A Tale Of Two Seasons

Migas

Simca — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:52:10 +0000

Yum. Snails and breadcrumbs. This might not sound like the bestest of meals, but it was definitely tasty. Snails are a real problem for the gardens around here, so eating them is really part of my responsibility working on this farm. Lola prepared them with sauteed onions, tomato and cayenne pepper for a little kick and they were really delicious. Her mother brought over some freshly made migas, a farmer friend brought some freshly harvested fava beans, and we had a meal. We passed wine around the table in this bottle that looks a bit like a decantar but is made specifically for the purpose of pouring wine directly into your mouth, from days long before eveyrone had their own glass. We talked about ecological farming in spain–how challenging it is, how much of it is for export,–and we slurped up the soupy broth from the snails with our fresh-from-grandma’s-house migas and I felt very happy to be here in Andalucia at a table full of strong, laughing, women farmers. Happy international women’s day to us all.

Casa Rural Aloe Vera

Simca — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:36:48 +0000

Rainbow over the fields of Huercal Overa

It’s been a bit since I’ve posted anything. Lucas and I had a speedy tour of Andalucia, with a much enjoyed long finale in Granada, where amongst other things, we stumbled upon a free concert by flamenco great Enrique Morente at the Facultad de Medicina at the University of Granada and where we reunited with our friend Thomas for a wonderful, sunny visit to the Alhambra. Lucas and I went in separate directions on Wednesday when he headed back north to Ourense and I went west to a town called Huerca Overa in the neighboring region of Almeria.

I arrived at Casa Rural Aloe Vera a bit sleepy from the four hour bus ride, but was quickly enlivened by the incredibly friendly host Lola, her wonderful daughter Candela, and another great volunteer, Renee, from Montreal. While this isn’t as much of a farm as a Casa Rural, I have really been enjoying the environment, sharing experiences and stories with Lola and learning the great art of white washing a house! The low season for casa rurales is coming to a close, and after four months of doing work on the various casitas on the property, it’s time to get things finished up before the guests start arriving. We’ve been furiously plastering walls, whitewashing, and painting. We’ve got two more days to finish plastering the exterior walls of one house before guests arrive on Saturday, We better work quickly…

And amidst all this interesting construction type work, we’ve been taking care of chickens, planting things in the garden, cooking fabulous meals with fresh fruits and veggies, and talking runs and hiking through the countryside. Here are a few photos to give you a sense of the place. More on small farms later…

One of the garden patios on the property

Inundaciones

Simca — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:58:53 +0000

While I have mentioned several times the continued rain in Andalucia, it was not until Lucas and I were in Cordoba, along the banks of the Guadalquivir River that we saw the compounded effect of all this rain. He’ll post some photos and video shortly. The river runs through the middle of the city and has beautifully landscaped banks with grassy areas and paths for walking below the bridges. On Monday morning we walked across the old bridge, down the steps to the path that runs along the river. The water was already making its way in over the the edges of the path. Insects were scrambling up onto the bushes to escape the water. When we returned to the bridge that evening, the water level had risen over a meter, completely covering the paths and the bottoms steps of the stairs leading down from the bridge. Cordobans were out taking photos and remarking at how incredible the force of the river had become. While the city itself was not experiencing damage from flooding, on the bus from Cordoba to Jaen, we witnessed whole fields submerged in water, olive groves with reaching up to the low branches, and houses completely surrounded by water. The news reports that 1500 homes have been evacuated and the rains continue to fall. For those of you who understand Spanish, there’s an interesting article and accompanying video here.

Sweet Eggplant

Simca — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:25:37 +0000

As many of you know, I have been somewhat obsessed with using eggplant in sweet dishes since discovering the deliciousness that is eggplant tart tatin this summer. For a video of this most intriguing of tarts, see this great piece from Gourmet magazine. So I was very pleasantly surprised that sweet eggplant seems to be a specialty here in Cordoba. Mind you, this eggplant is not caramelized and covered with a flaky pastry crust. But it is equally delicious breaded and deep fried and covered with a spicy-sweet dark brown cane syrup. It is a perfect tapas. A crunchy, indulgent bit to start the meal. A perfect way to eat desert first and feel like you’re still eating your vegetables! I’m going to try to sample it at a few more establishments around town and hope to add it to my sweet eggplant repertoire when I get back in the kitchen.

Toledo

Lucas & Simca — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:08:12 +0000

Sunday morning nuns

On Saturday we moved on to Toledo, a beautiful old maze of a city with endless opportunities to get lost and find your way back through winding callejons with little surprises around each corner…

Sunday morning graffiti

And escalators…At first I thought this was to improve handicap accessibility in the town, but it feels more like an effort to cater to lazy tourists. Either way, there are some nice views from the series of escalators that head up and down the two ends of the old city.

