The hot temperatures have arrived in southern Spain. I dined outside yesterday, with a cast of what seemed like a thousand Spaniards, and refreshing food was much in demand. The huge starter portion of an orange salad was a delight. The oranges came from the Lecrín Valley, south of Granada. They were so juicy and refreshing I soon cooled down. It was a very light and fresh salad. A simple recipe you can make at home, just so long as you use some of the best Spanish oranges.
There are a variety of things you can do with the famous Spanish salt cod.
The Spanish use it often especially down south in Andalucia.
Here is a recipe that sees it alongside a nice salad using black olives, peppers and tomatoes.
American clients on a recent tapas tours questioned me on the meat available in Spain. They said that meals they had been served claiming to be based on beef, didn't taste like any beef they were accustomed to. "That was not beef as we know it" they said after eating in a Seville restaurant. True, beef in Spain is not as it is in America. But it can be every bit as tasty if cooked correctly.
Spanish salads vary enormously. In content and in quality. I've been served some tired salads in restaurants and always favour making my own, in my own home, using the very best fresh ingredients on offer at a local market.
It's time i went on one of my healthy eating regimes. A week of only what is good for me bought from my local fresh fruit and vegetable market. Salads are great in Spain, and such a choice on offer when it comes to the ingredients. Here's a facvourite of mine, Olive and Tomato Salad.
Olives are so plentiful in Spain that they can be used in all manner of meals. The obvious, and the not so predictable. The possibilities are endless. Here's a recipe that sees olive combined with anchovies for a melt in the mouth snack. Olive and Anchovy Bites - up to 45 snacks, ideally served with red wine.
Mussels can divide opinion. You either love them or loathe them. There is rarely a middle ground when it comes to mussels. I love them and have enjoyed them every bit as much in Spain as in, for example, France. There are superb dishes being served using mussels, especially in the northern coastal regions of Spain. Here is one such recipe.
