Christmas with our Jamon –Deliciosos.

Olives Curing in Water

So with olives curing, and trees pruned – We only hand to clear the debris and prunings, so after the week-ends rainfall, we set to our annual bonfire. A sense of Hunter gatherer all around.

 

Next on my preserving agenda Quince Jam & investigating ideas for my ruby grapefruits – I have millions ….Suggestions on a postcard please 😉

Nov8

Caqui , or Persimmon to you ;)

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My virtual ‘Twitter’ friend @carolmarybyrne, like me lives in rural Andalucia, but although I’m up in the ‘Montes de Malaga’ and feel quite high and remote, at least when some visitors arrive, they often speak about altitude sickness !!! Carol is higher in the unspoilt Alpujarras 1114m UP !

We share a love, of local, fresh home grown produce – We share a love of recipes, cook books and we share a love of sharing this..Gosh that’s a whole lot of sharing going on.

So when I read Carols blog post today ,  I asked if I could share it .

Our next fruit on the seasonal platter is the Kaki, or Persimmon to many, it grows natively in our neck of the woods.  And can be seen its orange globe like presents hanging from it’s tree, well that is if your goat hadn’t eaten your tree, as happened at La Rosilla.

Below Carol shares her recipes to enjoy these fruit at their best…Take note , if you don’t you could be spitting feathers 😉

Persimmons!

08 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by toptapas in spanish, tapas Tags: , , , , ,

I have been sooo lazy with this blog!  As November starts I shall make an early NY resolution to get on a bit more with it.

We are so lucky to live here in Las Alpujarras and I guess I just neeed to have my camera at the ready a little more – we are spoilt with the bounty of food that we receive from neighbours and friends, and the amount of wild food available, and we do use it all – I´m a great preserver! – I just need to take more photos and blog it as I do it…

Today the bag was from Antonio and the contents a ton of Caqui fruit – persimmon to you!

Now, if you´ve ever taken one and bitten into it straight off the tree – yeuch!

Straight from the tree?

Like the olive – no way baby!

Astringent is the only word, these little fruit can dry your mouth in seconds…………..but there is a trick.

Place a circle of them whole and unpeeled in a stainless steel container, with a shot glass of any clear alcohol – Gin, Vodka – whatever in the middle.

Allow them to ripen and the booze will do the trick of removing any astringency like magic.

Also, slice some harder ones across the middle and lay them on a cake rack on top of your log burner if you have one…or the airing cupboard if you have one of those!

Allow to dry naturally for a super chewy fruity vitamin packed snack…kids love them. Go Moroccan and casserole with Chicken or Lamb.

Use the fruit for cakes with dark brown sugar – yum . Or place in a lidded container with vodka and sugar and allow to develop into a Christmas drink with a punch – wow!

I love Autumn – the fig season has ended – the Granadas – Pomegranates – are nearly all burst open with their fat red jewels – but we still have the Caqui, citrus fruits, wild Saffron Milkcap mushrooms and the olive harvest to come….Like a good Joanne Harris novel – bottles and jars are rattling with anticipation!

 

You can follow Carol’s blog TopTapas here

 

Nov5

On my doorstep !

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Living in the Montes de Malaga, a daily spectacle we are fortunate to see are the goats grazing on the mountainside, and being ushered along by their faithful shepherds, leaving a trail of goat devastation about them. One of the first things my baby daughter learned to say in Spanish was ‘Cabras’ , often as we drive the mountain roads, and turn blind corners we are met head on by a herd of goats casually wandering and going about their hunt for food.

 

The benefits of the herds naturally wandering, means their food they consume, is full of wild goodness, thus resulting in milk rich and plentiful.

 

My local town of Colmenar, makes the best from this milk, in way of fabulous Goats cheese, and on my doorstep, the milk is collected daily from farmers of the co-operative and from the length and breadth of the Axarquia , to the ‘fabrica de quesos‘ the cheese factory in the town.

 

Yesterday I was fortunate to accompany the inspiring Axalingua language school on their tour of the factory and a behind the scenes view, of the cheese production. Hand made cheeses and a small factory keeping the local produce alive.

 

Donning my protective and hygienic robes, we were showed all forms of production, from the milk arrival to the storing & curing to the packaging.

 

 

After our visit of the factory, we were invited to sample the delicious cheese.

Four types of cheese are produced,

Queso Fresco, a soft, white young cheese, made one day eaten the next, ideal for aperitifs, and desserts, and used in salads. I love it cubed mixed with ripe tomatoes, olives sliced red onions, a sprinkle of salt & dried wild oregano and drizzled with balsamic syrup.

 

Semicurado – This is a cheese that is left to cure for 1 to 3 months, increasing in flavour and hardening, and ideal cheese foe everyday use.

 

Leche Cruda- A cheese of intense aromas and flavour, conserving all the natural properties of the goats milk.

