Yearly Archives: 2014

Festival da Batata Doce – Aljezur

From The Algarve Resident

Whether they are boiled, baked or grilled, savory or sweet, served as a traditional or gourmet meal – in Aljezur this month once again everything revolves around the sweet potato.

The “Festival da Batata-doce de Aljezur” takes place from November 28 to 30 at the Espaço Multiusos, from 12 noon to 10pm each day.

The tuber, with its reddish brown, almost purple skin and yellow flesh, lies in third place in the world production of root and tuber crops that are suitable for human consumption, behind the traditional potato (with which it is only distantly related) and manioc.

For the inhabitants of Aljezur, the vegetable also ranks very highly. The annual festival is held to pay tribute to the sweet potato as a part of its cultural and gastronomic connection with the community and to show off to visitors the quality of the “Aljezur batata-doce”.

Fans of the tasty tubers, and those who are curious about them, are all invited by the producers and the city council to sample the delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts based on the sweet potato.

Last year some 40,000 people attended the festival where an astonishing 35 tonnes of sweet potatoes were cooked up! This year, the quality of the “batata-doce de Aljezur” is really being highlighted because not all sweet potatoes are the same; thanks to the sand layers in the soil and an underlying layer of clay coupled with the local climatic conditions, the tubers from Aljezur are so special that they have been officially recognised as a product with a protected designation of origin.

Visitors to the festival will certainly find a dish to their liking in at least one of the restaurants taking part. As part of the festival, there will also be competitions, cooking demonstrations, concerts and mountain bike tours.

AEZA Cocktails & Canapés

AF Algarve 1ª Divisão 2013/14

Aljezurense

JCA will not be registering a team in the Algarve Senior League this next Season 2014 / 2015 mainly due to lack of funding, however it is intended to field a team in the season 2015 / 2016.

JCA do however have a junior side that are playing competitive football, in a league who’s matches are SATURDAY AFTERNOONS. If you go on the web and type the following, http://www.zerozero.pt/edition.php?id_edicao=72291 you will go to the ZeroZero page with fixture, results and league table. ( and other leagues within Portuguese football )

They of course need support like the seniors, so have trip and give the lads a shout.

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2013/14 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Aljezurense Player of the Year 2014/15 sponsored by Amovate is Hugo Merreiros.

Hugo has played at Lagos and Bensafrim before joining Aljezurense 3 seasons ago with a brief spell at Odemeira. Other than through injury Hugo was a regular member and captain of the side and a brave strong central defender.

Hugo scored several important goals and his will to win plus excellent football qualities makes him a worthy winner of this coveted trophy.

Noite Portuguesa-Update -And a selection of Photographs

Well, it wasn’t December 1963, but the opening verse of the Four Seasons song still struck the right notes:
Oh, what a night
Late December, back in ’63
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night.
****
Amovate’s Noite Portuguesa (Portuguese Night) WAS a fun-filled evening to remember thoroughly enjoyed by the sixty three people who attended.
As President John Bergstrom-Potter pointed out: “It was a really successful evening, made so by good food, good company and a great atmosphere”.
John added: “Jose and his staff at the Restaurante Vale da Telha did a really great job as did our committee members Rick Hursthouse, Steve Scott and Ian Bedford who worked hard to make the evening such a success”.
Everyone there really entered into the spirit of the evening, singing along and dancing to the songs and music of Carlos Agapito, whose repertoire included a mix of traditional Portuguese music along with familiar standards.
Now, keep watching for news of our next big event, our Christmas Dinner at O Paulo on December 20. We’ll be publishing full details with information about how you can get your tickets as soon as we have arranged everything with Paulo to our satisfaction.
(Double click on the Photos so they will present themselves in a larger form)

Portuguese Night At Restaurante Vale da Telha

When in Portugal…

OK, so St Ambrose’s original quote referred to Rome. But as most of us now live full-time in Portugal, I’m sure old Aurelius Ambrosius wouldn’t mind our little piece of poetic licence.

The point is that every now and again comes a time to embrace the fact that most expats here on Vale da Telha have made Portugal their permanent home.

And that time has once again arrived as we present our annual Portuguese Night to celebrate the food, flavour and music of Portugal.

OK, we do tend to slope off every now and again down to the Iceland supermarket in Guia to raid their freezers in order to stock our freezers with the foodstuffs we miss from back home.

One recent survey amongst Brits abroad received a huge list of such things they missed most, ranging from; the countryside, beer, Sunday papers, pubs, and the language, to double-decker buses, the theatre, Boots, M&S and TV.

But you won’t be surprised to know that Heinz Tomato Soup, Heinz Beans, Fray Bentos Classic Steak & Kidney Pie, Bisto Gravy Granules, Crumpets and Branston Pickle all got an honourable mention!

It seems that when British citizens choose to move abroad, no matter how fantastic their new lifestyle is (and here on the west coast ‘fantastic’ doesn’t do it justice!), there’s always something that they miss from home—usually food.

After all, food can take you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane within seconds of it hitting your taste buds—or perhaps it’s simply because you can’t make a proper bacon buttie without proper British bread!

But as we all know Portuguese cuisine is also packed with culinary delights—the seafood, the shellfish, the pork, the fresh fruit and veg, and we never miss an opportunity to enjoy it.

And that’s just what you can do by coming along to the Portuguese Night of food, drinks and music, on Saturday November 1^st starting at 7pm at the Restaurante Vale da Telha on the Pines Roundabout.

José has promised a feast of Portuguese flavours, a four-course meal replete with prawns, cod cakes, chouriço, lamb casserole and Bacalhau à Brás among other dishes you can see in the full menu below.

This will all be accompanied by the music of Carlos Agapito, whose repertoire includes a mix of traditional Portuguese music along with familiar standards like Pretty Woman, Stand By Me, La Bamba, New York, New York and much, more more.

Tickets for the meal and the music cost €18 for Amovate members, €20 for non-members and you can buy them from Ian Bedford, David (“Ogy”) Ogborn and Steve Scott

You can e-mail any of the three at:

Ian:

i.mcbedford@googlemail.com

David:

ogycanfixit@hotmail.com

Steve:

msscott@oninet.pt

Alternatively you may ask any committee member you know—you can find all of their names by clicking on “Committee 2014-2015” in the top strapline.

The Menu Comprises:

Starters

Camarao Frito (Black Tiger Prawns shelled in Hot Sauce)

Pataniscas (Cod Cakes)