The catch of the day,one should never assume.

  “Assunção da Virgem” - Nicolas Poussin (1630-1632)

Yesterday we planned another dinner here at Casa Rosada as part of our ongoing gastronomy project.Working closely with Salmarim  we co-host the occasional gastronomy events, like our food bloggers weekend, a lunch on the salt pans and an evening where Michelin starred chefs cooked with us in our kitchen. Last night we had a guest Belgian chef  Fons Claes in the house and two Danish journalists who are writing a travel guide to the Algarve. Fons uses Salmarim products in his restaurant De Koerier Brasserie. The Danes wanted to visit the Salmarim salt pans and have a dinner at Casa Rosada ,so we thought we would combine the two parties for a dinner and Jorge from Salmarim would cook some Robalo (sea bass) in a salt crust.My contribution to the evening was my latest Gazpacho, pate ovos de bacalhau (smoked cods roe pate),Muxama rosemary and garlic roast potatoes, an Algarvian salad and to end the evening a honey and cardamom cheesecake with fresh figs. 

First of all there was a catch. It was the day after Asunçao de nossa senora (The Assumption) and there was no fish to be had in the market, as not only had the holiday fallen on a Monday but the fishing boats had not been out on the holiday.We had wrongly made the assumption that there would be fish in the market.Jorge to the rescue and contacted Atlantikfish our local fish farm here in Castro Marim and head honcho Andre arranged for our own special catch ready to be picked up in the afternoon.our dinner was saved and could go ahead as planned.

  and when all was said and done...i guess we all enjoyed it

Nascido por trás do véu - Born behind the veil

stuffed roasted beetroot with beetroot gazpacho shot

In my latest culinary beetroot adventure I have wrapped a caul of parma ham around it.
The birth caul or veil is a full face mask which may be sometimes found covering the face of a child at birth. Such births are quite rare, something of a phenomenom, and they hold special significance for the child born in such a manner. There are many stories and myths about the caul, many of them erroneous.The correct name for those who are born with a caul is a Caulbearer. Such people are often referred to as being born behind the veil, as the caul is also referred to as the veil in many cultures, due to it being a face covering or mask.
For those new to the ingredient, caul fat is the thin, fatty membrane that surrounds the stomachs of ruminants like cows, pigs, and sheep. It's a thinner-than-paper sheet that has lines of fat running through it in a pattern that sort of looks like it was made by a drunk spider. Although delicate, it's easier to work with than sausage casings, and doesn't come with any of the funky odour of animal intestines.I was lucky enough recently to lay my hands on some extremely thin sliced prosciutto de parma. It was so thin it almost resembled a caul and it inspired me to swaddle it around some roasted beetroot that I was planning to stuff with a three cheese mousse and serve as a starter on the casa rosada dinner menu.
Roast beetroot is a year-round staple here at casa rosada , fantastic for tossing in salads, quick starters, or making into dip sand soups. I roast several at once by wrapping them in foil and tucking them into the oven to cook alongside whatever else I might be cooking. Then the beetroots are ready for whenever they are needed. 
Beetroot doesn't have to be roasted, and is actually quite delicious grated and eaten raw. But roasting transforms it from something crunchy into something silky and tender. Though it requires a hot oven, I prefer roasting over boiling or steaming because roasting concentrates the flavours and brings out its sweeter side.
This roasting method works for any kind and any size of beetroot. Pick ones that feel hard in your hand, never soft or squishy. If you have the choice, pick bunches with their big leaves still attached. The greens wilt down beautifully and can be added to stir fries, frittatas, pasta dishes, or anywhere else a little extra green might be welcome.
Once roasted, they will keep refrigerated for up to a week. I keep them in one big container and slice off just what I need for whatever I'm making.
What are your favourite ways to use roasted beets?
Roasted beetroot with a three cheese mousse 
wrapped in a caul of presunto de serrano

4 medium sized beetroot
170g requeijao
75g chevre
50g parmesan
1 very thinly slice  of presunto serrano per portion
pistachio nuts coarsely chopped
rocket leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Coat beets lightly with oil.
Wrap beetroots in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes.
While the beetroot are cooling prepare the cheese filling by mixing the three cheeses and whipping them together until you have a mousse like substance.
When cool and ready to serve, make a circular incision in the top and cutting around towards the centre carefully remove a chunk from the centre of the beetroot.continue scooping out more flesh from the cavity and discard or eat it.Carefully fill the cavity with the cheese mixuntil paeking slightly above the level of the top of the beetroot.Now carefully wrap the parma ham tightly around the outside of the beetroot and smooth it flat with your fingers. Place in the centre of a serving plate with some rocket or salad leaves of your choosing and place the stuffed beetroot on top.Sprinkle a dusting of chopped pistachio over the top of the stuffing and around the plate.

