A kind of "ploughman's lunch," only not: couple of hardboiled eggs, some "caviar salsa" (less the pimento; didn't have any) with corn chips and genuine Spanish Manchego cheese.
Stumbled over a description of Queso Manchego during a wikiwander some weeks back (I started with Caribbean islands claimed or colonized by Spain -- didja know there's a Spanish castle in the Dominican Republic built in 1502? -- and somehow ended up in La Mancha) and was pleasantly surprised to find it at the grocery a few days ago. Mild, flavorful and a bit buttery, it's a very nice accompaniment to the slightly spicy salsa.
And a descendent of the "cheeses of distinction" made by Norse settlers on the Atlantic coast of Iberia. Esta muy bueno.
ReplyDeleteStranger
True fact: the "ploughman's lunch" -- under that name -- was invented by a p.r. man to bring more lunch trade to British pubs.
ReplyDeleteSee also "Paul Bunyan" and the alleged folk saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
You caused a bit of a flashback for me with this. Had four of the best years of my life in Spain and got very familiar with La Mancha. Cervantes home was in Alcala de Henares which was just a few miles north of my workplace. His residence was open for tourists. South of Madrid you get those rolling hills and whitewashed villages where the old women in black sit in front of the houses plucking the tiny stamen from the saffron flowers while the men sit in the cafe sipping the anise liqueur of Chinchon or maybe the afternoon's "chato" of tinto. With a tiny wedge of Manchego.
ReplyDelete