“Nature isn’t ‘out there’ – someplace to go on a weekend. As food, nature is coursing through us. Our guts and the soils are intertwined, both alive with microorganisms doing the work of transforming organic matter into strong plants, trees, and bodies.”
– Vicki Robin
With the sun gathering strength and the daylight hours stretching out like toffee, I found myself turning slowly into a crepuscular being, mimicking the cats, especially when we were hit by a heat wave in mid-June. It was only in the hours hugging sunrise and sunset when I found any pleasure in being outside.
I tend to wither in the heat, my body all but forgotten the years spent in the desert, so retreating into the womblike interior of the house and flicking on the air conditioner was what I did to cope on those blistering days. I experimented in the kitchen, read and took much needed siestas – a routine that followed me around in some form even when the days turned cooler and even chilly afterwards.
Now, at the end of the month with almost all the green bleached from the landscape, leaving a dull brown that crunches under my feet, my gaze is turning away from the odd chores elsewhere on the land and towards my vegetable garden.
I’m finished strimming for now, leaving behind islands of grass, dandelions, mullein, St. John’s Wort, and Queen Anne’s Lace to go to seed.
On my Plate & In the Garden
At the beginning of the month I planted a variety of citrus trees – 3 oranges, 2 mandarins, 2 lemon, 1 lime. In anticipation of our own citrus bounty I started to experiment with the mandarins, lemons, honey, and aquadente I received from a friend, to create a very palatable mandarin liqueur, while a lemon liqueur is still steeping and almost ready to drink. The thyme & lemon body scrub I made using our olive oil is a delight, and a recipe I will certainly make again, although next time I will most probably infuse the oil with the lemon and thyme, instead of having bits of organic matter cling to my skin.
A current obsession of mine is to brine green coriander seeds. Mashed into a pulp with garlic they make a fantastic base for soups or potato dishes. When stumbled across a recipe for coriander flower liqueur, I simply had to try it. After it has steeped for most of the month, I had my first taste last night, after I strained the flowers out. Served with soda water and lots of ice, it made for a very light, refreshing drink. I suspect I will be planting lots of coriander soon to make a bigger batch of this lovely liquer.
With all the interesting plants growing wild on the quinta I found myself flipping through the herbal medicine books I have. I love the butter yellow of St. John’s Wort flowers, and made both a tincture and oil infusion.
Dandelion flowers found their way into Dandelion & Honey Syrup, Dandelion Vinegar, and Dandelion & Honey Butter, while their leaves became a tincture.
The mullein I discovered on a section of the land gave up some of their leaves for me to turn into a tincture.
Queen Anne’s Lace (daucus carota), a wild carrot flower, found its way into an infused sugar and eventually as the star ingredient in an olive oil cake. The sweet carrot undertones, which makes it great to use in desserts, were a delight to discover.
I love lavender, and have always wanted to cook with it. My first attempt was a Lavender Syrup, which also formed the base for a Lavender Sorbet, but it is most definitely something of an acquired taste and essential to use sparingly. A bottle of lavender syrup that lives in the fridge now adds intrigue to the ice teas I make.
Tiny olives have made their appearance and to our delight grapes are visible on the old vines we rescued from choking layers of brambles.
The oregano is flourishing in the garden. I dried some, and now, with the lilac flowers enticing both bees and butterflies, I couldn’t resist making an Oregano Flower & Honey Butter.
Soon there will be zucchinis to eat, and tomatoes and chillies, while there are tiny watermelons swelling into fat round globes.
But perhaps the most exciting addition to the quinta this month is the ten beehives of a friend. I love bees, and it is wonderful to have them on the land without the responsibility of taking care of them, but still being rewarded with a portion of the honey they will make.
Weathering the Weather
June’s weather has been rather extreme in its fluctuation. From a cool start, the pendulum swung to the other extreme with days just shy of 40°C. After a week of blistering heat the temperatures dropped again to cool and even chilly weather. So much so that Lily started snuggling up by my legs at night. Something she would never do on a hot summer’s night when sleeping outside is much more pleasant. We’ve also had another influx of dust from Africa exactly a day after I washed the car, and even though we’ve had 17mm of rain, the water levels are definitely lower than this time last year.
Officialdom
No news, but forever hopeful, I trust that something is happening quietly in the background. A conversation with a Portuguese friend, who told me about his own struggles with a system that doesn’t seem to operate on logic or efficiency, made me feel a bit better about my situation. It certainly doesn’t discriminate between residents and citizens it seems.
