Foraging figs, peaches and walnuts

There is something very comforting about being able to forage food at different times of the year. Here in Asturias, there is a succession of crops, windfalls and wild food to nourish you throughout the year. Around the village there are many fruit and nut trees  that mainly lay to waste their abundant fruit. No-one collects or harvests much at all.

October has been a very dry and warm month so far with very little prospects for heavy rain and the driest summer in 50 years according to the locals and we are now eager for a few downpours. The warm southern winds bring a threat of rain but so far, only a few spots noticeable on the terrace. The 'pebbling' of the sky is a sure sign of rain to come so we will see. The fruit and nut trees are dry and with the advancing winds, they shed there fruit as windfall.

This season is a time for chutney and jam making and with a batch of Green Tomato Chutney, Picallili  and various jams made and stored it is time to harvest and forage more.

A wild peach called Piesco is collected from local orchards and meadows. It is a strong tart yet sweet peach flavour which makes the most wonderful jam or chutney.

Figs were a gift from the Gods according to the Romans. Around here, very few are harvested and the majority go to waste.

Overtime, we get to know which trees produce the best fruit and collect accordingly. If the tree is on a neighbours land we would always seek permission, knowing that in the majority of cases they do not bother at all with the fruit. Needless to say we collect several basketful to make jam or eat as they come. So sweet and soft.

We usually take a jar of jam or pickle to any landowners we forage from and we hear very positive reports back as most have never before tried such things, with spices they are not used to. Fig jam made with a generous helping of All Spice is truly, a gift from the Gods.

Walnuts are now coming to maturity and the green outer casing is beginning to split and release a fresh and tender nut. When we walk we generally carry a small bag to fill along the way. These are then dried in the sun for a couple of weeks and stored to hopefully, last all year.

We are looking forward to see what's on Mother Nature's Menu in the coming weeks. Buen Provecho as they say here in Spain.

Will we get Avocado fruit?

Much to our delight Avocados grow well in Asturias. In our village there is a mature tree that produces an abundance of fruit that no-one seems to eat. Remembering my efforts to germinate a stone using matchsticks and an egg cup, 5 years ago I managed to get one of these to sprout. It is now a 4 meter high tree, growing well in our garden.

The question is, will it fruit? Some say that we will need to graft from the original tree whilst others say it is a matter of time and it will fruit when it matures. We are hoping it is the latter.

I have recently sprouted another stone and will also plant it soon, if nothing more, their glossy dark green leaves look splendid in the Asturian sunshine.

If you can answer our query please leave a comment or email us....

Fresh home-made juice and juicing

Freshly picked for juicing

Anyone who grows fruit and vegetables will know that at times there is a glut and the more you harvest the more the plants seem to produce. This situation at times is compounded when family, friends or neighbours arrive bearing fresh produce.

Here at La Pasera, we decided to purchase a juicer so that we could not only use up more of our home produce but also benefit from drinking home juices that incorporate in the main, freshly picked fruits, herbs and vegetables.

From a health viewpoint, when you decide to start juicing, you will benefit from all their micro-nutrients,  especially the vitamins that easily oxidise and get destroyed or which are radically depleted in cooking. Natural sugars start decreasing as soon as fruit and veg are picked or with long term storage, so using them in this way, the natural sweetness is much more prominent.

One of the disadvantages of juicing is the loss of fibre due to the removal of all the solids but this is a small price to pay when you consider not only the sweetness but also the taste you get when juicing home grown produce you collected from the plot a few minutes earlier.

The juice combinations you can make depend not only on the fruits and vegetables available but also on what you add to them in terms of spices and herbs. There is no reason why you cannot add spices and exotic or seasonally purchased fruits in your choice of juices.

 Only your imagination and personal taste is the limit to the range of juices you can make.

One of my favourite combinations include: beetroot and apple; celery, apple, lime and fennel; pineapple, celery and fennel with a touch of mint, and what about orange, ginger and apple. My latest one was windfall russet apples and Asturian wild peach, simply decadent and I will be making more tomorrow.

Notus and the South Wind

Dawn at La Pasera

In ancient Greece, Notus was the god of the south wind and was associated with the desiccating hot wind of the rise of Sirius after midsummer and the bringer of late summer and autumn storms, and as such, feared as a destroyer of crops.

At La Pasera, we primarily experience the south winds during Autumn and they usually herald the arrival of rains when the winds die down. The intensity of the winds may vary from a gentle breeze to a very strong and howling wind that tend to leave a trail of damaged trees and some structural damage such as roof tiles being blown, damaged fences, chimneys, sheds, etc. Apart from the damage the passing of Notus may leave behind, one of the constant characteristics of this wind is how hot and dry it is.

