En Route

A farmer – taken from the bus window on the way to Jebel AshSheikh.

 

Auja

Spring in Damascus is one long procession of foods coming into season.  Winter is dominated by root vegetables, cauliflower and cabbage, and there are also fresh Great Northern Whites and Butter Beans. But with the first hint of spring the menu broadens.

First to appear is Auja – baby almonds. They are green and slightly fuzzy. The outer “shell” is thick and has a tiny sour tang. The inner “shell” is white and about the same thickness. Both are crunchy. The almond on the inside is surrounded by a membrane and its heart is clear and jelly-like. (I wish I had taken a pic of the inside, but it’s too late now! They’re already gone!) We eat them whole dipped in salt. MMMmmmm! It’s like chips without the guilt!

Next to come into season is janerik, which are apple-like fruits the size of a large glass marble. They are extremely sour and also eaten with salt. I don’t like them, but the kids do; in fact they eat them plain! You know how they love sour candies back home.

The newest fruit on the produce parade is Akee Dunya, which are very sweet orange balls about the size of figs.

You know the brown fava beans we buy in cans to make foul with at home? They start out green and in their pods. People buy them by the multiple kilos (as in Hefty bags-full) and spend hours and hours shelling them and freezing them for winter. But the best treat when they are fresh is to sauté them in olive oil, along with their cut-up pods, and then add cilantro, garlic and lemon juice! Peas are also being shelled now and we’re anxiously awaiting the appearance of artichokes, which my MIL assures me are next. They will cost less than 20 cents each!

Auja

 

 

 

 

 

This is a picture of Auja I got from Food & Wine magazine online.  ( http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/almonds )

Road Trip, installment 4 (scroll down for 1,2 & 3)

 

Hisham on the bus.  On the way there we saw Lilac Trees.  I kid you not.  Lilacs, same color and shape as ours, but growing on trees instead of bushes.  Amazing!  I didn’t get any pics or get to smell them b/c we saw them only from the bus window. 

Road Trip, installment 3 (scroll down for 1 &2)

 

A far cry from a smokey arcade in the bowling alleys of our youth, huh??

Road Trip, installment 2 (scroll down for 1)

 

 

 

 

Ibrahim, of course, always climbs to the highest possible point, and would go much further if I didn’t threaten to drag him back down by his belt loops!

ROAD TRIP!!

We took a trip to some springs near the israeli border a few weeks ago.  A whole busload of women and kids.  It was so fun.  We also went to a little resort place where they had bumer cars and bumper boats and a small zoo and garden, and BOWLING!!!  It was perfect weather and the kids all had a great time.  At the springs they scampered across a small stream on rocks and stood uner the “waterfall”.   For some reason I am only able to upload one pic per post at the moment (either that or it’s not gonna let me upload anything else tonight at all), so I’m going to make separate posts.  Wish me luck!

 

Been incommunicado

I’ve been sans technology since my computer crashed and burned in mid-March sometime.  We shall call it The Great Disaster of ‘08 - we lost evrything (including my manuscript, thank God the book has already been published!!) 

Anyway, we’re back up and running (well, at least crawling) over here and I’ll try to get some new stuff posted ASAP!

Picnic

Kool and his sister.

The rest of the Gang (without Kool)

Last Friday was a beautiful day!  We (and the rest of Damascus) decided to go on a picnic.  It was like a picnic epidemic swept over the city.  EVERYWHERE was packed.  We drove for over an hour to find this sweet little place where you bring your own picnic and the owners provide you with tables and chairs and (at least some form of) running water.  We had a lovely picnic of kababs and such.  Talal’s wife Maram brought spinach salad with walnuts that was divine.  We took chicken fahitas and everyone loved them!

More pics in next post – I’m afraid if I put too many in one post they will not upload.

Spring!

Trees are budding!  It’s been warm all week this week, and I’m being lulled into a springtime reverie…maybe the winter is gone for good?  If Damascus is anything like Kansas, though, I should know better.  March is a fickle month.