# A nation of contrasts



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I took this in Jerez this week and was struck by how well it illustrates two contrasting ways of shopping, eating and living in Spain - the old and they new.

The market stall is selling food harvested from the local countryside -snails, wild asparagus and tagarninas (a type of thistle - the roots are known as Spanish oysters). Real "food for free".

In the background is a branch of Carrefour Market, the town-centre branch of the giant international hypermarket chain (roughly equivalent to Tesco Metro in the UK).


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

It was like that in our town in the UK. Smallholders used to bring produce for sale, often from boxes, not 'proper' stalls.
We had a market in our town square every Saturday. On one side the square was bordered by an ancient pub, on the other by a smallish supermarket.
I think those contrasts can be found everywhere.
The problem with the market in our village is that everything is for sale in huge quantities....and there are only two of us. No extended family to feed....


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The village market is on Monday and is held in the street. The first 100 metres is reserved for locals to bring stuff from their huertas then, one is into the rest of the market with the professionals who will also be in Alcalá la Real on Tuesday where they also have an area reserved for the locals.

In our own street, there is a "greengrocer's" that sells its own huerta produce from the garage (no signs, no taxes, know what I mean guv? nudge nudge) and they also supply some to the Coviran across the road.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Our friend and neighbour Meri and her husband Juan go to their finca every weekend and often bring stuff back for us. 
Last week they brought us a huge sack of oranges and lemons fresh from the trees.
The only time I have tasted such delicious fruit was when we first came here and a hippy type we had befriended stole some oranges from a finca as a Thankyou.
We lectured him on theft but ate and enjoyed them..The saying 'Forbidden fruit....' comes to mind.
Now this may be a silly question but are there varieties of orange, as there are for apples and pears?
The only drawback is that I am obliged to consume more G&Ts than usual as it would be a sin to let the delicious lemons go to waste..


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Collecting stuff from the campo and selling it in towns, to bars or door to door, is a lifesaver here for the long-term unemployed. We see men going off in the mornings on their motos and coming back with the panniers overflowing with "weeds". The asparagus is a good money spinner as it only grows in certain places under the acebuches (wild olives) and is hard to identify. In late summer they harvest figs and prickly pears (higos chumbos) which they peeled and ready to eat.

I just wish these things tasted better ... then I'd buy them more often!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Collecting stuff from the campo and selling it in towns, to bars or door to door, is a lifesaver here for the long-term unemployed. We see men going off in the mornings on their motos and coming back with the panniers overflowing with "weeds". The asparagus is a good money spinner as it only grows in certain places under the acebuches (wild olives) and is hard to identify. In late summer they harvest figs and prickly pears (higos chumbos) which they peeled and ready to eat.
> 
> I just wish these things tasted better ... then I'd buy them more often!



Loads of people selling campo stuff round here too...at roundabouts on the way to town, accosting people as they walk in the village....
Asparagus is OK but I once ate some chumbo....and spent hours removing the needly bits from my hands and lips..


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> O
> Now this may be a silly question but are there varieties of orange, as there are for apples and pears?


Yes there are lots of orange varieties - over 600 I think. They are all descended from two types, basically the sweet ones and the sour ones. 
La Vida Alcalaína: Oranges


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Our friend and neighbour Meri and her husband Juan go to their finca every weekend and often bring stuff back for us.
> Last week they brought us a huge sack of oranges and lemons fresh from the trees.
> The only time I have tasted such delicious fruit was when we first came here and a hippy type we had befriended stole some oranges from a finca as a Thankyou.
> We lectured him on theft but ate and enjoyed them..The saying 'Forbidden fruit....' comes to mind.
> ...


Varieties of orange? Oh Mary, how could you? 

You want Valencia oranges for juice, Seville oranges (the ones they usually grow in the streets for decoration) for marmalade, Navels and Valencia for eating and so on.

The police usually pick the ones in the street (saves the kids playing football with them or throwing them around) and deliver them to us for marmalade making otherwise they just go to waste.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> Yes there are lots of orange varieties - over 600 I think. They are all descended from two types, basically the sweet ones and the sour ones.
> La Vida Alcalaína: Oranges


Thanks for that. Our street is lined with orange trees but I guess they're of the marmalade variety.
What would you do with a sack of lemons?
I'm about to have another G&T...there must be another way of using them.
I don't like lemon meringue pie much, though...


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Thanks for that. Our street is lined with orange trees but I guess they're of the marmalade variety.
> What would you do with a sack of lemons?
> I'm about to have another G&T...there must be another way of using them.
> I don't like lemon meringue pie much, though...