Uma sopa de amêndoa, alho e couve-flor com um charuto anchova

The Casa Rosada tasting menu changes with the seasons and if we know in advance a little about the likes and dislikes of the particular guests, I can tune it accordingly. I have recently added two items to the menu that I thought would be well suited to the tail end of winter and the first glimmer of spring.The first is inspired by a Spanish White Almond Gazpacho. For a long time I have  wanted to experiment with a warm version of this soup without losing the traditional Spanish feel of the main ingredients.I kept the bread as this would be a good thickening agent but decided to infuse it with cauliflower.With the help of a little manchego cheese I managed to achieve a savoury, creamy and slightly sweet soup. I wanted it to feel like a thick warm almond milk but with some other Spanish flavours.
Garlic almond and cauliflower soup
2 1⁄2 cups water, for blending
1 slice day-old white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
2 ounces blanched almonds (should be about 1/2 cup volume)
2 garlic cloves, fresh, skinned, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Add all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly.Taste and season, adjusting as needed (vinegar, sugar, more salt, etc.) set aside. 

Good knob of butter
1 small cauliflower,finely chopped, white florets only
1 tablespoon olive oil
250ml vegetable stock (or a good cube)
150ml milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
50g grated manchego

Gently heat the butter and olive oil in a pan and with the lid on gently sautée the cauliflower, for 4-5 minutes.
Add the stock and milk. Season, bring to the boil and simmer for 12 minutes, with a lid on, or until the cauliflower is soft.Stir in the first seven ingredients that you have previously blended and set aside.
Blend the mixture in a liquidiser with the cheese until smooth and strain through a fine-meshed sieve and season again if necessary. You can add a little more cheese for added flavour if you wish.If the mixture appears too thick,dilute gradually with extra milk until you reach the consistency of thick milk.Return to the pan and heat gently,stirring constantly,over medium low heat.Serve immediately with garlic croutons and garnished with slivers of toasted almonds.

My second innovation to the tasting menu was an anchovy cigar. We were recently served up an amuse bouche in a restaurant and were told it was an anchovy cigar.It was a grissini with a marinated, salted anchovy wrapped around the bottom third.It was very tasty but I thought a lot more "cigar" was needed to honour it with the title of an "anchovy cigar."I cast my mind back to the allumettes aux anchois my mother used to make as little tit bits to serve up with a drink when friends popped round.She rolled anchovy in very thin brown bread and that was it.Nowadays the norm for this recipe is filo or puff pastry,but I thought I would return to the brown bread idea and then throw in some more sympathetic companions like garlic, capers, parmesan and breadcrumbs and you have a more tasty cigar than tobacco could ever fulfill.

An Anchovy cigar
serves 4
1 loaf thinly sliced brown bread, crusts removed
2 tins of anchovy fillets
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
plentiful lemon juice
100g toasted breadcrumbs
50g parmesan, grated
50g chopped capers
chopped parsley
2 garlic cloves chopped

Mix together in a bowl the toasted breadcrumbs, anchovies,grated parmesan,chopped capers,parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
With a rolling pin,roll the bread slices out until they become thin and malleable sheets.
spoon a line of the anchovy breadcrumb mix breadcrumb along the back third of each slice.Carefully roll the bread slices up rolling away from you until you have a tight cylinder.Sprinkle a little water just along the edge and press together well to seal the cigar.Tuck each end in and if necessary trim with a knife.Set aside.When ready to serve, lay the cigars,sealed edge downwards, on a baking tray lined with parchment.Brush a light coating of extra virgin olive oil on the cigars.Bake in a medium oven180C for about twenty minutes or until the bread becomes crisp.The timing here will depend on the freshness of the bread.Try and use the freshest bread possible. serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Sopa gelada com crouton quente (Chilled soup and a warm crouton)

