Tales from Toriello

Making Membrillo - Quince Jelly or Quince Cheese

2012-02-08T21:49:00.000+01:00

Later than normal, we acquired 4kg of quince from Luis's Sister. If you are not familiar with quince, they are a hard pear-type fruit that have a unique dry/tangy and fruity taste. They are hard. We have been storing them in the pantry for a few weeks and one or two of them were beginning to show signs of fatigue so we decided to process them into Membrillo.

I forgot to photograph the whole fruit but I have included a lovely painting of quince. The picture was a gift from, and painted by Marias, Luis' younger sister as a house warming present. I must say she has done a great job.

It is a two stage process. Firstly the quince are cooked for 20 minutes whole, in a pressure cooker. When cool enough to handle they are chopped up into smallish chunks ready to be be cooked like you would cook a jam. Sugar is added to the fruit, in a ratio of 1kg of fruit to 750g of sugar. Some people skin the fruit but we choose not to. We also add a touch of mixed spice which gives the finished membrillo a lightly spiced undertone.

The mixture is cooked until thickened and transparent (less transparent if you did not skin the fruit), 1hour or longer depending on the amount of juice. It is crucial to constantly stir otherwise you will burn the mixture and taint the taste. Glass dishes are ideal for setting the membrillo. Lightly oil the glass dishes and poor the hot mixture into them and allow to completely cool. When cool divide into squares appropriate to your needs.

We wrap ours in cling film then take them to our local Butcher who vacuum packs them for us. As she never accepts payment, we try and give her some home-baked bread or similar in return. The vacuum packed membrillo will last for over a year and can be enjoyed with cheese and wine, a nice home-baked loaf, oat cakes or by itself.

Planning the vegetable beds

2012-02-04T17:44:00.000+01:00

Our vegetable beds have developed over the past 5 years into a system that suits us here at La Pasera. Three main beds are used with crop rotation, every season, where practicable. Crop rotation amongst other things, ensures that essential micro nutrients are not exhausted by continually trying to grow the same crop or species.

The 2 larger beds measure 9 x 5 meters and the smaller central bed measures 9 x 2 meters.

Bed 1 empty, boarded and waiting for soil

Working with a heavy clay soil has more disadvantages than advantages. It may be nutrient rich but it is impossible to grow certain crops or to sow seeds directly. Working the land is more difficult as the soil compacts though a combination of the rain, sun and traffic. We could operate a no dig system but we generally do not source enough compost or manure annually to make this viable.

This year we have made a decision to buy in some sandy loam based soil which together with the compost we produce will serve to enrich our existing soil, helping to generally improve the conditions for growing and working.

In preparation for the soil, we have made a start on boarding the beds with strong wooden planks. The bed on the left now has heavy duty surround of 22cm height. This will help retain the soil when it arrives and improve drainage. We will complete boarding the other two beds in the next few weeks and gradually build up the soil levels when planting schedules and crop rotation allows.

Following on from our previous post, we have coppiced the hazel and repaired the fedge. It is such a haven for wildlife it is really worth the effort. Toads, frogs, lizards, slow worms, stag beetles, field mice, shrews and numerous insects occupy its nooks and crannies. It has its own eco system that is fascinating to observe throughout the different seasons.

A Shrew out of his home in the fedge

Planning for Spring - restore, review, repair and re-plant.

2012-01-30T17:11:00.000+01:00

The winter months bring plenty of opportunity to assess where you are and where you are going in relation to planting schemes, hard landscaping and garden maintenance. Our grand plan of what we would like to do with the plot haven't changed a great deal over the past 6 years but we have added several extra flower beds and extended the vegetable garden.

Earlier today, we took inspiration from our friend at Mellow Fruitfulness and had a wander around the garden and took the opportunity to take a closer look at what was happening. Mellow Fruitfulness took a container and foraged interesting and colourful items from around the garden. We decided to do the same. If nothing else this allows you to take your time, review the jobs that need to be done and to prioritise them accordingly. The bonus of course is it also allows you to enjoy the warm winter sun, listen to the birds, spot things you might have missed and to daydream about the fast approaching season of Spring.

We did however break the rules by picking one or two flowers (but only on plants/weeds we will pull, move, eat or divide).

This is our haul:

Foraged, fruit, flowers, fallen leaves and seed heads

Plants to be moved or divided - we need to do it now before the Sprint spurt of growth...

This is our list of urgent jobs:

1. Create raised vegetable beds - wood ordered and to be delivered today - watch this space.
2. Plan the crop rotation for the vegetable garden.
3. Paint the shed - a coat of paint now will help prolong its life we hope.
4. Move several perennial plants that are growing in the wrong place.
5. Split several plants and relocate to other parts of the garden or to friends.
6. Prune/coppice several of the Hazel trees.
7. Regenerate the fedge (picture below).
8. Repair the compost containers as the wood is beginning to rot.
9. Service the equipment - sharpen the chain saw, lubricate and sharpen garden tools, ensure the mower and strimmer are up to a busy season.
10....where to stop!!!

Shed, compost bins and the fedge. Some of the Hazel that needs coppicing.

How to advance the vegetable growing season: germination of vegetable seeds.

2012-01-24T15:37:00.001+01:00

Advancing the vegetable growing season at La Pasera without the use of a poly tunnel or greenhouse is something we have always worked towards. This year we are starting slightly earlier than previous years. Living close to the sea helps as we generally have much milder weather than further inland. We have already started to germinate beetroot, peppers, chilli peppers, tomatoes and sugar snap peas.

Germinating seeds outdoors from mid January without the aid of additional heat or protection is something we are trying this year. Normally a greenhouse or heated propagator would be required. In the past, we have started raising vegetables from seed in mid February. In essence we are advancing the season by 3-4 weeks.

This year we hope to start eating beetroot, peas, sugar snaps and mangetout from early April; we are hoping the milder than usual weather helps a bit. To crop so early, we start by kick starting the germination process indoors. The seeds are then sown in soil, in seed trays. The method we use loosely draws upon hydroponics. It is more time consuming than direct sowing or traditional seed sowing but it guarantees a greater rate of germination whilst advancing the season.

This is what we do:

The seed is soaked in a bowl of water at room temperature over night or until the seeds are rehydrated. Once the seeds have swollen, you need to sandwich them between the moist folds of a cloth that is then placed in a plastic covered container. This needs to be kept in a warm place, the kitchen is a good area for us. The cloth will keep the seeds moist and in a dark environment until the root starts to sprout. Once the seeds have germinated, sow the germinated seeds in a freshly prepared seed tray or half pipe taking good care not to break the tender root. Cover with soil, water and place against against a south facing wall. Once the seedlings are big enough to handle, you need to prick them out and plant in individual pots or plant directly into the soil in the vegetable garden.

Sprouted beetroot seeds

Sugar-Snap Peas

One disadvantage of this method, is the extra time it takes to raise vegetables, not a problem if you enjoy gardening like me and take the opportunity while working around the garden, to enjoy the birds singing in the background, witness the beauty of the first wild flowers in bloom and the scent of both wild and cultivated flowers at La Pasera and the surrounding meadows. The days are now getting longer and time spent in the garden will no doubt increase accordingly... and maybe we'll find the time to visit the local beaches for a bit of beach-combing.

The winter flowers

2012-01-19T17:41:00.002+01:00

We are fortunate here at La Pasera in so much that we enjoy a coastal micro climate. The village is sited on a coastal plane with the sea 1 km away in one direction and a 750m mountain, 1 km in the other direction.

View of the coastal plane from El Fito - Toriello is behind the peak!

This results in a mild winter with temperatures rarely dipping below 2 degrees which means no snow and rarely, frost. In winter, day time temperatures vary from 10 - 22 degrees with the odd day either a touch higher or lower. We experience strong winter storms and gusting winds can come with much force from the Bay of Biscay but generally speaking apart, from the occasional prolonged rainy period, the weather is tolerable and often mild enough to enjoy lunch on the terrace.

The weather affects our growing season in all sorts of ways and we still continue to learn about how plants grow differently to what we were used to in the UK. Wandering around the garden yesterday it was strange to see such an array of plants and flowers in bloom.

The Christmas Rose was a nice surprise as this particular plant originates from a division of my Great Grandma's plant from over 50 years ago. Propagated by my Mum then by me and eventually relocated to Spain, we were worried that it might not survive. Apart from snail damage, it has grown consistently for the past few years but rarely gets much bigger. We have divided it twice as an insurance policy so...time will tell.

In the wilder areas of the garden, Aconites, primroses and wild dianthus are blooming well and the hellebores are showing signs of flower. The crocus are showing through and several early ones are flowering. Narcissus are pushing their fresh green leaves through and if you look very carefully the wild orchids are beginning to gain strength.

In complete contrast to the first signs that winter is leaving, the planted areas of the garden continue to produce flurries of colour such as training purple aubretia and the self-seeded white alyssum as you can see in the picture below. Marigolds give a very vibrant display most of the year and self seed in abundance. Incidently, the purple fleshy plant in the background is the frost tender purple aeonium which manages to survive outside here in the milder winters.

What a difference a day makes

2012-01-13T18:16:00.000+01:00

Our nearest sandy cove is Gaudamia at Llames de Pria, about 30 minutes stroll from our house through country lanes or 45 minutes if you take the cliff side walk from our village, Toriello. The small secluded beach is at the end of a long tidal channel that leads to the estuary of the Gaudamia river. You can just about see it in the distance on the first photograph.

The weather is very changeable at this time of year in Asturias and we can go from cool storms and wild windy weather to glorious warm sunny days overnight. High tides combined with strong winds can facilitate a spectacular display of the force of nature.

The limestone cliffs along this part of eastern Asturias are peppered with blow holes or as they are known here: Bufones. When high tides are present the bufones start to breathe. A loud roar is heard as air is forced through fissures in the rocks. As the tide rises, sea water is forced into the fissures and is expulsed at great force causing 100m high plumes of water droplets into the sky. Numerous bufones can be seen as the tide relentlessly rises and falls.

The cliffs are about 60 meters high and provide terrific views and coastal walks. The day after the storms, the cliffs and cove were once again calm and bathed in warm winter sunshine. The fishermen return and perch on the cliff tops and cast their rods into the sea below. If you look carefully below you can see two fishermen enjoying their vantage point and hoping for a good harvest.

Planting peas ready for spring harvest

2012-01-05T12:34:00.000+01:00

In December, peas, mange tout and sugar-snap peas were sprouted in a moist cloth and then grown on in compost using the half a drainpipe method (as seen in picture). This gives almost a 100% result with strong healthy plants. When large enough to handle, these were then transplanted into the ground and with good luck and fair weather they will be ready for harvesting from early April. We have grown many more peas this year as they freeze well and will see us through to the next season.

Lambs lettuce and little gem lettuce has also been sown using a similar method and should be ready for first harvest around the same time as the peas.

The land vole has become a nuisance yet again and destroyed several winter lettuce, eaten away at a few of the celeriac and continues to undermine the leeks and strawberry plants. We are going to try a newly discovered deterrent to keep them away from the vegetable plot which is peppermint oil on cotton wool stuffed into their burrows. Eradication is impossible as they are so numerous, a three pronged approach is the way forward....we think. Wentworth and Gawber's hunting skills, peppermint oil and short grass.

Shouldn't you two be out catching voles?

Feliz 2012

2011-12-30T17:50:00.000+01:00

Beautiful beach glass welcoming the new year. A happy, healthy and prosperous time for all, may your dreams come true.

Harvesting winter vegetables - the bounty

2011-12-26T22:42:00.001+01:00

We have just celebrated the winter solstice and the days are starting to get slightly longer, clear night skies and cool temperatures result in the first ground frost. Frosts are infrequent and mild here as we are so close to the sea but there are some vegetables that benefit from the colder weather, especially root vegetables.

The turnips are growing very well after we decided to plant them with some extra space and this year we have noticed that their sweetness has increased, probably with the more favourable growing conditions and the cooler weather. In contrast, the sweetness of the beetroots always decreases as the season progresses. We are hoping to start sowing beetroot again in early February, however there are still quite a few to pick and many ways of cooking or processing them so that the lack of sweetness is not really a problem.

Other vegetables that are doing well at this time of the year are the cabbages that we enjoy in a variety of cooked dishes and salads. The earlier cauliflowers have been cropping for a while as well as the earliest of the early sprouting purple broccoli. Leeks, celery, celeriac and a Winter lettuce of the endive family have been cropping for a few weeks now. Spurts of growth mean we have to monitor what is ready to eat and use it accordingly - experimenting with new dishes and ways of cooking.

There are little gem lettuces ready to be planted in the ground that will be ready for harvesting in late Winter, the first sowing of peas will need pea sticks over the next few days whilst the second sowing of garden peas is ready to be planted in the ground after been sprouted then sown in half a drainage pipe. The pipe sits against a south facing wall that provides a good heat source.

The onions and butternut squash that we have in storage are keeping very well and benefit from the extra heat from the wood burning stove in the studio. You need the heat on if working in the studio at the moment. Inevitably, Wentworth and Gawber sense the warmth indoors and join us whenever we are working in there.

We have already obtained all the seeds we need for the coming season other than for the extra early sprouting broccoli. If anyone has extra early broccoli seeds we'd sure welcome some as they are impossible to get around here.

We are waiting for some wood to be delivered that we will use to create three large raised beds that we will partially fill with sandy soil and be mixed with our heavy clay soil. I dream of the day our soil structure is good enough to grow carrots and parsnips.

All in all we are growing a lot of vegetables most of the year now and it is certainly a bonus knowing that we have such a fresh and untainted source of food at bottom of the garden.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T17:30:00.001+01:00

Our local cliffs at Guadamia taken 23.12.11 - note the couple of fishermen who come to fish from up high

Asturias, like the rest of Spain is suffering because of the high levels of unemployment and financial uncertainty. Christmas is very low key this year with minimal public decorations, subdued Christmas markets and few community based events. The shops are struggling and hotels and restaurants report low uptake however the people remain optimistic and resolute that change is inevitable and as such will adapt.

Despite the problems, the community spirit is alive and strong. The villagers don't really make any fuss about Christmas and the majority of them see it as another holiday with the 5th-6th of January the main event, the Epiphany. Children look forward to their presents from the wise men and many hope that the ever emerging notion of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve will also be adopted by their parents....two lots of presents...Yay!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all who take the trouble to read our ramblings about life at La Pasera, a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year 2012. We hope you stay with us at Tales from Toriello and we hope to share many more events and moments in the year to come.

Convenience food - 50 years a vegetarian

2011-12-20T12:21:00.000+01:00

Anyone who is vegetarian or who cooks for a vegetarian knows all too well that good quality vegetarian dishes take a lot of preparation. Being vegetable based (in the main), more often than not you need to plan ahead and ensure you have plenty of basics in stock ready for use such as nuts, seeds, pre-soaked and boiled beans, chick peas or lentils. In addition, vegetables need processing and cleaning thoroughly especially when they are home-grown, fresh from the ground and not nicely pre-cleaned and packed.

In the UK during my youth, teens and 20s, the concept of fast food had not yet reached the masses and unless you cooked for yourself, you made do with whatever was available. The concept of vegetarian was vague to most food outlets. I remember when I was first training to be a nurse, along with a fellow vegetarian student Terry, we lived in the nurses home at a hospital close to where we worked. The hospital canteen was our main source of nutrition for at least two years before we decanted into a shared house. The canteen waitresses (Bambi and Cath) were always helpful and on a daily basis both parties followed the obligatory routine of "do you have anything without meat or fish?" followed by "No, but I can make you a cheese sandwich with chips". You cannot imagine the jubilation on the rare day when they could announce "We've got cauliflower cheese today". Cheese sandwich and chips, the life saver.