 

Curado – My favourite a strong, hard cheese left to cure for many months to harden, it almost has a light spicy flavour. Enjoyed on its own in all it’s glory alongside a crisp cold fino.

 

I love to keep these cheeses in my fridge, along with some local membrillo (quince paste) , and if we have impromptu guests, we have the perfect tapa, and a real taste of our home in the ‘Montes de Malaga’.

 

 

 

 

 

Oct24

Girl Guide Motto – Be Prepared ;)

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I always thought my early years as a Brownie and later as a Girl guide, would bode me well in the future.

Be prepared and all that !!!

But every winter or start of, I think my brain fuddled from the heat of the summer, forgets my past and all it’s promises to  do my best.

We know its coming, the first rains that is, one things for sure in Spain, the expat in us still likes to think of the weather first and foremost, so it’s our daily morning ritual to check the forecast.  But complacent we are , with our high temperatures & clear skies, we think the rains are a  novelty, ‘Oh the land needs it’ we say, ‘No rain for 4 months, it’ll be a refreshing change’.  We live in denial of the coming winter  months, thinking they’ll never arrive, but they do, oh do they…

and guess what we’re never prepared.

Where has my view gone ?

So today as I sit typing away , jeans on for the first time in months, hearing lashing rains on my roof, and seeing pouring rains running under my doors..no we don’t have gutters or weather strips, just lovely rustic wooden doors ;), with electricity on & off, no satellite signal .  With winds gusting, so I feel like I’m in Oz, and branches crashing all about .  I sit and think ‘Is this living the dream’ …you bet it is …how dull life would be if it were all the same.

There’s just one thing it calls for on a day like this, comfort food, so with our supper bubbling on the stove, filling the house with aromas and warmth.  It’s homework time by candle light….

I would share the recipe, but sorry got fallen trees to move….next time x

Now where are my Hunters & Barbour……………………..

Sep30

New residents at La Rosilla or should I say visitors ? ;)

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Bumping in to my elderly ‘campesino neighbour Antonio in the local town of Colmenar, he began to chat with me in his deepest Andaluz tongue, something with him now after 7 years I can just about understand. I managed to decipher ‘Your mountain & land’ and the world “Mules’.

 

Yes, yes I agreed, Mules would be good, to eat the shrubbery, nodding vigorously and agreeing that the land would look like the pavement he was pointing to, smooth & flat after they had done their work.

 

What I didn’t know I had agreed too, was that evening having two giant Mules delivered and tethered to my olive trees to go about their business. Funny thing was they were bought in the pitch black, so my dogs were in a frenzy, we too were also wondering who on earth was brave enough or stupid enough, to go mountaineering in the pitch black without a torch.

 

A few minutes later, after a yodel to Miguel (said owner of the mules) I confirmed, yes OK I will temporarily be a mule sitter .

Well Hercules & Conejo (Rabbit , don’t ask me !)  seem placid, and are making light work of clearing the land. I’m getting very fond of them, the children too, I’m sure the novelty factor may wear off after the first rains, or when the temperature drops..but hopefully by then they should be homeward bound – Dedos cruzados ! (fingers crossed)

 

 

Sep13

My summer “foodie’ joys of Spain.

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Chilled Albarino, from Rias Baixas

 A Sundowner.

Creamy goats cheese from Colmenar baked on-top of caramalised onions.

Kids getting stuck into fresh seafood.

Mejillones Marinera.

Tapas with a cool beer.

Gambas Torpedos – Prawns wrapped in noodles & fried till crisp.

Salad & Sardinas.The taste & smell of a Spanish Summer.

Tomatoes from the garden, olives from the tree.

Gazpacho – 5 a day in a bowl – Giving the liver a breather.

and of course not forgetting the obligatory Paella the ultimate one pot.

a feast for family & friends.

‘VIVA VERANO’


Sep13

Keeping in touch

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It’s great to keep in touch with folks back home.   I don’t know how I would’ve survived without Skype, emails &  along with My Mum’s telephone provider allowing her to call me free for as-long as she wants.  We have a code , 2 rings & she calls me back, maybe far away but only on the end of the phone.   Twitter came along to me, later than most, couldn’t get it at first but then I was hooked.  I’ve passed my obsession over to my Dad now, @bikeral64 , purely of course to keep him up  to date with the techie side of life 😉 but we now communicate in 140 characters or less – short but sweet but we get the message across 😉

Blogging too, has helped on many occasion when, perhaps I need to sit and take a look at what I’ve achieved,  what’s happening around me & what obstacles I have overcome.  Also what delicious meals I have created or eaten, I have shared with friends and now a wider audience, all thanks to technology.

