Category Archives: Food and drink

Joining the Brunch Bunch

Posted
Filed under Food and drink

One of the great things about living in our rural community, where some of the properties are holiday homes, is that the arrival of their owners – for a holiday or some essential finca maintenance – provides us with an ever-changing local social scene.

We’ve enjoyed getting to know other Europeans in our valley – in particular, one very amusing German couple, who used to vacation sporadically at their finca until they realised that the property maintenance awaiting them meant it wasn’t much of a holiday after all. They sold up and bought a hassle-free second home in Germany. But when the new owners, a Swiss family, came to introduce themselves, we knew we’d like them. Well, they did come bearing Toblerone…

The Swiss Difference

Our Swiss friends do things differently to other Europeans we know. For example, they greet each other with three kisses on alternate cheeks (we always forget and withdraw after the second kiss, leading to a clumsy clash of noses) and – as we discovered one afternoon – when they invite people over for a drink, there’s often lots of delicious food to go with it!

On one occasion, they invited us for brunch at the beautiful home they’ve created. At ten in the morning, we were sitting on their terrace in glorious sunshine, enjoying authentic Swiss muesli, delicious breads, cheeses, ham and fruit, accompanied by orange juice, good coffee and a glass of Cava.

When we entertain friends, it’s usually over dinner or lunch, but brunch is certainly an appealing option for the future. Not only is there something quite civilized about it, you can get away with not doing any cooking – and, in the heat of a Mallorcan summer, that has to be a bonus.

Jan Edwards©2012

Shopping Trolley Dolly

Posted
Filed under Food and drink

There’s a warm welcome at our local market

Before we moved to Mallorca, all our food shopping was done at the local Sainsbury’s. One clean sweep through the aisles on a Saturday morning and we were sorted until the next weekend. Working long hours at the Beeb during the week, I didn’t want to spend one of my two precious days off visiting markets and individual food shops for the weekly necessities.

Market Shopping in Mallorca

Living on the island, though, we’ve discovered the pleasure of buying our fresh produce in the small shops and market in our nearest town. We regularly scour the well-stocked market stalls for the freshest fruit and vegetables (most of which are locally grown), share a bit of Spanish banter with the traders we know, and then have coffee at a favourite café in the square.

As our shopping trip progresses, The Boss begins to take on the appearance of an overburdened donkey (minus the hairy ears), with bulging straw baskets hanging from each shoulder. Being a true gentleman, he refuses to let me share the load, but always has a whinge about having to carry the stuff. But his reaction when I suggested a possible solution? No way was he going to use one of those shopping trolleys.

Granted, I wouldn’t personally have been seen with one on the streets of Oxfordshire – even if I’d been heavily disguised – but I look around any Mallorcan town or village and there are plenty of women (and some men) of all ages using them. There’s no apparent stigma attached to using them here – and why should there be when they make shopping easier and less tiring?  In fact, they could almost be seen as something of a status symbol, saying far more about you than a clutch of splitting Mercadona carrier bags. And, on that note, they’re also better for the environment.

Like cars, there’s a range to suit all tastes and budgets: choice of fabrics; two or four-wheeled; some with brakes; some with optional thermal side pockets – perfect when shopping for fish or a secret stash of Magnums (the ice creams, not the guns). Perhaps the Rolls Royce of shopping trolleys is the Rolser. Say it quickly and “Mine’s a Rolser” has something of a ring about it, don’t you think? Unlike cars, you don’t need a licence, though experience suggests that some trolley-owning folks could use a few ‘driving’ lessons.

So, in the interests of becoming more like Mallorcans, I might just invest in a shopping trolley.

Clear a path . . . coming through!

Jan Edwards ©2012

Home-Grown Lemon in Your G&T?

Posted
Filed under Food and drink

My new favourite gin . . . made in Mallorca!

Even before we’d bought our finca on Mallorca, I’d pictured myself strolling out into the garden and plucking a fat organic lemon from our own tree, to grace the occasional gin and tonic we enjoy on the terrace. By the time we’d bought the place and begun to plan The Big Move, my imagination had turned that lemon tree into a small citrus grove.

We bought a pile of books about Mediterranean gardening, and The Boss – a bit of a whizz with a spreadsheet – created a multi-page document detailing what would be suitable to grow in the mallorquin climate, mindful of the need to be frugal with water.

Our land is quite a reasonable size and comprises a rectangular field, a small rock and succulents garden (created by Marie and John, the previous owners), and a steep valley completely overgrown with wild olive and typical Mediterranean shrubs. Almost ten years after buying the place, I still have not ‘walked’ our entire land, not being deft enough with a machete to hack my way through the jungle. One day.

But one thing has finally been achieved. This spring, we planted our lemon tree. Admittedly, it’s perhaps not where we would have wanted it:  After a considerable amount of effort with a pickaxe and spade, The Boss declared that there was only one spot where the soil was sufficiently deep to plant a tree. So our own citrus grove is certainly never going to happen.

The young tree has produced some sweet-scented flowers, and baby’s-fingernail-sized lemons have followed in their wake. With any luck later this year we’ll be slicing one into a glass of the delicious ONZE gin, produced by the Pollensa winery Ca’n Vidalet, and the only gin actually made in Mallorca. We discovered this new limited edition gin (ours is bottle number 536 of 1,500) at the 2012 Pollensa Wine Fair (Fira del Vi) and its blend of 11 Mediterranean botanicals – including rosemary and lavender – gives it a distinctive and delicious flavour. Everyone who has a G&T at our place loves it; we can’t wait to taste one with the addition of a slice of home-grown lemon . . .

Jan Edwards © 2012