Vegetarian is still a weird concept for most Asturians

Here at La Pasera we both follow a vegetarian diet and therefore having something in the freezer we can pop under a grill or quickly saute, really helps. We often batch cook and this then becomes our convenience foods. One favourite for batch cooking is spicy Indian bean burgers. We make about 40 at a time and freeze them. They cook really well from frozen and make a great addition to a plate of salad or accompanying a few roast veg.

Here is the recipe:

Spicy Indian Bean Burgers

250 g of soft cooked beans (we use aduki and black eyed beans)

Large onion chopped finely

125 g of grated carrot or swede

90 g fresh breadcrumbs

1 tsp marmite or similar

Flour, Salt, Pepper, Oil

Indian spices (to taste) (we use general curry powder or a mix of garam masala and chilli)

Frozen uncooked on trays then bagged

Sauté the onion and add the Marmite. Lightly mash beans and breadcrumbs (we use a potato masher), add grated vegetables and the cooked onions. Add spices and season to taste. Divide into 90-100g balls and shape into burgers with a light flour coating. Freeze separately on trays then bag up into usable quantities. Goes well with a nice fruit chutney. We would quadruple this recipe to make about 40 burgers.

The history of Ribadesella 1/6

2011-12-15T17:45:00.000+01:00

Click on the photograph for a larger picture.

This series of blog posts will feature the beautifully crafted tile murals that decorate the promenade at the mouth of the harbour in Ribadesella. The murals are about 3 meters long by 1 meter high and are attached at eye level along the promenade wall. They were created from original artwork by the famous Spanish humorist and caricaturist Antonio Mingote.

Six panels in total feature aspects of life and culture in and around Ribadesella from pre-history to present day.

This first panel La Prehistoria celebrates (with tongue firmly in cheek) the prehistory past times and culture of Ribadesella's first inhabitants. Hunting, the first tourists, a race in canoes down the river Sella, cave dwellings, good food, the artist and his critic. Amusingly, these are also the main past times in modern day Ribadesella. Tourists come here for traditional, good quality food based on meat and fish. The Tito Bustillo cave network on the edge of town is a world famous visitor attraction with its 30,000 year history, 14,000 year old cave art and dwellings. The canoes are of great significance to the economy of the town with canoeing the river Sella being one of the main tourist attractions for all generations. In addition, we have the annual International Descent of the River Sella which has been going for over 75 years and brings in thousands of visitors for the first weekend in August. Bookmark or subscribe to see the next five panels in the series.

Whales and Dolphins in the Bay of Biscay

2011-12-13T17:55:00.002+01:00

What a privileged to watch, albeit from a distance, the whales and dolphins in the Bay of Biscay. On a recent crossing aboard the ferry to the UK, calm waters and glorious light meant that spotting these illusive creatures was a little easier.

Scanning the surface of the water, it is easy to misinterpret flotsam and jetsam as the dorsal fin of a whale or the the shadows of a dolphin pod as they glide just under the surface of the waves. The white water can often make it difficult to spot the expelled water from a whale's blow hole. Thankfully the tranquil waters were kind and I managed to get a few distant photographs.

A perfect way to welcome December

2011-12-01T19:20:00.001+01:00

Today was (reportedly) the last of the unusually hot and sunny weather we have been enjoying in Asturias over the last few days. There is a weather report that warns us about low pressure coming our way bringing rain, a drop in temperatures and strong winds so I decided to enjoy the warm sunshine while cycling along the coastal road. After having lunch on a deserted sandy cove I made my way back home and just about 10km from home I stopped to enjoy the stunning views Saint Antolin's beach has as you can appreciate from the images. Saint Antolin's beach is one of my favourite beaches not far from home.

Once I was back at La Pasera I could not resist the beautiful sunset so I got myself a well deserved drink and sat to enjoy the sunset colours while Wentworh and Gawber played in the garden. I hope you all had a good start of the month.

Luis x

A busy week at La Pasera

2011-11-25T16:49:00.001+01:00

There is a never ending stream of things to do here at La Pasera, not much different to most people's lives I suppose. The tasks may differ but the need to keep things moving along, no matter where you are, is ever present. There are some jobs that we put off and put off for no real reason other than it either comes lower down on the list of priorities or else it is a job we are not particularly looking forward to.

We completed some much needed building preparation on the drive way this week which has been hanging around now for far too long. Over winter, we aim to make headway with the hard landscaping and drainage needed at the side of the house.

We managed a couple of walks in areas we haven't explored before which was great. Good weather prevailed which made it even more enjoyable.

The garden is nearly ready for winter with just a few more grasses and shrubs to trim and prune. We have levelled some areas of lawn and plan to re-think the wild flower areas for next spring. The vegetables are producing well with a great crop of leeks, swede, celeriac, beetroot, celery, cabbage and broccoli.
Luis has just tied the winter lettuce which will help to tenderise and sweeten the inner leaves. Peas are busy sprouting in half drainpipes and showing lots of new growth in this typically unseasonal warmth.

Lots of cooking going on as usual with making our own fast food - 40 spicy bean burgers for the freezer, bread supplies replenished and the last of the marrows and the first glut of leeks made into soups both to eat fresh and to freeze. We'll feature the recipe for the spicy bean burgers in a later post.

Luis has been hard at work completing work to restore the cane work on an old bergere three piece suite with hall chairs. Good news this week also as he accepts his first mosaic commission since the exhibition.

The cats are looking bulkier since putting on their winter coats and making the most of the warmer weather although there does not seem to be as much rodent activity as they would like. They make their way back to the house in the cool early evening knowing full well that a warm log fire awaits.

All in all, a busy week with everything else that is happening but never-the-less satisfying. A few more jobs ticked off the never ending list.

The Chestnut Festival

2011-11-20T18:17:00.001+01:00

In Arriondas at the beginning of November is a festival to celebrate the chestnut harvest and the produce from the vegetable patch (la huerta). Normally a two day event with a several peripheral events, this year it was much subdued in relation to both exhibitors and visitors. The poor economy and 5 million people out of work has seen some tourist events take a knock over the past two years and the scale of such events drastically reduced.

On the first day this year there were no stalls and just a childrens' inflatable bouncy castle and a couple of mobile food vans selling churros (a sweet doughnut type snack) and ice-cream. We had seen a notice advertising traditional sports to take place in front of the medical centre at 5pm so we nipped along to see what was happening.

With disappointingly few spectators, three teams of men took on challenges to chop and saw various logs, competing to be the first to finish the required test. Their axes were like finely tuned weapons, each competitor having a range of axes, each housed in a leather case and stored in a specially crafted box.

The next event on the schedule was walking with weights around a circuit. One man, two weights, walking a small circuit until he is exhausted and can no longer carry on. Sounds easy-ish until you learn that each weight is 51 kg making a total of 102 kg. The winner completed about 8 laps.

The saws were huge with carefully sharpened teeth that would rip through the toughest of logs.

One man, who we think could have been the overall highest point scorer then gave a display of his axeman skills by chopping and creating steps to climb a vertical log and eventually split a further log at the top - about 4 meters in the air. As there was no presenter or master of ceremonies, it was difficult to ascertain what was happening.

Rounding off the games was a tug of war for the children. Eager teams of boys and girls took the strain and thoroughly relished the effort needed to pull the opposition far enough over the line to win. The best of three. Fortunately each team one a round therefore forcing a tie-break. Each was given a great little baseball cap for their hard work.

It was a great shame that more people didn't attend. It would be a great pity if these low-tech, cheap to put on, traditional type games were to disappear. Such events, albeit fairly modern creations, are important and work on several levels to bind communities together. I can't help thinking that the marketing and presentation side of these events could be much more pro-active. It was a great hour of events that will stay with young and old alike much longer that an hour watching TV or playing computer games.

Just remembered this post about the chestnut fair from a couple of years ago - how things change:
http://ianandluis.blogspot.com/2009/11/chestnut-fair.html

Making leaf mould - black gold

2011-11-13T17:09:00.001+01:00

Gardening and growing vegetables in clay isn't something any right-minded gardener would choose however, given no other option, it is something the industrious gardener can learn to live with. Producing good quality compost is essential to assist in replenishing the soil's nutrients and helping to break down those lumps of claggy clay thereby improving the overall structure and fertility.

We use our compost as an ingredient in home-made potting compost along with a small amount of clay soil, vermiculite, sand and black gold... better known as leaf mould. Commercial potting compost here in Asturias is poor quality and expensive so we prefer to make our own.

At this time of year, collecting fallen leaves to make leaf mould is a welcome and regular task. Gawber normally gets in on the act and loves to ride in the wheel barrow around the garden. Having quite a few mature deciduous trees in the orchard and on the periphery of La Pasera means we get lots or raw material to collect. Cherry, oak, walnut, peach and hazel leaves mix with leaves blown into the garden from neighbouring maple, chestnut and fig. With the advancing late autumn and winter winds from the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, we prepare for the onslaught well in advance by covering the pond with a fine mesh and ensuring we have regular collection sessions and adequate containers in which to compost the leaves.

We really don't do anything special with them apart from collect, bin and leave. One lot is an open wooden frame lined with black plastic and an open lid and the other is a green plastic compost bin we were given as part if a local recycling scheme. Given time 1-2 years minimum, we can produce a compost from leaves that really helps with the structure and health of the soil. Just in case you want something a little more comprehensive on leaf mould check out the link below.

A bit more to go yet - this batch is from last year.

Garden Organic

The bean harvest

2011-11-09T22:42:00.001+01:00

Each year for the past three years we have been letting the beans, we could not eat green, carry on growing until they produce a nice fat pod filled with plump white beans. Most beans will run to seed and give you a good crop to harvest for drying. These will then be stored for eating and seed for the following season.

As the vegetable plots develop at La Pasera we are constantly adjusting what, when and how we grow our vegetables. Learning from experience and getting used to the growing conditions and weather patterns enables us to plan better and make more effective use of what we grow and eat. As eager and willing newcomers to home-produced vegetables, we have tried most things and found that certain vegetables, no matter how much we try to use, never get used whilst others we seem to never have enough of. All unused vegetables are composted but adjusting crops and seasons, we are now finding we are eating increasingly seasonally and composting less.

Beans are such useful ingredient to a whole host of dishes both hot and cold so we took the opportunity to grow more plants and harvest greater numbers of full-term beans. This year we harvested about 5kg of beans which is not a great hoard but never-the-less very welcome. We pick them when the pods are dry and become pale and papery looking. The pods are left to dry for a few days in the sun then the beans shelled and dried thoroughly over the following few weeks. Once dried, the bean are popped in the freezer for 24 hours to ensure any bugs or parasites are killed. Defrosted, dried once again and stored, the beans will keep until needed.

Beans are a fairly easy and rewarding crop with few pests and diseases attacking them. We initially have to protect then against slug and snails attacks using one of several organic methods including organic slug pellets, coffee grounds, ash and egg shells, until the plants reach a certain size after which they can withstand further attacks. We also find that some bean plants are prone to black fly attacks for which we use a soapy water spray every two weeks as this keeps them at bay.

Around the village seeing bunches of beans drying on a balcony balustrade or against a dry wall is a common sight. At the moment, we don't produce enough to do this but given time.....

Seed: sorting, saving and storing

2011-11-06T21:40:00.000+01:00

At this time of year when the dark nights are drawing in, the logs are burning bright and shutters closed, the opportunity to review the seed stock box is welcomed. As with most of us who grow their own food, saving seed and ensuring a healthy and adequate stock is an important and necessary task. Like most, we have a few packs of commercial seed, some collected from our own crops and some kindly swapped with friends and neighbours.

Inevitably, the commercial seed stock runs out of date from time to time so we try to ensure it is used as soon as possible but if it runs over by a few months then it is still used and rarely fails to produce healthy seedlings. Bear in mind though, some seeds do deteriorate over time no matter how you store them. Parsnips and cucumbers have performed poor for us if kept for longer than a year. All the seeds we collect from plants are naturally and thoroughly dried, harvested as required and stored in recycled envelopes. These in turn are kept in a dry wooden chest which helps to keep the seeds cool and dark.

Anyone with further advice or tips on seed collection and storage, please leave a message in the comments and don't forget to subscribe to the blog for updates.

Today we have sown sugar snap peas and mange tout which if grow well will be ready for harvesting in early April. Lambs lettuce and little gem lettuce seeds have been put to one side ready for sowing in the next few days therefore ensuring an early salad crop to follow on from the winter lettuce.

We are currently compiling a list of seeds we need to re-stock over the coming months and thse will either be sourced commercially or from fellow growers.

The chest we use for storing seed was picked up from a market stall a few years ago. Made of pine it was grubby and covered in paint. Stripped and polished, lined with cuttings from magazines and seed catalogues and handles attached to the ends, it makes an ideal container for our seed collection.

If you have a few moments have a look at this Ted Talk film about pollination, absolutely stunning:

October's photograph album

2011-11-04T17:36:00.000+01:00

Photographs from October can be found here: La Pasera October

Preparing the garden and vegetable plot for winter

2011-11-01T15:03:00.001+01:00

At this time of year there is always lots to do around La Pasera. The garden needs close attention in relation to cutting back shrubs and plants that are out-growing their space, plants need moving and weeds need weeding out. Each year we make a note of what needs moving due to the wrong growing conditions, lack of space or wrong position. There aren't many plants that need moving but inevitably one or two need attention in the coming weeks. In addition, it is an opportunity to refresh and stimulate new growth next season. Never be afraid to cut back hard, more often than not it works well and results in luscious growth in the spring and early summer.

The extensive cutting back gives us lots of organic material which is of course, composted for future use as a soil conditioner and nutrient. This is an important resource for us especially now as out neighbour farmer is no longer keeping dairy cattle (due to new EU laws....) and therefore our regular supply of manure has dried up! Thanks Brussels.

The pond has needed some attention this year due to the vigorous growth of water-lily and oxygenating plants. After removing some of the plant growth, leave around the edges of the pond to give any inhabitants such as water snails and beetles an opportunity to find the water again. In the next few days we will secure a net over the pond to prevent an excess of leaves getting into the pond as the trees shed in the next few weeks. An excess of organic matter can make the pond murky and promote algae growth.

Earlier on in the season we sank a small bundle of barley straw into the water as the water became very green but remained healthy. The barley straw releases a small amount of hydrogen peroxide as it breaks down thus killing of the algae. Harmless to the pond life, it seems to have worked.

Starting out with only four fish, they appear to be at home in their environment as we now have about 20, that is after giving the Donkey Sanctuary 6-8 for their pond - apparently, Marleen has mentioned that they too have numerous new offspring swimming around.

The vegetable beds are worked on a rotation system and it is always good when one bed can be cleared completely and dug over. One bed has been dug and green manure (Oats) have been sown and is already showing through. This will be dug in during late winter prior to planting up with spring vegetables.

Pictures at an exhibition

2011-10-29T18:08:00.001+02:00

The Mosaic exhibition was officially opened last night with about 30 people attending which apparently is very good. A few of our friends came along and it was nice for Luis to have their support. Jesus, Gloria, Luis and I had all worked hard to ensure that everything looked its best and that a small reception was laid out for those attending - chorizo, tortilla, bread, olives, empanada, crisps, wine and beer.

Unexpectedly (because Luis wasn't previously informed), Jesus and Gloria called the guests to attention and introduced Luis and his work to the gathered crowd. They talked of how pleased they were to see his work and especially a new art and craft for the centre.

Luis rose to the occasion and responded in his usual eloquent manner. It was a great night and we were all very pleased for him and proud.

A mosaic in progress

Luis before the inauguration

Luis being presented by Jesus and Gloria - Ceramicists and sculptor

Part of a photographic presentation

www.mosaicoslapasera.com

Preparing for the mosaic exhibition

2011-10-25T23:00:00.004+02:00

The exhibition is taking shape and we have today delivered the last few mosaics to the gallery. The posters and leaflets have been distributed, emails sent and the opening event promoted where practical.