It has been great to be asked to share my experiences with others too , and Midlands Food Bloggers who have created a platform for ‘Foodie’s based in the Midlands area of the U.K , hit home to me.  My area, the home where the other half of my heart lies, and the place where my food & travel life adventures were born…

At a young age, food & travel were always high on my agenda, starting my early working life, in a village pub, waitressing then being promoted to food prep, and then cooking, whilst at college studying Travel & tourism.  This paved the way for my adventures to come. Being fortunate to travel to some far-flung places as a Tour Representative, led hand in hand with trying new cuisines, visiting some of the worlds best restaurants, thus confirming ‘yes’ food was going to pay a major part in my life.

After my travel career, family life started and the story goes on…..

You can read about the next part of my journey from Warwickshire U.K to the mountains of Andalucia, and how my ‘Foodie’ quest has continued.

From Midlands to Andalucia – ‘Journey of a Foodie’ – Courtesy of Midlands Food Bloggers.

From the Midlands to Andalucia – Journey of a foodie

Aug25

It’s nearly over !

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It’s a delight when you’re asked to share some of your ideas, thoughts & ‘Foodie’ love.  So it was a pleasure when fellow ffod & lifestyle blogger, Comida y Vida asked me to write for them.  In fact it stirred me up out of my ‘Summer slumber’ of writing, and made me dust of the cobwebs from my grey matter.

You can read my post here ,

 

The heat and lifestyle of Spanish ‘Verano’ is taking its toll.  I am looking forward to regaining some sort of normality & routine, but until then, 2 more family birthdays to go, with a houseful of teens, about to descend on La Rosilla, for an all night bash, whilst my OH and I try to stay in the shadows, whilst trying to keep some sort of control, but still look hip & happening…Wish me luck.

 

Off to bake 😉

Jul25

Have tent will travel !

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In need of a rest, a break, some time out…I was looking forward to a holiday, all be it just for 3 nights, but camping..I thought I could do without. So much to pack, I have to have everything including the kitchen sink, and the arduous task of packing up the ‘Bogey’ our big green van, no not named after what you think, but after a golfing score..OH is a Golf Pro 😉 In 36 degrees of heat, was draining me already.

But pack we did, up early we got..on our way we went.

A new part of Andalucia for us to discover – Cabo de Gata, so Almeria was our destination. A journey of a 4 hours, took us through the flat planes of Almeria, and mile after mile of giant greenhouses, was the only landscape to be seen, apparently I’m informed you can see these greenhouses from outer space !!

Thinking at this stage. This wasn’t the type of view I had planned, I was getting a little anxious, fortunately all 3 kids were flat out asleep, so the groans of ,I prefer Tarifa, were not heard.

But as we took our exit from the Autopista, into the National Park area of Cabo de Gata, its lunaresque landscape, rocky coves and beautiful beaches put a smile on our faces.

We’d chosen the little seaside town of Las Negras, and it’s beach-side Campsite La Caleta, we were not disappointed, location,location, location enough said.

Right on a fabulous rocky and sandy cove, with the clearest , warmest sea, a pool for the non beaching lover of the family (my OH) , and a restaurant with delicious home-cooked menu, for nights after the sun had set. 

Giant mussels, Rabbit cooked in garlic,  Dauphinoise potatoes, and oozing chocolate fondant , my type of camping restaurant which ticked all my ‘Foodie’ boxes.

Snorkelling, surfing, reading, early morning mountain hiking, coastal exploring, friends made..all crammed into 3 glorious days.

A couple of pointers we need a large plot, with our 3 bed-roomed detached 😉 and we need to make note of where the sun will come up and set…that sun beat down on us, from early in the morning, and we would stumble out of the tent when it rose, like 5 turkeys in a Roasting bag. Also remembering the kitchen sink was all good and well, but a table too would be good, that we had forgotten…in our attempts to leave on time.

 

Hasta Pronto Las Negras – Vamos a Volver 🙂

Jul10

Under the Stars.

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My first Private Dining event went fabulously last night. I was booked to cook for 14 Australians, who were staying in the most wonderful villa, this was their welcome meal, and only a couple of the party knew, so was a great surprise for all the others.

They were the most lovely family, who had traveled from all over the globe for a re-union, and I was to tempt them with local delights & flavours, whilst they soaked up the atmosphere and charm

It was a pleasure to cook in such a divine location, even the sweltering heat, didn’t dampen my brow !

I welcomed them with a selection of Embutidos, cured meats, salamis, chorizos, jamon, lomo & salchichon, all made in my local town of Colmenar, together with a cheese platter, of goats cheese with a rosemary and thyme crust, the delightful Spanish manchego and a sheep’s cheese with paprika.

Home cured olives, and warm herb & hazelnut bread accompanied the beginning of their feast.

They had chosen a selection of starters, then a giant paella to share.

My daughter entertained with a beautiful flamenco dance and all regalia, and was given a standing ovation.

Supper was finished under the stars, Fruit platter and chocolate fondue & Limoncello drizzle Cake, and with children moonlight dipping in the pool to keep cool.

I love how the joy of food, brings folks together, creates memory moments, full bellies & and the taste of things to come ……