We may be getting ahead of ourselves because we’ve only been in Portugal for a week, but if we could only source our food from one region of the world, the Alentejo would top the list of choices. The region stretches from the Atlantic coast of Portugal to the edge of Spain. Driving from the capital city of Lisbon, you know you are in the Alentejo when flocks of sheep and cattle outnumber cars. More often than not, the sheep are grazing under the canopy of cork or olive trees. In October, at the end of the harvest season, the remaining land is split between plowed fields and bare grape vines. Aside from the occasional farm house, residents tend to cluster in villages of white-washed homes. Most of these homes fill their courtyards with flowers, herbs, citrus trees, fig trees, and other edibles.
At the Saturday market in the town of Estremoz, the bounty of the area is on display. Visiting the market, our goal was to supply a great picnic (and not buy more than we could fit in our backpacks). Adam’s favorite vendor was an olive vendor who insisted on having us try each of his 5 olive varieties, mentioning which town they came from, and which was the vendor’s favorite. We were too late to try his 6th variety. A close second was a fig vendor who sold 2 types of figs. Despite the exuberant Portuguese descriptions, we couldn’t tell you the difference. He also insisted on Adam waiting for change. (We’re still learning Portuguese numbers.) Cara’s favorite was one of the many cheese vendors who offered her a taste of the delicious Nisi sheep cheese convincing her that not all sheep cheeses are awful.
Add in some local porco preto (black pig) chorizo, crisp apples, and crusty bread and you have a complete picnic. The accompanied wine is another story.
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