Almofadinhas Franciscanas Folhadas
Ingredientes (para 6 almofadinhas):
- 1 massa folhada retangular
- 8-10 cogumelos
- 6 fatias de bacon
- Queijo ralado q.b.
- Compota de ginjinha q.b.
- Sementes de sésamo q.b.
- Azeite q.b.
- Pimenta preta q.b.
- 1 ovo inteiro
Method of preparation:
Pré-aquecer o forno a 180º.
Cortar a massa folhada em 6 tiras ao baixo. Saltear em azeite os cogumelos cortados fininhos com um pouco de pimenta preta e deixar arrefecer.
Em cada tira da massa folhada colocar pela seguinte ordem:
- fatia bacon
- mushrooms
- queijo ralado
- compota ginja
De seguida enrolar a tira até ficar em almofadinha, deixando as laterais abertas. Pincelar com ovo e terminar com sementes de sésamo por cima.
Levar ao forno 30 minutos aproximadamente.
Servir quente com uma salada de agrião para uma refeição completa ou simplesmente para um lanchinho.
Enjoy your meal!
Sour cherry cookies
Ingredients (for about 12 large cookies):
- 125g butter (at room temperature)
- 100g brown sugar
- 50g white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 200g wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 100g dark chocolate chips
- 80g sour cherries (fruit) in small pieces
- 50ml sour cherry liqueur
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Beat the butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until the ingredients are well combined.
Then gradually add the flour, yeast and salt to the previous mixture in this order, stirring gently until a homogeneous dough forms.
Finally, add the special ingredients, including the chocolate chips, sour cherries and liqueur, mixing gently to distribute the ingredients well throughout the mixture.
To form the cookies, use a spoon to form balls of dough and place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, leaving space between them. If desired, add more sprinkles to the top of the cookies.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow the dough to firm up (optional, but it helps to keep the cookies soft in the middle).
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. The centre should be soft.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Try serving it with a Franciscan ginjinha and you'll realise what a perfect match it is!
Franciscan pumpkin
Melted cheese in puff pastry, ham and our sour cherry jam.
This simple Halloween recipe is love at first sight!
Ingredients:
- 1 Puff pastry
- 1 Camembert cheese
- 5 slices of ham
- 2 tablespoons Franciscan sour cherry jam
- 1 egg for brushing
- String for moulding the dough into the shape of a pumpkin
- Rosemary for decoration
Method of preparation:
Preheat the oven to 190º. Place the camembert cheese in the centre of the puff pastry, arrange the slices of ham crosswise, place the sour cherry jam on top of the ham and close the pastry. Mould the pastry into a pumpkin shape with a string, brush with 1 egg and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Enjoy your meal!
Hunter's House
The "Casa do Caçador" is now in its fourth generation, run by Luís Nogueiro, and is about to celebrate its 70th anniversary. This house was founded in 1954 by his great-grandparents, where the concept of a tavern and a place where different people and times socialise has always been created.
This house has been passed down from generation to generation, from great-grandparents to grandparents, from grandparents to his parents and today Luís keeps the business alive, still with the daily help of his father.
Throughout the ages it has been a meeting place for hunters and still is today!!! In the old days, hunters would bring their game and hang the pieces at the entrance. Nowadays hunters still pass through, but almost always without game, as Luís jokingly said, and they take advantage of this place to refresh themselves with a "bucha".
Casa do Caçador is a reference tavern in the city of Portalegre. It's located right at the entrance to the city, for those coming from Crato or Alpalhão, and is an obligatory stop when passing through, whether it's for a coffee, some snacks, a good wine or a Franciscan ginjinha. It's a cosy place to visit with friends and sample some of the regional delicacies they prepare on the spot.
There is also a "Hunter's Shop" where visitors can buy some of the region's products, including our Franciscan ginjinha.
Book a stop at this emblematic space and be welcomed by Luís Nogueiro and his father.
Hunter's House
Penha Road
7300-259 Portalegre
Tel. 963 828 962
Email: casadocacador1954@gmail.com
Quinta das Toroas - Vinhos no coração da Serra de S. Mamede
We went to Quinta das Toroas, in the heart of the Serra de S. Mamede, to discover a beautiful wine business belonging to a family with Alentejo roots.
We were welcomed by Constança, the daughter of João Laranjo (owner of the farm), who is currently running the business, and we had the opportunity to learn a little more about the history of this place.
Constança's parents left Portalegre a long time ago to join the world of work in Lisbon, never forgetting their roots and always aiming to return to the Alentejo as soon as they could. The opportunity arose in 2000, when Constança was just four years old, when they bought a house in Reguengo.
Passionate about the S. Mamede mountain range, they couldn't see themselves living anywhere else but here and ended up buying the current Quinta das Toroas in 2004, which, coincidentally, was located right in front of the family home.
