Spanish Summer

Well its here, 87 degrees yesterday and then Granada had a big thunderstorm to clear the air and water the garden. Some interesting wildlife in the garden this year...

Tapas in many parts of the world perhaps but I wouldn't fancy this big feller on the bbq!



Ingredients for salad...



Chicken BBQ marinades, be adventurous!



..and something cool in the shade, horchata, perfect



Mountains of summer recipes coming up on here and in our recipe bank

Summer Fruit

Well it is summer so we are getting fruity! Strawberries and oranges go great after a dish like these Monkfish & Serrano Ham parcels - don't forget a splash of good extra virgin olive oil and a little pepper for the strawberries.



Next up: For May we are in the garden, its Spain vs England growing giant pumpkins. Head to head with the UK Catering Forum August/September should see some great photos!



For more tips on gardening take a look at Grow Veg

Roasted Tomatoes

It just wouldn't be Andalucia without those vine ripened tomatoes... Lovely side dish and fabulous flavours...



Ingredients:

12 large ripe vine tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
A sprinkle of caster sugar
Salt to season


How to make:

1. Wash the tomatoes and cut in half. Place in a roasting tin in a single layer if possible. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar, season with salt and mix well.
2. Roast the tomatoes in a medium oven for around 50 minutes to an hour (adding the sugar after 20 minutes or so)
3. When the tomatoes are ready, they will be soft and lightly caramelized. Serve warm.

Spanish Pumpkin

In rural parts of Andalucia the quality of the soil does not suit many fruits and vegetables. We have been experimenting with some garden essentials over the past few years and have found something that thrives - Pumpkin.

We planted some seeds in mid June and just added water...



3 months later and it looks like there will be plenty of soup for Halloween, the pumpkin is a good 40cm in diameter, by no means a giant but big enough. Our local green grocer also grows his own for re-sale on his stall in the village, you can even buy it by the segment. Very popular roasted here in Andalucia.



During the summer we also started to build some terraces to accommodate more veg and the odd fruit tree for next year. The plant itself began to take over - even growing through the composter. There are also 6 more pumpkins which appear to have "taken" quite well. Our 6 year old little boy shows great interest on the approach to Halloween night..



Roasted pumpkin recipe and pumpkin soup coming soon!

Coming up soon: Something special for beef rib.. and some simple hot tapas.

Whats in the Garden?

From the bay leaf to the tiniest strands of saffron, discover what makes Spanish cuisine so special.

"Herbs and spices are derived from strong aromatic plants, which have been cultivated for thousands of years to add flavour and colour to our everyday cooking. Herbs are usually the leaves of wild plants that grow locally, but spices are considered the more exotic of the two and tend to be imported from the Far East or the Old West." READ MORE

Here is a trio of what is in the garden this year. It is by no means a large garden but we utilise a lot of pots and planters for the patio. This year we constructed some terraces (being on a hillside) so with luck, next year will yield some great vegetables.


Above - Bay Tree, these do grow quite large but take a few years, an old bay can reach 35ft high and be equally wide. Below, good old basil (well used!), a fabulous herb with a multitude of uses - when its Italian night its pasta and pesto sauce... very nice.



Peppers...(ok not a herb but just as important in Spanish cooking) seen drying on the front of most houses in rural villages during late summer, a real splash of colour in every sense of the word. Peppers fair quite well in the campo as they are quite hardy. Parsley is something we use a lot of but the broad leaf variety struggles in the poor soil in the area.



We also have the unbeatable mint - standard mint and peppermint, the locals use the latter for water, simply place a sprig in a bottle of mineral water overnight for a very cool refreshing glass of water the next day, subtle and works well.

Aromatic Guide to the Spanish Kitchen

Roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary - one of our real favourites during the winter, probably one of the best examples of where herbs compliment meat. Full Spanish recipe coming up soon.