The trip to Barcelona could have gone in many different directions, but the two boys under five and the 27 week pregnant belly set the tone. No long lingering meals in tapas bars washed down with sips of Rioja. No cava with my Serrano ham. No Neil Young under the stars at the Primavera music festival. No ‘once in a lifetime’ meal at El Bulli.
But that’s ok. When your ankles look like stuffed sausages, afternoons under the olive tree by the pool aren’t so bad.
Before dinner we’d put a tray of local cheeses together – Mato de Montserrat, Garrotxa, and Manchego. The smell of verbena filled the air and fat lemon slices - fresh from the tree- bounced in my aqua. And the ankles were elevated. Muy bien.
Manchego is a slightly salty cheese, but the taste depends on maturity. The Spanish love to pair it with its best friend, dolce de membrillo. Together, the two become more than the sum of their parts.
But that’s ok. When your ankles look like stuffed sausages, afternoons under the olive tree by the pool aren’t so bad.
Before dinner we’d put a tray of local cheeses together – Mato de Montserrat, Garrotxa, and Manchego. The smell of verbena filled the air and fat lemon slices - fresh from the tree- bounced in my aqua. And the ankles were elevated. Muy bien.
Manchego is a slightly salty cheese, but the taste depends on maturity. The Spanish love to pair it with its best friend, dolce de membrillo. Together, the two become more than the sum of their parts.
Membrillo is a sweet paste made from quince. It’s sold at cheese counters in blocks and placed along cheese on a cheese board. We bought this one at Boqueria in Barcelona. Layer it upon fresh bread and a slice of manchego, and really, we’d practically forget there were boys beneath our deck chairs playing with plastic soldiers.