Oh dear, how terribly Elizabeth David I am becoming in my titles!!-Chilled soup and a warm crouton,"An omelette and a glass of wine" and all that.On my day of culinary experimentation I stumbled across an article on the internet entitled "31 Healthier Baked Versions Of Fried Foods"- "Once-baked is the new twice-fried" it continued.I recently ventured into the realm of baked versus fried with my oven baked doughnut and here they were again, along with some other exciting prospects.Oooh I sayy..... Gwyneth Paltrow´s baked fries and who would have thought of toasting ravioli.I liked the sound of  all this and combed all 31 recipes before deciding to try out "oven baked goats cheese." Well I dont know about "onced baked", but after my first attempt "twice shy" I decided to double dip.Having ended up with a non-stick silicone mat coated in cheesy goaty goo and breadcrumbs, resembling a tray of cheesy florentines, I learnt very quickly that these nourishing little nuggets needed a stronger seal of egg and breadcrumbs around them than them what wrote recipe suggested.
Having perfected the method I have now served them up to guests in two different ways.Firstly as a warm canapé with a glass of wine and more recently as warm croutons on the side of a bowl of chilled beetroot gazpacho.These were both received with an acknowledgement of clean plates all round.My next variation is going to be to serve them as warm nuggets on top of a roasted beetroot salad.The permutations of how this recipe could be served are endless.

Goats cheese croutons,nuggets or balls

10 ounce goat cheese log, make sure this is very cold

2 whole eggs, beaten

2 cups home made breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, set aside.Slice the log into 24 pieces and using your hands roll each piece into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet.
Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl. Fill a plate or shallow bowl with the breadcrumbs. Dip the goat cheese ball in the egg wash first. Roll it around so it is completely covered. Then drop them into the  breadcrumbs. Toss the breadcrumbs onto the ball and gently roll to coat. Place back on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all 24 ball are coated.place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for an hour  and then repeat the process to ensure your balls are completely sealed.

Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow the balls to set for 5-10 minutes before serving. They are very delicate and crumble easily, but the taste is fantastic!

The tasting menu - marathon or removal of responsibility?

The first of my tasting options -minted pea panna cotta 
and gazpacho andaluz with Indian flavours

A high-end anomaly a few years ago, three or four-hour menus now look like the future of fine dining.Restaurants are dropping their à la carte menus in favour of all-or-nothing tastings. Before Pret a Manger and Marks and Spencers begin stuffing sandwiches into 18-course boxed office lunch tastings, it’s worth asking if this is the future we want?

salt cured beef fillet

Restaurant tasting menus offer small portions of several dishes as a complete meal. Some restaurants and chefs specialize solely in these tasting menus, while others just make it a further menu option.Tasting menus may be offered to provide a sample of a particular type of cuisine, or house specialties.Some restaurants and chefs use it as an opportunity to showcase a particuar cooking technique - dry-aging, curing, fermenting,salt stone cooking, smoking or grilling over fire.
 When I face a marathon of dishes chosen by a restaurant, I often feel a trapped, helpless sensation. I am in the hands of a chef who grasps the challenges and possibilities of  a tasting menu which can yield for him a succession of delights that a shorter meal could never contain. It is a chance for him to show off. Why should I fork out over the odds oodles of dosh for his three or four hour marathon, and along the way have to suffer some horrors that I would never in a normal visit to a restaurant dream of ordering? Everybody knows how much a plate of chicken should cost in a fancy  restaurant, but what is the value of 30 courses you haven’t even seen? You’re not buying 30 courses, of course. You’re buying a ticket to a show that is probably going to sell out, which leaves the restaurant free to charge whatever it likes.Making each course as different as possible from the last is not just a chance for chef to show off, it’s necessary to keep the diner’s attention. And if a meal goes on for hours even radical costume changes from course to course may not be enough.

Octopus salad

These menus are a hot topic these days.But why? You can’t eat a meal like this with a passing acquaintance or blind date since you’ll be together for hours, and you certainly can’t go with somebody you really want to talk to, either, since there’s little time between courses for sustained conversation.

