Fried Olives – Simply Maggi…c

How fabulous to take a few simple ingredients and turn them into something so scrummy. Domenico Maggi’s enthusiasm knows no bounds as he ululates lyrical about the wonderful ingredients available in the Apulia region. Introducing us to the ‘eternal’ tomato, he explains that they’re locally grown and if hung in the right conditions can be used in cooking for up to eight months. These were grown in his own vegetable garden. I marvel at what it must be like to live his life…top chef, presenter, traveller, exponent of Italian cuisine.

Start with a hot wok or pan, a few glugs of good quality virgin olive oil heated to smoking point, a couple of whole, peeled garlic cloves. Next, tumble in a whole punnet of fresh, black olives and fry. (Warn your guests about the stones…of course…..) Chuck in some ‘eternal’ tomatoes halved, flavoursome (very ripe, sweet cherry toms are fine too), then finally one dried, chopped chili – seeds n’ all and a couple of bay leaves. There you have it : sumptuous, savoury and ever so good for you.

 

Eccelsa Chef School – Food for Photography

Travel Information with Viaggiando con le ProLoco

 

Inventive With Wine-The Venneri Family Introduce Us To Vincotto.

We are sitting in the sun, glinting through the panes of  what can only be described as an enormous industrial greenhouse. The young lady talking to us is of Venneri stock and her English is easy and fluid. Sporting a short French crop, a scarf casually thrown across her shoulders,  she has a facile Italian style, so natural.  She is passionate about her family’s environmentally caring heritage, recent modernisation and expansion plan. Her grandfather established the farm pesticide-free and they still farm that way today. Solar panels produce energy for the whole company. The Venneris want people to have confidence in the quality of their products.

We are sipping a thick, viscous touch of bliss, a delicious mix of fresh peach juice and almond milk with a dash of Vincotta Primitivo Balsamico. This is a rich, dark Balsamic style vinegar the family manufactures from reduced local wine Primitivo. Adding Vincotto Balsamico, naturally enhances the flavour of food.

The family have been working with nutritionist Alfredo Balliaro, whose focus is Nutrigenomics, the study of  identifying and understanding molecular-level interaction between nutrients and other dietary bioactives with the genome. What I think this means is that it’s possible to tailor nutrition to the individual’s genetic make-up. For instance, we are told, local dish combination Ceceri é Trie (pasta and chickpeas) is supposed to be a very healthy combination.

Ceceri é Trie – Pasta and Chickpeas

Whole steamed Fennel – A digestive

Chicory

Mr Vinneri’s Cacti

Mr Vinneri’s Hobby- Cacti

Mr Vinneri’s hobby

Ms Venneri extols the virtues of their Vincotto products as being high in anti-oxidants. The farm comprises 10 hectares, of which 6 are given over to making vinegar under organic certification. 3 kinds of wines are used to make Vincotto. She elaborated, claiming that consumption of Vincotto Balsamico will prevent health problems and that mass manufactured Balsamic Vinegar contains e150D, a chemical caramel, seen to promote Cancer. Vincotto has no ‘e numbers’, being rich in polyphenols and anti-oxidants. Adding Vincotto to pulses during soaking can help eliminate undesirable flatulance. You will be able to see the gasses escaping from the mix, so keep adding occasionally by spoonful until this stops. It’s an excellent replacement for Balsamic as a salad dressing and is less expensive.

Next up, we sample Vincotto Ingentilito, great on meat and fish, we’re told. It’s a natural flavour enhancer unlike Balsamic Vinegar which can be too strong and shield the true flavours. Ingentilito is aged for only 6 months. It’s an excellent replacement for Balsamic vinegar, made locally from Salentino vinegar. It is combined with Primitivo wines and heated until the alcohol evaporates. Currently it exports to the UK, Spain and shortly to Japan.

Cuetto is an even sweeter version, a traditional recipe dating back to the 1800’s. High in iron, it is also good for coughs and acts like honey to soothe the throat. It is used in desserts such as Panacotta or over fruit.