At this time of the year, you may be woken up in the middle of the night or get up in the early morning as was the case today and be greeted by a temperature around 30 C and a humidity between 20 and 30 %, very dry living so near the coast where the air humidity is frequently close to 90% .

The locals refer to the south wind at this time of the year as "The chestnut Wind" as it is the one that causes the falling of this fruit....time to harvest.

I hope this time Notus' passing is a gentle one and leaves us with some much needed rain.

Midday at La Pasera looking towards the Sueve Mountains

The coast near home

When we were initially looking for a house we both said how great it would be if we could live on the coast or within striking distance. We drew a line on a map and started looking. After many disappointments we eventually found La Pasera. Situated just 1km (as the crow flies) from the coast it was perfectly positioned.

Most days when time allows we will walk to the coast on one of numerous routes. You can saunter on the quiet country lanes through a couple of sleepy villages, meander along farming tracks and animal paths or take the Camino de Santiago towards Ribadesella and veer off towards the cliffs. The scenery is spectacular and within a short distance by foot, car or bicycle there are some spectacular beaches and yet more coastal paths.

The Asturian coastline is unspoilt in the main with very little development and few facilities but that doesn't stop the visitors during the main holiday season in July, August and early September. Outside of those months it is rare to see anyone unless it is a particularly hot day and then you might get a few locals or weekenders.

The limestone cliffs near La Pasera are spectacular and peppered with blow holes known as Bufones. This is where the sea has undercut the rock and fissures act as a chimney. When high tides occur, the pressure of the water being propelled through the fissure forms a large jet of sea spray. Some of these blow holes are half a kilometre in land. On a still night when the tide is high you can here them breathe like dragon breath, a haunting inhalation followed by a long deep exhalation.

With over 200km of unspoilt coastline in Asturias there are many golden and clean beaches that only ever see tourists for about 8 weeks of the year. There is nothing better than walking along the shoreline, beach-combing on pristine and untouched sand, listening to the waves and watching the sea-birds gliding high above. The plants and animals that inhabit the shoreline never cease to amaze us and each day we count our blessings and remember how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

Growing and eating carrots

Carrots are a favourite here at La Pasera. Until this year our efforts have failed miserably and we have had to use shop bought carrots which on the whole are tasteless and dull. Things have changed. Since we imported the 13 tonnes of sandy top soil, all the vegetables have improved beyond expectations and for the very first time, we have carrots, variety Nantes.

The first sowing didn't do anything so we think it was a bad batch of seed. The second and third sowing are doing amazingly well and we have now begun harvesting them.

We have so little rain in the past 10 weeks the ground is extremely dry and soon hardens so before harvesting we water the carrots to soften the soil. Give them 15 minutes or so and the with a gentle twist and pull, the whole fresh carrot comes out without snapping.

The texture and sweetness of the carrots is great. Not too sweet and a clean crisp bite allowing that true carrot flavour and aroma to come through.

The culinary use of carrots is endless and we will have a great time preparing new dishes in which to use them. Raw in salads or as a snack is one of our favourite ways to eat them so I doubt we will have many to store in the long run.

This following recipe is another great way of eating fresh raw carrot that we prepare on a regular basis, it'll be a real bonus now we will use our own carrots.

Carrot, Rice, Seed and Mint Salad

6 small to medium carrots - grated
2 sprigs of mint finely chopped
Boiled rice - wild or basmati
1 teaspoon of honey
75g raisins or sultanas (pre-soaked and drained)
Olive oil
Cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
30g Pumpkin seeds
30g Sunflower seeds

The key to making this salad is getting a mix of ingredients and flavours that do not overpower each other. Mix to your own individual taste. The sweetness of the honey, fruit and carrot is offset with the blandness of the rice and the acidity of the vinegar. Adjust quantities to suit your taste and mix.

Apart from Carrots, we are harvesting loads of aubergines, cucumber, marrow, beetroot, peppers, blackberries and fennel. Our harvests this year have been so good that we are sending out gift boxes to friends and neighbours who appreciate fresh, chemical free vegetables. Fruit hasn't done that well this year with few apples, no pears to talk off and no evidence of greengage. The wild peaches are struggling but there are a few to collect and use for jam. The walnuts and hazelnuts look to be laden with fruit so we might have a better nut harvest than last year.

The wild peach known as piesco

Growing Basil and making Basil Pesto

There is no headier scent than that of freshly picked Basil. Having grown several varieties over the years we always seem to favour Sweet Genovese. This broad leafed and bushy basil does well here and despite a dodgy start, it has done wonderfully well this year and we have plenty to use on a whole array of dishes.

