Lighting the new BBQ for the first time
The builders have completed the barbecue now and our kids have gone home. Janet’s mum has arrived for a month’s holiday. Our friend D has wanted us to throw a party for ages – why not?
We invited thirty guests and the builders too, and I worried for days how I could do all the work. It would be impossible, so we sought the help of Narcisa and her husband João to sort out catering and seating. She reckoned we should do a proper sit-down meal and barbecue the meat. Three days later she took us shopping and we returned with 45kilos of meat, twenty litres of drinks in addition to tens of litres of our own wine, and ordered fifteen loaves from the baker. We would need plenty of charcoal. We went to the local charcoal-burners place but he wasn’t in. Later we made two more trips to catch him and buy our two large sacks of fuel. A young couple have just bought land near our village so we sought them out and invited them to our meal.
On Friday afternoon João and Joaquim (Ana Rosa’s husband) brought in trestle tables, benches, boxes of cutlery and the large communal barbecue. All other preparations could wait.
We went for our sack of bread first thing on Saturday and collected Narcisa on the way back ([pictured here making fifteen litres of Caldo Verde soup). Ana Rosa arrived at 9.15 and our kitchen became the ops base for the rest of the day.
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We made salads and marinades, prepared fifteen chickens and savoury rice.
At 11am I was ordered to light the barbecue, and a few minutes later Rosel arrived to do the grilling, then João joined him. The assorted mouros and morcelas (black puddings) and chouriço were grilled for tasty hors d’ouvres, whilst the ladies were setting the tables. We were sooo glad that when I designed the conservatory and dining area they were separated only by a sliding glass partition – everyone would be seated in the shade.
Ten kilos of belly pork and ribs went onto the barbecue, then the chickens.Once the fish pasties were in the oven our guests arrived steadily. The whole event was running smoothly to an unknown (to us) clock; these people have perfected the art of partying.
Rosel (on the left) and Joao - the Main Men
Someone fried the beanburgers I’d made for Janet’s mum and the new English couple (vegetarians). Most guests had brought a dessert (bringing the choice up to eight now!) or wine, JJ’s mum brought two homemade sheep’s cheeses, and the whole party went smoothly with excellent company and unlimited food and drink.
Our meal ended in mid-afternoon and, as we have no lighting in parts of the house yet, all thirty-odd of us reconvened in D’s quinta, taking the food and drink with us, to continue in the evening with dancing until 11pm.
October 26, 2011 at 3:10 pm
party looks great fun! nice to recognise some of the faces
lots of love to you all, Ian xxx
ps you might be interested to check out making charcoal yourselves, fantastic fuel and also wonderful soil improver – post on my blog about all that and about excellent book “Biochar Solution”
October 27, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Hi Ian, you would have loved the party, knowing some of the folks who came. Biochar, very interesting. I first heard of it a year ago from Janet’s cousin in Australia. He farms macadamia nuts and shares our age group and interests. His friend had a company which made a compact wood cooker for producing biochar. It is indeed excellent stuff, and suitable for soil improvement here with all the wood we have around the farm This winter will be our first living here, using wood for heating. Next spring I will know our winter requrements and the increase in available wood each year. Then I can look into biochar-making seriously.
October 27, 2011 at 10:30 am
Wow! The house is looking really good now! I have some holidays I need to use up, maybe I should come and visit you!
Have you heard of/thought of biodynamic farming? I am just reading some books on the subject in relation to wine and as it’s such a spiritual thing, I thought you and Janet might find it really interesting. I can send you some links and details if you like.
Much love
Lenka
October 27, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Hi Lenkies, thanks for the encouragement re the house. We’ve had guests every week since June and we wave farewell to my mother-in-law in ten days time. We’re really ready for a break . . .
Three years go I bought a biodynamic gardening calendar, after we met a guy called Steve who uses the method. Part of the system is much like what most Portuguese farmers do. We have a booklet you buy each November called Borda d’Agua which gives you next year’s dates for planting which trees and what veg when (waxing moon), or for harvesting grapes etc. (waning moon) according to the phases of the moon. Biodynamic takes this further but I found the weather and my homebuilding jobs tends to dictate my tasks and over-ride biodynamics. It is good though and maybe in the future we’ll use it. There are some good videos about it and its exponents on YouTube too – Ian (above) alerted me to those – thanks, Ian!
There’s a bit in biodynamics where you stuff a cow’s horn with manure (I think) then bury it at a full moon. You dig it up under a full moon a year later and use it in making a high-potency liquid feed for plants. Not too sure I would bother, though. But you’re so right, plants and especially grapes are somewhat spiritual (‘scuse the unintended pun) and for us we are sooo contented working wth vines and olives
All Portuguese look forward to Sao Martinho’s day, 11 November, when we start drinking this year’s wine. That’s a practical use of the religious calendar !
Love,
Clive and Janet