Lastly we are shown the latest edition to the range, coming in a small bottle, a culinary glaze Glassa Di Vincotto. Ms Venneri explained that over-heating the product can change its molecular structure making it carcinogenic: slightly confusing after driving so hard down the healthy route. In the UK we think of a glaze as something we can put on food before roasting to change it’s appearance, so I challenged her on the product’s health claims which returned a rather frosty response! Hey Ho!

Enter Mrs Venneri….another pasta demo ensued. This time we all get a chance to have a go. The light has a very special quality, simultaneously hard, crystal clear, yet diffuse. We watch Mrs Venneri knead the pasta, fry it. Ms Vinneri gives us a run-down about the history of Saragolla Wheat. Originally brought to the Adriatic Coast by the Bulgarians in 400BC it was a low yielding, inefficient type, tall growing and susceptible to weather damage. The Vinneri family are attempting to grow this wheat again and the Tria Pasta we are making today is made with it.

Mr Vinneri’s passion is Succulents and Cacti. There is one entire greenhouse given over to them. Spiky and ferocious in shape, it’s strange to see so many in one place but I’ve always found them photogenic. Standing to attention in rows, they seem military.

I can only feel gratitude to the Venneri family for taking the time for just one day, to give us a glimpse into their life.

  

For more info check out: http://stores.ebay.it/Vincotto-PrimitivO

The Delicious Flavours Of Apulian Wines Capture The History Of Life And Death In The Region.

We had started the day meeting the little kids in Carpignano Serrano, Scuela de Infancia – Castriniano. With all their lives ahead of them, they were so sweet, all lined up in a row, waving their National Flag proudly as they sang Nursery Rhymes. I felt very privileged to be thought of as an ambassador.

Outside a local school. ©www.trishgant.com

The day had continued to the Olive Groves, where we had experienced the heritage and manufacturing process of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and were shown around “La Furca” a beautiful Farmhouse B&B in Pozzello.  (This was a new venture for the owners and so sadly there are no website listings for it as yet.) And then, to experience the Martyrs of Otranto in its Cathedral, it occured to me that the flavours of the region’s wines reflected extremes of life and death. Gazing up at the piles of bones and skulls presented behind glass either side of the alter was chilling and certainly food for thought. It was 1480 July 28th, when a fleet of ships carrying Ottoman troops, attacked the citizens of Otranto who were seeking shelter in its castle. The castle was sadly lacking weapons and the people were soon over run. 12,000 Catholics were beheaded, refusing to give up their beliefs.

Ottoman troops massacred Catholics for refusing to give up their beliefs.

Ottoman troops massacred Catholics for refusing to give up their beliefs.

Lyn Bertramelli (Second from left) and friends prepare a fabulous meal for us

Toasting Our Hosts’ Health

A diagram of the different taste zones on the tongue on the slide behind us.

Learning Sevillana with our Spanish friend Maria.

Our Spanish friends demonstrate Sevillana.

After touring the lovely city, we found ourselves back where we started, at the school, which had been transformed into a lecture theatre and dining room for us. I made a visit to the kitchens to see Lyn Bertramelli and her friends prepare our meal. Lyn’s English was very good because she is married to an Englishman and she explained how they were prepping the dishes. There was the obligatory pasta, platters of local cheese with walnuts and Pezetti di Cavallo (chunks of horse), a peasant meat stew with various things floating around in it including what appeared to be fatty, jelly stuff. Once again Chicoria, Zorin’s favourite, made an appearance.  I stuck to the cheese!

Our hosts, Viaggiando Con Le Pro Loco and some local dignatories from The Association of Serrano and Agenzia Ulisse, greeted us with a welcome speech. Vita, our Guide, asked me to speak on behalf of all of us. I’m not a great public speaker but it was easy to say positive things: we had had such a brilliant time. Glass after glass of wine flowed, whilst we tasted the different flavours. From the freshness of a local sparkling Rosé full of life, to the intensity of the Primitivo and Negroamaro (dark and bitter), our tongues were set to tingle.