Sunday morning escalators

Madrid

Lucas & Simca — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:10:44 +0000

Interesting characters in the Puerta del Sol

After long bus rides from Granada in the South and Ourense in the North, we met up on Thursday night in Madrid. We spent Friday wandering all over the city, through parks, plazas and everything in between. Finally, a day with no rain! We stumbled upon a flamenco club about 50 meters from our hostal and saw a great performance with singers and two dancers.

Lluvia

Simca — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:26:33 +0000

It’s raining. Still. People keep writing me and asking how “sunny Spain” is. Unfortunately, I do not know, because I have hardly seen the sun. It has rained at least a little bit of every day that I have been here. We almost made it through Sunday without rain, but alas, at 11:30 pm, the rain began. While this has led to some slightly somber days, I must say that I am impressed with myself for staying fairly upbeat in the rain. I usually think of myself akin to a plant that withers without sun. But this week, I’ve stayed strong.

One good thing that the rain has led to is lots of time cooking! (To ensure you that I haven’t just been lounging around baking cookies, I have also spent plenty of time spreading manure around olive trees. It hasn’t all been savory soups and sweet smelling cookies). Today was the worst of the rain and we spent the whole morning inside. We began with more almond-shelling–an ongoing process to remove the hard shells of the approximately 200 kilos of almonds from this years harvest. But then we got down to the real cooking. Jordi and Laure make lots of different preserves from the bounty of their small farm–quince jam, tomato sauce, almond and basil pesto, orange marmalade etc. But to date they have done nothing with the lemon bounty. They have about 10 lemon trees, more than any family could reasonably consume. But I wondered why they didn’t preserve the lemons as well. Turns out, they’d never heard of preserved lemons–a fabulous creation very common in Moroccan cooking. So, we gave it a try. While I won’t be here in 30 days to hear how the lemons turned out, I hope they bring some bright tart flavor to their meals long after the lemon harvest has ended.

The recipe we used is from Paula Wolfert’s cookbook, Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco.

Ingredients

5 lemons
1/4 cup salt, more if desired
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
5 to 6 coriander seeds
3 to 4 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, if necessary

Directions

1. Quarter the lemons from the top to within 1/2 inch of the bottom, sprinkle salt on the exposed flesh, then reshape the fruit.2. Place 1 tablespoon salt on the bottom of a mason jar. Pack in the lemons and push them down, adding more salt, and the optional spices between layers. Press the lemons down to release their juices and to make room for the remaining lemons. (If the juice released from the squashed fruit does not cover them, add freshly squeezed lemon juice — not chemically produced lemon juice and not water.*) Leave some air space before sealing the jar.

3. Let the lemons ripen in a warm place, shaking the jar each day to distribute the salt and juice. Let ripen for 30 days. To use, rinse the lemons, as needed, under running water, removing and discarding the pulp, if desired — and there is no need to refrigerate after opening. Preserved lemons will keep up to a year, and the pickling juice can be used two or three times over the course of a year.

Green

Lucas — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:37 +0000

Well, I’ve been rambling around England and Wales the last week, three days in London, a couple in Bath, and the last few in Wales. So far I’ve just been catching up with friends, and enjoying all the green. Nothing is bursting into bloom, far from it, it’s definitely still winter, but there’s still a freshness about it that is lovely. There are even some savvy allotment growers about who are still harvesting kale.

I’m still trying to get my head wrapped around the upcoming months, but things are starting to come together. In a way I feel I’ve been spinning my wheels a little bit, but I do enjoy tramping around the countryside, particularly here in Wales. Monday I’m off to Spain, which will make it feel like things are underway.

In other news, have you tried Tiger Bread? It seems to be all the rage over here now. I think it’s called Dutch Crackle in Canada, not sure what it’s called in the US, but it has a rub of sesame oil in the crust which when it bakes makes the loaf look a little like a tiger. There’s also sesame oil in the bread itself, and It’s pretty tasty. I’ve only ever tasted bakery bought, but found a recipe online that folks say is on the mark….

TIGER BREAD

Ingredients for Bread
500 g strong white bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp of yeast (or 1 sachet of fast-action yeast)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
300 ml warm water ( 1/3 freshly boiled, 2/3 cold water)

If you are NOT using fast-action yeast prepare yeast with the warm water & sugar and leave for 15 min to froth.

Ingredients for Tiger Topping
1 1/2 tsp yeast
65 ml warm water (you may need more)
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
60 g rice flour

1) Mix together flour, salt and fast-action yeast (if using).

2) Stir sesame oil into the warm water/sugar (and yeast is not using fast-action) mix. Pour the liquid slowly into the flour, stirring constantly until well combined.