The consumer of such a meal may feel as much like a victim as a guest. The reservation is hard won, the night is exhausting, the food is cold and the interruptions are frequent.Some of the courses can be  repetitive in ingredients or preparation, and others can feel like padding.The palate flags and the bill stings.Degustation evenings don´t come cheap but in these hard times,surprise surprise, they are spreading like an epidemic.  

Tuna on the salt stone

Perhaps part of the joy of a tasting or set menu is the removal of responsibility. Maybe the recent trend for tapas-style sharing plates has become so popular because it relieves the decision-making pressure.

Turning the table back from customer to chef these degustations are a missed opportunity for research.A restaurant that sells appetizers, main courses and entrees quickly learns which ones customers like. But surely one-bite dishes rarely come back to the kitchen untouched, so the chef has little chance to learn what customers think. Asking “How was everything?” of somebody who has just consumed 26 items isn’t likely to produce constructive criticism.Unless the whole reason for the degustation was a food led focus group as is the case twice yearly when we are invited to our favourite local restaurant Cha com Agua Salgada, where the sole purpose of the evening is to get creative crit, feedback and observations from us as customers.I think this is a great idea,the chef gets to see how his new proposed menu is going to be recieved by his customers and at the same time the customers are having a great networking evening.

So having recently sampled the latest Degustation menu at Cha com Agua Salgada with provision on each menu to comment on each dish accordingly,it was time for me to abandon my cynicism.Perhaps I have misunderstood the concept behind tasting menus and there is an enjoyment and a purpose to a tasting menu.It is not just a poncey chef showcasing his talents.I started to feel that perhaps it was the time to become a dedicated follower of foodista fashion and introduce a degustation menu into the Casa Rosada repertoire.Our most recent guests from England who have stayed with us before, mentioned their penchant for tasting menus.They had expressed their intention to dine in one night during their stay here and I decided that the time was right and the people were right to try out my first tasting menu.It also provided a chance to demonstrate the salt stone technique for cooking (above).So I have now launched the 8 course Casa Rosada Degustation

the two dessert items

The Casa Rosada Degustation

8 courses- 6 savoury / 2 sweet

Minted pea panna cotta and Gazpacho andaluz with Indian flavours

Salt cured beef fillet

Beetroot pudding and Tunisian carrot dip with pipas

Octopus salad with Thai flavours

Tuna on the salt stone with a cucumber coriander and mint salad

5 spiced quail with jewelled Ras al hanout cous cous

Chocolate truffle torte with strawberry and limoncello ice cream

Pear and moscatel sorbet in a serpa cheese shortbread cup

Why walk out dazed when you could have been dazzled.

Sham chowder....When two soups became one

....or how a ham bone became a comforting soup, and by accident I created a  Portuguese sham chowder.So "two soups? One soup and another soup"

Beedle dee, dee dee dee...
We like it.
Beedle dee, dee dee dee...
This two for one.
and
I do the cooking...

Whenever I am asked the question "What is my favourite dish to cook on chilly rainy days in winter?" the answer is inevitably soup. Whether it's a simple broth with tender Italian tortellini (tortellini in brodo), a remedial Portuguese pick me up (canja with pasta noodles) or a hearty bowl of chowder, a spoon is applied to face, a small blowing gesture for cooling follows, spoon meets lips and the result is a satisfying "mmm." Even the most complex soup can invoke a very basic pleasure, like a warm blanket on a cold day (French onion) or a cooling refreshing summer sensation in August, white gazpacho with grapes (Ajo blanco con uvas).

Did you save your leftover Christmas ham bone?- and if so do you have some split peas or lentils in the cupboard? I can hear you saying "I know whats coming" and feel you might be groaning already - who has the time to make homemade soup? You're right, it's a time-consuming process but most of the time is accounted for by the soup sitting on the stove simmering, not by you actively preparing the ingredients. Its so not a risotto, requiring the standing and constant stirring.

To help ease your work schedule, you can prepare the soup over two days. Day one - put the ham bone on to simmer. It needs to simmer for anywhere from 3 to 4 hours- this long, slow simmering develops the wonderful flavour that forms the basic stock needed for a classic robust soup. Just before hitting the sack, cool the stock, then put it in the refrigerator. (After the pot has cooled slightly,  set it in a sink  of cold water to speed up the cooling process)

Day two, skim the fat from the surface of the stock and discard the ham bone, then put the pot on the stove to start heating the stock while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the remaining ingredients have been added to the pot you can relax and have a cup of tea while the soup simmers. A few final touches and dinner is ready.This soup, "London Particular,"was named after the thick blankets of yellow fog or `peasoupers´ that used to engulf London. I have never managed to achieve the yellow hue in my soup.Every time I have made it ( and I only make it once a year so no second chances)it is an unappetising shade of grey.The colour of city fog.So this time I followed a different recipe and embellished that recipe with a smattering of turmeric.I love turmeric, and not only did it bring a more cheerful tone to the soup but it actually enhanced the flavour.

