Monday, January 23/2023

 One of the best things about Cyprus in the winter is citrus. Lemons, oranges (including clementines and mandarins), grapefruit, pomelos. Everything except - inexplicably - limes. And limes will grow here. They just don’t seem to be traditional. Our greengrocer does sell them, but as imported exotica - sort of like dragon fruit. So second lot of lemon curd made, this time the free range eggs delivering a more traditional golden colour. Unsurprisingly, citrus fruits originated millennia ago in Asia. Surprisingly, the varieties that exist now are all descended from three originals - pomelos (which are usually available here), citrons, and mandarin oranges. So what we think of as a regular sweet orange is a hybrid of a pomelo and a mandarin. The grapefruit is apparently an accidental hybrid of a common orange and a pomelo. And the original lemon was a hybrid between a male citron and a female sour orange (itself a pomelo mandarin hybrid). An astonishing amount of sexy information out there, and the bells of St Clement’s should be saying something considerably more complex.

Not the only Mediterranean delicacy on the menu tonight. We bought four artichokes at the Elephant Store, now known as Super Discount, which it sometimes is and sometimes isn’t. Can remember J years ago at the old Larnaca Saturday farmers’ market, which is no more, watching a woman who was selling artichokes, amongst other things sitting and trimming artichokes in between sales. After which he knew how it was done and we began an annual tradition of sautéed artichoke hearts, so infinitely better than the marinated hearts or dipped artichoke leaves that we had encountered before. Have to admit that it is highly labour intensive and am extremely appreciative of the labour, which is never mine. Takes a great deal longer than making lemon curd.