Midnight & Lily
It is such a joy for me to watch Midnight and Lily enjoying quinta life. I’m sure, like me, they would not want to ever give up the freedom of roaming on the land to return to an 8th floor apartment.
Visitors
I discovered some unwelcome woolly aphids in the olive grove, but a spray made from an infusion of orange rind mixed with a bit of dishwashing liquid seems to have solved the problem.
While strimming I was kept company by a cheeky little bird flitting around, waiting for me to chase up bugs for easy meals. I loved its company and antics, especially as the cats aren’t too fond of being around when I strim. Except once, when Midnight followed me around like a little shadow, hovering a couple of metres away, they stay far away when I make so much noise.
‘Super-Mike’, as I call Michael in the odd argument, is coming for a visit again. Hopefully not to “swoop in and fix all my perceived needs and problems”, as I accuse him of doing, but to spend more time chilling than working. Anyway, that is what I hope for.
Portuguese Words
Listen to some fado music to hear what the Portuguese language sounds like and get a glimpse of its soul.
| As coisas vulgares que há na vida Não deixam saudades Só as lembranças que doem Ou fazem sorrir Há gente que fica na história Da história da gente E outras de quem nem o nome Lembramos ouvir São emoções que dão vida À saudade que trago Aquelas que tive contigo E acabei por perder Há dias que marcam a alma E a vida da gente E aquele em que tu me deixaste Não posso esquecer A chuva molhava-me o rosto Gelado e cansado As ruas que a cidade tinha Já eu percorrera Ai meu choro de moça perdida Gritava à cidade Que o fogo do amor sob chuva Há instantes morrera A chuva ouviu e calou Meu segredo à cidade E eis que ela bate no vidro Trazendo a saudade A chuva molhava-me o rosto Gelado e cansado As ruas que a cidade tinha Já eu percorrera Ai meu choro de moça perdida Gritava à cidade Que o fogo do amor sob chuva Há instantes morrera A chuva ouviu e calou Meu segredo à cidade E eis que ela bate no vidro Trazendo a saudade E eis que ela bate no vidro Trazendo a saudade | The ordinary things in life Don’t leave us longing Only the memories that hurt Or make you smile There are people who stay in history In people’s history And others not even their names We remember hearing These are emotions that give life To the longing that I bring The ones I had with you And ended up losing Some days mark the soul And one’s life And the one when you left me I can’t forget The rain drenched my face Cold and tired The streets that the city had I had already walked Oh my cry of a lost girl Screamed to the city That the fire of love in the rain Had died a moment ago The rain heard and hushed My secret to the city And then it hit the window Bringing longing The rain wet my face Cold and tired The streets that the city had I’d already walked Oh my cry of a lost girl Screamed to the city That the fire of love in the rain Had died a moment ago The rain heard and hushed My secret to the city And then it hit the window Bringing longing And behold, it knocks on the window Bringing the longing |
To Listen to, Read & Watch
# My reading allowed me to travel to Bolivia this month. Both books managed to transport and introduce me to a country I know nothing about. Laura Coleman’s memoir, The Puma Years, is powerful and well written. It made me laugh and cry, as well as pause to think about how the choices we make often impacts so much more than our immediate environment. Its ripples can reach corners of the globe we are not even aware of. By purchasing and reading her book you will not only experience an incredible corner of the world, but also support the work of the wildlife sanctuary the story is centred around, as all proceeds from sales go to that. Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia by Shafik Meghji gives a bigger picture of the country, and includes the challenges Bolivia faces driven in part by our new dependency on mobile phones and computers.
# If you are curious to see what the quinta looks like as spring is turning into summer, come take a walk with Midnight & Lily. (The video is a compilation of various walks we did during the month.)