Luis' exhibition has had interest from the radio and press resulting in a trip to Gijon yesterday to participate in a radio interview for Radio Principado Asturias. A funny thing happened on the way to the studio, we were lost as Gijon is a sprawling city with many broad avenues and diagonal cross roads. We headed in the right direction but decided to ask in a local coffee bar. Luis asked the proprietor where RPA was. Nodding at a young blonde woman sat having coffee, Luis turned to be confronted by "Are you Luis? I am Cristina and I am interviewing you this afternoon".

Luis with Cristina Natal

The interview went well and he came across as very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, not too nervous nor too laid back. It was an opportunity to thank the staff at the exhibition centre for their help and promote the event, his blog and his desire for further mosaic experience and training in Italy.

On air, in full swing - fast approaching the 5 '0' clock news

Full interview here (in Spanish):

Mosaic exhibition

2011-10-22T15:28:00.002+02:00

It is some time since I first discovered mosaics and since Ian got me my first book on pebble mosaics. Little did I know that it would set my on a path of creative self discovery. Since we moved to La Pasera I have been able to develop my passion for mosaics and after a long wait, I am pleased to invite you to come and see my first solo mosaic exhibition at the Regional Crafts and Applied Arts Center not too far from home.

I am also finalizing the design for my next mosaic project that involves an interpretation of a landscape and landmark in black, gray and white tones. a very exciting project.

I hope you can drop by and enjoy the exhibition that will be inaugurated on Friday 28th October 2011 and will run until 11th December 2011 at the Centro Regional de Artesania y Artes plasticas en Poo de Llanes.

The best Piccalilli recipe ever

2011-10-19T17:16:00.001+02:00

Piccalilli is one of our favourite preserves. Each year, towards the end of the season, there are green vegetables and green unripe tomatoes aplenty so piccalilli is an excellent way of making use of these. This particular recipe has been handed down in our family for the past four generations. Originally from my maternal Great Grandmother Mabel Lund, I have strong memories of this pickle being brought out around Christmas time for Boxing day tea, served with cold meats and cheese.

Autumn Crocus now in full bloom

As with most pickles, it is best made and left to mature for a couple of months before using. This recipe will make about 12 jam jars which is not really a lot if you are a piccalilli addict like me. Double up if necessary... Note: this recipe is in imperial measurement as it always has been... You metric bods will have to do the sums.

Piccalilli

2 cauliflowers

1 cucumber

2 lb of shallots or onion

2 lb of green tomatoes

1 head of celery

About 6 lb of vegetable in total. Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. The cauliflower should be broken into small sized florets and if small enough, the shallots left whole. Soak overnight in a brine solution made with 8 pints of water and 1/2 lb of salt.

The following day, drain and rinse well, leave to drain whilst you make the sauce.

4 oz of mustard powder
1/2 oz of Turmeric
1 lb sugar (can be reduced if necessary)
2 1/2 pints of vinegar
1 cup of plain flour

Make a sauce with all the ingredients, thicken with the flour and gently bring to the boil to cook out the flour. Be careful not to burn the sauce, stir constantly. Add the dry vegetables and bring to the boil and immediately remove from the heat. Cover and leave to cool. Bottle and seal in sterilised jars the following day and label. Hide from everyone except your best friends....

The worst chutney recipe ever

2011-10-09T22:16:00.000+02:00

Following on from the post about the glut... I thought I'd report back on what we have done with some of the produce since. The chilli peppers were cleaned, half and quartered then frozen in layers then bagged. These will be used in variety of ways over the next 12 months. The red peppers have been cleaned and bottled. The weak vinegar solution then heated in a bain marie should keep them in good condition for some time to come however it is the first time we have tried this so we will wait and see.

We have made some glorious soups that have been enjoyed by us and our guests over the past few days. Plenty more has been frozen. The most popular was carrot and coriander with orange soup followed closely by cream of marrow. If any one wants the recipes let us know and we'll put them on the blog.

We have not had to buy fruit or vegetables for a few months now. Locally, the fig trees are full of fruit and Luis has been collecting and processing them for the freezer in readiness to make jam when we get the time. Apples are being harvested and although our own supply has been poor this year, the gift of apples from Luis' sister has been welcome.

We have eaten lots of red, ripe and juicy tomatoes however we need to use many more in addition to a container full of ripened pears. I came across a chutney recipe in a leaflet produced some years ago by a famous vinegar brand and it ticked all the boxes in relation to the goodies we had in store.

I usually cook from instinct and practice rather than follow a recipe, usually I would adapt it if it didn't seem right but last night's chutney effort slipped by. As I added the final amount of vinegar I just knew it was too much liquid. As the recipe was to be simmered for 90 mins, I decided to wait and see. No amount of vapour release could be enough to reduce and thicken. A last minute effort to skim off at least three cups of syrupy liquid helped no end.

Now the chutney is cooled and jarred, it will mature for at least three months and although still a little more loose than I would have liked, we now have 10 jars of very tasty Pear Chutney in store. The worst chutney recipe ever?, probably. I must remember to act on instinct and amend the amounts for next time.

Photographs from September

2011-10-07T19:27:00.001+02:00

A selection of photographs from September here: Photo Album

Processing the glut - 50 years a vegetarian

2011-10-03T15:47:00.000+02:00

Every so often we have a glut of produce, not just an unused bag of something from last week's shop at the supermarket like in the old days, but a serious glut of fresh fruit and vegetables. This week we were visited by Rita and Alfredo (Luis' sister and brother in law). As usual they came laden with produce from their own plot - a plot, I might add that makes La Pasera's look like a postage stamp.

Rita, knowing that I am a vegetarian, brought with her about 40 jars of Pisto she had made for me. This is a concentrated base of tomato, with chunks of marrow, pepper, squash, onion, paprika and herbs. Sealed and heated in a bain marie, this useful sauce can be used as a base for soups, with pasta, rice or other vegetables and it is a really useful, quick and easy food to have in store. I usually ration it to ensure we have stock all year round but somehow we still have a few jars left from last season so we will be treating ourselves to a few portions over the next few days.

In addition to the Pisto, they brought with them about 80 kg of ripe tomatoes, 20 kg of green tomatoes, bags full of apples, pears, peppers, chillies, cabbage and carrots. Our larder area in the garage would rival even the best stocked supermarket fresh produce counter.

Some of the produce from Rita and Alfredo

Needless to say, together with the glut of produce we currently have there is a lot of work to be done over the next few days if we are not to waste most of what we have in store. Thankfully, whilst Rita was here she and Luis spent two days of her 'holiday' making tomato frito or passata as you might know it. Here's how:

The tomatoes are washed and cored, blemishes removed then squashed into a rough pulp. The pulp is put into a fine mesh bag and left to drain overnight. The juice that is collected is bottled and frozen as it is one of the best tomato juices you could ever taste.

The pulp is then put through a machine that separates the flesh from the skin and pips (these are composted). Similarly, sautéed onion and peppers are put through the machine and the resulting pulp added to the tomato. This is then boiled and simmered with salt added to taste, herbs if required (I prefer to vary my herbs when used in cooking). When reduced it is put in jars and sealed, then the jars are boiled in a bain marie for 20 minutes until a vacuum has been formed.

In total, she made about 26 jars of tomato frito which together with the Pisto, will ensure we lots of supplies for the coming year.....now to tackle the pear and pepper mountain.

Midsummer review – Tales from Toriello

2011-09-24T08:17:00.000+02:00

Asturias is once againquiet. The beaches are empty, the car parks have spaces, hotels, barsand restaurants are subdued and the villages are almost back to theirusual peaceful existence. It is good to see an influx of peopleduring summer but being able to enjoy our environment without lots ofholiday makers is better.

The vegetable garden isproducing well after a disappointing start. The tomatoes, aubergines,peppers, cucumbers, beans, squash and marrow plants are weighed downwith fruit and the winter crops of cabbage, swede, fennel, celeriac,celery and cauliflowers are well ahead of schedule with ample summerrain and warm weather helping them on their way.

Luis has been busyrepairing cane and rush seating with a steady flow of work throughoutthe summer. In addition he has just been given a huge piece of workthat involves blind re-caning an antique bergere three piece suitefrom the 1920s. This is likely to take him the best past of 4 monthsas each piece of cane has to be individually cut to size, woven andsecured. The next chair recaning course takes place in October andthere are still places available. If anyone is interested get intouch. He has also completed several new mosaics in readiness for hisexhibition that will now take place in October, and another mosaichas been commissioned that he is currently designing.

I have been busy withmy photography and writing with several projects on the go andseveral more in the pipeline. Earlier in the month I was surprised tobe highly commended in a short story competition run by the BatConservation Trust, The stranger on the bridge is one of eight winning pieces now published in apdf booklet: Bat Tales

Together with ourfriends John and Be, we managed to capture some great night timeimages in and around La Pasera including a stoat, fox, beech martenand rato topo (being captured by the marten) and a couple ofneighbouring cats.

Wentworth and Gawberand sleeping most days and active most nights due to the heat.Wentworth manages to catch and eat several land voles each nightleaving just the head and entrails on the doormat for us to see eachmorning. Gawber catches as many but rarely eats them, just the oddnibble to the hind leg or flank. Young lizards continue to entertainthem both and can be often seen tailless warming themselves on rocksand pavements.

All in all it has beena productive summer with some great walks, many ongoing projects andnumerous fiestas and events. We are looking forward to autumn whichis often much nicer than summer with warm sunny days and beautifuldiffused light. I am currently in the UK and hoping to photograph awhale, dolphin or porpoise from the deck of the ferry.

Growing onions successfully

2011-09-13T16:49:00.000+02:00

Onions are a vegetable that do very well at La Pasera in spite of the heavy clay soil we have and the high humidity we tend to experience in June and July. The heavy soil does not allow us to sow seeds directly onto the soil in September as many of the locals will be doing in the next two weeks. These seedlings will grow over the Winter months and will be planted in their permanent position in early Spring.

At La Pasera, we prepare the soil by digging it over and incorporate organic matter and compost that we have produced during the previous 12 months. This will help to break up the clay and provide a valuable source of organic matter that will help towards increasing the water retention capabilities of the soil and increase the fertility.

As the soil warms up with the arrival of Spring, we will purchase 400 onion plants including red, white and early ones from a local grower that has a vegetable plant stall at the local market held on Wednesdays in Town. We plant the onion seedlings in a way that gives them a very good start and ensures they grow strong and healthy to be able to stand better when the humidity levels are persistently high. For this we will open a drill on the ground, about 3 inches deep, to which we will add a good amount of very well rotter manure. Once the manure is put along the drill we water well the soil before gently pressing the onion root ball and small bulb into the wet, well rotted manure, this helps the roots to settle in. At this stage the onions are resting on the ground at an angle and about 10 to 15 cm apart. Once completed we back-fill the drill with soil and wait a few days before we see the onions are starting to grow straight.

The day we plant the onions is the only day we water them as onions are a crop that require very little if any watering other than the water they get when it rains. As the onions grow we weed them regularly to remove any weeds that will be competing with the onions for water and nutrients. Hoeing the soil also keeps the soil nice and loose. Care should be taken not to cut the onions as they will not sprout again.

Up to now we have found onions to be a trouble free crop and crop rotation does help to prevent soil borne diseases. With a watchful eye you can remove the occasional pest that may graze on the young onion leaves.
By June the early onions are ready to start harvesting. Something that surprises me is how mush sweeter home grown onions are than those we purchase from shops.

This year we sprayed the onions during the high humidity period with a horse tail spray we made ourselves as it is a good organic way to control fungal diseases that proliferate with high atmospheric humidity.
By the early July the onion bulbs are swelling up above ground and the leaves are staring to die back mainly due to the fungal infestation that the horse tail has helped to slow down. Onions should normally continue to grow in the ground well into August. We find that if we get the onions big enough by early July, it does not matter if they are cropped a few weeks earlier than expected. The onions are walked over to knock the stalks down so that they stop growing and they are left on the ground for a couple of days providing that it does not rain otherwise they get brought in and left to dry in a dry and well ventilated area. Once all the leaves are brown and dry the onions get strung before we hang then up in the loft where they will enjoy the rising hot air on the days we are working in the workshop with the wood burner on. This heat seems to ensure the onions last well for months.

This year it was early May when we ate the last of the onions we harvested the previous July. Needless to say that a few always sprout. In time we hope the structure of our soil will be good enough to be able to grow our own onions from seeds.

Visiting the traditional market in Porrua

2011-09-02T14:27:00.000+02:00

One thing that Spain does very well indeed is the fiesta and the traditional markets. One recent find was the traditional market and fiesta in Porrua near Llanes about half an hour from home. We have been here nearly six years and only just discovered it.

One thing that Spain does not do very well is marketing. It is often after the event or the day before the event, that posters or publicity is available.

We had heard about the market from a friend in the village who has a butcher shop in town. She was having a stall at the market selling meat based snacks. Scheduled for the last weekend in August to catch the remaining holiday makers, we checked on the internet only to find several sites advertising a range of dates. The only thing for it was a trip to Porrua to make enquiries before the event.

Porrua is a large village nestled in the foothills of the Cuera mountain range. The village is a favourite for holiday makers as it is not far from the coast and it is close to some lovely walking areas. The market was the highlight of the fiesta with over 40 food and drink stalls selling everything from tortilla, chorizo, roasted BBQ ribs, cakes, cheese and of course, cider. There were over 40 craft and artisan stalls selling leather goods, pottery, puppets, hand made notebooks, toys, clothes, blankets, metal work made by a blacksmith doing a live demonstration, and much much more.

Luis took the opportunity to chat with ceramicists about making him a range of none-glazed coloured tiles that could be used in mosaic making. Needless to say he has a pocketful of contacts now and we will be visiting one or two of them to make arrangements for test pieces to be fired.

One of my favourite photographs from the day

Street entertainers, dancers, musicians and sideshows, donkey rides and the chance to travel on an ox and cart kept young and old alike, amused, distracted and delighted throughout the weekend of events and activities. If you are ever in Spain during fiesta time and get the opportunity to visit a traditional market, I can highly recommend it. Here is a short slide show of some of the highlights.

Downsizing - less is more

2011-08-25T21:38:00.000+02:00

: Learning new skills

It’s been five years since we took a conscious decision to alter our lives drastically, abandon a decent full-time salary and downsize, abroad. Asturias on the north coast of Spain had captured our imagination and hearts when we came here on holiday several years previously.

Since relocating, many people comment on how lucky we are and how idyllic our lives must be. We are and it is, but not in the way some people believe it to be. Yes you can sit on the terrace and drink gin and tonic, you can laze away your summer days on the beach and you can eat out fairly cheap, in fact some people do opt for the extended holiday type existence. The problem is those who opt for the sun and sangria approach soon get bored, they find that their social circle is, in the main ex-pats, and they moan constantly about how much better it is back in the UK.

Downsizing and relocating brings with it many challenges, in fact twice the challenge of just relocating. For a starter, it can be hard work. Living on a reduced income means that you do what you can for yourself over and above hiring someone to do it for you or buying it in. Leaving family and friends behind is a wrench but on the positive side, they have a holiday home whenever they can get over...

Given the option to fell a tree, generously offered by a neighbour, knowing full well you will have to: use a lethal weapon (chainsaw) to chop down a 30 foot dying cherry tree; process it into firewood size chunks; transport it; stack it; clear up all the non-usable stuff, or to buy a lorry load from a local merchant, we opt for the former.

Growing vegetables year-round does never just happen. After 5 years, we rarely buy vegetables but they come at a price. There is ground to be dug, compost to be made, manure to be brought and added to the beds, seeds to be sown that will need daily care, pests and diseases to contend with that could potentially devastate your crop, tying and staking, watering and weeding, and hopefully, harvesting.

