Caldo Gallego

[scruffy1]

It's cold in Jerusalem, windy and in the middle of a dust storm, rain on the way, what to do? Caldo Gallego!!! There are a hundred different ways to make it correctly, the Internet offers 400 different ways to screw it up, royally, but even in kosher Jerusalem it's possible to find real chorizo and pork belly to make it right! Wait wait wait, Scruffy! Where did you find the berza? The grellos? Mathew 19:14 - Let the Little children... In Pedrouzo - Arca o Pino, right next door to Albergue Porto de Santiago , one may find an agricultre supply store. On their seed stand one may find packets of padron pepper seeds(!!!watch this space!!!), beefsteak tomato seeds (watch this space!), as well as gellos and berza. Gellos and berza growing like champs on my roof! Life is good.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Here's my grandmother's Portuguese version - almost identical in taste:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2012/11/caldo-gallego-or-kale-soup.html

 

[domigee]

Thank you for that, Anniesantiago!

 

[dcorrea951]

Sorry to do this to you !

 

[domigee]

That's cruel!

 

[OTH86]

Sorry to do this to you !

Oh my goodness! Did I just really SMELL that??? getting over a cold, maybe I'm hallucinating! ¡Buen Provecho!

 

[scruffy1]

Sorry to do this to you !

Not cruel, tasty!

 

[Pelegrin]

When I was a child I ate Caldo Galego almost everyday Then living in Madrid I thought that this food was only made for Galegos, because berza and grelo were not easy for people here in Madrid and Spain in general. Fortunatelly, today is much more popular.
Thanks Scruffy for your post.

 

[domigee]

I've been growing those greens here in England especially the variant I got is called (here) Asturian tree cabbage, not easy to find.

 

[Pelegrin]

I've been growing those greens here in England especially the variant I got is called (here) Asturian tree cabbage, not easy to find.

The Asturian berza is quite different from the Galician berza. The latter has a long white trunk and is darker.
Following the Caminos Norte and Primitivo it is possible to see how the type of berza changes from Asturias to Galicia simply by watching the vegetables gardens along the way.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The seeds are readily available for sale in Santiago.
I buy them every year and they grow GREAT in Portland, Oregon.
I think there's a thread on this somewhere on the forum?

 

[domigee]

Just what I was thinking...I'll try and get some seeds on the way

 

[Inbar]

Is it made of those tall cabbage-like plants? I saw them everywhere walking in Galicia in October. Are those the greens in the soup?

 

[Anniesantiago]

Is it made of those tall cabbage-like plants? I saw them everywhere walking in Galicia in October. Are those the greens in the soup?

Yes. They are a brassica. A type of Kale.
I grow them at home.
You pull off the bottom leaves as they grow, and they just keep getting taller and taller.