Chuck a tom today
Oh yes, today you could throw tomatoes with impunity, in the right place. First held in 1932 La Tomatina Tomato Throwing Festival takes place today, so I would think your chances of attending are a little slim. If you want to get sorted for next year, it’s the last Wednesday in August.
You could cook up a great tomato sauce to celebrate. like Jamie’s really quick tomato sauce. There are gluts of veg going around, so if you don’t have your own toms, then I bet someone around you does!
But if you want to head to Spain, and see if they’ve got rid of the tomato stains, then you need to head for Valencia, as it’s the nearest place to Buñol. Valencia is one of those places that doesn’t seem to really be on the UK tourist trail for Spain, which is shame as it’s a great looking city, and the third biggest after Madrid and Barcelona.
Which means it’s going to have some decent restaurants. Ca Sento is currently reckoned to be the best on offer, a mother and son combination that delivers traditional and modern dishes from the region. This is one of Spain’s top restaurants, so you’re going to need to book. No word on what they do with tomatoes though.
If I was heading somewhere in Spain I didn’t know, then my first choice for hotel and first night eating would probably be the local Parador. If we had government run hotels here, I think we can all take a guess what they might be like. Paradors, on the other hand, have combinations of great accommodation and great cooking, based on the locality and what’s in season.
The Parador near Valencia is a modern one, so you’re not staying here for what it looks like, but the location looks amazing, with it being on the coast. They make paella, as well as other rice dishes from the area, and you can always work it off, gently, on the golf course. Or relax in it’s spa whilst you recount the calories!
You could tour the Parador’s and indulge in amazing buildings and great food around the whole country. We did this on our honeymoon, and I can highly recommend heading to Leon, Sos Del Rey Catolico, and Olite. All of these are beautiful buildings, they are connected to great wine regions (particularly loved Olite in the Navarra region for the wine selection from Ochoa at dinner).
So, if you need a special trip without going to the ends of the earth, then look to Spain, but not the usual suspects! Then look forward to ham, more ham, sherry, tapas, churros, late nights and great eating. Nothing at all like La Tasca!
Photo by Dahon
thefoodiegifthunter.co.uk » Blog Archive » The Friday Five – Being Single-Minded // Aug 28, 2009 at 7:27 am
[...] Friday Five – Being Single-Minded Having written about a whole load of tomatoes providing a whole heap of fun, I thought this week’s cook books should be about a single ingredient. And you’d be [...]