Written by: Jolandi
Always so good to check in with your life on the quinta. Midnight and Lily make me happy and thanks for the video so that I could take a walk with them. Your reminder that nature isn’t “out there” but all around is apt, but I think easier for you and me to remember when we live where we do. We get the reminders all the time. Like those wooly aphids! Oh! I had never seen them in my life till earlier this year when half my houseplants got inundated. It’s so awful. I’ve moved them all out of doors now that it warmer, and tried soap sprays, but it is so far not working. I’ll keep up the battle. I admire the way you have immersed yourself in living with and using all the things growing around you. My local bee people brought their bees again this month and I love that you have the same arrangement. Our rain may finally have stopped, and we had three days of heat but it’s cool again. I look forward to watching your citrus and vegetables grow – the things that I cannot grow here because of the wet and cold. I thought of a lavender idea, but for the kind with the tiny bracts, or buds, not the kind in the photo here. Anyway, I sprinkle the little buds into cookie dough or into pie crust dough for a lemon tart. I love the idea of adding lavender oil to tea and sorbet and whatever else comes to mind. 🙂
I hope that by now you’ve won your battle against those wooly aphids, Crystal! I love that you also have bees on your land, without the responsibility and having to learn a whole new skill set. Although I am curious about many things, it is just too time consuming to learn everything about everything. Some things should be delegated, or just not taken up in the first place. Isn’t it wonderful to live a life more in touch with nature? Although it is definitely not perhaps the easiest of lifestyles, I adore the rewards I get from it. – Jolandi
“Learn everything about everything,” ha ha, exactly! I really do think I have made progress with the aphids. I still discover them each time I look, but they are getting harder and harder to find. I wipe them off with my fingers, spray on more soap, and hope for the best. I want them all GONE when it’s time to bring everybody back into the house for winter.
The bounty of your garden is amazing. Equally amazing is how much use you are making out of the produce. I assume it’s the black cat that is called Midnight (hahaha).
Yip, you guess right about Midnight. And her personality definitely matches her name, Peggy. 😂 The whole process for me to try my hand at the many different things I can either grow (or at least try to grow) or forage from the land is so rewarding! – Jolandi
Your plant experimentation is making my head spin. I didn’t know it was possible to eat, drink, or apply half this stuff!
I also love your experimentation with word choice to set the mood of what you are writing. Crepuscular, indeed. As I read your the early part of your piece, everything slowed to a crawl as we dragged ourselves around in the heat. Meanwhile, here in “sunny” Australia, I am happily ensconced in a fleecy lined, unattractive-and-definitely-not for going out in- tracksuit.
Portuguese is an interesting language isn’t it? Not at all like Spanish or Italian. I don’t speak it at all, but from observation, it seems much of the tongue movement takes place at the front of the mouth, and there is a lot of schch sound. I imagine that is a verb declension. Like in Serbo-Croat, where the prevalence of the ‘ish’ sound declines the verb to ‘you’. (I am, you are, we are, they are, etc)
For whatever reason, your response to my comments don’t alert to me, so I catch up on our previous conversation when your new post comes through. So I have just backread what we were saying about sheep as an alternative to strimming 🙂 Okay, so forget sheep then. What about kangaroos? They eat the root and all. Maybe a local zoo has some to agist 🙂
I love the idea of kangeroos, Gwen. 🤣
Thank you for your lovely comment regarding my experimentation with word choice to set the mood. “Crepuscular” is such a wonderful word, don’t you think?
Portuguese is definitely an interesting language. Bloody difficult too for me to get my head around. 🙈 I wish I had your ear and knack for languages. Yes, like you point out so well, there are a lot of ‘sh’ sounds, and although the ‘you’ verbs end in a ‘sh’ sound, it is actually every ‘s’ that is slurred like that, unless the ‘s’ is followed by a vowel. The ‘x’ also sometimes sounds like a “sh”. The result is that many words turn into slippery tongue twisters. 😆
Regarding the fact that you don’t get alerted when I reply to your comments . . . I have no idea if it is something I am doing wrong, but I’ve scanned through all the options again to see if I can add a box you can tick to receive an alert, as I’ve seen on other websites which aren’t hosted on the free WordPress site. Long story short, I have come up with nothing. Not sure if I just don’t know what to do, or if the option simply doesn’t exist on the theme I am using. Sorry about that, Gwen. I have no idea how to rectify that . . . yet. – Jolandi
Hey Jolandi, I didn’t mean to turn my glitch into your problem. I appreciate you looking into WordPress deeper, but honestly, don’t worry about it. There is always a workaround. For example, you commented on one of my recent posts, and that prompted me to come find where we were up to in our June roundup conversation.
So! About linguistics. I didn’t realise I had an ear for languages until I left Australia in 1978. One time, I was working as a hotel receptionist in London, and was booking people in simultaneously in four different languages. Impressive huh? So tell me, why did the Almighty decide I should be a sperm product in a country one of our leading politicians once described as the ass end of the earth? I try not to have regrets in life, but I do wish I could live somewhere more linguistically cosmopolitan. We are ethnically diverse here, but still tend to cluster in enclaves. Not much chance to parlez-vous if you get my drift.