João Laranjo had and still has his job, but his passion for wine has always been with him, a passion he passed on to his daughter Constança, who grew up and played in the middle of the vineyards and around a whole wine-growing environment.
In 2006 they planted their first plot of vines, only with red grape varieties: Aragonês, Trincadeira, Syrah, Touriga Nacional and Alicante Bouschet, but it was in 2008 that they decided to open the wine business and since then the dream has become a reality and has grown over the years. It wasn't until 2010, with the help of some friends, that the first wines were produced. In 2017, they planted the last parcel of vines on the Quinta, with Fernão Pires and Arinto white grape varieties.
Constança graduated in agronomic engineering from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon and, in 2020 during the pandemic, decided to return and continue the family business. She grew up in this world and it is here that she wants to continue reconciling this activity with other consultancy work she does for other organisations.
Quinta das Toroas has 2 hectares, but with the passage of time and the need to increase production, they ended up buying grapes from suppliers in the Serra de S. Mamede, exclusively from the old vines variety, thus boosting the local economy. They are committed to wines that preserve the characteristics of the grapes and the region, always taking the principle of the minimum necessary intervention, both in the vineyard and in the cellar.
The company's strategy focuses on preserving and restoring the oldest vineyards, listening to the elders and working alongside them so that they don't abandon the vineyards. They also endeavour to use older viticultural techniques in order to avoid excessive chemical intervention.
At the moment they have five references, two Quinta das Toroas wines, white and red, and Arrelias, the company's most recent launch, in white, red and rosé versions.
Constança referred to this latest launch of Arrelias as a wine that was made unintentionally and was born out of successive "arrelias", in other words, various setbacks that ended up resulting in a wine of excellence that is much appreciated by everyone.
For the future they intend to maintain the same references and are preparing a space where they can receive people, hold wine tastings and sample regional products in a family atmosphere.
If you're curious about these wines and have fallen in love with this beautiful story, you can buy these products online.
Quinta das Toroas
Reguengo
7300-407 Portalegre
Contact: +351 961 298 666
Email: quintadastoroas.vinhos@gmail.com
Franciscan Pizza
You already know that around here we love making recipes with our Franciscan sour cherry! This time we made an Alentejo pizza that was a real treat 🤤
Ingredients:
- sliced black Alentejo pork belly
- tomato sauce
- Alentejo cheese
- oregano to taste
- pizza dough
- cherries to taste
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Shape the dough into a round and add the ingredients in the following order:
tomato, oregano, black pork mince, cheese and sour cherries.
Bake for 10 metres.
Enjoy your meal!
Franciscan Ginjinha Tónica
Ingredients:
- gelo
- 50 ml de Ginjinha Franciscana
- 200ml de água tónica
- rodela de laranja
Preparation:
Put ice halfway up the glass, add the Franciscan sour cherry and tonic water, stir gently and garnish with a slice of orange.
Franciscan Mojito
It's time for cold drinks and Pantry has a suggestion for you! This Mojito that's really worth it🤭🍹
Ingredients:
- 1 colher de chá de açúcar
- 50 ml de Ginjinha Franciscana
- folhas de hortelã
- sumo de meio limão
- água com gás
- gelo
Preparation :
In a tall glass, crush the sugar, mint leaves and lemon juice. Add the sour cherry and ice. Top up with sparkling water and stir gently. Garnish with mint.
Franciscan chutney
Ingredients:
- 150g sour cherries
- 10 cameras
- 1 medium red onion
- Vinegar to taste
- Water to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 aniseed stars
- Ginger to taste
- Mustard seeds to taste
Preparation:
- Deseed the sour cherries and dates.
- Finely chop the onion and ginger.
- Put everything in a saucepan with the cinnamon stick, star anise and mustard seeds.
- Cover with half vinegar and half water (enough for the ingredients to soak in).
- Bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 2 hours or until the sauce has almost completely evaporated, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking.
- Pour the hot mixture into an airtight jar and turn it upside down. Leave to stand until cool.
Franciscan chutney goes very well with any type of cheese and a good Alentejo red wine.
Franciscan cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon (orange alternative)
- 1 sprig of mint
- 330ml seven up without sugar
- 200ml Franciscan sour cherry
- 200 ml Monte da Colónia white wine
- Lots of ice
Preparation:
Put the sliced lemon and mint in the bottom of a jug, then the ginjinha, white wine and seven up in any order you like. Add more mint and plenty of ice until the whole jug is covered. Stir well, leave to stand for 5 to 10 minutes and serve in tall glass tumblers.
This Franciscan Cocktail is the ideal drink for an evening with friends and light snacks.
Enjoy life and summer!
