It's Calçot Season, Baby

So, first let me take a minute to say, I need an editor ; ).  James usually does this job but he has been so busy recently with the course he is working on that my blog posts (as of late, anyway) are too often published before they are appropriately and adequately revised.  I'd like to say I could get good at this on my own but...meh.  I did go back and work on my most recent posts and they're better.  I should probably "save" posts and come back with a fresh eye later but, again...meh.  So, here we go.  How few errors and stylistic snaffoos can I manage to make?  Bear with me, please.

So, as the title indicates, it is again calçot season.  I promise, if you ever come to visit between February and April, we will take you to one of these divine barbeques and you will enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.  At any rate, a minimum of two is mandatory attendance for the year.  We've made it to at least that many every year we've been here so far but I have friends who seriously make it to 8-10.  That's how prolific/prevalent the custom is, you could actually go to 8-10, on the weekends alone, during February, March, and April.  Now, there's some folks who take their onions seriously!

Our first calçotada was a couple of weeks ago out at the farm we get our vegetables from and, ummm, that was totally cool.

 Here's what cookin'.

 Ready to eat--ish.

 Aoife and James stringing the onions up, getting them ready to throw on the fire.

 This is fun, and, "Wow, Mom, it's really freakin' sunny."

How many did we manage to get on there?

 

 Because we were at the farm we get our veggies from, we got to tour it a bit and even pick some fresh veggies.  Note:  "Picking," or rather digging-up, this little carrot was an amazing amount of work.  I think the kids and I both left with a new respect for farmers (and we already have a fairly healthy respect).

 My lovelies next to a budding crop.

It was so sun blasted that my other lovely had to borrow a knit had from the friends we were with to protect his fair pate.

The girls just got to run, and run, and run and play, and play, and play.  It reminded me of days at Fox Lake as a kid...

Eating calçots is a dirty, and seriously fun, business.  Check out those paws--and yes, it's still too sunny.

Our next calçotada, the following weekend, was with my work.  It was at an amazingly beautiful location up in the mountains.

 Family pic.

 Up close, it's always nice to get these.

 My girlies.

Yes, I totally love jeans, flannel, sweaters and boots or urban tennis shoes.  I am embracing my inner hipster and I so do not care what anyone has to say.  I was dressing this way before it was cool--okay, maybe I care a little ; ).

The great part about the work calçotada was that there were a bunch of kids who got to play and hike together.  Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that we did a pretty intense hike before we ate.  The kids did great in large part because they're tough but also because they had each other.

 Children pictured ages 4-8.

And then it was time to eat!

 We each got our own full tile worth of calçots and our own plate of romesco (the secret sauce).

 My hubby is an expert onion peeler.

 And eater.

 Aine's turn--peek-a-boo.

 And Aoife!

 Aoife made great friends with Emery.  Which is really awesome because the girls will be coming to school with me next year, it's time.  It will be really nice, and important, for my big girl to feel like she has a friend at school before she gets there.  They're so stinkin' cute.

The damage.  These are my calçot peels, topped with what we couldn't manage to eat from the most amazing artichokes we have ever had.  The onions were followed by more veggies--roasted artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, potatoes--plenty of butifarra (traditional Catalan sausage), and bread with tomatoes and ali-oli that would make you absolutely fall in love with bread topped with tomato and garlic if you weren't already.  The wine and water flowed freely.  It was a great day.

Seriously, you should come someday.  We'll save you a place at the table.

Love you!

Xx