You have a glut of vegetable, several times a year, all requiring processing or storing. This results in full days in the kitchen making pickle, pisto, pesto and jams. Whilst you wait for things to cook, you decide to make bread, which eventually becomes routine as you rediscover the pure satisfaction that is home-baked bread. You cook fresh food and rarely long for convenience food, instead you develop your own and freeze it. Over time you become increasingly imaginative with courgettes and beans, you soon learn that there is more than one way to preserve the fruits of your hard work. Tomato jam, now there’s a first for many.

: Nothing better...

DIY takes on a new meaning. After several bad experiences, DIY has come to stand for “do it yourself as you can probably do it much better than someone else and considerably cheaper”. You learn new skills through trial, error and advice from great neighbours past (Terry and Bob) and present. You begin to realise that small-scale building projects and ongoing maintenance work doesn't necessarily need an estimate nor a shaking of the head that signals this is going to cost. You begin to believe that “actually, I could do that myself”.

Downsizing has never only been about having less money to spend but a conscious decision to try to be more responsible with the earth’s resources. Reduce, re-use and recycle has become the new mantra. In addition, something that was told to me by my mother on more than one occasion has become second nature as we assess our need for more possessions i.e. “Do you really need it and can you really afford it? If the answer is no, maybe, not really or possibly, then we do without. We have reduced our need for stuff considerably by leading a simpler life where it isn’t necessary to be virtually attached 24 hours to a transmitter, where television isn’t our main source of entertainment and where shopping trips are planned when real need arises. We make do and mend where possible and entertain ourselves in much more creative and productive ways.

There is no doubt that this change of direction in our lives has resulted in a complete re-think and re-evaluation of what is important in life. Gone are the days when we sit in traffic jams on our way to work for organisations that are so wrapped up in the politics of managing that they have forgotten what they are there for. Gone are the days when we would spend silly amounts of money on the latest must haves and holidays that were over before they began. Gone are the days where you sit daydreaming and wishing your life away as you cannot wait for the weekend to arrive.

Our new life isn’t perfect, but whose is? The joy of living in a place that you never tire of discovering, the taste of home-grown food, the sense of pride you feel in what you build, make and mend, the daily walks though traffic free country lanes and caminos (small lanes and footpaths), the time to pursue your hobbies and interests and the never-ending motivation to get out of bed in a morning as you are really looking forward to your day makes it all worthwhile.

Overall, it has been the right decision for us. What has become clear is that relocation has been the vehicle and stimulus for change. Downsizing is much easier when you do not have the constant competitiveness of careers, when you are not constantly bombarded with advertising telling you that you life sucks without possessions and when you can take the necessary steps to take stock and re-assess what is important. On reflection, we could have downsized anywhere and not necessarily relocate abroad. The trouble is, when you are in the thick of it, those brief moments of sanity when you think “there has to be more to life than this” are swept away by the constant stream of detritus that comes with a life of convention and expectation.

: Chemical free food

First published at www.ifgrandmahadbeenablogger.net

Ian Hicken 2011 ©

Visiting mammals

2011-08-22T15:44:00.000+02:00

When our friends John and Be recently lent us their brand new Trail Cam I was expecting some interesting results but thought it would take a few days before we managed to film anything of interest at night in the garden... but I was wrong:

Can you guess what it is? Please leave suggestions in comments

La Pasera is surrounded on three sides by fields, cuetos (rocky outcrops and meadows), caves and woodland. We often hear larger mammals scurrying around after dusk, some of which you can identify but others impossible to see or name.

Taken by John Shackleton
www.wildasturias.com

Deer can be often heard, especially the barking of the males, but rarely seen. On occasion we can identify the small herds of wild boar by their rough low pitched growls as they turn over turf looking for bulbs and roots. Rodents of various kinds can be heard gnawing away of fallen nuts with their teeth and hedgehogs can be seen hurrying around looking for slugs, earthworms and beetles, grunting as they work their way around the garden.

We have recently seen a beautiful young red squirrel perched in the top of the old cherry tree, brought to our attention by Gawber who sat for ages trying to work out if it was worth the effort of pursuit. Some years ago, we found a young pine marten during daylight hours, in the longer grass near the hut but have not seen once since.

A day at the Rastrillo

2011-08-17T22:06:00.002+02:00

For the past few years we have hosted a stall at the annual Rastrillo in the village of Nueva a few kilometers from home. The market is organised by a small committee who raise funds for Doctors without Borders. It takes place on the main street and is very much a mixed bag of stalls and people but never-the-less very enjoyable. We each pay a few Euros per meter of space which is donated to the the charity.

Sara and Maria Esther

Each year we have used the stall to demonstrate chair restoration i.e. cane work and rush seating. Luis usually demonstrates rush and I, the cane. This year Luis' sister Maria Esther wanted to join us to sell her handmade brooches and key rings. Made of felt, leather, beads and other bits and bobs, they are really popular here in Spain at the moment. Her reproductions of animals, symbols, sweets and a host of other designs are really attractive and extremely well made and thought out. With the economy subdued this year we decided to only demonstrate cane seating and not rush, thereby releasing me for the day....only to be on catering duty for the 6 or so relatives and friends who needed feeding.

There were about 25 stalls selling: second hand games and toys, clothing, wooden garden furniture, antiques and bric-a-brac, fair trade chocolate, sweets and coffee, painted roof tiles and chairs of course. All in all considering less people and a bit of a drizzly overcast day, they did really well with Luis selling three cane-seated chairs and taking orders for restoration of others and Maria Esther selling about 60 brooches and key rings.

Meanwhile, back at home a feast was being prepared...

Toriello - our village

2011-08-13T13:36:00.001+02:00

It struck me the other day that we rarely talk about the village where we live, Toriello. Having been here nearly 6 years now, we know everyone to one degree or another and often pass the time of day with each other as our paths cross.

Toriello has a permanent residency of around 50 people and an influx of visitors in summer, spending time in their holiday homes or visiting family. The village is a collection of houses that are spread over a fairly wide area and at its centre lies a small village chapel, an old school house (no longer used as a school) and a small village square that is actually triangular. The main north coast narrow gauge railway passes through the centre of the village with small rural trains every couple of hours, a steel train bound for Aviles once a day and the weekly passing through of the Trans Cantabrico, a tourist train that takes it's occupants on a very luxurious journey through the delights of northern Spain.

Toriello

Sited about 1 km from the coast and the Bay of Biscay, we can trek along one of many cattle routes and small caminos to the cliffs and the impressive limestone blow holes that litter the coast line.

One of the many blowholes reaching 300mtrs

Being on the direct route of the Camino de Santiago, we see many back packer pilgrims making their way along the northern coastal route through Asturias, to Galicia. Stopping of at the village fountain to refresh their water bottles and take a short break before they set off for Ribadesella for an overnight stay. Invariably when we meet pilgrims on the path, they enquire how long it will take to reach Ribadesella. Luis always adds on 15 minutes or so in the belief that when they reach town earlier than expected, they will be pleased with their progress and it will brighten their day.

The majority of residents of Toriello are Asturian born and bred and many have not travelled widely however, we do have a healthy population of incomers from Germany, France, Italy, Ireland, UK and other parts of Spain, a few of whom are permanent residents.

Although the Spanish don't neighbour in the same way as we used to in the UK, they do often spontaneously gather on the corner of the lane, outside one of their homes or at the edge of a vegetable plot and discuss the news of the day, the weather, the harvests and the local gossip, nothing malicious, just catching up on each other and enquiring after old friends and neighbours they may not have seen for a while.

Tino, Tina, Vito, (just behind) Luis

A few people in the village make their own cider from the abundant apple orchards that surround the village. Invariably, if we stop for a catch up, the chilled cider comes out and is distributed by the host in a single glass, in turn. - a gesture of sharing. The cider is a still cider and is traditionally poured from above head height to oxygenate it before drinking - only 50 mls or so are taken at a time and then the glass is returned for the next one in line. It's strong, especially when drunk during the day....needless to say, we try and make sure that we bump into people on the way back, rather than on the way out to our daily walk.

Tino - expert cider maker

Saved by Tortilla: 50 years a vegetarian

2011-08-06T15:46:00.001+02:00

Being vegetarian most of my life, there are numerous stories that illustrate the problems associated with not eating meat or fish in a world where meat and fish dominates people's daily food. Having travelled extensively in the past it now seems quite strange that I choose to settle in the one country where being vegetarian is akin to being an alien.

I must say that we have found one or two vegetarian restaurants in Spain that are excellent but on the whole, especially in Asturias, vegetarians are not catered for. The dialogue usually goes along the following lines when ordering food in a bar or restaurant:

Me: I am vegetarian, I do not eat meat or fish, what can you serve me?
Waiter: We have lovely liver.
Me: No meat, fish or offal.
Waiter: We have seafood, lovely seafood.
Me: No meat, fish, offal or seafood.
Waiter: Ah, we have vegetable soup.
Me: Does it have ham or a ham bone in it?
Waiter: Yes, but that is only for flavour...
Me: Can you do scrambled eggs?
Waiter: Yes but they have sea urchin eggs in.
Me: Can you ask if they can do the eggs without sea urchin eggs?

At this point, the waiter usually slopes off into the kitchen and after a few minutes, the cook (granny), assistant cook (daughter), the washer up (grand daughter) and whoever else happens to be in the kitchen, appear with their heads peering around a half open door trying to spot this strange alien - mind you, he is English....

Some restaurants in the past have refused to cook anything other than what appears in the menu whilst others offer a simple egg dish or plain salad. In the majority of cases, the one life saver that can always be relied upon for sustenance is Tortilla - even then you have to be careful that it is a plain tortilla and not cooked with chorizo, ham or tuna fish. Here is our recipe for a life saving Tortilla.

Tortilla de patatas

Peel and dice enough potato to fill a non-stick frying pan, add one finely chopped onion. Sauté in olive oil until the potato and onion is cooked and slightly browned and caramalised. A lid can be used to speed up the frying and reduce the amount of oil used. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, whisk about 6 eggs (for an average sized frying pan) and add any herbs you fancy. Thyme or sage work well but are not traditionally used.

Add the cooked potato and onion to the egg mixture and mix carefully - a thickish creamy consistency is required. Add a touch more oil to the pan, bring to heat then add the mixture to the pan. Cook for several minutes until browned and partially set (steam vents come out of the mixture). Turning at this stage can be problematic but here in Spain we use a special plate with a handle on but a dinner plate could be used if need be. Put the plate on the tortilla over the pan, lift and quickly turn the pan and plate. Add a touch more oil to the pan and bring to heat, carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan until cooked to taste.

Remove from the pan by turning with the plate and pan again, leave to cool and serve with fresh salad. A life saver!

Course: Weaving a cane seat - Cursillo: Restauración de sillas en Rejilla

2011-08-01T22:00:00.002+02:00

Short course in chair restoration – Weaving a cane seat.

Dates: October 7-9th

Venue: Asturias, Spain

Cost €200 (includes materials, lunch and refreshments)

Content:

Due to demand generated from www.artesanialapasera.com I am pleased to offer a short course in chair restoration – weaving a chair seat in rattan cane. The course will include:

1.   Preparing a chair for restoration
2.   Materials and techniques
3.   Finishing and aftercare

At the end of the course the participants will have woven a seat using rattan cane.

The course will take place in a workshop at La Pasera. There will be a maximum of 5 participants on each course to ensure quality tuition from the instructor Luis Laso Casas.

Luis has been restoring cane and rush seating for the past 10 years. He has re-caned and re-rushed chairs old and new from a variety of sources. From exhibition pieces to dining room suites, boudoir chairs to Thonet, he has restored somewhere in the region of 500 chairs and overcome many challenges to accomplish the craftsman finish that has become his trademark. There maybe both English and Spanish participants on the course but as Luis is bi-lingual, this is not a problem. You can also practice your Spanish is you so wish!

The programme will commence on Friday lunchtime with an informal chat and lunch. The course will be structured to ensure maximum support for participants and where necessary, one to one tuition. A vegetarian lunch will be provided on each day the course. If you are unsure about anything or if you require further information, please contact Luis at : artesanialapasera @ gmail.com (no spaces) Telephone 0034 646436562

7, 8 y 9 de Octubre del 2011

LUGAR:

Ribadesella, Asturias, España.

CONTENIDO:

El curso incluye:

Preparación del asiento antes de la restauración.
Materiales y herramientas
Técnicas.
Tintes y cuidados.
Al final del cursillo, los participantes habrán aprendido la tecnica basica para tejer artesanalmente la rejilla usando junquillo o tireta de rattán.

MATRICULA:

€200.00. La matrícula incluye los materiales, tres comidas principales basadas en una cocina vegetariana y bebidas no alcohólicas durante el día. Puedo facilitar una pequeña lista de hoteles cercanos donde los participantes puedan alojarse durante el cursillo.

Aquellos interesados en participar en este cursillo deben ponerse en contacto con: Luis Laso Casas a través del email artesanialapasera@gmail.com

NUMERO DE PLAZAS:

El número de plazas está limitado a un máximo de 5 participantes.

Maintaining the Septic Tank

2011-07-29T23:16:00.001+02:00

This year the summer in Asturias has yet to fully bloom. It's warm but a distinct lack of daily sunshine has been upon us now for a good few weeks. We have had more rainfall than average and periods of stronger winds resulting in cooler temperatures than to be expected however, it is still very pleasant.

For some reason, days like today, subdued and dull, bring to mind routine maintenance jobs that need doing around the place. It was on a day like today when we noticed a slight odour coming from the septic tank. Normally there is nothing.

Living so far from mains services necessitates a septic tank which like many other things around the house and garden needs regular maintenance if it is to work effectively All the grey water and sewage is deposited in it and rain water is either collected for the garden or drained into it's own sump. Every six month or so we inspect the septic tank and make sure it is functioning and not in need of emptying. This time, it did.

A quick phone call to Benito and within 30 minutes he is here with his huge tractor, tank and pump. Now I am sure that he quite likes coming here because unlike many of his other customers, he gets help. Luis is always eager to get involved and helps him with the extension pipes, lifts the drain and tank covers, gets him the clear water ready and generally assists. Twenty minutes later, after the system is flushed, Benito and Luis dismantle the gear, we wave goodbye and then swill down the paths and drive. They don't really need it but somehow it feels better for doing it. Then shower.

Other maintenance jobs we tackle at this time of year are making sure locks and hinges are given a bit of WD40, checking sealants and draft excluder, dusting off electrics in the workshop, checking the house for painting jobs, maintain the dry stone walling, check drains, repairing lawns from rato damage, checking waterbutts....and so on. Jobs such as these tend to get forgotten if we are not careful but if kept in mind can save a whole bundle of time in the long run.

Futher afield Ribadesella is once again buzzing with a large influx of people and much preparation work happening ready for the 75th International Canoe Descent of the River Sella on the 6th August. Many thousands of people descend on Ribadesella and Arriondas for the weekend bringing much needed revenue into the area. We'll report back on this years anniversary event.

Jazz Festival in Ribadesella

2011-07-25T19:12:00.007+02:00

Every July in Ribadesella around this time there is a Festival de Jazz in a square outside of the town hall. A substantial stage and marquee is erected completely covering what is normally a small stone square with a few benches and trees, and a covered news stand. This is serious business. You know from the PA system, lighting rig and team of technicians that this is going to be a pro gig.

Arriving in town around 10pm we join the throngs of people sat outside bars, eating in restaurants and promenading up and down one of the three main thoroughfares in Ribadesella. The dozen or so craft market traders who had set up along the sea front are packing up and discussing how good or bad business has been during the weekend-long event. The smell of the Churros permeated the night air mixing with many aromas from a range of traditional kitchens as the sea breeze changed direction and as we turn around corners.

Outside Café Bergantin, friends and familiar faces mixed with hoards of incomers all busily swapping stories of their day and greeting friends not seen since last season. Council workmen dragged out stack after stack of plastic chairs and arranged them diligently in front of the stage as technicians conducted final checks on lights, mics and smoke machines.

