Fruit and Veg

What a wonderful time of year for shopping on the local street markets. This morning I bought aubergines that are nothing short of beautiful, fresh runner beans and glorious on the vine tomatoes amongst other things. The stalls were full of locally grown fruit and veg, Ricote peaches at one euro a kilo, cherries at under two euros, plums, of which we have many on our own trees, were also a euro.

Its so inspiring for a cook to get such fresh ingredients, I like to slice the aubergines not to thickly length was brush with olive oil, I always use extra virgin, sprinkle with crushed garlic and grated cheese then bake in the oven. Great hot or cold.
The runner beans with be served with bacon stir fried together after the beans have been lightly steamed.
I bought fresh beetroot to and that will be served raw, grated with a dash a of lemon juice and black pepper.

In fact all this talk of food is making me hungry, I am off to the kitchen right now!

Fevered thoughts

                                     SOME OF OUR LEMONS
Is it feed a fever starve a cold or vice versa? I expect there are endless answers to that question on the Web. Whichever I just hate having a cold, its worse in the summer, at least in the winter you can eat comforting food and whatever the adage, I am going with feed this cold.
I dont get them very often thank goodness, I always take great care of myself when I do. Well quiet apart for the fact that going out and about sneezing and coughing, breathing my sore throat germs around is very anti social I know it can agravate my Fibromyalgia rheumatica if  "I try to work through" the bug.
so its coddling for me.( what a strange word but you know what I mean)
Honey and lemon, and not the stuff you buy at the Famacia, real  honey and fresh lemons from the tree in our garden. We are amazed at the number of lemons on our tree despite the ill treatment it received from the guys who dug out the pool last summer.

Natural remedies involving lemons are very popular here especially with those who lived through the harsh times not so many years ago.Although its hard to imagine the harsh and cruel years under Franco the way things are going these homemade treatments may well have a revival.
You find a Salud, Health Centre; in every town these days but it was very different within living memory. In the Vega Baja where we used to live there was one Doctor for the whole area, the poorer people quiet literally had to look after themselves and their families. Abuelo would have a store of folklore and knowledge gained through experience and nessecity that was the first line against sickness. Joaquin stilll remembers many of the remedies his own grandmother used to try to keep them well.
 So, as I pick my lemons and mix the honey and hot water and will be counting myself very lucky indeed that all have is this rotten cold!

A little foot note that echos a warning through history: Richard Nixon said when Franco died "General Franco was a loyal friend and ally of the United States." The United States established a diplomatic and trade alliance with Spain ignoring the fact that  Franco maintained his control in Spain through the implementation of austere measures: the systematic suppression of dissident views through censorship and fear along with  the imprisonment of ideologically opposed enemies . Those who opposed him were put in concentration camps throughout the country. There was forced labour in prisons and the use of the death penalty and heavy prison sentences as deterrents for his ideological enemies. Long Live America indeed.

Souper Time of year

Even here in sunny Spain soup is high on our family meal menu. The vegetables in season and available on the markets are perfect for a variety of hearty, tasty and of course healthy soups. Loads of root veg about now, mushrooms* are good, pumpkins of course, lovely fleshy ones. Any slightly squishy tomatoes can be used in soup.
My fresh herbs are still doing well, even the annual basil is holding out. All in all a really “souper” time of year for those who like to cook. A family favourite with us in a fish soup which makes good use of the marvellously fresh and flavoursome leeks you can buy at present. Here’s the recipe enjoy!

For each person

1 potatoes peeled and chopped into large chunks
Half a leek chopped
Half an onion diced
259-300grams of fish in bite size pieces
Fish Stock (freshly made from fish trimmings or from stock cube, if using stock be careful when salting the soup)
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Parsley
Garlic to taste
Plain flour
Black pepper
Salt
In a large heavy base saucepan sauté the vegetables adding in this order:
Onions, potatoes, garlic crushed, leeks. Sauté the Vegetables carefully but do not allow to brown. When the onions and leeks are looking transparent stir in a dessert spoon of flour per person, do this of the heat. Return to stove cook for a minute then slowly add enough stock to well cover the mixture ( add a little more during cooking as required while veg is cooking) reduce heat and simmer until veg are cooked. Season to taste. Just before serving heat the soup and add the fish a little at as time. Fish will cook in a very short time. To serve, liquor should be first with crusty bread followed by fish and veg topped with a mixture of oil. Lemon juice and parsley. If preferred you can serve all together.
*a lot of these are grown in the area La Manchuela area if you’ve ever been up to Cuenca you will have seen the special growing buildings.