Extracting The Best From The Olive – You Get What You Pay For

After our delicious lunch we were treated to a tour to see the industrial side of olive oil production. A visit to Co-operativa Agricola San Giorgio is a must if you’re in the Lecce area, nicely finished off by perusing the produce in the farm shop.

I love industrial places. They are a feast for the senses. Factories provide excellent opportunities to practice capturing motion by using different shutter speeds and combined with the noise make a great video. Crates and crates of olives are standing out front waiting to be lifted.

 

The basic method is still widely used today. First the olives are ground into an olive paste using large millstones in the press for at least 30-40 minutes. This applies pressure to the paste and separates the liquid oil and solid vegetable matter left over. Then any water in the mix is separated by decantation using a centrifuge.  Making sure the olives are well ground, this allows enough time for the olive drops to join to form large droplets and for the fruits’ enzymes to contribute to the oil’s aroma and taste.

After grinding, the olive paste is spread onto discs (traditionally hemp or coconut fibres) which are stacked on top of each other, then placed into the press. These days, synthetic fibres are used which are easier to maintain. Using hydraulic pressure of up to 400 atm, the discs are forced together and water is poured down the sides of the discs to increase percolation speed. After each batch , the paste must be removed from the discs, otherwise left overs will cause inconsistencies and contamination to the taste and purity of the oil.

 

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive Oil Process © trish gant

Olive oil on farm shop shelves © trish gant

Olive oil on farm shop shelves ©trish gant

Plenty of products on sale here including Grappa

Plenty of products on sale here including Grappa

 

Why Grindstones?

Although they are ancient by design, grindstones break up the fruits’ pulp while barely touching the kernel and skin. This reduces the rate that oxidisation can occur. Using this extraction method, the amount of water used is minimal compared to modern methods of extraction. Less polyphenols are washed away and once the paste is exhausted, the ‘pomace’ has a low water content and makes it easier to manage. The disadvantages to this method are that the grindstones require more manual labour to maintain them and the process involves waiting periods which can expose the paste to oxygen and light. All this translates into a longer production time from harvest to pressing.

Modern Methods

Separation at all stages is done using an industrial decanter and centrifugal force, spinning at 3000rpm.(Two or three phases of centrifuge can be used.) Using a hammer, disc, knife crusher or de-pitting machine, the paste is then malaxed for 30-60 mins. As small olive droplets gather, fruit enzymes create the oil’s aroma. Solids are removed by a slowly rotating coil in the drum which pushes the solids out of the system. Separated oil and water are then rerun through a vertical centrifuge working at 6000rpm removing any small amounts of vegetation water.  The machinery using this method is more compact, oil production being continuous and requires less labour. Olive oil made using the two-phase centrifugal system contains more phenols and is more resistant to oxidisation than oils from three-phase or hydraulic press methods. However, this method uses more energy and the pomace can be wetter, so adding drying to the disposal process and because more water is used, it reduces the amount of anti-oxidants present in the product.  There are some other methods but I don’t want to bore my readers too much!!!!

First Cold Press or Cold Extraction

The temperature of malaxation and extraction has a critical effect on the quality of the oil. When high temperatures are used to increase the yield of oil from the paste, it has a negative effect on the vitamin and antioxidants content. Under strict EU regulations, extraction must be done under 27 degrees centigrade (80 degrees Fahrenheit). Olive oil bottled outside of the EU is not covered by this standard and so the consumer has no idea what they are buying.

What does this mean to me, the person who dishes out the dosh?

Olive oil quality is equally dependent on the condition of the fruit itself. Oxidisation occurs immediately upon harvesting and the fruit should be pressed within 24 hours. During the period between harvesting and grinding, the olive’s enzymes are very active and degrade the oil. If you wait too long the oleic acid content goes up affecting the taste and making the oil more bitter. Exposure to light also affects this process, so keep your bottles in a dark cupboard or in a dimly lit part of the kitchen. If you buy a large can, it’s best to decant some into an air-tight vessel.

