Feb4

Having a jolly.

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Lifes routine or sometimes lack of it, can get in the way of ‘Having a jolly’ that’s what we call a lovely day out. Jollies seemed to be planned in summer, and then it’s often too hot, or when children are off school, then it’s too busy. So my OH and I decided that due to his funny shift patterns he works, that we would grab a Jolly as & when we can, come rain or shine ! On a budget and all !

So Thursday was our deemed ‘Jolly’ day, waking up to the first rain in months, not able to see the other side of the mountain due to thick black cloud, and temperatures to low for comfort, I was starting to have second thoughts, like lighting the fire and cooking comfort food, seemed much more appealing. But those who know my OH, he is never far from his I phone and weather reports, he says it’;s important for business, he now even reports for an app Weddar ! He assured me that by 11am at our chosen Jolly day location Cordoba, there would be blue skies. So I went with him, on this report and he was right ! I don’t often like to admit that.

We had received some insider tips from @jesslewis on sights to see, places to park.

Yes it was frio, but wrapped up warm, brolly in hand we marched across the Puente Romano and headed into the majestic ancient city. Immediately greeted by spectacular architecture and feel of eras gone by, Cordoba did not disappoint.

The Mezquita greets you, an awesome place created from religious conflicts, now 2 places worship live as one. The vast building is breathtaking, calming and beautiful. Sitting proudly as head of the Juderia, an area of a maze of streets, cobbled and adorned with flowers and pots, restaurants, trinket shops. Now I have a good sense of direction, but the higgle, piggle of these streets got the better of me.

Orange Square Mezquita Cordoba - Wikipedia


Arches Mezquita - Wikipedia


Lunch was needed, and I like to go off the beaten track, and I am known to walk hours to find a suitable watering hole..and this we did. Up a tiny side street, we came across La Fragua (The Forge) – A delightful restaurant, with tiny courtyard and dining room with old stone walls and tables perfectly laid.

Menu del Dia was top notch , I chose Chanquetes ( crispy white bait) topped with egg & sesame seeds, for main when in Cordoba, one has to have the specialty Rabo de Toro ( Oxtail), which was braised till tender with red wine and topped a bed of sauteed potatoes. To finish the tiniest but perfect size quesadilla, a little goats cheese pudding, and drizzle of cane honey.

 

Sitting next to us were a lovely American couple, who we chatted with, who like us traveled with Knife, fork & corkscrew, in other words from culinary delight to the next. They shared tales of their travels and cooking experience in Marrakesh, and I shared recipes …well I can’t help it 😉

 

Culture, cuisine, Cordoba – Una Dia Perfecta .

 

 

 

Feb3

Warming the cockles.

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Reading my Twitter line, it seems that the cold weather is sweeping Europe, well it’s certainly sweeping through La Rosilla, through all the window frames & door frames it’s blowing a whoolie. Our Spanish Finca (Farmhouse) perched in it’s mountain setting, was certainly not built to keep us warm, but to keep us cool in our hot summers climes, which today seem an age away, as temperatures plummet to the lowest of known here of -3.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining in fact I love the extremes, the weather is stunning, fresh, crisp and bringing with it skies clear and blue, all one has to be is prepared !! Ahem *note to self* .

This week-end sees our town pay homage to our saint, Virgen de Candelaria..we will all walk behind the majestic saint sat on her throne, through the winding & hilly streets of Colmenar, before the climax on Sunday evening of a grand fireworks display. With temperatures in the minuses, we will endeavor to keep warm , huddled with others, coated, scarved and gloved. Others will walk barefooted or blindfolded to give thanks to their Saint !!!

So to keep the cockles warm from the inside out, I’m creating some warming & hearty family favourites. I’ll serve these with hunks of home-made Rosemary and onion bread, with La Rosilla Olive oil for dipping. A hearty Rioja will fill our glasses too, and flush our cheeks.

