Making Delicious GIFTS on Wintry Kéa

We finally had rain and our parched island turned green overnight with the first wild flowers that lifted our spirits...

We wish this was crocus to give us precious safron threads but it is just colchicum autumnale —also called naked ladies or naked boys (!) More photos from our wintry garden further down.

But first let’s talk about the edible gifts we prepare for our friends and family.

These rustic chocolates, with dried fruits, pistachios, and other nuts, were for years our most anticipated edible gifts.

They are easily whipped up and we suggest you use trully good bitter chocolate —we choose Valrhona Guanaja 70%.

Recently we simplified these, mixing just roasted Kéa almonds —peferably from our trees— with the melted chocolate.

We use equal weight of chocolate and almonds, sprikling with some finishing salt at the end, after having poured the mixture on a parchment-paper-lined tray that we place in the fridge for a couple of hours before cutting into pieces/chunks.

Our bitter oranges are ready for picking and we make fragrant marmalade, another welcomed treat.

I like to spread this bitter-tart marmalade on toasted whole-wheat bread that I first drizzle with newly-pressed, fruity olive oil.

Our Wintry Garden

They may look impressive these olives but unfortunately they were so very few that we didn’t even bother to collect and cure them.

Some of the fruits from the arbutus trees dried completely from the heat and Costas, who loves them, collected just a few for his breakfast bowl.

Neva seems to like the fresh green oxalis that fills our soil.

But she definitely enjoys more our early morning walks at Otzias bay, just before sunrise…

More edible gifts next week…

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