I do believe you get what you pay for when you peruse those shelves in Waitrose wondering why!

 

Feeling Special in Specchia Gallone

Just 40km South of Lecce is the sleepy little village of Specchia Gallone. Slap bang in the centre can be found the Church of Sant’ Anna, whose architecture dates back to the 1300’s. Inside, the walls are covered in frescoes ‘Il Ciclo Pittorico’ (possibly 1600’s) depicting the Old Testament on the left of the altar and the New to the right. The colours are gorgeously subtle.

We are here on the Grundtvig Project,  visiting the Caroppo Bakery to see how the locals make Pane Casereccio. “Cucina Povera” or the regional peasant food which is largely plant based, high in fibre and unsaturated fats is considered by the medical profession to be conducive to a healthier, longer life.

The main ingredients usually present in Salento cooking are oven baked bread or pasta. Any meat present is usually chicken or mutton because the land does not support resource-hungry beef. Good, fresh veg such as courgettes or aubergines feature high on the list. They don’t seem to put much garlic in the food here. I’m told the further West and North you go, the more you find.

“Frisella” or Frisa is a local kind of bread which keeps a long time. Hard as rock, it is made with dark wheat or barley. To soften, drench in sea water for 30 seconds and top with chopped tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper. I’ve seen something very similar in Malta…and it is, well….yum, although make sure you’ve got access to a good dentist! It’s nutritious, light and low in cholesterol. The dough is left to rise for 3 days and the yeast remains active which grows on top of the bread, creating craters and dimples on the surface.

Caponata, for topping Focaccia, is a veggie stew with peppers, zucchini and yellow tomatoes, a real taste of Summer. Legumes such as split yellow peas, influences from North Africa are often to be seen in ceramic pots bubbling away by the open fire. Another topping used is sheep’s cheese with olive oil. You can also make sweet versions with stewed fruit for pudding.

Pane Casereccio, home style bread, is baked in the oven at between 3-400 degrees. The yeast remains live in the centre and so it’s recommended that you cut the bread from the end to avoid bloating. The modern habit young Italians have of drinking beer with pizza means that two differing yeasts linger in the tum and cause havoc. A local wine like 14% Taranto is a much better idea! Made by a cooperative vineyard, its price is kept as low as possible so that everyone can benefit. Fresh raw Fennel is used as a digestive to clean the palate between courses.

Casereccio dough is very wet and has the texture of Mozzarella, slippery and stretchy. You can stir into the mix  whole olives before baking. The water you use is also very important. Traditionally, the water was from Naples and the flour from Puglia, which went well together and were rich in calcium and minerals.

We are treated to a veritable feast, accompanied by a local band (although Sorin is not impressed by bitter Chicoria). One of the lads has fallen in love with a gorgeous girl, the bakery proprietor’s daughter, who dances La Pizzica with such stamina, she is wearing me out just filming her. Sporting blue jeggings that leave little to the imagination, she gyrates and rotates to everyone’s delight.

Thank you Specchia for making us all feel special.

EBS “Riot Of Colour” Turns A Few Heads At RHS Hampton Court

With only 4 hours to visit the largest horticultural show in the UK, I was hard pushed to get round it all. Following the Edible Bus Stop’s crew through each stage of the build via Twitter and Facebook, I was determined to hit their installation first and wasn’t disappointed.

It was a large plot replicating the original Edible Bust Stop community project site in Landor Road, Stockwell. It was as though they had picked it all up and whizzed it through the air like Dorothy’s house in the Wizard of Oz. The amount of work that must have gone into it was staggering. They had thought of every little detail, actually laid a real road. A large graffiti’d wall, brightly painted served as a backdrop to an old derelict red phone box and a replica of the bus stop itself stood proudly at one end embellished with the words EDIBLE BUS STOP.

