Summer in Spain

August 7th, 2005 at 4:31pm

I was lucky enough to be able to take a week earlier this summer to travel to Spain with my Dad, Stepmom and my little brother. It was their first trip there, and we drove all around the country. What made it amazing was that our heritage is Spanish, and we actually went to the little town in Navarra where our family name came from. Our name is Tafoya, and we visited a town called Tafalla. I guess over the centuries, while travelling from Spain to Mexico and into New Mexico, our ancestors name must have morphed just a bit.

Navarra is in the North of Spain, with cuisine heavily influenced by Basque culture, and foods of the high mountains and plains in this landlocked province. Typical products are Piquillo Peppers, Asparagus, Rabbit, Lamb, and river fish. Typical dishes are: Truchas a la Navarra (Grilled or fried Trout wrapped and stuffed with Serrano Ham), El Cochifrito Navarro (small pieces of deep fried lamb), and Tortilla de Tudela (A version of the classic Spanish Omelet with Asparagus).

I recently did a Midsummer Spanish meal for clients, and drew from my travels for inspiration (as well as ingredients I brought back in my carry-on…shhh)

A Spanish Summer Dinner

Tapas - Tartalitas de Pimiento, Salted Almonds, Marinated Manchego, Banderillas, and Cabrales stuufed Piquillos