Lactarius deliciosus

Guests that recently walked the GR-7 from Juviles to Trevélez had told us about people collecting wild mushrooms in the pine woods. From local people we heard that they were looking for ´níscalos´ or ´robellones´. These saffron milk caps are apparently a type of fungi that finds its way to shops and restaurants in different parts of Spain. Today we went out mushrooming ourselves in the pines above Juviles. We soon found out that this red pine mushroom is completly covered with earth and needles so you need to look for small heaps and just try your luck. The forest had obviously been cleared quite thoroughly by other people, but nevertheless we did find enough to make a nice risotto. After some rain these saffron milk caps can grow overnight, so this might not be the end of the wild mushroom season yet.
 

Chestnut anniversary

Five years ago we were busy with the last preparations for the opening on the 1st of November. Friends from Holland that came over drove up in the mist and had at that moment no idea what the views could be like. Luckily the sun broke through the morning of the inauguration and we were able to roast chestnusts outside as we had planned a ´castañada´. Today the views are as good as ever, like the day of the opening. From the terrace we can see the sea clearly and the first snow on the mountains in the distance. A perfect day to cherish special memories and collect chestnuts.

Figs

Figs are a popular product of the Alpujarras. The small white or green figs are dried and sold as such, or used to make Pan de Higos, amongst other things. Our favourite type are the blue figs of which we have a number of trees. The first weekend of September we were able to put the first ones on the fruit-bowl on the breakfast table and use them in different types of desserts. The big tree that on sunny days offers shade on the terrace is our most mature and precious tree and will probably continue to bear fruit for three more weeks.
 

Autumn 2008

The third autumn day El Paraje woke up to this magnificent view. It was a prelude to a whole day of rain which is after a number of consecutive dry years a godsend. As the first rainfalls are relatively early this year, we hope that this is a good sign for the coming winter. After the rain had stopped the mist formed a photogenic background and the constantly changing skies offer magic views during this time of the year.
related keywords: el tiempo, het weer, le temps, das wetter

Almond harvest 2008

Our almond harvest tradionally starts the end of September, although lower down in the valleys they can start the end of August. This year we are lucky to be able to harvest some at all, because in the whole region a lot has been frozen during a cold spell at Eastern. The way to collect them is to put nets on the ground and hit the branches with a long stick. After gathering the almonds we pass them through a machine to get rid of the soft green shells to leave the nuts as most of us know them. We will have more than enough for our home cooking. We serve them roasted as tapas or use them in traditional Andalucian soups like ´ajo blanco´.