Borlotti Bean Stew

We had a handfull of dried beans from the garden just enough for dinner for two.
I had never tried Borlotti beans before and now I see the attraction...they were lovely and plump with a nice mealy texture.
I made a classic stew of sauted onions,garlic,aubergines,green and red peppers from the neighbours with a wee bit of celery and tomatoes...a slash of wine...reduced to perfection and added the cooked beans.
Fresh parsley and basil,some boullion base were added to mingle with the veggies and a happy stew was born.I,m sure this would taste better if I cooked the beans slowly in the stew but I wanted to try them on there own first.Instead ,we ate this the following day to allow the beans soak up the flavour of the stew...and enjoyed them with some golden roasted potatoes.

Summer Tomato Broth

This year we planted 3 types of tomatoes.."de colgar"(for hanging up)...for making Pan con Tomate and they keep until february hanging up in the kitchen(more true treasure).

To make Pan con Tomate you need to toast some bread.Rub them with garlic.Cut a tomate de colgar(or a well flavoured ripe soft tomato) in half and rub it into the bread... all you,ll have left is the skin.Drizzle some good quality olive oil on top and a sprinkle of salt ...and there you have it... a classic Catalan recipe.The concept is simple..good ingredients and you can,t go wrong.Serve this bread with Grilled Asparagus,Tortilla Español,Sauted wild mushrooms or whatever takes your fancy.

The second type of tomato was gordos de Argentina..fat argentian tomates which are the fat,firm full variety..great for salads with olive oil and fresh basil and black pepper.

The last type was monserrat which are large with big folds like a pin cushion... emptyish inside but sweet... great for this summer soup... or for stuffing.

Also there were a few unidentified tomates which grew alone thanks to the compost...one or two cherry tomates and plum tomates and a few nameless bless them.

Forgive my nerdish account of varieties but looking back its nice to see what you planted every year and why.Now on to this soup it had the simplist ingredients because the veggies were so good I wanted to celebrate them.
First saute some finely chopped onion (1medium sized)
Next chop a fresh fat garlic clove and cook until just soft and not browned
Add a half or quarter of diced red pepper...also cooked until soft
And lastly 2 bowlfuls of tomatoes diced up ,skins and all...a mixture of the lovely selection above...deliciously sweet..no added sugar needed.
Add a slash or two of water or light stock...enough to give a nice broth like consistency.
The tomatoes should be cooked but still hold their shape.
Add a hand full of tiny cooked pasta of choice.
Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Top with fresh basil and some grated parmesan.
Perfect homage to naturally sweet summer vegetables.

note...This soup only works with good flavoured tomatoes...if they dont have much flavour theres no point in trying this recipe...however if you get your hands on some homegrowns celebrate them with this soup.

planting seedlings

These are garbanzos or chickpeas...its a little experiment.I,ve never planted these before.They are so pretty and delicate.

Heres the warmest room in the house...
the winners so far.. in growing the quickest is the cilantro(coriander)
closely followed by basil.
we have a sick aloe vera who got an attack of frost but is recuperating...if anyone has any advice on nursing it back to help please let me know.
I love the light in this room ...it warms the heart that spring is here.

Getting the garden ready for planting

Work started in January to be honest,pruning hedges and cutting off branches of the lime tree...we shall let the light in this year!we had to cut alot of one tree(type unknown)because it had earth and water inside, poor bunny hopefully the amputation will make it healthier..

I,ve been very busy as of late.Cleaning(its spring),Facebooking (my new addiction) and getting the garden ready for planting....that means looking for caca or manure...horse or cow is the best.Also from the compost bucket which I love...it works...and you know exactly whats going into your soil and veggies.
Here,s what we planted ...
Basil big leaf
Basil small leaf
Purple Basil(milder with an almost minty hit)
Cilantro
Orange scented thyme
Tarragon
Lettuces
Chickpeas
Lemons
Avocados
Chives
Sage
Oregano
Marjoram
Mint
Aloe veras
Geraniums
Lavender
And there will be more...half are outside in the greenhouse that my better half made and half are inside in the warmest sunniest room.I,ll write more about the garden as a way of learning what works and does,nt...oh God I cant wait for peppers and fresh basil....