Mis fotos

      Last Friday, May 10, 2019, the IV Fair of Fine Sands was held in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz, Costa de la Luz, Southwest of Spain).

Aerial view of Sanlúcar

Sanlúcar up close​​​​​​​

      This has been the poster announcing the Fair, this year:

The Poster​​​​​​​

      The Mayor of Sanlúcar, Víctor Mora, presented the fourth edition of the Fair of Our Fine Sands Products, which is dedicated to the Circumnavigation, this year. Mora said that "it is a pleasure to be able to share with all this IV Fair of Fine Sands, a mark that we have managed to make in Sanlúcar, from the City Council, both the cooperatives and the Montilla Market, to give the value it deserves to the products of this land".

      The event took place at the headquarters of the women's association Ager Veneriensis de Bonanza, where Víctor Mora stated that "it is a brand that is synonymous with quality, with some great products and also generating employment in the city, because do not forget that agriculture in Sanlúcar generates a lot of employment", highlighting the increasingly important role of women, in the agricultural field.

      This was the presentation of the Poster, in the Association "Ager Veneriensis":

The Mayor in the Ager Veneriensis Association

The Mayor watching the poster of the Fair

      The Mayor stressed that the secret of the quality of the products of the area, in addition to the sand, is none other than water, "so during these years, to give them guarantee and safety we have contributed to the construction of the new raft ".

Project for Improvement and Modernization of the Irrigation Community Colonia Agrícola Monte Algaida

      Mora continued explaining that "we want to continue collaborating, to continue betting on the products of Sanlúcar", and took the opportunity to invite all bars, restaurants and markets to buy products from the area, because, in addition to giving quality, it is guaranteed that the employment stays in the city.

      The Mayor of Sanlúcar was calling on everyone to go last May 10, to the Plaza del Cabildo, to enjoy the products, see auctions and enjoy the daily life of a cooperative and, of course, taste great dishes by the hand of Ager Veneriensis.

Plaza del Cabildo​​​​​​​

The Mayor with the waitresses of Age Veneriensis​​​​​​​

      Peppers, potatoes, cucumbers or melons all of them, always from the fine sands of Sanlúcar, once again the city council, in collaboration with the cooperatives of Sanlúcar, have exhibited the products grown in the lands of the Algaida.

A stand with vegetables in the Plaza del Cabildo​​​​​​​

Another fruit and vegetable stand but on the ground​​​​​​​

The same fruit and vegetable up close​​​​​​​

Another stand​​​​​​​

More fruit and vegetable

Another view of the same stand​​​​​​​

      One of the Cooperatives, which collaborates in the Fair of Fine Sands, is the Cooperative "Virgen del Rocío".

      The two basic crops of this Cooperative are carrots and, above all, potatoes, although white courgettes, Italian peppers and goat horn, pumpkins, turnips, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potatoes are also grown ....

Many potatoes in the Cooperative Virgen del Rocio​​​​​​​

Carrots in the Cooperative Virgen del Rocio​​​​​​​

Another vegetables in the Cooperative​​​​​​​

      The potato of Sanlucar is characterised by its regular and elongated shape, because when growing in fine sand the terrain allows the tuber to grow freely. Its colour is white, unlike the one cultivated in albariza of yellow or reddish colour. Its skin is fine and that of the new potato comes off with the fingers. In greengrocers, we can recognise them because, unlike others, it is covered with sand and not with soil.

Picking potatoes grown in sand​​​​​​​

The potatoes from Sanlúcar​​​​​​​

      Currently, the potato of this area is marked with a special badge to avoid fraud: "Fine sands". This brand only has potatoes grown in Bonanza and Algaida, the only ones raised in sand.

The brand Las Arenas Finas

      The seeds come from the Netherlands and, to sow them, they are cut into pieces. The potatoes produced here are not used to prevent genetic degeneration of the plant.

      The potatoes are sold freshly picked (new), from November to March, the so-called "winter potatoes" or seasonal or are stored in cameras (old). New potatoes are better for frying and have more water and less concentration of starch. The old ones are normally used for stews and are sweeter because the starch is progressively transformed into glucose.

      Mr. Antonio Lara, vice president of the cooperative explains that there are currently 400 members and that there are three auctions a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. The price is set by the auctioneer at the top and goes down until they are bought.

Auction of papas (potatoes) in Sanlucar​​​​​​​

      Many people tasted great dishes, made with vegetables from Sanlúcar, by the hand of Ager Veneriensis.

Dishes prepared by the Ager Veneriensis​​​​​​​

      Most of the sales remain in the province of Cádiz.

      Well, I hope that you will like this article.

      Until my next post, kind regards,

Luis.

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      Today I would like to talk to you about a typical dish on Christmas Eve, in Almeria (Southeast of Spain).

      To start this recipe, you have to know that these are the Ingredients (for 4 people): 1 Kg of potatoes. 1 onion. 2 cloves of garlic. 2 dried peppers. A pinch of ground cumin. Extra virgin olive oil. Sherry vinegar to taste. 200 gr of desalted cod.

      First of all, you have to peel the potatoes and onion and cut them into cubes.