We will use the smaller, sweeter leaves chopped on fresh ripe tomatoes with thinly sliced garlic, rock salt and a grinding or two of black pepper. Alternatively we will use the smaller tender leaves in a mixed green salad but it can over-power other flavours if used in excess. We use a lot of herbs in our cooking and shredded basil is used in many of our vegetable, bean and chickpea recipes along with fresh oregano and thyme, a touch of sage and mint or fennel leaves for that wonderful rich and flavoursome Mediterranean meets north African flavour.

One use for basil that we have always wanted to try is fresh Basil Pesto. I can smell it now as I remember those simple Italian pastas and spaghetti we used to eat on pavement terraced restaurants in Rome on warm and balmy summer evenings, served with fresh bread and a glass of red, nothing better.

This year we have grown enough for several summer evenings.

Here's what we did:

Fresh Basil Pesto

100g fresh washed basil
2 garlic cloves
50g of toasted hazelnuts (or pine nuts)
180 ml of olive oil
60g Parmesan cheese
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and Pepper

Pop the hole lot into a food processor and blitz until you reach the required consistency. Add a touch more oil and stir.

It will keep in a jar in the fridge for up to two weeks and preserve well if topped up with oil to exclude the air from oxidising the basil.

So far we have had it with Tallarin (pasta), spread thinly on roasted slices of aubergine, with cheese and onion toasties and as an ingredient with stuffed marrow. My favourite though has got to be with plain and simple pasta. Couple of spoonfuls, knob of butter, splash of olive oil, black pepper mixed into freshly boiled pasta, served with tomato and garlic salad, fresh crusty bread and a glass of wine. Who needs Rome?

A day out at the traditional market in Porrua

Fiesta season is in full swing here in Asturias. August, being the main holiday month, is busy with tourists enjoying the warm summer sunshine and families returning to their village or family homes for a summer break. With lots of people around, there is no better time than August to organise a traditional Asturian market.

Porrua is a large village nestled between the coast and the mountains about 15 minutes from La Pasera. It has an old charm about it with many Indiano-style houses built at the turn of the century and quite few new small hotels and holiday homes.

Each year Porrua hosts a very popular traditional market. This year like previous years, it was spectacular and well worth a few hours soaking in the atmosphere, watching the street entertainers, admiring the many craft stalls (and resist buying) or sampling the delights of the food and drinks stalls.

We arrived early and parked up in a local field that had been given over to parking. As you approach Porrua, you can appreciate its position with a panoramic, green and rocky backdrop. People were already gathering and drinking coffee in one of the very few bars in the village.

We wandered though several narrow twisting streets and admired the quaint village houses and barns, some restored whilst others remain untouched and neglected.

The market takes place over two days in the centre of the village which boasts a large circular meeting place. With its mature plane trees grafted together forming perfect shade, this communal space in the centre of the village is magical. The craft stalls are sited around the outside whilst the food and drink stalls occupy the shady central part.

At events like these I always wonder how the crafts people can make enough money? The stall rent is very expensive and being over two days, with travel and accommodation, the cost of materials and their time, that is a lot of money to re-coup before making a profit. Some people think that hand-made goods are expensive but taking everything into account, they are not.

As you enter the market, the atmosphere starts to build, it doesn't take much to imagine yourself in medieval times. Going along to market days with the hustle and bustle of travellers and traders, farmers and locals gathering to barter and trade their goods.

All the roads, footpaths and passage ways are strewn with straw and each stall is decked out in hessian, ferns/bracken and other natural products. All the stall holders are in traditional dress and many of the local children also take the opportunity to dress in costume.

The craft stalls, many with live demonstrations, were busy setting up when we arrived and setting out their wares which included leather goods, pottery, fibre crafts, jewellery, soaps, musical instruments, book bindings, puppets, miniature sculptures, spoons, models, ironworks and paintings to list a few.

As the market came awake, wood smoke from the massive barbecue permeated the morning air and the official opening commenced. A street parade gathered and oxen and carts, giant comedic characters, donkeys, musicians, and a range of street entertainers took up position and made their way merrily through the narrow streets towards the market.

 

The parade is accompanied by dancers and musicians dressed in traditional costume. It is a busy time for these performers as they have many fiestas to attend. The women wear heavy woollen skirts and handwoven shawls. The pipes here in Asturias are a type of bag pipe called the Gaita and played by a Gaitero. You can hear some of the music in the video below.

Throughout the day, the street entertainers perform much to the delight of the growing crowds. The smell of roasted costillas (ribs) and chorizo coming from the gigantic barbecue trigger people's appetite and the food stalls begin to feed the masses as children ride around the atrium on the backs of donkeys and on carts pulled by oxen.

Visiting Porrua will be an annual pilgrimage for us. It is such a wonderful way to pass a few hours, with time to sit and watch the world go by and appreciate its magical atmosphere. Its gentle rhythm, its constant hum and its colourful spectacle occasionally punctuated by dancers, musicians, jugglers and characters.