Yellow split pea soup with Turmeric

The trick to making the rich, creamy texture typical of this classic soup is to cook the split peas until they dissolve and thicken the stock.

1 leftover ham bone (with a small amount of ham still attached to bone)

1 medium onion studded with 4 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

16 cups (4 L) cold water

1 teaspoon (5 mL) dry mustard powder

2 cups (500 mL) yellow split peas, picked clean of debris and rinsed

1 soup spoon of turmeric

1 teaspoon (5 mL) dried thyme leaves

3 large carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large leek, halved lengthwise and sliced thin

1 tablespoon (15 mL) red wine vinegar

Chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Put the ham bone, clove-studded onion and bay leaves in large heavy pot. Add water. (The ham bone should be completely covered. If necessary, add a little more water.) Place over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 4 hours. Remove from stove, uncover and let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day,skim the fat from surface of ham stock; discard fat. Remove clove-studded onion and discard. Remove ham bone; set aside.

Transfer 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cold ham stock to small bowl. Add mustard and stir until dissolved. Add split peas, thyme and mustard mixture to ham stock. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, cut ham from bone; discard bone. Cut ham into bite-size pieces (we had about 2 cups/500mL); refrigerate until ready to add to soup.

When stock comes to a boil, add carrots, celery and leek. Return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 75 minutes or until peas dissolve and thicken soup, stirring occasionally then more frequently as soup thickens.

Add ham and cook for 2 minutes or until ham is heated through. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little water until reaching desired consistency.) Stir in vinegar.

Remove and discard bay leaves. (Make ahead: Chilled soup can be frozen in airtight container for up to 1 month.)

Garnish each serving with parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Now for the trick - serve some of the soup for lunch or supper and save the rest  in the freezer for a second souperior meal-a lentil clam chowder.

Chowder-A thick, chunky seafood soup, of which clam chowder is the most well known. The name comes from the French chaudiere, a cauldron in which fishermen made their stews fresh from the sea. New England-style chowder is made with milk or cream, Manhattan-style with tomatoes. Chowder can contain any of several varieties of seafood and vegetables. The term is also used to describe any thick, rich soup containing chunks of food (for instance, clam chowder).

 

Lentils pre-date the potato as a starchy accompaniment, so you can thicken your soup without using potatoes. I already had some pre-cooked clams with their cooking stock in the freezer.These were clams left over from when I recently cooked Rick Stein´s Clams with Serrano ham and sherry recipe,so packed full of flavour to kick off my lentil Clam chowder.The pea soup (see above) had also been made with ham stock.Lentils and bacon are a match made in heaven.

 

Creamy Portuguese sham chowder

My Sham chowder is a comforting meal that can be made any night of the week. Who can resist clams,in thick bacon flavoured creamy soup, and sweet corn?  Serve this chowder with a nice hunk of crusty garlic bread.

125g (8oz) pre cooked clams drained of their cooking liquid

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

1 1/2 cups drained whole kernel corn

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup clam liquid and water

1 medium onion finely diced

1 litre Pea soup (as above)

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons flour

Drain clams and set aside.Fill one measuring cup with clam liquid.

Sautée onion and cook until tender. Add Pea soup, clam liquid and water.

Add corn and milk.Take a tablespoon of soup from the pot and use to blend the flour and butter in a bowl and then stir it into soup.Cook slowly until mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Add clams and season.