The potatoes

The onion

      Now you have to put the potatoes and onion, in a pot, covered by water with salt, and cook them for 20 minutes, then drain them. While the potatoes and onions are cooking, put in a pan, oil to heat and fry the dried peppers and garlic cloves, peeled, without taking them much colour.

The dried peppers

The peeled garlic

      When you have everything ready, put the onion, the boiled potatoes, the dried peppers and the fried garlic, in a mortar to grind.

A mortar to grind

Crushing the potatoes with dried peppers and garlic

      Grind everything well, until you get a thick purée. Then, you add a little water from the cooking of the potatoes and, without stopping to move, you are throwing oil, in thread, as if it were a mayonnaise.

Extra Virgin Oil

Throwing oil

      Once this is the desired texture, add the cumin and vinegar, rectify the salt if necessary and keep it in the fridge, at least two hours. ​

Cumin

Vinegar from Jerez

      With a ham knife, very sharp, take the piece of cod and cut it into thin slices. Discard the skin.

Thin slices

      And this must be the result: in four soup bowls, you put the "ajo colorao" cold, place several layers of cod on top, and sprinkle with olive oil.

Ajo colorao in a soup bowl

      Well, I hope that you will like this recipe and hope that you will try to cook it.

      Untill my next post, kind regards,

Luis.

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      Today I would like to tell you about a very popular saying in Spain: "Cuando el rio suena, agua lleva". This would literally be like that in English: "When the river sounds, it carries water". But in English it really says: "Where there's smoke, there's fire".

Waterfall in the river Belelle (Neda, A Coruña)

      In a figurative sense, it is a warning with which it is implied that something patent claims attention and should not be overlooked.

      Well, I hope that you will like this saying.

      Until my next post, kind regards,

Luis.

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      A month ago, more or less, I watched on Antena 3 TV, an important news about a very small Spanish village: "A village of Guadalajara, with 25 inhabitants, is growing thanks to a nearby fish farm". That village is named Valderrebollo.

Aerial view of Valderrebollo

Valderrebollo close up

The Town Hall of Valderrebollo

Some houses of Valderrebollo

Main square of Valderrebollo​​​​​​​

Hermitage of la Virgen del Prado in Valderrebollo​​​​​​​

      Other villages near Valderrebollo are: Barriopedro, Masegoso de Tajuña, Cogollor, Yela, Olmeda del Extremo, Moranchel, Hontanares, Alaminos, Solanillos del Extremo and Las Inviernas.

      As I said at the beginning, Valderrebollo is a little bit inhabited village, but it is growing a lot thanks to a fish farm, near the village, managed by the company NATURIX.

Logo of NATURIX​​​​​​​

Facilities of NATURIX​​​​​​​

Facilities of Naturix close up​​​​​​​

      But Naturix also has an artificial lake, so that whoever wants to can learn to fish or to fish trout to take home  --you can take 10 trouts from 22 Euros. But you can also have a monitor, to learn how to fish, for 5.95 Euros per person. If you are interested, you can go to CM-2011, Km 31, in Valderrebollo, telephone number: +34 949 098 108--.

The artificial lake of Naturix​​​​​​​

How to arrive to Naturix​​​​​​​

People learning to fish​​​​​​​

More people fishing​​​​​​​

A man fishing on the lake​​​​​​​

      But children can also learn to fish.

Some children from a school visiting Naturix

The same children going to the lake of Naturix

Several children learning to fish​​​​​​​

A supervisor teaching a child to fish​​​​​​​

Another child learning to fish​​​​​​​

Two children fishing from a small boat​​​​​​​

The same girl fishing from the shore of the lake

The same boy fishing from the shore of the lake​​​​​​​

A trout

  Next to the lake you can rest and enjoy with your family on a bar.

Bar-Restaurant of  Naturix

Some people resting on the bar​​​​​​​

      This is a room, in the factory of Naturix, where the trouts are prepared to be sold.

A room in the factory​​​​​​​

A trout packed in a vacuum​​​​​​​

Packaged smoked trout fillets​​​​​​​

      But Naturix also makes trout burgers:

Trout burger​​​​​​​

      In 2012, Naturix received one of the Red Emprende Awards, from the Biodiversity Foundation, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

      The Technical Director and Manager of the company, Curro Villarreal, picked up the recognition of hands of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Miguel Arias Cañete, and received his congratulations for his entrepreneurial journey from care to the environment.

Curro Villarreal with the Minister Arias Caññete

The Ex-Minister  Arias Cañete​​​​​​​

      Naturix is a project dedicated to rehabilitating the rural world from the “ecological farming”, trying to link primary activity with leisure and rest through sport fishing or catering.

      This Naturix project has given the opportunity to several people, who were unemployed. This is the case of Manuel Antonio, who lived in Cádiz, without a job, and went to Guadalajara, to form a life and take root.

      Other people come from Peru, from Ecuador. They do not mind living in an unpopulated area. They want work. "Many times we are recycling people over 45 years, who are perfectly valid for hotel or fishing. They also like the rural world a lot and it is something that must be taken into account", says one of the people in charge of the place.

      In Spain, there are about 100 abandoned fish farms like this one. The idea is to recover them, because they are close to villages like this, where you can recover life in the area as is being done with this project.

      Well, I hope that you will like this article and hope that you can visit the facilities of Naturix sometime.

      Until my next post, kind regards,

Luis.

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