Fresh Yeast for Baking Bread

Today the bread machine has been well used making one Olive Bread, a chocolate fudge cake and Hot Cross Bun dough. I have always bought my yeast at Iceland in Fuengirola but have been searching for the traditional Spanish ingredient.

The Spanish for yeast appears to be LEVADURA , but the packets found next to the flour are packets of baking powder which are not suitable for bread making. I have now found the fresh Levadura which in Mercadona is found next to the margarine's in the fridge section. Two packets of 25grams cost 34 cents and according to the instructions 25grams is suitable for 500grams of flour.

I have found that using some of the liquid quantity from the recipe and warming a small amount of water and dissolving the yeast and leaving it for 10 mins has had the best results.

Do Not use the delay function when using fresh yeast

Watch the use by date and keep in the fridge.

This is the recipe for olive bread

250ml  water  ( remember some of this is used for the yeast)

30 ml Olive Oil

450g Strong flour

1 1/2 tablespoon Dried milk powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2       teaspoons sugar

2. 1/2 ml yeast  ( or 1/2 teaspoon dried yeast)

50g Drained pitted and chopped black olives

Add the water, oil, flour, milk powder, salt, sugar and yeast to the bread pan and place on the setting for bread. After 10 mins add the olives. ( my machine bleeps when items need to be added)

Cooking from scratch- cheaper and no additives

When my son was 2 years old I popped back to the UK for a quick visit. I was astounded as I watched  young mothers filling up thier trollies with jars of baby food. It was evident that the meals for the week had been sorted with one quick shop. Jars of baby food in Spain were fairly expensive and I used them as a back up if I was out for the day. It was considered the norm to prepare and freeze baby food in the home and I found the Spanish health service were fairly good at providing information on what foods baby could eat at which age group.

There are now a number of books and web pages that have wonderful simple recipes that you can cook for and with your children. I am not a good cook by any means but I love cooking with my children and together we learn and have quite a few laughs. My daughter loves her Barbie cook book which again encourages her to follow basic instructions, while her dolls are arranged along the kitchen table all ready to help.

My sister in law is a wonderful cook and in true tradition she has passed on her recipes to her siblings and their wives and now their children. This is one of my favourites- Puchero. Obviously there are many variation to this recepie but this one works for me.

In Mercadona, we can find pre-prepared pack of bones or bones plus meat called "preparado para cocido", however, most butchers or meat counters will have these ingredients in some form or another. I think Supersol have them in trays behind the butcher and they are usualy very helpful. Mercadona and Lidls do a "preparado para cocido" mixed vegetable pack as well.

Ingredients
Chickpeas ( Gabanzos)
Bones and fats
Meats - various but usually include a leg of chicken and a small piece of  pork.A special treat would be jamon
Vegetables - ie 3/4 carrots, a turnip, pasnip, celery.
Fresh mint - (Hierba buena)
Rice or noodles ( Fideos)

Instructions
The night before soak three handfuls of chickpeas in plain water. Try and change this water every so often.
Heating a large saucepan ( pressure cooker size).
Wash the bones and fats to get rid of some of the salt and pop them in the heated water.
Take the skin and any fatty bits off the meat and put them in the pan.
As the water comes to boil skim off the fats ( brown/beige foam that forms at the top of the pan).
Peel and add the vegetables. You can add more vegetables if you wish but it is hard to freeze with potatoes in and I have never used onions or potatoes in mine
Add the spearmint and leave to simmer for at least an hour. It is a gorgeous smell and I I often leave mine on a slow heat throughout the morning.

Before serving take a separate pan of the "stock" liquid and use to boil rice or fine noodles.

The Spanish usually serve the rice or noodles with a couple of spoons of liquid and after cut pieces of meat along with the fat which they call Pringà as a separate course. I find the fats too much for me and cut the meat rice and stock in one plate, but then I am British.

Without the Rice or noodles this can be frozen and the liquid used for stock. Meats can also be used in croquetas

Aubergines

The aubergine plant would not look out of place in the flower border, with its large unusual leaves and small pretty flowers it is worth growing just for its aesthetic value alone. It forms a tidy, uniform, small to medium sized bush that gives us beautiful shiny looking fruits throughout the summer. Unfortunately those fruits do not lavish us with huge amounts flavour. I’m a huge fan of greek food of which the aubergine is a staple part of but they are not a very versatile vegetable. For me, the longer its cooked for the better.

Sowing seeds or planting

Unless you’re a huge fan of aubergines or vegetarian then don’t bother growing from seed, you will only need a couple of plants anyway. As I have mentioned before most of the inland garden centres sell vegetable plants throughout the year according to season. If you are growing from seed, moisten the compost in a three inch pot and sow on the surface, cover with a fine layer of compost and keep well watered and warm.

Soil

Although it’s a plant that grows well in the Mediterranean it still needs good rich soil. Incorporate compost into your soil for really good crops but I’ve grown it in our own shallow stony soil with reasonable success.

Aftercare

Many books will tell you that you have to pinch out the growing tips when the plant is a foot high and leave only five fruits on the plant by removing any remaining flowers but if you forget don’t worry it’s not the end of the world. Aubergines are not usually considered a staple food and you’re looking for quality not quantity so I would recommend regular picking instead. Feeding is also recommended once the fruits have formed. Some support might be necessary if they are planted in exposed areas.

Watering

Keep the soil or compost moist but not over overwatered. Apply a mulch in summer and water frequently, especially if they are grown in pots.

Growing in pots

I only grow to or three plants at a time so I don’t bother planting aubergines in the ground where they would take up valuable space. Instead I find the biggest pots that I have, fill with a compost/ soil mix (about two thirds compost) and plant out the seedlings when they are big enough to handle. During summer you will need to conserve moisture as much as possible if you are to harvest nice shiny firm fruits. Cover with straw (my preferred mulch of the moment), leaf mould or weed fabric and place the pot on top of a saucer to catch any water that seeps through the bottom.

Harvesting

I don’t always include a section on harvesting your veggies but aubergines are different. You don’t want huge fruits with tough skins and bitter flesh, you should be harvesting when they are smaller than supermarket varieties, about the size of your fist. The skin should also be bright and shiny and the flesh firm.