3) Knead dough on a floured surface for 10 min. If using a mixer, use dough hook and knead for 2 min. Shape dough into a boule, place in a lightly oiled bowl and leave to prove in a warm, draft-less place for 2 hours (or until dough has doubled in size).

4) Mix together tiger paste ingredients and leave for 15 min. You may need to add a bit more warm water to loosen the paste.

5) Preheat oven to 240c. Flatten the risen dough with your hand then knead for a further 30 seconds on a floured surface. Roll out into a fat sausage shape and place onto a greased baking sheet. Coat the surface of the bread with the tiger paste and leave to prove for a further 30 min.

6) Cook bread for 10 min at 240c then turn the oven down to 200c. Cook bread for a further 10 min. If you tap the base of the bread and it sounds hollow the bread is cooked. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Arrived in Andalucía

Simca — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:04:04 +0000

Almond tree in bloom outside the finca

A sleepy Sunday in the Alupjarran town of Orgiva, about 40k from Granada. Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Orgiva is the region’s largest town, but you wouldn’t know it today. Just about all the shops are closed. Families stroll through the streets, pushing toddlers on tricycles, stopping in the small parks fo chat with friends. I arrived yesterday evening after a long bus ride from Madrid, passing thousands and thousands of hectares of olive groves along the road. Olives as far as the eye could see in both directions. The harvest is just concluding and everywhere along the road you could see workers, in classic bright blue Spanish work pants, pruning the trees after a productive season, forming piles in the fields which they let burn slowly. Olive country is also almond country and the trees are just coming into bloom (floreciendo, one of my favorite Spanish words). Almond blossoms are a beautifully blushed white with bright pink centers. The trees dot the hillsides, bringing the dry landscape to life.

I am staying at Finca La Nueva Tierra, a small farm just outside of Orgiva. The owners, a Spanish & Swiss couple named Jordi and Laure, are quite nice. Meeting me in the town center yesterday, I arrived at the farm at dusk. I settled into my accomodations, a little caravan at the edge of the property (I know, I feel like such a hippy, but I’m trying to get over that. It really is quite cozy, with a stove, running water, and separate eating and sleeping areas). We shared a tasty meal last night of bread, queso de cabra, homegown olives and olive oil and some warming cabbage and potato soup. We’ll eat lunch together during the week, but I’m on my own for breakfast and dinner. That feels about right, since it’s really hard for me to give up cooking, even for just the two weeks that I’ll be here. There’s plenty of fresh baked bread and homemade marmalades to go around, and a big veggie garden to pick from. I conveniently arrived on the weekend, so I haven’t actually done any work yet. But tomorrow that will begin. There are still some oranges to be harvested, and it looks like a lot of beds to prepare for the spring plantings.

Jordi and Laure have only been on this property for three years, having farmed previously just down the road. We began to talk about how they sell their crops last night and I am eager to learn more. The primary commericial crops are olives and oranges. The olves are brought to the community molina (mill) to be pressed into oil. The oranges are sold to a local cooperative of other small, ecological (organic) farmers which then distributes the fruit to area stores. They are really attracted by the idea of Community Supported Agriculture (which in the UK they call “box schemes” and which doesn’t seem to have caught on enough in Spain to have it’s own name). They didn’t know of any farmers operating under a CSA model and were skeptical that local consumers, used to being very selective about produce, would be interested in receiving a box each week with a share of whatever was ready to be harvested. Similarly, they are not that close to a major urban center and worry about demand. However, Granada is under an hour away, and the area is apparently teaming with British expats, so I wonder whether there might be a hidden demand. At least enough for a small group to form. I happen to have brought along a book I’m reading all about organizing CSAs, the history behind them, different models, various challenges and opportunities that they pose etc. so it’s all at the front of my mind at the moment.

I’ll write more as I settle in and actually start doing some work. But so far, it’s pretty beautiful here in Andalucia–sunny, crisp air and a wonderful change from the harsh New England winter.

We’re off

Lucas & Simca — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:40:10 +0000

Breakfast in New Haven, and we’re getting ready to take Lucas to the airport. He flies out this afternoon at 6:00 to London, with Simca flying to tomorrow to Madrid. Lucas will be reconnecting with some old friends in England over the next couple weeks, while Simca heads down to work on a small farm in Andalucía. We’ll be reconnecting mid February in Toledo and making a short tour around southern Spain, calling in on as many small farms as we can find. After dusty days of travelling we’ll also be looking forward to some all-night tapas bars. Simca has promised to shed the last vestiges of her vegetarianism and embrace the porkcentric culture of Spain, while Lucas has tentatively scheduled in a bite of clams.

Nos vemos!