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Olive

My recent projects, musings
and more from a small island
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The perfick photo shoot, with Katie Spicer Photography

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People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it.

Howard W. Newton

Tranquilo Creative

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The village of Caimari, nestled at the foot of the

The village of Caimari, nestled at the foot of the Sierra de Tramontana mountains, is known for its olive trees and olive oil production.

Each November, the village plays host to the annual Fira de s'Oliva (Olive Fair) - a celebration of the Island’s liquid gold - olive oil. The tiny, stone built village is decorated with olive branches and the main square is filled with stalls selling all things olive related, as well as a host of other edible goodies and local crafts.

The vintage olive press in the heart of the village is opened up so that visitors can see how olive oil used to be produced. On the ground floor is the press, with it’s two large millstones or “trui” for crushing the olives, which would have been horse-driven, two hydraulic presses, a centrifuge, a cauldron for heating water and decanter tanks to separate the virgin olive oil from the juice that also comes from the olives.

Today, the olive oil is produced, in a modern new “tafona” (olive mill) built on the outskirts of the village in 2002. It may not have the romance of the old mill, but the olive oil it produces most certainly is of the highest quality.

#Olives #OliveOil #Caimari #FiraDesOliva #SerraDeTramontana #VintageOlivePress #MallorcaIsMore #MallorcaFoodie #EatLocal #EatLocalMallorca #LocalProducts #SeasonalFood #November #FarmingLife #RuralLife #FarmersDaughter #FairmersQuine #LifestyleWriter #FoodWriter #SlowLiving

When I tell people that I live abroad, they always

When I tell people that I live abroad, they always say “oh, that’s great, you can live in shorts all year round!” Well, that’s not quite the truth, especially here on Mallorca - the Winter’s can be almost as cold as Scotland!

But that’s not the only truth - making friends in a new place can be hard, especially as an adult - you’re starting all over again, and often having to learn a new language and culture too. Yes, there will be times when you will feel lonely, but you’ll learn to enjoy your own company and become more self sufficient. This can bring a whole host of, quite honestly, difficult, emotions to the fore - but the truth is by leaning into your new found independence you will prove to yourself exactly what you are capable of.

It’s often easier to build one to one connections with like-minded people than it is to find a large friend group. However, sometimes you just need to be in the company of other expats who are in the same boat as you, and for me, ESRA (English Speaking Residents Association - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ESRASouthEastMallorca/) was the lifeline I needed.

Here in the south east, the Group is very active - having weekly coffee mornings and monthly lunches - I’ve discovered a whole lot of local restaurants this way. They also have a book group and organise monthly walks. I’ve had some interesting trips around the Island, such as to olive farms, vineyards, salt pans, wine tastings, the Rafa Nadal Experience, museums and various walking history tours of Palma and Valldemossa. ESRA also holds fund-raising events such as barbecues and raffles, the proceeds of which go to local charities.

The last two years have been tough - what with Brexit and Covid - but if you live in the south east of Mallorca, and would like to meet other like-minded souls, then why not pop along to one of the coffee mornings on a Tuesday morning from 11.30am at La Taberna Merciana in Cala Egos - you’ll be sure of a warm welcome!

#MyExpatLife #LivingOnMallorca #IslandLife #MyTranquiloLifestyle #MyMallorcanLifestyle #LifestyleWriter #SlowLiving #FindMyTribe #Expat #ESRA #EnglishSpeakingResidentsAssociation

I think I was around six years old when I saw (and

I think I was around six years old when I saw (and tasted) my first ever pomegranate. I remember thinking that it was the most exotic looking fruit that I had ever seen, and that it was such a “faff” to pick out each an every single seed, one by one, with a cocktail stick! You have to remember this was way before Jamie Oliver showed us all how to get the seeds (arils) out of a pomegranate by cutting it in half and spanking it with a wooden spoon!

The pomegranate is a very important symbol in Spanish history - in fact the word for pomegranate in Spanish is granada - as in the Andalucian city of Granada. The symbol of the pomegranate fruit was taken by Catholic monarchs after their victory over the Moors of Al-Andalus in the 1400s. This symbol still remains as part of the Spanish flag today.

These days, pomegranates are seen as a sort of superfood, having three times as many antioxidants than green tea or cranberry juice. It has also been suggested that the seeds can help protect against heart disease, have anti-inflammatory properties, lower blood pressure, help with rheumatoid arthritis, protect against certain times of cancer (including prostate cancer) and help with erectile dysfunction. It’s not been medically proven, but this last one may be to do with the fact that in ancient times, the pomegranate represented fertility!