Inspired by the violent events of last Summer 2011, EBS wanted to create a controversial, thought provoking offering, illustrating the benefits of green spaces in cities and the way plants, when left to their own devices, reclaim and soften harsh city-scapes. Will Sandy, one of four EBS founding members is a landscape architect and passionate about the built environment while Mak Gilchrist, ex-model, has levered her extensive contacts book to raise their profile. In fact, it was Mak who sourced all of the ‘props’ for the show arranging support from many sponsors.

Essentially, the Edible Bus Stop is an educational programme, bringing the joy of planting to all people. Through their open days, kids learn about planting seeds and where food comes from, turning derelict plots of land into vibrant lynchpins, bonding communities together.

One lady passed by with her friends and said: “Eurgh…I don’t think that Mum would like this….” very loudly. But surely she’s missing the point? This is the future of gardening. Cutting edge stuff.

Links:

Web: www.theediblebusstop.org

Twitter: @EdibleBusStop

Facebook: The Edible Bus Stop.

Planting List:

Carpinus Betulus (Hornbeam), Sambucus Nigra ( Common Elder), Buddleja Davidii, Kerria Japonica ‘Plentiflora’, Rubus Fructicosus (Common Blackberry), Rubus Idaeus (Common Raspberry), Verbena Bonariensis, Alchemilla Mollis (Lady’s Mantle), Digitalis Purperea ( Foxglove),  Leucanthemum Vulgare (Ox Eye Daisy), Valerian Officinalis, Centranthus Rubber (Red Valerian), SElene Dioica (Red Valerian), Silene Dioica (Red Campion), Achemilla Millefolium (Yarrow), Rhinanthus Minor ( Yellow Rattle), Vicia Cracca (Tufted Vetch), Prunella Vulgaris (Selfheal), Sanguisorba Minor (Salad Burnet), Plantago Lacneolata (Ribwort Plantain), Lychnis Flos-Cuculi (Ragged Robin), Hypericum Perforatum ( Perforate St.John’s Wort), Malva Moschata (Musk Mallow), Ranunculus Acris ( Meadow Buttercup), Centaurea Nigra (Lesser Knapweed), Gallium Verum (Lady’s Bedstraw), Geranium Pratense, Primula Veris (Cowslip), Hypochaeries Radicata (Cat’s Ear), Lotus Corniculatus (Bird’s Foot Trefoil), Stachys Officinalis (Betony), Hedera Helix (Common Ivy), Urtica Dioica (Nettle), Rumex Acetosa (Dock Sorrel), Borago Officianalis, Agrostis Capillaris (Common Bent), Cynosurus Cristatus ( Crested Dogtail), Festuca Rubra (Slender Creeping Red Fescue), Phleum Bertolonii (Smaller Cat’s Tail).

Sponsors:

Brett Paving, London Pleasure Gardens, Veolia, Paramount Paving, Lafarge, Treebox, Abacus Insurance, BSW Timber Group, Trueform (Bus Stop), Folio (Hornbeam Tree), Lindum Turf (Wildflower Turf), Vital Earth (Organic Soil), Yum Cha Drinks (Wildflowers), Will Trickett Boats (Fabrication of Double Yellow Bench).

Changing The World One Bus Stop At A Time

Last Saturday, I visited the Edible Bus Stop Community Allotment project in Stockwell’s Landor Road, London SW9. I had been following its progress with great interest on Facebook for some time, because my childhood friend Mak Gilchrist is one of its co-founders.

Just over a year ago, Mak and three other Edithna Street residents, Will Sandy (qualified architect and creative director), Simon Goldsmith (sustainability consultant/ EBS vice-chair) and Liz Seymour (installation producer for EBS) got together to do something very special: guerilla garden a bare patch of scrub land next to the 322 bus stop just on the corner, very close by. And who’d have guessed it? They’ve had loads of coverage in the press. Guerilla Gardening is ‘de-rigueur’.