Nick and Gilda

People began to gather as we neared 11pm and the reserved front row filled with the Lady Mayoress and her entourage. The atmosphere is buzzing as several hundred people eagerly await the obligatory opening speech by the same guy each year, his identity still remaining a mystery to us after 5 years worth of events. Two things we do know about him is: he says the same thing each year and, he obviously enjoys the limelight.

To a rapturous applause, the fist band comes on stage and without further ado, start the evening off with a rousing blues guitar instrumental. This year we had the absolute delights of two great outfits. On Saturday it was, The Zac Harmon Blues Band and Sunday brought yet another Gospel choir in the shape of The Late Show Gospel Chorale featuring Lady Peachana. Yes, Lady Peachana, she has been around many more years than her singing 'sister' Lady Ga Ga.

Zac Harmon

This year the festival has only taken place on two nights whereas previous events have been three. Budget cuts I suppose. Never-the-less this free concert is a great event for the town and enjoyable to boot. Although it is advertised as a Jazz festival, it rarely is pure Jazz. Blues bands, gospel choirs and the odd contemporary jazz outfit work hand in hand to make sure everyone has a good time. Judging by the number of people dancing at the front, jigging up and down on the sidelines or stood clapping and singing, the bands seem to be working their magic.

The Late Show Gospel Choral

A couple of links here for you to check out sometime:

Zac Harmon

Lady Peachana

Mosaicos La Pasera

2011-07-21T17:49:00.003+02:00

Luis has a mosaic on display and for sale at the Artisan Centre in Poo near Llanes. The gallery asked him to submit a piece prior to his first full-scale exhibition in September. The centre has offered him as much space as required to exhibit both his Roman and pebble mosaics. Ranging from garden features designed and hand-crafted out of pebbles and other materials such as slate, to art in the form of contemporary wall plaques and insets for occasional tables. He will also take various commissioned house signs as examples. We are currently designing the setting of the mosaics and have secured a great section of a chestnut door complete with hand-crafted nails that is over 100 years old. Once cleaned and prepared, it will look stunning and become a great background for a house plaque or similar.

The centre will organise and pay for all the associated publicity, arrange press briefings and promote the exhibition. Needless to say Luis is busily making further mosaics for display including a large plaque called 'The tears of a clown'. There are other opportunities on the horizon but cannot say too much about it at the moment....ha ha!

We will keep you up to date with developments and will report back.

Visit his new mosaic site here: www.mosaicoslapasera.com

Whilst you are here, have a look at the link to my Asturias page. We have listed some useful links for those of you considering coming to Asturias in the future.

Preparing for Winter crops

2011-07-16T11:33:00.001+02:00

One important aspect of vegetable growing is thinking ahead to ensure a steady supply of vegetables throughout the seasons. At this time of the year we start thinking of the numerous jobs that need to be completed in order to ensure a continuation of crops all through the Summer and into the Winter months.

As soon as the onions are lifted over the next few days, the ground will be dug over to plant the winter crops that were seeded in trays and potted up some time ago such as cabbage, early and extra early purple sprouting broccoli, celeriac, fennel, celery, swede, turnip, beetroots and winter lettuce; cauliflowers and leek plants will be purchased from one of the local growers. These vegetables will be planted in accordance to our rotation system and then any remaining empty beds will be sown in early Autumn with oats, our preferred green manure.

The marrows are producing well and in past years we have noted that the humid conditions we get living so close to the coast cause fungal attacks and the plants are lost in early September. This year we have been treating susceptible crops with horsetail. This year we have grown second lot of marrow plants that we raised from seed in late June to hopefully provide us with courgettes and marrows well into the Autumn and thus ensure we can enjoy cooking with fresh marrows for a longer period. We will let you know what happens.

The beetroots are producing bumper crops and the latest sowing, the fourth, is growing well in the half drainage pipe we sow them in before they get planted out on the ground. At this time of the year with the heat of Summer, we will need to shade the young plants once planted on the ground until they get established, this will take about two or three days.

Elsewhere in the garden we are enjoying a great show of wildlife from the pond and bog garden with numerous acrobatic displays from damsel and dragon flies as they jockey for position to lay their eggs.

Review of the vegetable garden in July

2011-07-08T09:25:00.002+02:00

On a cool summer's morning, before the heat of the day sets in and whilst the song birds are in the last throws of their dawn chorus, there is nothing more uplifting than strolling down to the vegetable garden to harvest fresh vegetables and salad crops in preparation for lunch, dinner and the pantry. It always amazes me to see how fast the courgettes swell, how spontaneous the beans appear and how quickly fresh green tomatoes start to blush.

Songs at dawn

July is the beginning of a time of plenty for us here at La Pasera. Our season is slightly earlier than in the UK and with lots of help from mother nature, Luis' planning and planting over the past few months is clearly producing results. The onions are performing well with large swollen bulbs protruding above the soil with their fresh green leaves just beginning to show signs of fatigue. Our summer, early onions have been cropping for a few weeks now and it won't be too long before we think about harvesting the main crop of red and white, in preparation for drying and storing to last over winter, 400 in total. The first crop of beetroot is slowly diminishing as we pick and eat sweet and tender young beets almost on a daily basis. No worries there though, as two further plantings are right behind and will ensure plenty for the coming months.

Summer onions, french beans and marrow

The peppers, aubergines, sweetcorn, leeks and squash are growing well and weekly inspections for black fly, aphid infestation or mildew ensures they remain healthy and at the first sign of attack, treated with our home-made organic remedies. The marrow, cucumbers, beans and tomatoes need attention on a regular basis to help their fruits ripen and swell in the best possible conditions. This requires staking, training or tying the plants, harvesting young fruits to encourage further production and watering at regular intervals, if necessary, to avoid undue stress on the plants.

Ripe and sweet

Lettuce and rocket continue to provide enough leaves for a daily salad and as the chives come to an end, the basil is beginning to grow with its shiny, bright green leaves and pungent aroma.

Bumper harvest

The soft fruits have done reasonably well this year and we managed a great cop of red gooseberries - already processed into mustard seed and gooseberry pickle and a yummy gooseberry crumble. The day to day work of growing our own food continues with preparations already underway for autumn and winters crops, something we'll cover in the next post so why not subscribe by email to ensure you receive notification of updates.

Introducing Ribadesella - a town of two halves

2011-07-02T16:55:00.000+02:00

When we were looking for property here in Spain, we drew a line on a map of Asturias of the area where we would be happy to live. Having visited several times previously, Ribadesella was almost in the centre of where we would prefer to settle. We ended up just 5km away in a quiet village, 1km from the coast. Ribadesella was always a favourite destination and one we never tire of.

Picture from Ayuntamiento de Ribadesella calendar 2011

Ribadesella is a small municipality of which the capital is the town of Ribadesella. It lies in the east of Asturias sited on the estuary of the river Sella, on the green coast of Northern Spain flanked by the Bay of Biscay. It is a town of two halves. The eastern half is the main hub of the town and the western half, across the bridge has a small marina, the main beach (Santa Marina) and a large residential area including hotels and holiday homes...and the high school. Out of season, the town has a population of about 4,500 inhabitants.

For 10 months of the year Ribadesella is a quiet Asturian fishing port where out of the ordinary things rarely happen. There is a small market on a Wednesday morning, many of the restaurants, hotels and shops close for long periods out of season and the small number of residents carry on with their day to day lives occasionally being interrupted and entertained by a coach full of day trippers or some out-of-season pilgrims resting as they make their way along the Camino de Santiago.

High days and bank holidays see increased numbers of incomers staying in their holiday homes or strangers wandering around the town, admiring the three storey Asturian buildings with their splendid glass galleries and busily exploring the nooks and crannies of the old town. Strolling along one, of two promenades is a daily past time for both locals and visitors, either down past the small fish dock along the old harbour wall or to the other side of the river along the promenade that cradles the beautiful Santa Marina beach arriving after 1km or so at the dinosaur footprints that can be viewed at the farthest point of the bay.

July, August and the first half of September see a huge change in the day to day life of Ribadesella and the area in general. Large numbers of tourists descend bringing with them healthy appetites, full wallets and the lust for all things Asturian. Hotels, rental property, campsites, shops, restaurants, bars and street traders take off the dust sheets and fling open their doors in readiness for business. Suddenly, there are few places to park, prices appear to creep up a little and inconsiderate strangers invade our usual chairs and tables at the Café Bergantin.

The main attractions in town include: the Tito Bustillo cave complex with cave paintings dating back to 22,000 BC; Santa Marina beach; architectural delights such as the Indiano houses that are dotted along the beach front and in and around the surrounding areas; easy access to the Picos de Europa national park; a plethora of fiestas and celebrations; and of course the highlight of the year, the International Canoe descent of the river Sella which takes place the first week in August. In addition, Ribadesella is a centre where a range of outdoor activities such as canoeing, surfing, quad biking, horse riding, walking, caving and climbing can be arranged.

Ribadesella has a rich history, from pre-history to the present day, the town has many stories to tell and even more secrets to discover. It once was a busy port for whaling, salt, and fishing, it played an important role in the war of independance and in the late 1800s and early 1900s many of its residents emigrated to Cuba, Central and South America, making their fortunes, returning home and investing their money in lavish residential status symbols that are still enjoyed today.

Ribadesella's location, its quiet, small town feel, its colourful Celtic history and traditions, its proximity to the Picos de Europa and its spectacular landscapes make up for the few overly busy weeks in summer when we prefer to stay at home for coffee and shop in other nearby towns. It is easy to forget that the incomers and strangers are the life blood of the town, without them, unemployment would be much worse than it is and the traditions and unique culture of this part of the world would probably disappear and be forgotten. A town of two halves i.e. the holiday resort and the residential fishing town, it maybe but each half is co-dependant and co-exists in tolerant harmony year after year.

More information can be found here: http://www.ribadesella.es/index_in.htm

Making hay whilst the sun shines and gathering winter fuel

2011-06-26T15:16:00.001+02:00

It's been a funny old couple of weeks, making hay whilst the sun shines and gathering winter fuel. The warm weather has brought with it the need to cut the long grasses and wild flower areas we let grow in various areas in and around La Pasera. It is ideal time for the seed heads to dry naturally and shed their load onto the ground ready for next year. The grasses and plants will be allowed to dry for a few days, then gathered and used as brown material in the compost heaps. The islands and areas will regenerate in the next few weeks and give a second flower and grass crop for the bees and insects to feast from, way into autumn.

The large amount of pruning material from the fruit and nut trees have been processed for kindling and the wood store has been replenished ensuring plenty of dry burning wood for the wood burners. Two unexpected sources of wood came about this past fortnight, the first from a man in the village who is clearing some of his woodland to subsidise his income now he is unemployed and secondly from a plot opposite La Pasera where the owner has sold off his mature eucalyptus trees to a local company. As they were felling them we negotiated a price for two large (20M) trees - they felled them and we processed them.

In retrospect, the second lot of wood wasn't a good deal as taking into account the amount of fire wood it has generated plus all the effort of processing and splitting it combined with the time taken, it would have be cheaper to buy it from them once they had done all the work! You live and learn... Eucalyptus is tough wood and heavy. At least we have a well stocked wood store that should keep us going for the next winter and beyond.

Vegetables: sourcing, germinating and planting seeds and young plants

2011-06-17T21:51:00.000+02:00

There is no doubt about it that raising vegetables from seeds is time consuming and unpredictable. Germination rates depend on the viability of the seed, the temperatures, methods and disease. Wherever possible we save and dry seed for the following season but of course that is not always possible. Seeds are sometimes exchanged with friends, bought from online catalogues or from nurseries both here and in the UK. If possible we buy or source organic seeds, especially old fashioned varieties or varieties that are known to us for their cropping, taste and resilience.

We have a heavy clay-based soil here at La Pasera and despite digging in as much organic matter as we can possibly get, the structure remains heavy and seed unfriendly - the rain and sun combination help form a hard crust that seeds find impenetrable. Luis has developed various methods of seed germination that work for different seeds and that overcomes the soil problems we face.

Some seeds such as brassicas, beetroots, legumes, sweetcorn, peppers, marrows, cucumber and fennel are pre-soaked in a moist cloth and contained within a small plastic box. This method ensures a high germination rate and advances the growth much faster than sowing direct. The downside of this method is that once germinated, handling the sprouting seeds is fiddly and takes a bit more time. The seeds are planted with tweezers into pods or half drainpipes filled with a home-made mixture of compost where they grow very quickly and are ready for planting into the prepared beds.

Other seeds are sown directly into pods, yoghurt pots or pipes and then transplanted when robust. Salad crops, tomatoes, celery, celeriac and herbs are sown using this method. Very few vegetables are sown directly into the ground, potatoes, onions and leeks being the exception.

We generally buy our onion and leeks from a local plants-man as young plants. They are good quality and cheap. 100 leeks cost around 5 euros and we always end up with more than we pay for as he usually puts extra in the bag. If we produce too many, young plants and seedlings are given away or exchanged with friends and neighbours although some vegetables we grow are met with quizzical and perplexed expressions by some of our neighbours who have never grown or eaten anything like them before. Preparation and cooking advice is always offered....

If anyone is interested in seed swaps or has spare seed that they think might do well in our warm and humid climate, please get in touch. We are particularly interested in blight resistant tomato strains and any unusual old fashioned varieties of vegetables or fruit.

Making and using natural insecticides and fungicides for the garden

2011-06-11T15:48:00.000+02:00

If you are a regular visitor to Tales from Toriello you will already know that we do not use chemicals in the garden and rely on natural control or potions that are derived from natural sources. Our climate here on the coast is a temperate climate that is humid and prone to sea mists. Conditions are such that our vegetables and plants are very susceptible to fungal infections such as mildew and blight, and infestations such as caterpillars, black fly and aphids.

With tomatoes, potatoes, courgette and marrow in full swing it is important for us to minimise the damage caused by fungal infections and reduce the infestations of caterpillars, aphids and black fly on plants around the garden.

The first thing to mention is that healthy plants, grown in fertile and well structured soil, in conditions that suit the individual plant will of course minimise any problems that may occur as will the use of companion planting to encourage natural predation. We'll cover companion planting in a future post. Even the most efficient, experienced and knowledgeable gardener will succumb to the laws of nature from time to time so for us who are still serving our apprenticeships, infestations and plant diseases are all part of the valuable learning journey that we find ourselves on.

Natural Insecticides:

At the first sign of attack of aphids or black fly, we would normally spray the affected plants with a light soap and water mixture or garlic water made from macerated garlic and water, strained and then sprayed. This will need to be repeated in two or three days time but can be an effective control that is harmless to other wildlife.

Caterpillars are not that easy to get rid of and we have found that by far the most effective method is quick dispatch with gloved fingers. Birds in the garden can also help keep caterpillar populations under control especially if nesting nearby and feeding the voracious appetites of a young brood.

If your salad rocket is affected by Flea beetle they try using a spray made up from catnip soaked in water, it wont eradicate them but it will drive them away giving you a better looking crop during their short season.

Natural Fungicides:

Due to our humidity and climate we spray both prophylactically and symptomatically. Our main lines of defence come from two commonly occurring plants i.e. Rhubarb leaves and Horsetail plant. Both mixtures are made by the same method. In a large bucket or container, soak about 500 grams of bruised rhubarb leaves or bruised horsetail plant in a litre of water, leave covered for about 5 days and stir occasionally. The liquid eventually stinks vile ( a bit like nettle juice if you are familiar with that). The liquid is then strained through a fine cloth and colander to prevent residues that might clog up the filter mechanism on the sprayer. Plants are sprayed, preferably on a dry day, with a good dose of the mixture and repeated as necessary.

This year we are trialling the horsetail mixture on the onion crop, marrows and cucumbers to prevent fungal infections and mildew.