Big Broa

My first attempt at home made Broa de milho (maize bread)

Once upon a time in Portuguese peasant homes there was usually home made bread,though nowadays perhaps less frequently.It is an essential ingredient for an abundance of Portuguese bread dishes.There are açordas,ensopados,migas, a variation on açorda, and Gazpacho.It is of course possible to buy a valiant attempt at the so-called peasant loaf all over Portugal, in supermarkets or bakeries.But do not let your taste buds deceive, you it will never match up to the hands on home made variety.These white lifeless breads of a cotton wool consistency will scupper the chance of your bread dish being as appealing as it deserves to be had you used the real McCoy.The bread of choice for these kind of dishes is a good old fashioned home made Broa de milho like the grand mothers used to make,typical peasant bread at its best.When properly made,maize bread should have a good crumbling consistency and therefore be ideal for thickening up these soups and other bread dishes.This bread is also particularly good to eat with those delicious small olives, so typical of Portuguese tables,with a good cheese or some cured meat.

Well I decided to be avõ (Portuguese granny) for a day, put my pinny on, pour out some papa de milho on a board and start kneading. I would advise beginners like me who have not done this before to halve the quantity stated in the recipe which makes two loaves,and not be put off by the`boiling water method´,which is an essential part of maize breadmaking.Good luck....

Broa de milho
(this is the traditional recipe for a heavy broa.For alighter loaf,use equal parts of both flours and still keep the same method)

450 g (1lb cornmeal)

175g(6oz) unbleached white flour
30g (1oz) fresh yeast (or equivalent  dried yeast)

15g (1/2 oz) sea salt

600ml(1pint) boiling water
Crumble the yeast and mix with a little tepid water.Add a quarter of the white flour and mix well.Set aside.Put the maize flour in a roomy bowl and pour the boiling water over it.Mix well using a spatula, to avoid burning your hands.cover until the temperature allows you to do some kneading,for a couple of minutes.Add the salt,the prepared yeast and remaining white flour.Now give it a really good really kneading, addinmg alittle more tepid water very gradually if you the dough is excessively dry,but not until then.I found my dough was a little on the wet side and ended up adding some more flour.When the dough is smooth,cover with a cloth and and leave in a warm place,to rise for an hour.Knead again  for just a few minutes and divide the dough into two halves.shape each half into a ball,rolling it in a bowl containing flour,to coat it all over.This will give the broa loaf a whtish crust,when it comes out of the oven,with yellow brown on a greased,floured baking tray,cover again and leave to prove in a warm place for another 20 minutes.bake it in the oven (219C/425f/Gas 7) for 25 minutes or until it sounds hollow when you tap it on the bottom.Do not undercook your broa but try not to burn it either,or it will be too dry.Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
maize bread keeps well for about a week,if kept in a plastic bag in a bread bin.
It can also be frozen.

Almost the fields of Piedmont

Tomates sem basilico? - Unimaginable. The heady perfume that wafts the air as you brush past Basil is unparallelled.

An emerald forest in terracotta pots. Grown from seed our basil has flourished this year, giving us a bumper crop that if cut constantly and in the right way will keep the kitchen busy for the next couple of months. The basil will season much of our summer food here at Casa Rosada. It will accompany home grown tomatoes, home cured anchovies, sardine fillets and grilled fish spattered with fresh basil oil. Pestos every which way, fresh goats cheese and some scentsational salads.
It is the heart and soul of pesto. Its deep emerald leaves infuse olive oil to finish off a bowl of samarejo( Cordoban gazpacho) and a robust white fish steak such as Corvina comes alive when drizzled with this vibrant green emulsion.
In Portugal we have manjericos,a smaller leafed variety and a taste a little more towards aniseed.
The manjerico is strongly associated with the feast of St. Anthony, held on June 13. It is known as Saint Anthony´s manjerico: the lovers flower.The streets are decorated in bright colours and are full of people partying and dancing into the night.Bush basils (manjericos ) are found for sale on every corner. The tradition is that boyfriends should offer a Manjerico to their girlfriends. These bring a little flag with a verse on it, a little like fortune cookies or in Italy Baci chocolates. These potted bushes smell like basil but you should first touch it and then smell your hand, otherwise it may die!!!!

How to cope with a bounty full of basil.

BASIL OIL
100g basil leaves
250ml best quality extra virgin olive oil
a few extra basil leaves
Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for five seconds, then drain and refresh with cold water. Squeeze it dry, then liqidise with the olive oil, Decant, add the few extra basil leaves and refrigerate until ready to use.