On approaching the site, I was struck by the vulnerability of it. There are no barriers or fencing to stop wanderers stomping all over the plants. Passers- by can pick what they like as it’s not policed in anyway. The surrounding area is a typical urban sprawl, feeling edgy and polarised. The beautiful Georgian villas at Stockwell Green give way to a derelict school all boarded up and a Londis mini-mart.

Looking down Edithna Street there’s a view towards a high-rise housing estate and new skyscrapers in the city are taking shape on the horizon. Most of the people passing by don’t appear wealthy, sporting an eclectic mix of thrift shop fashions and tracksuits. It’s not difficult to be reminded we’re in recession here.

Edithna Street, a typical terrace, ends with a long, white-washed wall which at one time was constantly being ‘tagged’ with graffiti. Keith Heaseman, EBS head gardener told me that since they’d planted alongside it, the tagging has stopped. Facing the sun most of the day, this structure makes an ideal spot for heat loving plants such as tomatoes. Indeed there has only been one incident of vandalism over the past year which involved pulling down a sunflower. The Rhubarb is victimised on a regular basis because everyone loves it and there’s  never enough to go around.

Gail Oldroyd and Keith, both part of the project from the start, are working together on the Olympic Veg project, growing veg in the colours of the Olympic rings! Keith is well positioned to carry out any plant research having been a professional gardener for some years.

But a curious thing has happened! Neighbours who once passed each other by without uttering a word are stopping to chat, smiling and happy. Friendships are forming in front of our eyes. Groups of kids stop to look at the flowers and butterflies. Couples walk past hand in hand remarking at the beauty in such an unlikely place. The 322 bus stops by and the driver honks the horn, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Mak says they dig the Edible Bus Stop. Call me an old hippy but could this be love m-a-a-a-n?

This week, EBS has been participating in the Chelsea Fringe, which today is represented by the bizarre Bicycle Beer Garden. The rider turns out to be a talented uni-cyclist too but for the moment he arrives on a racing bike pulling the Beer Garden along behind him. Beer cans have been cleverly converted into plant pots. Mine’s a pint of worms please!

I’m struck by small islands of planting: rows of sweet corn covered by plastic water bottles companion planted to ward off the pests, took me back to when I had a plot of my own in Hampton Wick. How I struggled trying to do things organically! I tried everything against the slugs that I could but to no avail….Makes you realise just how difficult it is to grow any food at all.

Keith told me, in a tone of resignation, that they got their water from the houses by can and bucket. It used to take me 2 hours a day to water my plot in the Summer. All we had were Artesian wells, so I sympathised.

Will’s plans for the new council funded landscaping are up on the walls. How fantastic that they’ve backed this. I got the impression that the local Council were a bit reticent at first, but the project has created so much positivity in the community that they now back it fully.

What’s next? Of course, it’s to create a green bus route….and this is actually happening with a second plot on the go at Norwood Road SE27.

Recently short listed for the ‘Grassroots Community Challenge’ category of the Observer Ethical Awards 2012 – EBS are pushing ahead this year by being represented at several prestigious garden festivals including Hampton Court. Will Sandy’s showcase garden concept ‘A Riot Of Colour’ is a representation of life after the 2011 riots and will be shown here and later at the London Pleasure Gardens. Word is spreading like wildfire…so look out!

https://vimeo.com/36341895

 http://www.chelseafringe.com/event/bus-stop-gardens

http://www.rhs.org.uk/

http://www.londonpleasuregardens.com/test/about/

Springing Into Action

Spring has sprung and what better way to spend Easter shooting Marcel’s beautiful small town garden? I met Marcel de Lannoy at Walton Open Gardens last  year. He is a gentle giant of a man with a soft, lilting Dutch accent. He’s bonkers about bulbs….all kinds.

A feast – a kaleidoscope of colour:  intense, vibrant, the gardener’s equivalent of a Thai Green Curry. I was overwhelmed by hot flavours of Kaufmanniana (Tulip Hybrid), nestling against the understated, cool hues of Fosteriana. Blue and white Delft style ceramic pots (notes of Marcel’s Dutch heritage) were home to Hyacinthoides and dwarf varieties of Daffodils. Hanging baskets gave interest high up against blue washed ship lap fencing. Short cultivars enhanced the baskets and helped to add structure and shapes.