I did a one day workshop recently on the Discursive Essay. Not something I’d heard of before. But part way through we did a break out session on our favourite words. Some very interesting suggestions! I can always send you the list.
Until next time, cheers GG
Very impressive, Gwen! Not only do you have an ear for languages, but the ability to switch quickly between languages is a skill many don’t possess, even if they can speak more than one language. You should have been a translator. You know, one of the ones who translate on the spot when people make speeches. I always admire that as a skill. You would have flourished in a linguistically cosmopolitan place. So, like you say, this really is one of those strange ironies of life!
I’ve also never heard of the Discursive Essay before. I am definitely curious about that list of favourite words, so if you don’t mind sending it to me . . . 💚
Glad you found a roundabout way to check our conversation thread, Gwen. I will keep tinkering to see if there is anything I can do from my side. I keep wanting to do more than what either WordPress or the Theme I chose has to offer as possibilities. Really frustrating at times. – Jolandi
Here’s the words, assembled from the group in the order they spilled out:
Whimsy, mimsy, awkward
Languid, gregarious
Conjunctions eg nevertheless, furthermore (which led to a discussion that it’s okay to start a sentence with but / and – no matter what the teacher hammered into us at school) and yet most hated the use of however, therefore and because.
Fortuna, amore, pacia (not my suggestions, someone wandered off into Latin inspiration)
Harmony, lissome, ethereal
Vile, squalid, evocative, squeak, vicarious, lament, cantankerous
Words with movement: slither, punch
I’ve destroyed my note but from memory they included: assiduously, procrastinate, and shock (as in sh-o-c-kkkk as if the word hit you between the eyes).
There are a couple of words that I really like . . . whimsy . . . evocative . . . languid . . . ethereal . . . mmmm, it looks like there is a pattern. 🥰
I have a notebook filled with words that I used to collect while reading. Something I haven’t done in a while. Perhaps I should get back into that habit. I used to page through it, and randomly scan the words when writing for inspiration. Another habit I should slide back into. Especially as I don’t feel very inspired at the moment to write. – Jolandi
Gwen, I have the same exact issue. I use Jolandi’s new posts or comments to remind myself to go looking and see old responses. I agree that I don’t want it to be Jolandi’s problem. My system is working fine, and Jolandi is a blogger who doesn’t need a maelstrom of activity on her blog anyway, so I tell myself she appreciates the breaks in between comments. 🙂
I was so happy to see your blog post in my inbox. As always I love getting a glimpse into your life on the Quinta through your photos and vivid descriptions. It is so fun to read all about your different tinctures and experiments with the treasures in your garden. What fun it must be to grow all the fabulous goodies that are in your garden and fruit trees.
Hopefully, Michael can relax and enjoy his time on the land. Like you as I have gotten older I don’t do well with heat. Back in the early days, I couldn’t get enough sun in the heat of summer. Now I long for cool mornings and evenings. While I love the sunshine, it is the heat I don’t like. Stay cool and enjoy your summer days and your beautiful land and garden.
Oh, how I long for cool mornings and evenings, Terri. July is turning into a version of hell with the extreme heat we are currently experiencing.
Thankfully Michael managed to limit his projects to only those that made a difference to my life, which meant we could spend quality time together.
It is so much fun to experiment and learn about plants I never knew could be useful or rich in vitamins. Living here is never dull, and I especially love the seasonality of everything. Something we have almost completely lost touch with. – Jolandi
All the vegetation and life and food looks wonderful. What a dream come true to grow your own food and experiment with plants — to be self-sustainable. And bees! That should be a fun post in the future. Glad to hear that you had a peaceful and bountiful month. xoxo
You know, I am so glad that my aim isn’t to be self-sustainable, Lani, because I think I will be starving if I try. 😂 BUT, I do like the idea of seeing how much of my diet can actually come from the land. I certainly have a long way to go learning how to grow things successfully, especially as I think I am still stuck somewhere between beginners luck and Mother Nature intervening to help me out. – Jolandi
Even though I have been living in a tropical country since I was born, I also don’t do well when it’s too hot. I read that in recent years summertime in Europe can get ridiculously hot. I hope you can cope with it relatively well. I love the look of your plants, and how you use them. That coriander liqueur sounds good! And lavender syrup? Now that’s interesting!