We would love to hear from you if you have any other remedies or suggestions. Sometimes what works for one does not work for another and the experiences of others, trial and error is a great way of learning. Please get in touch or leave a comment if you have found that your own concoctions work for you.

As with all potions, take care when handling both the raw plant and the liquid. Gloves and masks are should be worn to minimise inhalation or skin contact. If storing the liquids, keep out of reach of young children and pets.

Control of slugs and snails in the garden

2011-05-31T14:10:00.087+02:00

Slugs and snails are a problem. Where we live on the coast in Asturias, we enjoy an ideal temperate climate that is also just right for the proliferation of slugs and snails. Their favourite habitat is in the crevices of the limestone walls, snuggled into the roots of long meadow grass, hiding in the shelter of leaves on a multitude of favourite plants, clinging precariously to the walls of the house, or just below the surface of exposed soil... In other words, wherever it is warm and damp.

When we were in the UK we successfully used nematodes to reduce the population but where we are now, the amount of land we have and the position we are in makes this method of control too expensive and probably a waste of time.

We have tried various methods of control, some of more use than others and some, more strategic and less haphazard. We only use organic or natural methods in the garden so chemical control is excluded. The methods we have tried include:

Prevention Methods:
Reducing the population of slugs and snails where possible - collection and disposal after rainfall or early evening is a good time to do this;

Increasing natural habitats for frogs, hedgehogs, toads, slow worms, beetles and birds, all natural predators of slugs and/or snails. This has worked to a point and the added bonus of garden visitors is a joy to see;

Organic slug pellets - we have tried these and they work but alas they are not available here in Spain so the small supply we have, is used sparingly. The advantage of these pellets is that there are harmless to animals and birds unlike the ordinary pellets some people use in abundance;

Sowing seeds into pots or half a drain pipe to give young plants a good start - this has helped reduce the number of fatalities early on.

Barrier Methods:
Coffee grinds can help - this is supposed to be toxic to slugs and snails but beware, using coffee grinds extensively can increase soil acidity - it works but needs regular renewal;

Copper rings around the base of new trees and shrubs can help act as a deterrent. When the slug or snail glides over the copper, they apparently get a small electric shock. This method was only successful a couple of times for us in combination with other methods;

Crushed egg shells - egg shells, baked and crushed surrounding the plants can act as an effective barrier - works well but needs renewal;

Ash - wood ash from the fires can also be used as an effective barrier particularly around salad crops - renewal necessary especially after rainfall;

Sheep wool pellets - I brought a couple of tubs of this new product back from the UK and it seems to work very well. A barrier of pellets is put around the base of the plant and then watered - it mats together like felt and eventually breaks down into the soil. http://www.sluggone.com

There are of course other methods such as beer traps, half a grapefruit skin placed on the soil, grit.....and so on. If you have found any methods that work for you, please get in touch or leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.

How to make a quick and easy Garden vegetable quiche

2011-05-26T13:44:00.043+02:00

In the second instalment of my celebrations of 50 years a vegetarian, I will give you my recipe for the easiest quiche in the world. This dish is an adaptable, quick and foolproof recipe for a tasty meal for a picnic, lunch with salad or dinner with roast vegetable, however, before that, a little memory from my experiences of being a vegetarian.

On a night out in Dewsbury with old friends Heather and Malcolm we had booked a meal at a newly opened restaurant/bistro. Arriving at 8pm, and to cut a long story short, our starters finally arrived at 10pm. Luis had ordered vegetable samosas which arrived looking like they'd been attacked by a rabid pigeon. As we attempted to tackle rock hard honeydew melon, Luis enquired as to why his samosas had seen better days. Not even I was prepared for the reply. "We've run out of vegetable ones so the chef has taken the lamb out of the lamb ones and just left the vegetable", explained a young, naive and hapless waiter. Needless to say, we soon departed, without paying, without the spectacle of our main course and with our stomachs and thoughts still rumbling.

Normally, quiche bases are pre-cooked and typical short crust pastry doesn’t stay crisp for more than a day. I use this particular pastry recipe as it is easy to handle, stays crisp for a couple of days, it doesn’t need pre-cooking and is a bit more transportable for events like picnics or village gatherings. Never having tasted quiche before, our neighbours and fellow villagers really enjoyed this dish and always request I bring one should a gathering take place.

Garden Vegetable Quiche - 28cm tin

For the pastry:

200g margarine

300g Flour

1 Egg

Crushed oregano

Salt

Bring all the ingredients together with a fork then by hand, cover in cling film and chill in fridge until next stage is complete.

For the filling:

2 Medium onions

2 grated carrots

Half a cup of sweet corn (peas, red pepper or tomatoes can be used in place of sweet corn)

4 eggs

100 gm of grated cheese

350 ml of milk

1 teaspoon of mustard

Salt and ground black pepper (to taste)

Oregano to taste

Heat oven to 200 degrees centigrade.

Roll out pastry on well-floured surface. Line quiche dish/tin by rolling pastry around the rolling pin and gently lifting it into place. Mould to dish and trim excess (use for a smaller quiche or cheese and onion pasty).

Put all the filling ingredients into a dish and mix well. Pour into the uncooked pastry case and spread evenly. Place in a hot oven for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 175 degrees centigrade and cook for a further 45 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure it gets evenly brown. Cool in tin and enjoy.

For a smaller quiche, half the ingredients or make two and freeze one pre-cooked.

New blog for mosaics by Luis

2011-05-24T13:58:00.019+02:00

Due to the overwhelming success of Luis' blog for chair restoration and mosaic making, we have decided to split the two crafts and develop a new blog for his mosaic making. With an upcoming exhibition and increased interest from garden designers and members of the public, we felt the mosaics were worthy of their own site.

Roman Mosaic for an occasional table

Although the blog will be in Spanish, with translation tools widely available, you can follow his mosaic making exploits easily enough. The un-laid mosaic slabs pictured are from a set made from pebbles and slate which will form a flight of steps and sitting area around the garage and workshop.

His new blog for mosaics is: www.mosaicoslapasera.com - links for both his blogs can be found on the right hand side of this page. Don't forget to keep up to date with all our blogs by subscribing by email.

www.mosaicoslapasera.com

Protecting strawberries from slug and snail damage

2011-05-22T11:07:00.021+02:00

We have a small number of strawberry plants that are in their second and third year of growth. Each year they produce well but the fruits are susceptible to damage from slugs and snails if we are not careful. Up to now we have relied on organic slug pellets, crushed egg shells or wood ash to help protect or to form a barrier around the plants. This has worked, up to a point.

This year we acquired a few bales of straw and decided to try using some to protect the fruits. Not only does it help keep them free from rain damage but it has been a great success in keeping the slimy creatures at bay. The organic slug pellets act as a second barrier but as these are not available here in Spain, we use them sparingly.

Great Tits nesting in the garden

2011-05-18T16:31:00.078+02:00

Birds in the garden are always a joy to see. La Pasera is surrounded by lush vegetation in the form of fields, pasture land, woodlands and coastal plains, giving the local bird-life a range of habitats on which to feed, roost and nest. One element that is in short supply locally is a reliable, fresh water supply.

Since we installed the wildlife pond and three shallow birdbaths we have seen the number of garden visitors increase dramatically. At the end of last year we made a bird box from old scraps of wood and attached it high up on the trunk of the old cherry tree in the hope that birds would nest. Some weeks ago we noticed several birds exploring the box and we hoped that one of them would decide that it was a safe and secure nesting site.

This past week or so we observed Great Tits franticly flying to and fro desperate to keep their newly hatched chicks fed. They bring a never ending supply of large green juicy caterpillars, grubs and an assortment of flies and insects, consumed by the hungry chicks in seconds, the exhausted parents fly off again to seek more food for their young.

Not wishing to get too close (and bring the nest box to the attention of Gawber the cat), I managed to get a few shots of the male / female in full action. I think they must be near to being fully fledged and hopefully, the surrounding trees and bushes will provide the young birds with plenty of cover once they leave the nest....dangerous times.

This next picture is a female Blackbird having a well-deserved bath in one of the birdbaths we have in the garden. This particular birdbath was spotted by Luis when we were out on a walk once. Washed down from a hillside following a mud slide, it is sandstone and has a natural smooth and curved hollow. He carried it for 5 Km or so back to the car, a hard and heavy task but well worth his effort.

We'll definitely build more nest boxes this year and both enjoy and value what they bring to La Pasera.

Renewable energy - tea and cake in the garden

2011-05-15T15:52:00.013+02:00

Every once in a while it is good to sit back, relax and enjoy a bit of free time in the garden. Watch the world go by, review ideas, think about life in general and take stock. It is one of those days when weeding, mowing the grass, planting, cutting back, dead heading and the rest can wait. Time to enjoy a slice of cake and a pot of tea... Renewable energy.

Review of the vegetable garden in late Spring

2011-05-11T14:09:00.092+02:00

At this time of year we review how the vegetables and salad crops have performed. Luis keeps a notebook recording what grew where, what seeds were sown and when, varieties that perform well and problems and challenges that we faced in the previous season. The notebook is a useful reminder of when and what to sow.

We are lucky in so much that given our temperate climate and being so close to the coast, we can maintain the growing season throughout the year. We are just coming to the end of our leeks and fennel and in the middle of a rather splendid mange tout harvest.

We have three main vegetable beds: two measuring 10x5 meters and one of 10x2 meters. We use a standard rotation system to ensure the soil is not depleted of essential micro nutrients and we add, on a yearly basis, as much manure as we can get and plenty of home-made compost. Manure this year has been a short supply and we are currently looking at alternative sources.

Bed 1 contains: beans, squash, marrow/courgette, cucumber, sweetcorn, sage and a small lavender hedge (great for pollinating insects)

Bed 2 contains: gooseberry bush, strawberry plants, beetroot, peppers, chilli peppers, aubergines and wild tomatoes.

Bed 3 contains: Potatoes (100), tomatoes (12), onions (150 red, 150 white plus another 100 early local variety, peas and mange tout.

Seedlings at the moment include: salad leaves, sweetcorn, beetroot and basil. Still to come later in the season: 2nd crops of cucumber, marrow, beetroot. Winter lettuce, fennel, brassicas, leeks, celery, celeriac, turnips and swede.

Other beds we maintain are a salad and herb garden which contains various types of salad leaves and a range of herbs and plants for infusions and cooking.

Year on year we use more of what we grow and rely less on bought vegetables. All our produce is chemical free. Some crops are bountiful whilst others disappoint, some get attacked or diseased but experience has taught us that there are many natural remedies or prophylactics that can minimise damage or loss of crops. We learn each season from experience, trial and error but that is what growing your own is all about.

The challenge of growing tomatoes outdoors

2011-05-05T22:40:00.103+02:00

Tomatoes are a fruit we have always enjoyed growing to use raw in salads, juiced in refreshing drinks and cooked to make passata and pisto, a typical castillian recipe that mixes tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, marrow, onion and herbs.

Since we came to La Pasera, we have found that tomato growing can be a challenge due to the high air humidity and sea mist that we get at this time of the year causing tomato blight. Even those varieties reported to be more resistant to this common fungal infection succumb if the conditions are such.

The local vegetable growers tend to grow the tomatoes in a sheltered position next to a south facing wall and with some added protection from a roof.

For the last few years we have grown our tomato plants under partial cover as in a mini poly tunnel that we can site in different parts of the vegetable plot according to our crop rotation system. In addition to growing them under cover, we may also use Bordeaux mixture and natural anti-fungal remedies during periods when the weather is particularly humid and still.

This year we bought seeds for a variety of tomato called Alicante, a fairly small but very tasty fruit that seems to like the conditions our vegetable plot presents. We are also trialling a local wild tomato that has small but sweet fruit.

We sowed seeds in early February in a compost that we mix ourselves based on garden soil, well rotted manure, leaf mould and vermiculite. After a few weeks, we potted up the seedlings in fresh compost with added organic slow release fertiliser to be grown on in a sunny and sheltered position before they were planted o the ground in the second half of April. So far the plants are looking very healthy and some are starting to have their second set of blossom.

As the tomato is a plant very susceptible to blight, we prune the side shoots on the young plants and leave only the main stem to flower. We have found that this method increases air flow and makes infection less likely.

The tomatoes we produce will be used fresh whilst the large quantities of fruit we need to make the passata and pisto is gathered from my sister Rita's vegetable plot in Palencia where she grows about 150 tomato plants in a climate that is much hotter than ours. We process about 60-80 kg of tomatoes each year, ensuring we have plentiful supplies of pisto and passata for the coming year.

Creating a wild-flower meadow in the garden

2011-05-04T16:47:00.090+02:00

Creating a wild-flower meadow in the garden was always on the plan. This year it is looking spectacular and they more than meets expectations. I don't know why more people don't have one. You can create a wild-flower meadow in the garden even in the smallest or unlikeliest of places. Leave a grassy border to grow, see what happens. Create an island in the middle of a lawn, let it grow, scatter seeds gathered from walks in the country side. Grasses, flowers, wild herbs...what ever is native.

Here at La Pasera we were fortunate because the house was built on an old orchard where the meadow had been traditionally maintained with regular, seasonal scything. This method ensures that biodiversity can be maintained by letting plants and flowers reproduce and run to seed, next years display safely deposited in the soil or stored in roots and tubers.

Each year, we leave three islands of grass, in the same place every year, we also leave the grassy borders down two sides of the garden and a small patch down by the old cherry tree. At this time of year it really comes into its own with a magnificent display of wild flowers, orchids, grasses, plantains and more. We think there maybe up to 30 - 40 species of plants at any one time in each area. This changes through the year. We have scattered seeds collected from around our local area and let it take its chance.

Each year, in late June, when most of the seed heads from spring have dried or are drying, we scythe the areas and leave it to dry for a few days. This is then raked and the dry vegetation is added as useful dry matter to the compost heaps. The grasses and flowers soon begin to grow back again and by August, a whole new batch of flowers and grasses are beginning to bloom again. It is left until late October, early November when it is once again scythed, dried and raked.

Not only does it look great, these mini environments create great habitats for crickets, spiders, beetles, butterflies, bees, shrew, lizards, slow worms, moths, grasshoppers, field mice, rato topos, snails and birds. Both Wentworth and Gawber are often distracted by the jump of a grass hopper or the hum of an insect. Stopping and listening for any likely prey that maybe lurking inside.

April's photograph album

2011-05-01T09:33:00.001+02:00

Each month I publish a photograph album of images that inspire me. Taken in and around La Pasera, the photographs are not the best technically, but they capture the beauty and diversity that surrounds us. April's offerings can be found here:

April Album

How to make home-made balsamic vinegar

2011-04-27T23:00:00.001+02:00

This recipe for home made Balsamic vinegar has been adapted from one found in a herbal book many years ago. It is not the pure balsamic that is associated with Italy but a variation on a theme - a flavoured and marinated condiment that can be used in a variety of ways. Salad dressings, soups, sautéed vegetables and any other dish that needs a spicy, flavoursome vinegar.

We use a good quality cider or apple vinegar but any other basic vinegar can be used as a base. The mix of herbs and spices is really down to personal taste and therefore you might wish to change some of the ingredients we use to others that you prefer. The key to producing a balanced vinegar is to ensure the overall taste is not over powered by one ingredient.

Decant a third of the 750ml bottle of vinegar to make space. Add, a generous sprig of sage, thyme and rosemary. Place 15 black peppercorns, 20 coriander seeds, 12 cloves and 15 cardamom seeds in the bottle along with 30 raisins. Top up the bottle with the remaining vinegar, seal and store in a cool dark place for 2 months. The colour will change slightly as the herbs and spices infuse with the vinegar. Decant and discard the herbs and spices and use as required. We make about 3-4 litres a year for personal use and occasionally a few extra bottles for gifts to friends and family.

An additional use for this vinegar is for cleaning surfaces - use diluted, not only does it disinfect, it will help deodorise as well.

