MARMALIZING MOMENTS

 

Through this winter, we have marvelled at a bumper year for all citrus fruits which look amazing. Everywhere we go, we spot cheerful masses of colour where orange and lemon trees are laden with beautiful fruits set against the glossy dark leaves of the citrus trees with a backdrop of clear, blue skies. We do not have a garden, but enough of our friends round and about have been puzzling what to do with their hoards of goodies and we have been lucky enough for a few bags to come our way. Fresh oranges taste delicious and make the most sensational orange juice, but it is the time for the preserving pans to come down from their high shelves, to be dusted off and all sorts of bubbling brews to begin. This seems to keep us ex-pats deep in huddled conversations for hours before it even begins. Earnest discussion about recipes, where to get muslin for the pip bags, whether to include the rind or not and whether to ditch Mrs Beeton's Lemon Marmalade recipe altogether which insists on the overworked cook changing the cooking water three times during the process.

Lake Kournas for Anna's birthday

Meanwhile in the Crozier establishment, Ma Crozier (= me) has adopted the same recipe each time which I discovered by mistake in my first year in Crete when some visitors turned up in the middle of the process and I had to turn the stove off. As the cooled fruit was easier to pulp, it produced a great batch of marmalade. Accordingly, I have adopted the same plan ever since – henceforth known as the “slow method” which is at complete odds with fast and convenient food. This year I have made 5 or 6 batches. 4 orange, 1 lemon and with the last bag of bitter oranges grew a bit adventurous and attempted tutti-fruiti marmalade with added cranberries and kiwi fruit. It's quite a labour intensive and sticky process and I am glad it is over for another year. I solved the pip bag question by using sterile gauze, as our boxes were no longer needed for wound dressings.

The only (slight) downside is that everyone is at the same game and you cannot give a pot of marmalade away for love nor money because everyone's larder shelves are heaving with them!

Party time!

Away from the kitchen, we have kept rather quiet about weather during February because all the news footage from the UK looked dreadfully wet and horrible while the weather here was absolutely sensational and we were soaking up unexpected heat. Some people got their shorts out and decided summer was here already, but K and I knew that we were not out of the woods yet awhile! Beautiful, clear sky days led to chilly evenings and we kept the log fire burning at night to ensure that the house lost no chance to keep warm and dry. However today is cold and we donned our thick jumpers and warm socks again before lighting the fire early to keep ourselves cheerful. As K is up and about more, the downstairs bed in the living room has been put away and he can take a more active role in keeping the home fires burning.

This weekend is Carnivali. Most of our friends will be going, but it is too complicated to get a car into the centre of town and too much jostling in crowds for K at the moment, so we will be at home doing something else this year. We know lots of people taking part, however, and there is a lot of evidence of masks, plumes, wigs and decorations around town. Friends are puzzling what costume to wear and what they can cobble together for their children at school. Odd figures appear striding about in silky cloaks and pirate hats. Ladies decide to dress their hats with flowers and fruit like Carmen Miranda. Giggling girls pass by with pom poms or horns on their heads. Four young lads today appeared to have painted their dark hair yellow. The week before carnival starts, huge papier mache figures from previous year's floats are placed in prominent spots around the town and we can enjoy all the fun from last year all over again.

Giant, sleeping courgette outside the Marina Car Park!

I was told that Orthodox faithfuls eat no meat at all for 40 days before Easter and this started just over a week ago. However, in my shopping trip to Perama, I distinctly smelled barbecued pork and other meaty dinners from various homes, so I guess this is not the general rule any more. The lady who told me said that she was not religious, but keeping to fresh vegetables, pulses and grains for this early Spring season was a good, healthy thing to do. I think she is probably right.

Birthday Cake ... BEFORE

The garden with the olive trees is now closed to us. I went to see whether there were any flowers on the trees earlier in the week and the gate has been padlocked shut; I am guessing that the owner must have reclaimed it in our prolonged absence but a quick visit to talk to us would have been nice because we spent quite a lot of time on it. They do things differently here and it must mean that the owner's health is much better this year so I am not entirely sorry that we have one less thing to worry about.

Birthday Cake ... AFTER!