Mellow Yellow

September 24, 2008

Last week we waved teenage son off to university with the usual unwanted advice on how not to run up debts. I’m relieved he didn’t spy the card a friend sent me with Oscar Wilde’s quote ‘Anyone who lives within their means, suffers from a serious lack of imagination”. Good for Oscar, but I think its more glamorous being an Einstein of resourcefulness in these credit crunch times.
Let’s take comfort for example. You absolutely don’t have to have the latest piece of designer luxury , but what really is important, is how your cushions are stuffed. With feathers of course. This was one of the first lessons from the white haired tartar of interior decoration I once shared a hallway with. The mere mention of of foam chips would send her into an apoplexy. Decent feather cushion pads don’t cost a fortune and make all the difference between a chair that envelopes you and one that is plain uncomfortable.

Even if I had fifty something million smacker to spend I’m not sure whether a Damien Hirst diamond skull would be my first choice; a couple of Picassos, maybe, but then why can’t art be something that is unpretentious and as simple as leaves pressed in a frame? It’s important to have the confidence in furnishing your home with things that please you not what is fashionable or investment material.

Foodie heaven on a budget? I suggest a few quinces, the golden apples of mythology, made into quince paste or ‘membrillo’ as it is known in Spain. Eat sweet but tart (I add lemon) slivers with a strong cheese like manchego. Not your usual supermarket stock, quinces require sleuth in tracking down. Now is the season. I have often loaded a suitcase with an arm load picked from the finca in Andalucia, where quince trees qrow prolifically. There are surprising number of English country gardens that possess the quince, so ask around. And they’re the kind of garden produce that turn up at a local farmers’ market.

QUINCE PASTE:
Cut up 3 kilos of quinces: peel, pips, core and all. Put in a deep heavy-based pan, cover with water and simmer until soft. Puree mixture with a handblender. Weigh, and add an equal amount of sugar, plus the juice of 2 lemons. Simmer, and stir constantly, until a rich red colour. Line shallow trays with greaseproof paper and spread the hot paste about 4cm deep. Leave to dry and harden in a cool place. Cut into slivers and serve with hard cheese, and a little glass of something sweet like moscatel wine.