Time to Relax in Another World
One week on from Dartmouth Food Festival and it already seems a long time ago. That was my 7th year as Festival Director and definitely my last. It’s time for Holly and I to give Manna from Devon our full attention for a while. Having said that we are tremendously proud of the Food Festival which this year really did seem to be the Festival we had always hoped it would be. Sounds like a good time to go.
Much in need of a recharge we are now in Spain and our home for the week will be Casa Las Chimeneas 1000 meters up in the Alpujarras but way below the 3000 meter peaks of the Sierra Nevada behind us.
Casa Las Chimeneas
Ahead of us lies a week of walking, vinyard, fish market and olive farm visits, gastronomic meals, cooking demonstrations and, hopefully, plenty of rest. It sounds heavenly and I’m sure we’ll be inspired so watch out for Spanish Pop-Up suppers in the New Year.
Only 2 1/2 hours from Bristol and three hours drive from Malaga but it feels like a million miles from Devon.
Of course every trip to Spain is bound to include plenty of Jamon but at a little rest stop on the way here we couldn’t resist getting in a early plateful. Lovely served with crunchy bread and whizzed tomatoes.
Our First Dish in Spain … It had to be Jamon
Then at Las Chimeneas I spotted this fantastic looking pomegranate tree covered in fruit and much of it bursting with ripeness. I couldn’t wait to pick one and harvest the berries. Only then did I discover that the fruit of this particular tree is very a la mode being 100% sugar free, or to out it another way, as bitter as gall. Can’t win ’em all.