Walking in Asturias 11: Llambrion Peak

Towards Collado Jermoso

I recently did this circular walk within the Picos National Park that let me discover the beauty and drama within the heart of the central massifs also known as "The Urrieles". It was a walk my friend Nigel Burch invited me to do with Jeseba Uriarte, one of his walking friends, both of them are very experienced walkers and excellent guides. To do this type of walking within the National Park, you need either a good guide or possess good navigation and map reading skill as the paths are not always signed posted and very often follow animal tracks especially when you start climbing one of the many peaks.

Collado Jermoso

After a very early start and a 1.5 hours drive from La Pasera to the car park at the cable car of Fuente De, we started the walk that would take us up the Llambrion Peak, classified as "difficult" or grade 3, according to the international climbing scale grading. This route is a 10 hour walk covering a distance of 25 km with a 2371 m cumulative ascent.

Collado Jermoso is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas within the National Park and after a long trek I was able to appreciate the area does certainly do justice to its reputation. The views are simply magnificent and if you decide to spend the night at the mountain refuge, you may be able to enjoy the glory of  a sun setting across the distant peaks.

Doing this particular walk was a very enjoyable experience not only because of the impressive scenery I came across but also because from a technical point of view, climbing to the top of the Llambrion peak was the hardest climb I have done so far. The strong winds subsided for us to be able to reach the top and we didn't need to resort to the use of the ropes. We did need to use helmets to prevent any loose rocks falling on our heads.

One of the joys of doing this type of walking is the magnificent views you get on a clear day while you are on top of the second highest peak in the National Park and on this particular walk, the sound of the wind blowing through the mountains was something I will never forget together with the sense of achievement after conquering this peak. My heart still rises thinking about it!

There are obvious safety considerations to take while doing this type of hike and climb other than carrying enough water as there are very few sources of water in the mountains during the Summer in spite of the few remaining snow covered areas; you also need to consider sun protection as the heat is relentless in the midday sun.

Luis at Llambrion Peak at 2642 m

Hot and dry - saving water.

August has been hot, well hotter than usual for Asturias. We had little rain in spring and only a few days of rain in early summer so things are suffering a bit.

Large cracks are opening up in the grassed areas, the leaves on the trees are turning yellow, fruit is falling and vegetables are running to seed early. We are watering the vegetables more than normal but not the garden, it'll survive in it's own way. We are finding jobs like weeding are impossible due to the baked earth and if you try you leave the roots well and truly buried and end up just snapping the leaves of. Many plants are drying early despite the heavy morning dew.

The weather has been great for tourism but generally the numbers are down but not unexpected I suppose given the economy and risk of further austerity cuts. We are walking earlier in the day and keeping shutters closed as the sun navigates it's way from east to west. This week daytime temperatures have been hitting 34 degrees and dropping to no lower than 14 degrees at night. Our mean summer day-time temperature is usually around 25 degrees.

We try and save water where possible and always have a large container handy to take grey water from the kitchen and studio. This is usually taken to the bog garden and used to water the Gunnera which is about 5 times the size it was when first planted. With its meter wide leaves and spectacular flowers, the Gunnera forms the focal point of the bog garden which is a haven for frogs, toads and lizards, keeping it damp ensures our slug eaters are well looked after.

View across to the bog garden and the meter wide leaves of the Gunnera

Gunnera flowers

Looking back this has been the driest year since we have been here. We are making the most of the days when the heat is too much and when the muggy nights border on uncomfortable. At least we don't have wild fires in this part of the country at the moment and water isn't in short supply so we can't really complain.

We have just nearly finished building another fountain (as outdoor taps are called here) half-way down the garden as our current out door tap is situated at the front wall of the garden. Further down the garden we have two large water butts that catch rain water from the shed - it's surprising how much we can collect this way. We hope to add to this method soon with further butts or tanks collecting water from the studio and garage roof.

The cats Wentworth and Gawber are also suffering with the heat and prefer to sleep in shade most of the day and venture out at night when it's cooler. The warmer weather triggers shedding of their downy inner coat so regular grooming helps to keep them cooler and gives us an opportunity to check for ticks and fleas. We treat them every four weeks during  summer with Frontline Combo as a preventative measure and also Drontal throughout the year, for intestinal worms.

It is getting cooler as I type and clouds are gathering so it looks like the rain will return in the very near future. That is why Asturias is usually so green and lush, we enjoy a higher humidity and rainfall than the rest of Spain and are rewarded with beautiful verdant landscapes. All at La Pasera will welcome the rain when it eventually arrives.

A local bay - ideal for a swim