 Have a great week-end , keep warm 🙂

 Carrot & Cumin Soup.

1 kg of Carrots peeled and sliced into rings

Olive oil

1 large onion – Diced

1 large clove of garlic – Sliced

1 tsp of Cumin Seeds

1 liter hot Veg Stock

Natural Yogurt to serve

Fresh herbs to garnish

  • Saute the onion & garlic in a large saucepan in some olive oil, until soften but not coloured, add the carrots and cook for a few mins.
  • Add the cumin seeds to the pan, and fry to release their scent.
  • Add hot veg stock.
  • Heat thru, and bring to gentle simmer and cook until carrots are tender.
  • Blend until smooth with a hand-held blender, or carefully pour into liquidizer to blend.
  • Adjust seasoning.
  • Laddle into bowls, and add a spoon of Natural yogurt & a sprinkling of fresh herbs, even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is good.

 

This next recipe, I have adapted from a family favourite brought from Blighty, using local ingredients to give it an Andalucian flair you can of course use English sausages & beans .

 

Cazuela de Chorizo Criolla – Or Sausage Hotpot

 

12 Chorizo Criolla – Uncooked chorizo with herbs. Herby bangers

1 large Onion Sliced

4 large potatoes sliced into rings skin on

6 carrots peeled and sliced into rings

1 large tin of Chopped Tomatoes – Instead or Tin toms and white beans you can add, Baked Beans

1 Jar of white beans, drained & rinsed

1 litre of hot stock & a slug of red wine or you can add a tin of Oxtail soup

Oregano or Mixed Herbs

Salt & Pepper

 

  • In a large casserole dish, layer the potatoes, onions & carrots alternately.
  • Season & sprinkle with oregano
  • Pour over the Chopped Tomatoes
  • Pour over the white beans
  • Lay the sausages on the top
  • Pour over the hot stock & wine, and season once more.
  • Put a lid on the casserole & bake in the oven 180 c for about 40 mins,
  • Take the lid off the casserole , give a gentle stir and return to oven to brown the sausages for approx 10 mins.

 

Enjoy in large bowls, with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the juices.

 

Jan19

Food parcel & friends.

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‘What can I do with these langostinos I have ?’ – My dear friend Kate asked,

Where would I start ?, with a myriad of marvelous mouthwatering dishes out there, from every type of cuisine in the world. Something simple, tasty & healthy I thought.

‘Oh I have some spinach too‘ she messaged – This was beginning to be like ‘Ready, steady cook’ on-line.

‘Oh also did I tell you, I don’t know how to prepare fresh langostinos ? ‘ She quietly advised.

‘O.K – I’ll bring food parcel & wine, you provide the kitchen & expertise ‘ She announced.

DEAL DONE.

So Kate duly arrived the following day, with hamper in tow.

We set about preparing the deliciously fresh langostinos, heads & tails off, a glass of wine at hand to ease the squeamish task for Kate of de-veining , ready for our chosen dish.

So what did we choose ???

 Moorish Spiced, Prawns & Spinach. – Delicate in flavour with a hint of warming spice.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

1 large onion – Sliced finely

1 fat clove of garlic – crushed

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 heaped tsp of Cumin seeds

2 large handfuls of fresh shelled prawns.

1 tsp of harrisa paste

½ tsp of cinnamon

1 bag of spinach

Salt & Pepper.

  • Gently saute onions in olive oil, until softened but not brown.
  • Add garlic and fry for 1 min.
  • Add cumin seeds and fry for 1 min.
  • Add toms & harissa paste.
  • Simmer gently for 5 mins for flavours to infuse.
  • Add the spinach, and allow to wilt in sauce for 5 mins.
  • Stir in prawns and allow to cook gently in the simmering sauce for 5 mins or until opaque & pink.
  • Season with s & p.

Once all cooked, serve in rustic bowls, with a folded flat-bread a wedge of lemon and chopped coriander and a dusting of cinnamon.

