A vegetarian dish from Yecla

The mountainous northern part of the province of Murcia, Spain, is noted for its fine wines. These are increasingly being discovered by wine enthusiasts and the region has its own D.O. quality mark. Look out for Jumilla on bottle labels.

Yecla is one of the towns in this region and the part played by wine in everyday life is demonstrated by a traditional snack served to children in the old days – pan, vino y azucar.

To make this and see the children smiling, dribble good red wine over big chunks of bread and scatter sugar on top. Just the thing to keep the little ones happy.

Rice and lentils provide plenty of tasty calories for work in the vineyards. To make enough for four people you need

Three handfuls of rice
One handful of lentils
250 grams of spinach
One tomato
One head of garlic
One white turnip
One onion
Two bay leaves
Olive oil
Salt

Of course, the very best rice to use is the locally grown Calasparra rice, where the fields are irrigated by the gently flowing Segura River.

Soak the lentils overnight in water (or use a can or jar). Strain, then put them into a pan, add the bay leaves and cover with water. Simmer until the lentils are soft. Separately, fry in a little olive oil, the garlic, the chopped onion and turnip and the grated tomato. When soft add to the lentils. When everything is combined together and smooth, add the spinach and the rice. You may need to add more water for the rice. When everything is cooked, ladle into dishes and serve. Some people add a potato or two.

***

©Phillip Bruce 2009.