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The light was perfect for garden photography: heavily over-cast. People often think that sun is great for horticultural photos but colours are bleached out under harsh light conditions. I compare the delicate quality of flowers to young skin. Fashion photographers often cast a shadow over their models using a ‘California Sunbounce’, exposing for the model’s complection and letting the background burn out. The over-cast, flat light allows the camera to capture deep colours and retain detail in light petals. On a Simpson’s sky type day, with Cumulonimbus clouds, the sun goes in and out several stops at a time. This can be a nightmare for the photographer, exposure’s all over the place if you have to work fast. What better solution than to stick your subject in the shade? Brilliant.

Sometimes I use a variety of shutter speeds to capture the movement of foliage. This time, I used a slow shutter speed to capture the quivering of Daffodil heads in the wind. Tazetta is a small, delicate, frilly variety I like very much. Some of the blooms were incredibly red…so red that I had to desaturate them at the RAW processing stage quite a lot. Canon’s default ‘as shot” profile tends to red anyway. Their daylight profile is even redder. This kind of red is so intense, it’s hard to reproduce it in CMYK. It’s looks almost luminous.

It was a truly extraordinary experience in Marcel’s garden, not least because Genevieve, his cat and planting assistant, happily weaved her way around my tripod’s legs.

Peter Nyssen Bulbs

California Sunbounce

Lastolite reflectors

Jewson’s Builder’s Merchants

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Walton Open Gardens – A Great Way to Spend a Sunday

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Yesterday the 19th was the thrid time a select bunch of keen Walton gardeners opened their doors to the public.   At £4 a pop, over 300 tickets were sold with the proceeds going to fund the up-keep of open spaces in Walton. Judy McRae, the organiser, exhibited her own cosy city garden which was a fine example of how much you can cram into a small space. (It was my favourite, although we had to queue as it could really only reasonably cater for 10 at any one time.)  Funnily enough, since we moved here 18 months ago, I had always admired her front garden in the Spring and marvelled at the blues on the way down to the Anglers pub.

I started at the old Mount Felix Stables near the junction with the A244 and met a charming Spanish gentleman who was checking tickets as people entered.  Impressed immediately by the planting in this garden, there were several ‘rooms’ created on different levels, featuring lovely mature trees, surrounding the main lawn. What I especially liked about this was the mix of vegetable beds with the more traditional bedding plants and shrubs. Rows of lettuces planted in triangular beds between paving slabs added to the perspective, drawing the eye to features. There was a lovely huge barrel overflowing with tomato plants and nearby Papaver Patty’s Plum bobbed gracefully against the silhouette of a local tower block in the distance.

Next, I moved on to Rivermount, along with another couple. Although it feels as though  we’ve had lots  of rain lately, the soil seemed very dry even so. This was a broad garden over looking the Thames with a stepped lawn and flower beds on both sides. Yellows and acid greens dominated this one. There were lots of visitors arriving now.

Venturing along Manor Road to Berkeley Gardens, I came across two side by side, both beautiful. The first was full of foliage texture,  shrubs and a magnificent mature Magnolia, the second opened with a regal Clematis which looked like a variety called “The President.” I only know that because I’ve put one in myself this year from Wilko’s and it isn’t out yet.  A bubbling pond provided a place of relaxation to take in the fabulous planting. This garden featured some lovely whooshing grasses which provided good contrast.

Judy McRae’s very popular small city garden was so busy I asked if I could return to concentrate on it when there were less people around. I especially loved the architectural Aliums. Around the corner, I then visited Noe’s garden. Every Thai person I have ever met is an exceptionally tidy gardener, disciplined and attentive. The raised beds featured climbing courgettes, squash and beans in flower. A delicate white clematis clung to the corner of a blue garden house and was protected by a large stone Buddha. Here I met a very charming Dutchman and his partner from Addlestone and after a time I explained my photographic interest in gardens. He invited me to see his place in August when he suggested there would be a second burst of colour. He also sang the praises of Shere Open Gardens near Guildford, this year open to the public on Sunday 26th June from 2-6pm.