 Any more friends out there with food parcels welcome, La Rosilla awaits 😉

 

 

Jan13

‘Mary bake-a-cake’

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I dream of a ‘Mary bake-a-cake’ lifestyle, I’m part of the way there with my bunting, my pastel painted kitchen & my eclectic mix of tins & hearts of all shapes & guises…but the main crux of the dream life is the baking bit !!!

Now I’m always cooking, mainly for others, clients and gatherings which I love, but my children are often heard to say ‘Mum can we eat this or is it just for show’ or I’m heard to be shouting ‘Don’t eat that it’s for a customer’ . They sit and drool at Brownies ‘to go’ , if they’re lucky they get the left over edges , I enthuse they are the best bits, all crunchy, sometimes it doesn’t wash.

Don’t get me wrong they’re not hard done by, far from it, new recipes are tried out on them..O.K they are my guinea pigs.

Well today I’m going to surprise them, they have suffered as they say all week, with my adopted healthy eating approach to the new year, with beans, pulses & greens of every style. So I have baked a batch of favourite Choc-Chip Chewy Cookies, so as they walk through the door at the end of their school week, and say as normal “Mum we’re starving what’s to eat “ they’ll see a heavenly plate of treats, smile, sigh & indulge and whhoooosh they’ll be gone.

One way to get the week-end of to a good start…

Oh they smell so good, I’m sure they won’t miss one…ssshhh don’t tell. Well it is Friday 😉

La Rosilla Chewy, Choc-chip, Cookies.

 

Makes approx 20 lovely sized cookies.

200 grams Unsalted Butter or Soft Margarine

1 egg

85 grams Brown Sugar

85 grams White Sugar

225 grams SR Flour

Pinch of salt

Handful of Choc – chips

 Method

Pre-heat oven to 190 f

Mix butter, egg & sugar in a large bowl until smooth.

Add flour & choc-chips & pinch of salt, to form a sticky thick dough.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment, and place blobs/spoonfuls of mixture onto sheets spaced apart, as the mixture will spread.

Bake for 12-15mins, till lightly turning golden.

Delicious enjoyed warm, but will keep in an airtight container for a few days, if they left that long 🙂

 You can also try adding some nuts, or dried cranberries.

 

 

Jan12

Qigong to you too ;) !

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I’m not going to harp on about the ‘D’ word, be it Diet or Detox , we all know, well most of us 😉 what makes a balanced body & lifestyle, but although a Libran, balancing acts have never been my forte, often know as an all or nothing kind of a gal , in most aspects of life.

Well yesterday, while out & about in our local town of Colmenar ,like normal trying to kill 20 birds with one stone, I thought time for cafe con leche – So dropping in to see friends at my ‘local’ Bar Co2, I popped my bags down, ordered my usual & gathered myself.

Next thing I heard ‘Hi Lynsey, are you here to do Qigong ?’ ‘Qigong ?’ “Si, Qigong?”.

Not one to miss an opportunity to have a quick google & thanks to Wikipedia –

Qigong, chi kung, or chi gung (气功 or 氣功) (pronounced “chee-gung”) is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation.[1] qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to balance qi (chi) or what has been translated as “intrinsic life energy.”

Typically a qigong practice involves rhythmic breathing, coordinated with slow stylized repetition of fluid movement, and a calm mindful state. A mix of exercise, alternative medicine or meditation practice. It is believed to develop human potential, allow access to higher realms of awareness and awaken one’s true nature.

It looked appealing, something I thought I could definitely benefit from BUT

I made a few excuses, I’m not dressed for the part, I haven’t got time, I’m so unfit, My back’s aching…Then I thought what the heck….. So after an hour of calm breathing, stretching, self massage, my Qi was flowing freely, I was all of a glow & hooked, well as I said I’m an all or nothing kind of a gal 😉

Next step is to try to make use of my new relaxed state on a Wednesday morning each week, and not return home zonked and unable to do anything….well one step at a time.