But making marmalade takes one lemon for every six oranges (in the suegra's recipe) and you can also make marmalade from lemons. One of our vecinos has grapefruit and doesn't know what to do with them - we made a batch of grapefruit marmalade and gave them some - they were amazed. Brought another bag of grapefruit round this morning!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

baldilocks said:


> But making marmalade takes one lemon for every six oranges (in the suegra's recipe) and you can also make marmalade from lemons. One of our vecinos has grapefruit and doesn't know what to do with them - we made a batch of grapefruit marmalade and gave them some - they were amazed. Brought another bag of grapefruit round this morning!


I don't like marmalade....and I do like G&T


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> I don't like marmalade....and I do like G&T


I don't like marmalade either but a surprising number of Spanish (and Brits) do so there is never much to get eaten up "in-house".


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> Yes there are lots of orange varieties - over 600 I think. They are all descended from two types, basically the sweet ones and the sour ones.
> La Vida Alcalaína: Oranges


Thanks for that Claire, we all learn something every day. Do you think that we, part-time writers ought to get together some time and turn our hobby into a loss making venture?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> I'm about to have another G&T...there must be another way of using them.


Unfortunately for you, I have found this article
http://www.lovelyish.com/753494809/domestic-goddess-time-10-things-you-can-do-with-lemon-juice/

Alternatively, I have heard they are also a good accompaniment for Bloody Marys. 

The name says it all!!


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Talking of oranges, I guess everyone's seen this?










"Sometimes you just have to pick yourself up and carry on!"


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Unfortunately for you, I have found this article
> http://www.lovelyish.com/753494809/domestic-goddess-time-10-things-you-can-do-with-lemon-juice/
> 
> Alternatively, I have heard they are also a good accompaniment for Bloody Marys.
> ...


and after squeezing they can be used to improve the hands, so I'm told.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

SWMBO and I were just talking over a bowl of porridge and she said that what she did with a lot of lemons we were given recently was:

slice and freeze the slices, or
zest the peel and freeze the zest in an ice-cube tray, then 
squeeze and freeze the juice also in an ice cube tray


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> SWMBO and I were just talking over a bowl of porridge and she said that what she did with a lot of lemons we were given recently was:
> 
> slice and freeze the slices, or
> zest the peel and freeze the zest in an ice-cube tray, then
> squeeze and freeze the juice also in an ice cube tray


Favourite things to do with lemons
A - make hummus
B Make pancakes and put lemon and brown sugar on them. 

Had both of them yesterday!!:hungry:

PS Nothing like keeping on topic!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Favourite things to do with lemons
> A - make hummus
> B Make pancakes and put lemon and brown sugar on them.
> 
> ...


what could be more a *nation of contrasts* than hummus and pancakes with lemon and brown sugar?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> what could be more a *nation of contrasts* than hummus and pancakes with lemon and brown sugar?


Haha

It wasn't actually at the same time.

Hummus was mid morning break and pancakes was merienda, but I ate soooooo many it ended up being dinner too


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Favourite things to do with lemons
> A - make hummus
> B Make pancakes and put lemon and brown sugar on them.
> 
> ...


Mmmmmmm
I think tomorrow is a special breakfast day.


What's your hummus recipe? I looked one up but it requires tahini. Where on earth can I find that here "in the sticks"?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

halydia said:


> Mmmmmmm
> I think tomorrow is a special breakfast day.
> 
> 
> What's your hummus recipe? I looked one up but it requires tahini. Where on earth can I find that here "in the sticks"?


Everything else in the recipe is essential IMHO, but not the tahini.
So you'll need
chick peas and some of the water they come in
lemon juice
salt
garlic
olive oil
and tahini if you can get it.
Woosh it all up with the minipimer
I can get tahini in healthfood shops here and the only reason I use it is because I think it makes it a lot more nutritious and as we have it quite a lot it seems like a good idea. I've also found a health food shop that works like a chemist in the sense that you order smth one day and it comes the next.
I do the same with alubias and it's good too.


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2012)

We're having a collection of pinchos for dinner. I'm going to give your recipe a try


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

halydia said:


> We're having a collection of pinchos for dinner. I'm going to give your recipe a try


OK!!

The quantities are up to you, but as I always tell my husband, who never listens but anyway, don't forget to put in a little (salt, oil, liquid) to start with because you can't take it out once it's made.

Hope you like it!


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> OK!!
> 
> The quantities are up to you, but as I always tell my husband, who never listens but anyway, don't forget to put in a little (salt, oil, liquid) to start with because you can't take it out once it's made.
> 
> Hope you like it!


I sure did, Mr. "why don't you ever make _callos_" didn't. Thank you! I haven't had hummus in months.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

halydia said:


> What's your hummus recipe? I looked one up but it requires tahini. Where on earth can I find that here "in the sticks"?


If you can't get tahini you can usually find sesame oil in the international section of the big supermarkets. Just put a few drops in with the olive oil.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2012)

Good timing for the reply. I'm enjoying the leftovers. It's even better after a day!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Tahini - DiY methods:

How to Make Tahini Paste | Cinnamon Girl Recipes

or

How to Make Tahini Paste | eHow.com


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