Last but not least, I ambled along the tow path to the most Easterly garden, another riverside view. The lovely Jill explained her battle with plants and the wind. I recalled a visit to the Chesil Art Galleries in Chiswell with my bee-keeper mate Chris Slade. Unfortunately the owner and resident artist Margaret Somerville has now moved to Dorchester, but her garden was full of plants that loved arid and windy conditions. It was featured in many gardening mags. I’ve followed up with an email to Jill and hopefully she’ll find some inspiration the next time she’s down that way.

Walton Open Gardens

Shere Open Gardens

The NGS Yellow Book

Chiswell Walled Garden

Chris Slade’s Bee Blog

Ojén –More than Bitter Sweet

Juan, Mum’s neighbour and Gene Wilder look-alike with the bright blue eyes, lamented the election of a Basque politician at the beginning of May 2011. I had some sympathy. How do we assimilate extremist politics without it being at the expense of the moderate voter?

“Spain is finished. We may as well move to America” Juan stated in a resigned way. I drew parallels with Northern Ireland but Juan bounced back again: “You are Great Britain. You’ll be O.K. Our royalty is finished.”

Not being aux fait with Spanish politics, I only got the gist. One thing’s for sure : the Spanish are a passionate bunch alright.

In all the years I’ve been visiting Spain, this was the first time it had coincided with elections of any kind. Marbella is normally a play ground for the rich but this time, I noticed an increase in Graffiti : “ Immigration – NO!” The people here, like in most EU countries, have suffered greatly with the property slump, the rise and rise of India and China. In any recession, extremist political parties enjoy a parasitic popularity, preying on the down right insecure. Hot topic here was the talk of Portugal needing further financial assistance.

It’s upon this background that I find myself once again visiting the quintessential white village Ojén.

Just 30 minutes’ drive from Marbella on newly surfaced, curling roads, Ojén (whose name is apparently derived from the Arabic for bitter or rough),  has remained relatively unspoilt. Situated on the Almadán Stream and close to the Rio Real Valley, historically, the town was attractive for its minerals: talc, nickel, iron and lead. It was also famous at one time for its Aniseed liqueur Aguardiente.

Ojén’s weekly market compares favourably with Marbella’s sprawling Monday effort if picturesque is what you want. It features the most beautiful fruit and veg, the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen and there is less emphasis on cheap clothes. But that’s not to say there aren’t any because this market serves a small community which would be cut off were it not for modern transport. The fresh water pours relentlessly out of the fountain and locals drop by with a bottle to fill.

Here, Andalusians catch up with their mates and place a bet and as with many town squares, their activities are overseen by a church. Offerings are left outside.

Swallows nest beneath the shelter of balconies, making globe like structures from their spittle and mud. Pausing at the entrance to feed their young, then darting off again, whistling through the air, they’re so fast, almost impossible to capture. I feel exhilarated trying to do so and all this happening above the bustle of the market place. A short visit to the local shop is in order. (It’s owned by a friend of my mum’s.)

A delicious honey covered traditional Spanish pastry accompanied by the obligatory café con leché doesn’t go amiss before we head back to the urban sprawl of town.

Stopping at the viewpoint to take in the approach to Ojén is sort of a ritual as is taking in the view of the massive dam on the Rio Real: for once, no cranes spoiling the view. Perhaps the recession is a cloud with a silver lining. At least developing new villas seems to have stopped for the time being. Perhaps the unstoppable really is stoppable.

Maybe development isn’t always a good thing. Yes, it creates jobs but at what cost? That’s all well and good coming from a tourist that visits once a year but what future is there for the next generation of Andalusians? I wonder.