Jan3

In bloom !

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Brain a fuddle from festivities, larder & fridge still not rid of its excesses, I’m not quite ready to fling myself into the New, almost but not quite.  Just a few more days & one week-end left of indulgence – the Joys of living in Spain, the beginning of January or at least the new regime doesn’t start, till after the 3 Kings have made the Journey from the East.

I’m not totally procrastinating , I’m looking forward to putting last year behind me and facing the future, bright and bubbly.  La Rosilla has had its first Spring clean, so it is detoxed , decs away, windows cleaned to allow the sunshine to flood right through, and a list of jobs to do has been made.

The mountain garden is certainly flourishing in our mild winter we’re having, and blooms and buds are adorning the plants with colour so bold.

Hello Daisy

Passion Flower

Geranium

Mother Nature knows it is time for a change with a polite reminder to partake in  healthier dishes and juices, with fruits dripping from the trees and onion sets & broad beans shooting up into the New Year.

Good Old Mother Nature 🙂

Dec12

Catch up !

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Catching up on life, keeping up with traditions, getting some fresh air have all been on our agenda this month. We’ve been blessed by glorious weather up in the mountains so far, clear days, beautiful sunrises & sunsets, skies oh so blue. Crisp mornings, and nights still bearable with an extra blanket or two.

Noo, Rizo & Spencer

We’ve taken country walks, to blow away the cobwebs, and breathe in the clear air, and stop and look at what is happening around us. Flowers still blooming, trees full to bursting with citrus, oranges, lemons & grapefruits. The river is gently flowing, perfect to wade in wellies, play pooh sticks, and for the dogs to have their annual swim, well or Spaniel anyway the Water Dog, does everything she can to avoid getting her paws wet !!

We journeyed a little more inland to the spectacular El Torcal natural park, to climb, trek and picnic with our friends aka @familinspain, enjoying the winter sunshine, and trying to walk off our already indulgent excesses.

El Torcal National Park

In the home, we’ve baked, and cured. Tree decorations, mince pies & sausages rolls, which were meant to be for Crimble, but got munched as soon as out of the oven…well who can resist a hot sausage roll.

Hot Sausage Rolls

Our olives have had their month of being bathed in water to extract their bitter juices, and now have been rinsed and marinated in thyme, rosemary, parsley  caraway, orange zest, sherry vinegar, garlic, bay & olive Oil for us to enjoy over the months to come.

So with a slight lull in proceedings today, perhaps I shouldn’t talk to soon, I’ve taken the time to catch up with my goings on….who knows when I’ll have time in the near future.

Out for 3 festive frolics this weeks, god bless my liver & my sanity 😉

Dec2

When the going gets tough …

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Like many people I’m sure at this time of year, there doesn’t seem enough hours in the day, or enough pennies in the pot – Life sometimes just piles more onto your plate than you can chew …

Well when the going get’s tough I go cooking …..

So I’ve stirred up my Christmas pud, and probably made just one too many wishes…

I’ve baked 6 Christmas fruit cakes, following my old Nan’s super easy recipe, and am feeding them daily with their tot of brandy – 1 for them 1 for me 😉

I’ve made my quince jam to add a sharp & sweet addition to my Christmas ham.

Sherry & Tapas Tasting

and I’ve cooked with my dear friend Lisa aka @familyinspain who joined me on a La Rosilla Cookery & Culture Day, to sample my fayre , join me in sampling sherry & tapas, discover the local countryside, go embutido (Cured meat) shopping and click away at her heart’s content taking some lovely shots of the day.

Embutidos Colmenar

So with the advent doors being opened, oranges studded with cloves and my mulled wine pot on the stove ready for its first fill, the festive aromas fill my senses & add a little cheer.

So as I look ahead to a month full to bursting, with much work and I hope much more play, I wish you all a happy and calm countdown…..

and let’s remember it’s just 1 Day !

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