I recently read an article in which the weather gurus are predicting hotter weather for longer periods of time at least here on the Iberian Peninsula, Bama, which really made me cringe. I’ve always preferred summer to winter, but when I say that I don’t mean hellishly hot heat waves that make one focus on survival instead of pleasure. I’m rather thinking of weather somewhere between 27-30C. I’ve discovered that the coriander liquer with soda water is a fantastically refreshing drink on a super-hot day! – Jolandi
I realize it’s a lot of work, but have you considered creating a “Quinta Cuisine” blog where you post some of your recipes? Even though I garden a fair amount, I’ve never considered cooking with my plants, except for the ones I specifically grew for food. I’ve also been curious to try concoctions like dandelion wine and flower-infused liqueurs, though I confess I’m a little hesitant to use wild plants. Wild hogweed and cow parsnip, which look a lot like Queen Anne’s Lace, have spread in my area and are very toxic. I don’t trust myself to correctly identify one from the other.
Love the pictures of Lily and Midnight! I envy their freedom in the fields, and I’d bet Sunny would too if she saw them.
I think Sunny will be very envious, Hangaku. It would be much more fun running around the quinta than just chasing other cats away from your car. 😆
You know, I’ve also initially been quite hesitant about trying to use foraged plants on the quinta, especially when they can be confused with something else. Queen Anne’s Lace has very distinct features though, so although there are similarities with a variety of poisonous plants, there are very specific differences too. BUT, like you say, better be safe than sorry, and unless one educates oneself and feels confident about it, it is better to consume what is recognisable only. Consuming flowers is still something I am getting my head around, as it isn’t something I grew up with, but I love the idea, and because I have this abundance all around me, I just had to start experimenting. And I am so glad I did, as I am learning so much through the process.
You know, I haven’t considered a seperate blog, but I have started collecting and writing down recipes and thoughts. Perhaps to collate into a little e-book at some point . . . – Jolandi
Thank you for the link to the Fado singer Mariza and the film of your two dear cats living on the quinta. I enjoyed watching both. I am very impressed with all the cooking and concocting you have been doing recently; what lovely sounding mixtures!
I hope Michael’s next visit can be a more relaxing time for you both, but I also appreciate how much he wants to achieve while he is with you and the work he does on the quinta must be so different from his 9 to 5 job and perhaps a therapy/relaxation for him too.
I hope July is good to you <3
Isn’t Mariza a wonderful Fado singer, Clare? I’m glad you enjoyed the song and the video. I really love going for these walks with the cats! They so love their life here on the quinta.
Well, Michael managed to take time out to relax, and although he did work on a couple of projects, they were limited, and we could spend some quality time together, which was just wonderful.
I hope you are well, and the weather is not as crazy as ours. Portugal gets hot, but we are currently experiencing heat that is absolutely crazy. My poor vegetable garden is really struggling. – Jolandi
Your garden looks so beautiful and I can’t believe you made your own body scrub. Wow. Loved going on the walk with Midnight and Lily. And I hope you are enjoying their style of summer living. Cats know exactly what they need. Wishing you a safe and relaxing summer.
Thank you for your lovely words, Atreyee. I must say that I love this body scrub. Never knew it can be this easy. Olive oil is definitely not the right oil to use, as it is quite heavy and greasy, but as I have an abundance of it, I have to use what is available. And I must admit that I am now used to the feel on my skin, and it is actually very nourishing. – Jolandi
Hello my friend,
I too, continue to be amazed by your “green thumb” and creativity. Despite the days of blistering heat and ongoing frustration with official procedures, I am glad you are managing to find ways to enjoy your home. The photos of the cats made me laugh – they certainly know exactly what they want, and when they want it 🙂
It is wonderful that Michael will be visiting you again, and we wish you both a wonderful July.
All best,
Takami
I am so happy to hear that the cats made you laugh, Takami. They bring such joy to my life, and really is an integral part of the way I live my life here on the quinta. I’m glad to hear you think I have a ‘green thumb’. I’m not so sure of that myself though, as I mostly have no idea what I am doing. I’ve failed at growing various things, and what is growing now is sheer luck or just Mother Nature helping me out. 😆 I hope you’ve had a reprieve from the extreme heat you’ve experienced earlier. Stay well, my friend. – Jolandi