Easter Horse Racing on the Beach

2011-04-23T17:44:00.000+02:00

Every year (beach conditions permitting), Ribadesella hosts a horse racing event on Santa Marina beach in the town. Fortunately, there had been no last minute storms taking the sand back out to sea or bringing in tonnes of wood and debris. What flotsam and jetsam had arrived in town had been diligently cleared by the local council in the days leading up to Good Friday.

Luis' birthday fell on Good Friday this week so we walked into town to meet with friends and watch the racing. A much smaller event than previous years (recession and all that I suppose), never-the-less enjoyable and well supported by locals and holiday makers in Town for Semana Santa.

Here are a few pictures and a short video of the event:

www.wildasturias.com

2011-04-22T10:18:00.008+02:00

Just to let you know about a new site recently launched by a friend. Wild Asturias documents John and Belinda's encounters with the wildlife and wilderness of Asturias. There are some great pictures of Otters, birds, stoats and other creatures that can be spotted in and around Asturias. Check it out: www.wildasturias.com

Snake in the grass - Vipera Berus - Adder - Viper

2011-04-20T08:59:00.000+02:00

It is not often we come across snakes but when we do it a great opportunity to take a closer look. The adder is probably the most common snake around here that we see. This one was about 55 centimetres long and 6 or 7 centimetres thick in the middle. This little beauty was crossing the road in front of us when we were out walking near Gaudamia cliffs at the weekend.

I tried to get up close and personal but he was obviously not in a friendly mood and wanted to disappear into the grass verge as soon as possible. Needless to say, Luis was well out of reach...(his pet hate, ssssnakesssss...).

More information here: Vipera Berus on Wikipedia

The garden in Spring

2011-04-18T17:26:00.001+02:00

The garden is looking really vibrant at the moment with sharp spring weather encouraging lush and healthy growth. We've lost a few plants over autumn and winter but replaced them where necessary with cuttings given by neighbours or with divisions we made in early spring.

Most of our blog posts are about the growing food side of life at La Pasera. We thought it was about time to celebrate the garden and take stock of where we are and where we are going to with regard to the future of the garden.

We use the garden a lot throughout the year and have tried to find a balance and sympathy to the local landscape.

It has developed slowly over the past 6 years and there is still lots of things to do. We need to pave the patio and steps leading down to it. We are also about to complete a flight of pebble mosaic steps and small seating area now Luis has nearly finished the 40 mosaic slabs it needs in total. The driveway and front garden still require attention but as we are doing all the work ourselves, it takes time, money and energy.

The wildlife aspect of the garden is important to us and where we can we encourage insects, amphibians and birds by creating areas that are attractive to them i.e. water, shade and shelter, food. A future project soon to be started I hope, is to build a small transportable hide for photography that can be used in the various areas of the garden. I will let you know how we get on with the design and construction - If anyone has any ideas or plans for such a hide, please get in touch soon.

Wentworth and Gawber enjoying one of their many vantage points.

Chives - many uses and a great, delicate taste

2011-04-11T17:09:00.002+02:00

We grow a wide variety of herbs and use them in cooking whenever we can. They add a certain quality to dishes and if used appropriately, they can add a depth of flavour and enhance the flavour of the ingredients of the dish.
Chives have always been a firm favourite. Not only do they look great in amongst other herbs and flowers but they are so versatile.

Fresh chives can be used in salads (including the flowers), chopped and used in egg, cheese or potato dishes. In fact chives can be used wherever its delicate onion flavour is not overpowered. The flowers can be marinated in a good wine or white vinegar for two weeks, strained and then the vinegar used is a variety of dressings and dishes. The vinegar has a lovely pale purple colour which fades over time so it is best made fresh each year.

Beware.....chives have aphrodisiac properties according to Siberian legend and have been cited as an aid to relieve congestion, cold and flu. This year we are also growing garlic chives, not sure how much of an aphrodisiac they will be....

The mass of chive flowers in early spring is also a magnet for numerous species of insects.

Course: Weaving a cane seat - Cursillo: Restauración de sillas en Rejilla

2011-04-08T15:12:00.001+02:00

Short course in chair restoration – Weaving a cane seat.

Dates: May 20-22nd or October 7-9th

Venue: Asturias, Spain

Cost €200 (includes materials, lunch and refreshments)

Content:

Due to demand generated from www.artesanialapasera.com I am pleased to offer a short course in chair restoration – weaving a chair seat in rattan cane. The course will include:

1.   Preparing a chair for restoration
2.   Materials and techniques
3.   Finishing and aftercare

At the end of the course the participants will have woven a chair seat using rattan cane.
Participants can bring along their own chair for re-caning or purchase one from our small stock (details on request)

The course will take place in a workshop at La Pasera. There will be a maximum of 5 participants on each course to ensure quality tuition from the instructor Luis Laso Casas.

Luis has been restoring cane and rush seating for the past 10 years. He has re-caned and re-rushed chairs old and new from a variety of sources. From exhibition pieces to dining room suites, boudoir chairs to Thonet, he has restored somewhere in the region of 500 chairs and overcome many challenges to accomplish the craftsman finish that has become his trademark. There maybe both English and Spanish participants on the course but as Luis is bi-lingual, this is not a problem. You can also practice your Spanish is you so wish!

The programme will commence on Friday lunchtime with an informal chat and lunch. The course will be structured to ensure maximum support for participants and where necessary, one to one tuition. A vegetarian lunch will be provided on each day the course. If you are unsure about anything or if you require further information, please contact Luis at : artesanialapasera @ gmail.com (no spaces) Telephone 0034 646436562

Cursillo de restauración de sillas: Rejilla

A consecuencia del número de gente quienes me han preguntado donde poder aprender a tejer un asiento de rejilla, esterillado francés, me complace el poner a su disposición los siguientes cursillos de restauración de asientos de rejilla o rattán.

FECHA:

20, 21 y 22 de Mayo del 2011

y

7, 8 y 9 de Octubre del 2011

LUGAR:

Ribadesella, Asturias, España.

CONTENIDO:

El curso incluye:

Preparación del asiento antes de la restauración.
Materiales y herramientas
Técnicas.
Tintes y cuidados.
Al final del cursillo, los participantes habrán tejido artesanalmente un asiento usando junquillo o tireta de rattán. Los participantes podrán traer su silla si así lo deseasen; de lo contrario, dispongo de una pequeña selección de sillas listas para ser restauradas las cuales están a la venta en caso de que un participante no tenga una silla propia para restaurar.

MATRICULA:

€200.00. La matrícula incluye los materiales, tres comidas principales basadas en una cocina vegetariana y bebidas no alcohólicas durante el día. Puedo facilitar una pequeña lista de hoteles cercanos donde los participantes puedan alojarse durante el cursillo.

Aquellos interesados en participar en este cursillo deben ponerse en contacto con: Luis Laso Casas a través del email artesanialapasera@gmail.com

NUMERO DE PLAZAS:

El número de plazas está limitado a un máximo de 5 participantes.

Fence? Hedge? - Repairing the Fedge

2011-04-05T12:27:00.001+02:00

When we first arrived at La Pasera, clearing the garden and setting up a decent working area was high on the list. We needed something to separate the working area from the rest of the garden that would be practical, look natural and if possible serve a function. Copied and adapted from something we'd seen back in Yorkshire at Worsborough Country Park, in Barnsley, using branches and twigs from coppiced and pruned trees, we formed a Fedge. A sort of cross between a fence and a hedge.

It has to be strengthened and posts replaced every couple of years but this small amount of maintenance is well worth it as it lives up to expectations in every way. The grass and wild flowers are left to scramble up it whilst the diversity of wildlife that has taken up residence never ceases to delight us.

Toads, lizards, slow worms, stag horn beetles, woodlice, field mice and spiders live in natural balance alongside other insects and invertebrates. The insects pollinating the crops, the toads and the slow worms feeding on slugs, the slugs, snails and woodlice composting the vegetation, the birds feeding on insects and larvae, butterflies sipping the nectar from the wild flowers whilst all are occasionally challenged by a passing curious cat.

Slow Worm

Celebrating 50 years a vegetarian - well almost...

2011-04-01T18:16:00.002+02:00

This year it will be approximately 50 years since I excluded meat or fish from my diet. As a child I would always reject meat and hated fish unless either could be disguised in minced up, highly processed sausage or fish-cake. My parents despaired and eventually gave up trying to encourage me to eat flesh but had the good common sense to feed me lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, eggs and cheese, later followed by new vegetarian dishes that emerged on the market such as nut roast or soya products. We grew some vegetables when young and I remember having my own grave-shaped plot in which I grew a few cabbage and salad crops.

To mark this journey to sustainable vegetarianism, I intend to publish some of my favourite vegetarian recipes developed over a half century of not eating meat or fish. Surprisingly, the term vegetarian wasn't included in our day to day vocabulary back in the 1960s although the term has been in use since 1847. Looking back it was "he doesn't eat meat or fish", as simple as that. I made do when out and made up for it at home. There were brief periods when I could be encouraged to eat a burnt thin slice of crispy bacon or a bit of tinned salmon mixed with breadcrumbs and butter however, these experiments were usually short lived and never to be repeated.

The first recipe will be home-made hummus - simple, nutritious, versatile and tasty. Having made hummus for many years it was only after speaking to a Turkish lady here in Asturias that I started adding cumin. Needless to say, it was the missing link and truly adds depth of flavour to this easy recipe.

HUMMUS

350gm cooked chick peas and cooking fluid

salt - half a teaspoon

garlic 5-6 bulbs (to taste)

2 large dessert spoons of tahini paste

lemon juice

Olive oil

fresh chopped parsley

chopped spring onions

Cumin - 1 teaspoon (to taste)

Blend or mash together chickpeas, tahini, ground garlic with salt, lemon juice with enough of the cooking fluid to form a loose pate type textured spread. Smooth is good but some texture can also be left in the paste. Stir in chopped spring onions, cumin, parsley and oil until well mixed. Adjust quantities to suit personal taste - will keep well in the fridge for up to a week but it never lasts that long. Best eaten in copious amounts with fresh-baked bread or clean, crisp celery. Spoonfuls can also be used as a tasty thickener for soups and stews.

Luis still eats meat when he knows of its origin and growth, and he still enjoys fish but equally these days values the variety that including vegetarian food in your diet gives you. Guests who visit invariably choose the vegetarian options and the many residents of our village who have tried vegetarian food at various village fiestas have always come back for seconds, which is great to see. Feedback on the recipes would be great.

Growing vegetables: Peas

2011-03-24T09:57:00.002+01:00

Some people may find at times, that growing vegetables and gardening in general is something daunting and complicated by lots of information. Whilst difficult to make sense of for some, for others, gardening comes more natural. We both have encountered gardening throughout our lives and although we had created a flower garden in our previous home, it was while living at La Pasera that we started growing vegetables in a much bigger scale. My advise to people is to get a good book and not to be frightened to experiment, ask a friend for advice and to adapt the information available to the particular conditions your garden presents you in terms of soil structure, sun exposure and amount of rain.

Here at La Pasera, we have heavy clay soil, frost is rare as we live so close to the coast but high humidity and abundant rain fall do present us some challenges. One of them is how to increase the growing season and the range of vegetables we can grow.

Peas are a vegetable that we greatly value in cooking and like to grow as many as we can so that we can eat them fresh as well as preserve in the freezer after blanching. We found that although the heavy soil is slowly improving with the organic matter constantly being added to it, peas used to have a poor germination rate and we had to sow several times in order to get a few plants. The method we now employ works very well for us and the little extra work is well worth it as we guarantee a vary high germination rate a lot faster than using normal methods as described in all gardening books.

We love sharing our ideas and what works with the villagers, some of whom have adopted our methods. There are some local gardening techniques that we have incorporated and adopted to our particular needs with good results such as the use of well rotted farm manure for onion planting but this will have to wait for another blog entry.

To get back to pea growing, La Pasera style, we pre-soak the peas overnight in a bowl of cold tap water and in the morning we cover them with a damp cloth and are kept in a plastic container in a warm place until their tap root starts to show, the longer the root is the more vulnerable this is when it comes to handling the pea but the more you advance its growth. This way, we only use the peas that have germinated. They are planted in half a drain pipe using a mixture of well drained soil we make ourselves with our compost to which we add very well rotted manure, our own leaf mould and some fine grit or vermiculite.

This process only takes a few days and once you sow the peas, they will take a further week to start showing through the soil. You need to ensure you place the pipe in a warm and protected position while keeping the soil wet at all times. It will be just another two weeks before they are big enough to transplant into their permanent place in the vegetable plot. As we cram in the pipe as many peas as we can get, their roots become entangled and you need to be careful while transplanting to ensure you damage their roots as little as possible, they should be about two inches tall and will have plenty of vegetative growth. Water them in well and stake with pea sticks when they start developing the tendrils.

This is a very unorthodox or unconventional way of growing peas, most gardening books will not advise you on this method especially with the root damage that you might cause when transplanting but it works extremely well for us, the peas do not seem to mind any of the stages along the way and we certainly advance their growth. If you plant peas in the traditional manner, it may take up to 4 weeks for them to germinate especially if the soil is still a bit cold, but if you grow them La Pasera way, they will be two inches tall by the time you plant them out in about 4 weeks.

We have peas and mange tout currently growing in 3 different stages and the first lot has started blossoming in the past few days. Not bad if I may say so and I look forward to some shelling peas if all goes well.

Beetroots, lamb´s lettuces, raddishes, sweeds and turnips are other vegetables we grow this way. Other advantages from this method is that we can protect the young plants whilst they are at their most vulnerable stage from weather conditions and pests without the use of slug pellets or chemicals. Yes, it is rather fiddly and time consuming but well worth it. Several villagers have adopted and adapted this method. It is always good to share experiences in the garden. Good luck if you try this method.

Home-made hand cream with beeswax

2011-03-15T07:55:00.001+01:00

Hand cream makes sense. If the skin on your hands is in good condition and intact, then the less likely you are to get infections, cuts and abrasions will heal better, your nails will be less brittle and dry rough skin will decrease. Men and women alike should use hand cream. Our lifestyle means our hands tend to get washed a great deal due to the work in the garden, kitchen, workshops and wood store. Having the cats and handling them at regular times of the day also means hands are washed more frequently. Maintaining skin integrity is important and therefore we use hand cream.

Commercial hand cream is often scented heavily or it contains numerous additional ingredients that we'd rather do without. The advance of technology and the development of nano particles is also something that concerns us as we wonder why it s necessary and the long term effects of using them is questionable in our minds.

We came across this recipe some time ago and adapted it to our own. The main ingredients are natural beeswax, almond oil, olive oil, water and pure essential oils. It is an easy recipe and results in a usable, natural hand cream that seems to work well.

The wax and oils are slowly melted in a bain marie until blended smoothly together. The bowl is removed from the heat and the the distilled water is carefully whisked into the mixture until emulsification takes place. If you add the water too quickly, it will separate when cooling and your end product will be unstable, When completely mixed and smooth, 50 drops of essential oils are mixed in until totally blended. The essential oils are chosen for their healing, antiseptic or therapeutic properties. The cream is divided up and placed in suitable containers and left to totally cool before the lids are placed.

One observation we have noted is that when we use commercial hand cream, our cats Wentworth and Gawber, do not like being stroked or held but with our home made product it does not seem to bother them, in fact they seems to quite like it and will often take an inquisitive sniff of our hands.

Basic ingredients: 80grams of Bees wax, 150 ml of almond Oil, 150 ml of olive oil, 50 drops of pure essential oil, 75 ml of distilled water.

Please note: essential oils have various properties, please conduct your own research before using them,

Fruit flowers

2011-03-06T09:23:00.001+01:00

Two varieties of wild prunus - hopefully now the frosts have stopped, a good harvest of wild plum looks likely.

