Random nests, pickling and tortilla making
This week during the Olive Hours
Hello again from Casa Rustica, in Estepona!
Welcome to my newsletter if you are a newcomer. Every week I try to write a little something about what I’ve done during the “Olive Hours” - the small snatches of time I have at home in our finca when I’m not doing my day job. My waffling and witterings are free to read of course. When I bring anything along that I think is worth paying for, you’ll be the first to know!
This week, getting up early in the morning went completely out the window. The Olive Hours were few and far between! I clearly have no routine, nI was so smug last week! Some weeks just don't work like others do they. Ah well, no-one is perfect, and I'm not trying to make out I am, that's for sure!
It doesn't matter anyway as there are always thing to report on when living in the campo of Spain. The garden is a never ending source of intrigue and learning. When we moved into our finca last year, our 1000 meters of land came with established fruit trees, shrubs and flowers. A year later we actually still feel like caretakers of the property, hoping we won't do anything wrong and hoping not to kill things we don't know a lot about.
🌿 The Garden Hours: The plum tree and unusual nests
The sad news is the plum tree did finally die. Honestly we didn't kill it, it was dying when we arrived, covered in sap like it was crying. You may have read my previous post about talking to the tree. That clearly didn't work, nor did the various cut backs, feeding, pesticide, mending holes, hugging, whispering, patting, none of it worked. We need to cut it down now completely, we are worried it may spread whatever disease finally killed it. These are the worries we have looking after an orchard of established trees, it's quite a responsibility!
On to a lighter note, animals making their nests in strange places! I found this crazy-eyed plastic donkey hanging inside the hibiscus bush not long after we moved in. I felt he shouldn't be hiding, so hung him above the hose wheel where he can make me smile everytime I do the watering. Well who'd have known that wasps would make their home up the poor donkey's arse, maybe that's why he looks so crazy-eyed!! Unfortunately I don't have photographic proof of the wasps, Tom has been playing “Man vs Wasp” around the garden and got rid of the nest before I got a photo. However, he did I'm pleased to say, not get rid of our second unusual nest.
Outside the garage door, Tom had hung a brown paper bag (as you do, no idea what was in it originally!). Anyway, one month later, we found this little birds nest in the random paper bag. It has eggs in it, but they are cracked so we assume it’s been abandoned, but we are leaving it there just in case anyone decides to come back home.
🥘 The Kitchen Hours: Pickling walnuts and making sprinkles
I've finally finished the walnuts! They are now in jars waiting for autumn, when more cheese and wine are calling. I had them in brine for about 3 weeks in the end, not on purpose, I forgot about them, it should have been 2 weeks. Anyway, next step was to leave them outside in the sunshine for a couple of days until they blackened and shrivelled. I then cut them in halves so I could squeeze them in to the jars (I think you’re supposed to anyway, to help them pickle properly). I also squished in some pieces of fresh ginger and cinamon sticks. For the vinegar, I decided to use sherry vinegar rather than the engish recipe of malt vinegar. We are in spain after all and it's cheaper! I heated up the vinegar with cinammon sticks, black pepper corns, all spice berries and cloves, poured it over and closed up the jars. We shall now wait and see!
My other kitchen shenanigans this week was to do a final test for a recipe that is in the children’s book I have written (I keep mentioning it, it is coming soon I promise! This was one of the things that's been holding it up). Sparkly sprinkles!! So for anyone out there who has kids, or maybe you like making cakes, you'll need to keep an eye out for the book. The recipe is for how to make sparkly sprinkle dust with natural homemade colourings. This was the final outcome.
📖 The Creative Hours: Tomato illustration
Also coming soon! I love it when you ask your husband when they're in the supermarket, can you buy me an interesting shaped tomato please. Not difficult for Tom, he's a tomato addict. I don't think we ever eat out in a restaurant without him ordering a plate of tomatoes as a starter , “no alliñado” to ensure they are not covered in raw garlic and onions, which gives us night sweats (is that an age thing? I don’t remember experiencing it before!).
I digress, so I have started work on the tomato illustration. I might even try a bit of calligraphy with it this time, haven't done that in years. Watch this space, tomato drawing landing soon!
😋 The Local Hours: A lesson making “Tortilla líquida”
I actually mentioned this local restaurant a few weeks ago, but it has to be mentioned again, because on Sunday amazingly I got a free lesson in making tortilla there. My idea of heaven! Como Pez en el Agua on the beach front of East Estepona is run by a lovely brother and sister from Madrid, Rosa and Nacho. Nacho is the mastermind behind the food, and I got chatting to him about his amazing tortilla, which they make so it is still running liquid in the middle. Now this might not be everyone's cup of tea but when it's done right, with the inside yokes hot but still liquid, it's amazing! And more amazing, Nacho invited me to come to the restaurant before service started the next day to watch how it was done. I was shown by chef Elena, and she actually got me making one myself which I didn't expect at all. Being in a professional kitchen was quite nerve-wracking actually, and I flipped the tortilla all over the stove, but she was very patient and kind, and let me do it two more times! I have since tried to make it at home, but got the wrong kind of potatoes I think because they went to mush. So once perfected at home, I will do a show and tell.
✍🏻 Hasta la Proxima! from down by the river
Next week I have some holiday so will definitely have some more time for pottering about at home, as well as seeing some friends and going to a gig or two (I’m not a recluse yet!!). I might finish that vegetable patch though!
Thanks for reading!
From Emma, at The Olive Hours
Looking forward to trying those walnuts!! 😁
You have been busy Ems x