La Vuelta a España Dinner

For several years I've had the best time cooking a French dinner for Robert and me one night in July during the three weeks of the Tour de France.  I don't know why it took me this long to figure out that it would be just as fun to do the same thing for the other two Grand Tours.  We're about two-thirds through the 2014 Vuelta a España.  Therefore, tonight I began a new tradition: cooking an annual Spanish dinner in honor of the Vuelta.

I was really pulling for Nairo Quintana in this year's Vuelta.  I became a fan of his after watching his magnificent climbing in the 2013 Tour de France.  He grew up in Columbia at an elevation over 9,000 feet above sea level, making him an excellent climber.  After Quintana won the 2014 Giro d'Italia, I couldn't wait to see him in the other two Grand Tours this year.  What a disappointment when I learned that he wouldn't be racing in this year's Tour de France.  His team wanted him to focus on the Vuelta a España in August/September.  How heartbreaking that he then crashed out of the Vuelta!  I think he'll be a major contender in all of his races next year.  In the meantime, I'm now rooting for Alejandro Valverde, Quintana's teammate, who is from Spain and is currently no. 2 in the general classification (i.e., overall) in the Vuelta.

Speaking of Alejandro Valverde, doesn't he have a romantic sounding name?  The English equivalent is Alex Green.  Ha ha!  I can just picture young girls in Spain swooning, "Alex Green - isn't that a romantic name?"

Despite my disappointment about Quintana having to abandon the Vuelta, my enthusiasm for cooking some delicious Spanish dishes did not diminish.  The first part of Robert's and my Vuelta dinner was tapas, or Spanish appetizers.  I prepared several small offerings that I had purchased at Fresh Market in Macon.  I love everything at Fresh Market, but the prices limit me to only a few splurges now and then.  The olives and peppers from their antipasto bar were definitely worth it!  I had wanted to get some marcona almonds, commonly served with tapas, but surprisingly, Fresh Market didn't have any.  Thus, I substituted Wasabi Wonder, an excellent assortment of wasabi flavored peas, almonds, and cashews.  Wasabi may not be a Spanish flavor, but it was a wonderful accompaniment to our other tapas.  Finally, we had some manchego cheese, a flavorful Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk.  Of course we had to have some good wine with our tapas.  I selected an outstanding Spanish wine, Ergo Rioja.  Rioja is made primarily with tempranillo grapes, native to Spain.

Our entree was paella, the traditional Spanish dish.  My Aunt Betty gave me a simple yet delicious recipe for paella.  It contains only five ingredients: hot Italian sausage, rice, canned tomatoes, shrimp, and peas.  (I add a little fresh garlic, too.)  On the side I served a nice salad consisting of the fresh arugula that I bought at my local farmers market this morning, diced apple, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.  When I went to the grocery store this afternoon, I intended to buy some fancy bread (baguette or similar) for dipping in olive oil.  I forgot; therefore, I made some garlic toast with some leftover hamburger buns, drizzling them with olive oil and sprinkling them with freshly grated Romano cheese.  Not bad!  Dining al fresco on our deck made it even better.

We don't eat many desserts, but we indulged tonight.  I picked some fresh figs this afternoon and made some fig bars.  What better way to get a taste of both late summer and the Mediterranean?  These not-too-sweet bars are perfect with tea:

I'm so glad we don't have to wait a full year to enjoy our next Grand Tour dinner.  Up next: the Giro d'Italia in May!