SALSA VERDE
Pound basil leaves with half the quantity of mint and parsley, some anchovies and capers, then blend to a verdant sauce with lemon juice and olive oil. Eh voila, in minutes a perfect accompaniment to cold pork or chicken.

FOR A SIMPLE SUMMER SUPPER
Coarsely tear up some cooked chicken breasts, put them in a bowl and add plentiful torn basil, ( torn because the meeting of knife and basil leaf ends in bruising, and god forbid you dont want a little bruiser ruining your salad) chopped mint and rocket. Mix together well with lemon juice. Tip the resulting mixture into a salad bowl of pre-cooked cous cous. Stir in extra virgin olive oil, more lemon juice , salt and pepper. Serve immediately

Degustation Evening at Cha Com Agua Salgada..

Each Portuguese
town has its
Feriado municipal.
Castro Marim´s
holiday coincides
with the feast of Sao Joao,
which was celebrated this thursday 24 June.

Paulo made sure we were kept refreshed with fine samplings of Quinta do Barranco Longo Wines while Edgar proffered his guests with a background to what they were drinking



Casa Rosada however had a more pressing engagement in our diary - an invitation for a presentation dinner at Cha Com Agua Salgada, This was a chance for the local network of small hotels, Turismo rurais and bed and breakfasts to get together and sample Cha´s new "Sabores Regionais", which will be launched in September, and the Quinta do Barranco Longo Wine of 2009. After a hot day (30c ) of laundry duties, ironing and cleaning in preparation for the next guests and planning a non dairy dinner menu ( more on that story later, kirsty!!! ) What better than leaning on the railing of Cha´s terrace with glasses of Barranco Longo Rose in our hands watching beachgoers of all shapes and sizes amble back across the boardwalk. The sun was going down over Manta Rota beach and it was time to sample some of my favourite local fare. I knew I was going to enjoy the evening ahead before I even sat down. Our friend Eglantina had just handed us the new edition of her breviario, literal translation a breviary, religious and clerical definition aside, in layman´s land!!! a handbook of recommendations and pointers for her guests at her turismo rural, companhia das culturas.She pointed out that she has now included Casa Rosada in the gastronomy category as "Fusion gastronomy by demand"- a charming and cross cultural way of saying "Dinners by appointment. " well ´fusion gastronomy´ was what was about to hit us. A witty amuse bouche came in the form of a shot glass of Gazpacho. I´m loving it already - the starter quickly followed.
We were served a Tuna Trilogy - Tartare, wind dried Muxama and marinated loin. The tartare was foaming with a saucy soya profuson. Two main course samplings kept me happily in my culinary comfort zone - a delicious Octopus tempura, charmingly translated again as "Fried octopus and his risotto and black Iberian pork with migas potatoes and grilled asparagus. All in all a lovely modern twist on the traditional Algarvian Kitchen.
Cha opened its doors in April 2009 bringing to the East Algarve a stylish and very contemporary vision. A smart and modern city style restaurant was on our doorstep at Praia de Manta Rota. Sandra and Paulo a couple from Lisbon brought this project to the Algarve with the charming Sommelier Edgar.The evening rounded off with a delicious fig Parfait and an espumante Rose Reserva Bruto opened by its producer, Rui Virginia, who gave us the time to explain about the various grapes and discuss the possibility of Casa Rosada´s guests visiting his winery as part of an addition to their holiday with us. A perfect night, networking, eating, chatting and all in time to get home for the series finale of Brothers and Sisters!!!!

Welcome to `O Cozinheiro Este Algarve`

Here at Casa Rosada as much of our produce as possible is sourced locally
and all food is home made. Our wine list encompasses a fair selection of Regional Portuguese wines. I source fresh food daily from local suppliers, of whom I will be talking about in my future posts. These producers are developing a sustainable economy, whist respecting the ecosystem and the cultural traditions of the area. My first point of contact is always if possible with the person who grew it.
Castro Marim is situated at the easternmost tip of the Algarve and just across the Guadiana river is Spain, so the food we serve at Casa Rosada has an Andalucian influence too. For a first taste of what is to come - the gazpacho soup I serve is the traditional Cordoban version Samarejo with a suggested accompaniment of a noble Tempranillo Valdepenas Gran Reserva.

Fresh food daily,defined by the seasons, and supplemented by the pickings from what we ourselves grow in our kitchen garden. Let the blog begin........