Rambling Pictures - Photograph of the day...

2011-03-01T17:27:00.003+01:00

Just a quick post to let you know about my latest blog..(yes yet another). Rambling Pictures features a photograph a day, random, thought provoking, interesting, controversial, ideas.....Subscribe or take a look via the link in the sidebar.

In addition, I publish, on-line, a monthly photograph album that reflects my interest in nature and natural spaces. You can access it by clicking The Photographer above or for a preview of February's photographs, click here.

La Matanza - Slaughtering and processing a pig

2011-02-26T10:43:00.004+01:00

There are many places, not only in Asturias but also across the whole of Spain, where during the Winter months, you may still come across "la matanza" or pig slaughter. In Asturias the matanza has become a fiesta in many towns and villages, where people come together in the village hall to enjoy some pork based dishes or go out to some of the restaurants that prepare traditional and modern dishes cooked with pork.

My sister Rita, the matriarch in our family, traditionally organises the matanza in December and January on a Saturday when people are off work and available to help as it is such a big job. Ian, being a vegetarian, needless to say, stays at home.

The matanza cycle starts during Spring when 4 piglets are purchased from a local pig breeder. The pigs never get named as this practice would make it harder when it comes to Winter time. Over the next few months these piglets will be reared and fed with a range of grains and vegetable matter that comes from her small-holding. The surplus vegetables and fruit that she produces in her large vegetable plot is always enjoyed by the pigs with ripe tomatoes and figs being their favourite.

As the Winter sets in Castile, the cold weather brings the beginning of a new matanza season and friends and family are notified of the when the matanza will take place.

On Friday, we all start arriving to help. The matanza is always such a big event and an opportunity to get together. The first job to be done is peeling and chopping about 50 kg of onions to make the black pudding. You always hope your eyes will not react to the onions - onions are one of the main ingredient in this black pudding recipe, a recipe which has handed down (verbally) through the generations and is very specific to that part of Castile.

A big rustic bread loaf is thinly sliced to be soaked in the pigs blood and to be added to the black pudding. It is interesting to hear from those who try Rita's black pudding, they say it is the best they have ever had. Of the 100 or so black pudding made, she keeps very few as there is an extensive list of friends and family who are given some to take home.

The skin is cleaned and clear of hair

Saturday is the big day and my brother, Ruben, would have arranged for some of his friends to come for the matanza which starts with us all sampling one of the several home made orujos (liqueur) normally taken with a biscuit. As the outside temperatures are very low, -10 Celsius is frequent, you welcome the warmth that the orujo gives you. I quite enjoy the orange orujo, one has to make an exception on such gatherings and drink early in the day.

Once the two pigs are slaughtered, the butchering commences. Once the hairs have been carefully burnt away with long rye grass collected during the Summer, the carcasses are washed and cleaned.

A sample of each pig is taken to the vets for analysis and everyone gets ready to come in for a big lunch. The table will be set for anything between 15 and 20 people gathering to enjoy a typical lunch based on legume, pork and vegetable stew for which Castille is famous for and that does not go on too long as the black puddings need cooking and this will take us into the evening as there is always two lots of black pudding to be made.

Sunday is a busy day and with an early start we all gather to process the different joints. We usually have jobs allocated according to experience and ability. The meat destined for chorizo is minced with a hand mixer as this ensures a better texture than an electric one and it is usually one of the younger ones the one who will do most of the mincing. The minced meat is seasoned with rock salt before is marinaded in paprika, oregano, garlic, black pepper and a bit of brandy or red wine. This will be processed later on in the week and piped into casings before hanging up to be aired cured.

Another big lunch is celebrated with the 10 to 15 people helping on the morning. After lunch they gather around before starting their journey back home and are given a package containing black puddings, some chorizo mixture and a joint of meat. The rest of the joints are bathed in a mixture of water and paprika: oregano and salt is added before leaving for some time to marinade.

Monday is a quite day when I enjoy a drive to visit some historical building nearby or one of the numerous Romanesque churches for which Palencia, the province I was born, is famous for. On other occasions, it is nice to wrap up and take the dogs for a walk within a landscape that I am very familiar with and where you can look into the uninterrupted views for miles.

Tuesday is another early day as the piping and stringing of the chorizo and salami mixture, 50 to 60 kg in total, will take some time. Eventually the chorizo and salami will be taken to a cold and dark room to be left to be aired cured. The photo shows chorizo and hams curing.

For me the matanza finishes on Wednesday after the meat that was left to marinate is hung in a warm and dry place to partially cure for a few days before it is preserved in oil. This traditional home curing of the pork requires experience as it does not rely on carefully controlled environments and the using of chemicals.
The matanza is a tradition some people would find difficult to be involved with. I personally only eat meat that comes from Rita's as I know for sure the pigs have been fed a natural diet, I am happy with how the animals have been reared and how the meat has been processed. Although it is tempting to become a vegetarian, each year I enjoy helping with the matanza and returning home with some of the marinated meat, chorizo, black puddings, salami and ham. I always enjoy sharing with those who eat meat friends and family who come to stay. It is easy to buy in shops and butchers marinated pork, chorizo and cured ham but Ritas's is certainly in a league of its own and much nicer hence the reason I occasionally still eat some meat.

Pruning fruit trees

2011-02-21T09:28:00.002+01:00

We have a small orchard here at La Pasera, well Luis tells me that 6 or more trees makes an orchard, so we must have. We have about 12 trees ranging from apple, plum, pear and peach and about another 6 or 7 more wild cherry, orange, nuts and avocado. The orchard part of the garden needed pruning so that we can maximise fruit production. The fruit bushes: gooseberry, red and black current will also be pruned very soon. The raspberry and blackberry are already pruned and trained.

Luis set about the younger trees that fruited for the first time, last year. Some of the pruning is to shape the tree at this young age, to keep the fruit at a sensible height and to encourage fruiting spurs. It might affect this year's crop but it'll be worth it in the end.

We have two very old apple trees that have been neglected for many years, part of the original orchard where the house is now built. We need to make decisions soon on how to manage these as the first drastic prune prompted turbo charged growth resulting in the trees growing unacceptably high. They are really passed their best but being such mature trees, they look integrated with the garden and add some welcome shade in summer., besides, Wentworth and Gawber use them for play-fights and viewing platforms.

Looking forward to our first oranges

A painter's palette from the market

2011-02-18T01:46:00.005+01:00

We recently visited Gijon's Sunday market. This is a sprawling and diverse market we sometimes like to visit, you can browse and buy a range of items including clothing, shoes, fruit and veg, plants, second hand items... If nothing else, you can think of the visit as a big theatre stage where you are both an actor and an observer.

On this particular occasion, Ian spotted this painter's palette covered in a rainbow of dry oil paints. Some time ago we admired a similar palette in an antique shop and although very attractive, it was just too expensive. The price tag of the one in the market meant we could not leave it behind. Admiring the random way in which the colours were mixed by the painter can lead your imagination run wild and to think of a miriad of posibilities. It was a pleasant coincidence to have came across an article on the palettes used by different well known painters, click here to view the full article or Click here if you wish to read the story Ian wrote in his writing blog, inspired by the palette.

Otter part two: footage

2011-02-15T09:16:00.006+01:00

With Luis busy, I took an unexpected opportunity to walk the Rio Sella with Be the other day. After sighting the otters for eleven consecutive days, Be was pretty confident that we would see at least one of them for a brief moment at least. After walking for 30 minutes or so we were beginning to feel disappointed and decided to watch a goosander as it navigated a small waterfall and rapids. Suddenly Be waved her lens at me and shouted, in a whispery sort of way, to look down river. Sure enough he (the dog otter) was there. Surfacing and diving, bringing bites of food to the surface, turning on his back and chewing away.

His constant dives meant he was hard to follow as you never knew where he would surface. He stopped, several times and look straight at us, probably to assess the threat but fortunately, carried on and became more adventurous and confident.

He surfaced with a medium sized eel and carried it off to the far bank at the foot of the fall, where he devoured it with gusto. Occasionally he stopped and checked his surroundings by sight, smell and sounds. He circumnavigated the rocks and waterfall on the bank, disappearing into fallen trees and reappearing as he plopped into the water on the topside.

We watched, photographed and filmed his antics for up to 30 minutes, losing him from time to time but locating him when water was disturbed or ducks flew.

I have more film but the files are just too big to load with our limited bandwidth.

Over the past year, John and Be have been following the otters progress on one stretch of the Rio Sella. Here is a link to an album of their photographs: Click here

Here is a link to my small album of Otter photographs: Click here

Restoring Rush Chairs

2011-02-11T16:29:00.000+01:00

Luis has just spent the past few weeks rushing a set of dining room chairs for a client who has a holiday home in Asturias. There were eight chairs in the set plus two others - a huge amount of work that has taken him about 150 hours. Drop-in seated chairs are much more difficult to handle and therefore take more time. In addition, we have had difficulties in sourcing rush which turned out to be of poorer quality than usual so he took a lot of time selecting and discarding material that wasn't up to standard. Using a combination of Spanish and Dutch rush to complete the chairs, they have turned out well and look great.

Our supplier in the UK has stopped importing rush and Spanish rush is also proving difficult to source. We know there are still commercial growers and suppliers in the Netherlands so we are busy making enquiries via our friend Marleen from El Paraiso del Burro who is originally from Holland and who still has many contacts there.

Otters in the Rio Sella

2011-02-09T08:56:00.000+01:00

For some weeks now we have been trying to catch sight of the otters that live in the Rio Sella. Following several unsuccessful attempts last year, we have joined John and Be (they live close by and see them regularly) on an early morning jaunt to try and spot them. Sure enough after a freezing start, and quick to clear fog, John tracked him down to one of his favourite eating stops. He was around for a good 10 minutes or so eating the remnants of a Lamprey, then took off up river, diving and surfacing until he disappeared out of sight.

This was the male we managed to photograph on the far bank as he ate and made haste. John and Be (the otter spotter) have also seen a female this year with two pups.

Walking in Asturias 9 - Torre Blanca, (The White Tower) y Punta Gregoriana (Gregorian Top)

2011-02-07T19:42:00.001+01:00

Some of the Western Massif peaks

The walk I would like to tell you about today starts with a 1 hour drive from La Pasera, up to the Western Massif, the heart of the Picos Mountains National Park. This beautiful drive takes you up a narrow and winding road until you reach Lake Ercina, the second of two glacial lakes at an altitude of about 1200 m. Lake Ercina is the most visited spot in the National Park. The joy of experiencing the quality of the light of the dawning sun as you drive up to the lake is complemented by the numerous shadows that the early sun rays cast over the lime stone peaks.

Leaving the car on the shore of the lake, we start walking on animal tracks up to the base of the peaks through the area known as La Cereceda, a featureless expanse of grass and lime stone. Navigation is the main challenge on this walk at times requiring one of us to stay put while the other goes forward in search of the next waymark, a few stones piled up and easily missed. It is times like this when you really appreciate walking with someone who is good at navigating.

Some snow remains

Although the greenery comes scarce as you gain altitude, it is always such a treat to come across a variety of alpine plants growing in crevices. The impressive deep ravines and size of the peaks we come across on this walk provided us with such an impressive back drop to some fabulous and very dramatic landscape and views that make you forget the hardships of climbing the peaks. It never fails to amaze me the incredible views from the top. I always enjoy the 360 degree views that you are rewarded when you "crown" the peak.

The top of many peaks is crowned by a sort of letter box like the one on the previous photo that tell you the name and height of that particular peak. There are times when you open these letter boxes to find a note with some information about the people who left it, the route they took up to the top and the weather conditions they encountered on the day.

On the peak of Torre Blanc

It's that Carlos chap again.....

2011-02-05T18:26:00.001+01:00

Any press is good press even if they do get your name wrong.....isn't it?

Home-baked bread

2011-02-01T16:18:00.001+01:00

Making our own bread has become part of the routine here at La Pasera. Bread in Spain tends to be either of no substance or far too expensive. Unable to find a baker who can provide the sort of bread we enjoy, we have developed a recipe that works for us and one that involves little or no kneading. To top it all, it tastes great.

Home-baked bread - Humous on standby

We usually bake about 6 or 7 loaves at a time and freeze them. So we only need to bake about every 10 days or so. Fresh yeast is readily available and is easy to use and gets better results than dried yeast. Organic flour is used in various mixes i.e. using various combinations of wholmeal, white, Rye, corn, and spelt. Mixed seeds are often added and other flavours sometimes used such as onion seed, malted barley or pesto. We tend to make the bread mix more sticky than normal which seriously reduces the need to knead as it helps release the gluten from the flour. We always let it rise twice, once as a whole in a rather large bowl and then a second rise in the tins.

Left over dough can be used for pizza bases or a few extra bread rolls.

Basic Recipe for 6-7 loaves:

These are the key ingredients that can be adjusted to suit your own taste and method. Other ingredients can be added such as herbs, spices, flavoured oils, olives, pesto, sautéed onion....etc.

3kg Flour (any mix you like: wheat, rye, corn, spelt, malted)
100gm of fresh yeast
salt 25g (to taste)
1500-1600 mls Lukewarm water
150 ml Sunflower oil (other flavoured oils can be used sparingly)
Seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, poppy, onion...) (To your taste)
Optional:
(If available) Malted Barley Extract 2 dessert spoons
(If not) 1 dessert spoon of sugar or honey

The key to a no knead approach is to mix your dough slightly stickier than normal - hence the need to adjust the water according to the type of flour used. Some, like wholemeal and rye, might absorb more liquid. Handling is easier if you grease/oil your hands to handle the dough.
Mix water, yeast, sugar or malt extract in large bowl. Dissolve. Add half of the flour, oil and seeds, mix with wooden spoon until smooth (ish) add remainder of flour and salt, mix with spoon until formed into a whole. Final bringing the dough together with oiled hand. Cover with cloth, leave to rise for approx 60-90 mins. Lightly form dough into large lump, divide, shape and pop into greased tins or tray. Cover with cloth until risen (30-40 mins). Pop into oven 190 C for 30 minutes. Cool out of tins on wire tray.

Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli

2011-01-28T15:35:00.000+01:00

EPSB

This winter has been a great time for brassicas with cabbage, swede, turnips and cauliflowers doing well however, the winner by far has been the early purple sprouting broccoli. The temperate climate of Asturias seems to favour this particular vegetable. Each year it just gets better and better. It is rarely affected by any pests and continues sprouting as we cut and cut again.

Whilst it is so fresh we tend to steam lightly and eat hot or cold. It is sweet and tender and goes with most things. Later on when we just cannot keep up with the glut we will harvest, quickly blanch, then freeze. It is never the same on its own once defrosted but is great in soups.

News about the Donkeys

2011-01-25T15:31:00.002+01:00

It is a while since we posted about El Paraiso del Burro the Donkey Sanctuary here in Asturias. Since our last post the Sanctuary has appointed a committee following the formation of an Association. Luis and I are involved in a small way but continue to help out when we can with publicity and developing the association. Marleen, the owner, has always wanted to put on open days where people can come along and meet the team and the donkeys, and tour the finca and beautiful setting.

A series of open days are now planned for the coming year. These are:
Time: 11.00 to 14.00

Sunday 6th February

Sunday 3rd April

Sunday 5th June

Sunday 3rd July

Sunday 7th August

Sunday 2nd October

Sunday 4th December

If you are in Asturias and want to come along, please contact Marleen via email or telephone:

marleen.verhoef @ hotmail.com

Tel: (00 34) 646.188.375

If you have time take a look at the other web resources for the Sanctuary:

http://donkeyparadise.wordpress.com/ - English language blog
http://paraisodelburro.blogspot.com/ - Spanish language blog
http://paraisodelburro.com/ - Dutch, Spanish and English Language web site
Facebook page
Facebook Group

Ribadesella from the Sueve Mountains

2011-01-20T22:23:00.005+01:00