Pomegranates are everywhere here on Mallorca at this time of year. They can be seen growing in absolutely every “huerta” (vegetable plot), in every “pueblo” (town) - the stalls in the weekly markets are piled high with them too. I love to add a scattering of seeds on a salad or roasted spicy cauliflower - the jewel-like seeds adding a delicious pop of tart fruitiness and crunch to an otherwise plain dish. But I’m interested - do you like pomegranates, and how do you like to eat yours?

If you have any great ideas of how to use them in a more exciting way, then please do tell!

Gracias!

What’s in season . . . November Here’s a list

What’s in season . . . November

Here’s a list of the fruits and vegetables that we should all be tucking into more of this month.

By eating seasonally you’ll be able to enjoy fresh produce at its’ very best. By eating locally you’ll also be supporting your local farmers and producers, as well as the local economy. It can also help you to reduce your carbon footprint.
Now, I’d call that a win on all sides, wouldn’t you?

NB. Any product shown in italics means that it is either coming in, or going out, of season.

What’s in season sources:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @scotfooddrink
🇪🇸 @alimentosdespana.es

#EatLocal #LocalProducts #SeasonalFood #SeasonalEating #EatTheSeasons #November #WhatsInSeasonNovember #FruitAndVegetables #FarmingLife #RuralLife #FarmersDaughter #FairmersQuine #LifestyleWriter #FoodWriter #FoodMemories #SlowLiving

October in Scotland is just so beautiful 🍂🌲🍄⛰🍁🌾

I’ve been a little quiet on here lately - mainly because we’ve been enjoying Autumn in Scotland - spending a few days in Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Highlands and Edinburgh, visiting family and friends.

We’ve enjoyed all the finest food (tried venison 🦌 for the very first time), drink (Cardhu Whisky is my favourite 🥃), scenery (the mountains were most definitely calling ⛰), listened to the sound of the bagpipes (just don’t play me Dark Island on the pipes 😭) and the general Scottish conviviality and coorie-ness that Scotland is renowned for.

You can take the girl out of Scotland, but you can’t take Scotland out of the girl! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🤍💙

#Edinburgh #EdinburghCastle #PrincesStreetGardens #MuseumOfWriters #LochMorlich #CardhuDistillery #VisitMoray #VisitMoraySpeyside #VisitEdinburgh #Autumn #AutumnInScotland #ScottishFoodAndDrink

It’s a bit of a dreich (a Scottish word for dull

It’s a bit of a dreich (a Scottish word for dull or gloomy) day here today, so what better way to lift the spirits than a wee bit of home cooking and reminiscing.

My Mum and Granny were instinctive cooks - that is, they never followed a recipe - instead they learned all that they knew from time spent in the kitchen with their own mothers. Not me however. I was too much of a “tom boy” to be stuck inside, preferring to be outside in nature or with my beloved Shetland pony, Rosie. It’s funny though, we never ever wore watches as children, but no matter how far from home we roamed, we always made it home in time for mealtimes! And, when you were served dishes like this super easy Apple and Bramble Crumble, then why wouldn’t you?

I don’t have a particular sweet tooth, but like my Dad, I do have a fondness for a really good crumble - this one serves 6-8 (although I halved the quantities for the one I made, otherwise my husband and I would be eating crumble for evermore! 🙈)

Ingredients:
For the filling -
900 g / 2 lb apples (I just use whatever I can source locally)
350 g / 12 oz brambles (blackberries)
175 g / 6 oz sugar
2 lemons

For the topping -
225 g / 8 oz plain flour
175 g / 2 oz butter
55 g / 2 oz sugar
125 g / 4 oz porridge oats

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F / Gas mark 6.
2. Peel, core and chop your apples into small chunks. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the chopped apples and mix well. (This prevents the cut apples from turning brown).
3. Layer the apples, brambles and sugar in a large flat dish.
4. Place the flour and the butter into a large bowl, and rub in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs - it’s ok if there are a few large lumps so the topping is not too fine. Add the oats and sugar and mix through.
5. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked and the juices bubble through the topping.
6. Cool for a few minutes and serve with custard*.

*In Scotland we almost always have custard with our crumbles - what would you have with yours?

Olive

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