Cortijo Feasts- Iberic & Moroccan cooking at Finca al-manzil

THE CORTIJO FEAST holiday is based at the cortijo of Finca al-manzil in the beautiful scenery of the Sierra de Montanchez. Create and enjoy sumptuous Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Iberic feasts at the cortijo. The cortijo kitchen is spacious with all the special equipment and implements needed to create delicious Moroccan, Middle Eastern, Spanish and Portuguese dishes using natural fresh local vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and herbs; the spices are imported regularly from Morocco.
Our aim and pleasure is to inspire enjoyment of the food in the well designed and decorated surroundings of the finca. Dinner will be the highlight of every day. Starting tapas which we have had fun inventing served on the terrace we eat dinner around the huge dining table or maybe outside if the evening is warm. Possibly dinner will have been cooked in the traditional clay oven or over a charcoal grill. We serve Extremeña wines and maybe with coffee a special liqueur from the Jerte valley or some aguadente made from the medroño or wild strawberry bush.
One week each month March – June and September –December according to availability. Cooking, mountain trekking , well-being, cultural visits, country life. holiday is also available for 4 nights instead of 7.

Pippa has spend the last 15 years creating and running two Casa Rurals, one in Portugal and the latest one in Extremadura,Spain. She comes from an arts background and for many years ran her own interior design business in Portugal. The love of cooking and fascination with the history and origins of food have been a constant adventure. Four years ago she started her week long cooking holidays at Finca al-manzil using a life times collection of recipes and food ideas gathered from her travels in Morocco,& the Middle East and also some fondly remembered dishes she helped her Grandmother's cook with during long Summer holidays at her Grandparents home in Portugal as a child. Since living in Spain the collection has grown with some wonderful Extremeno dishes using the superb natural ingredients available in Extremadura.

A 7 night stay at Finca al-manzil or neighbouring house with the following daily programmes, 3 days of cooking and eating the preparation for dinner, 4 days of alternative activities with dinner either at the finca or in restaurant. OR The four day holiday which follows the itinerary for the 3 cooking days.

The cortijo has been renovated with loving care using traditional materials, the windows, thick shutters and doors were made by our local carpenter with seasoned chestnut.

The spacious double height sitting room stays cool in summer and is cosy in the colder months with a wood burning fire. There are lots of books, DVDs and comfy chairs. Doors lead on to the porch and terrace with lovely views of the surrounding countryside. The kitchen is well equipped and features a marvellous old stone work table, very inspirational for imaginative cooks. The dining room leads off the kitchen; there is a huge 3.30 metre dining table and access to the back terrace with barbecue and sweeping views up to the peaks. The little path to the swimming pool starts here.

There is accommodation for 6 people in three comfortable bedrooms, all have en-suite bathrooms. We have a cot and 2 camp beds for children if needed. The upstairs bedroom has access to a secluded 20m2 roof terrace with the best views of the mountain. The other two twin bedrooms lead off the porch, a lovely space for enjoying the views and star gazing at night. The swimming pool is in a natural curve of the mountain with lovely views of the countryside, we use a salt water system for purifying the water, very mild, no harmful chlorine so no stinging eyes and dry skin.

Extremadura is still the most undiscovered of Spain’s provinces, it used to be a long difficult journey to reach this predominantly agricultural region, no industry, widely spaced towns and villages set in beautiful woodland known as dehesa, rolling plains and wild mountains.

It was here that the cult of the conquistadors started resulting in the fabulous wealth to build palaces and churches in 16th century Extremadura, now beautifully preserved, especially in Caceres and Trujillo the birth place of Pizarro, conqueror of Peru.

Today communications are excellent, good roads connect Extremadura to the North and South, Portugal and France. Nearest airports are Madrid or Seville and soon the AVE high speed train linking Lisbon and Madrid via Caceres. The unspoilt nature remains with most notably the largest number of unique bird species to be seen in Spain, some unique in Europe especially at Monfrague National Park.
Every season has its particular delights. Spring, an explosion of wild flowers and lush greenery, perfect temperatures for hiking or riding, bird watching is at its best. Summer, green changes to gold but the cork and holm oaks remain green and vibrant, guaranteed sun in a blue, blue sky, it’s hot but still cool mornings and wonderful long, balmy nights.
Autumn is glorious, the first rain, the temperatures lower and the land becomes green again, grape and fig harvest, wine making. Winter is mild, very rarely freezes, time for the olive harvest, log fires and brisk walks in crisp sunny weather.
Extremadura has many micro-climates because of the mountains and the two mighty rivers that flow through, the Tejo and the Guardiana, e.g. The Sierra de Montanchez where Finca al-manzil is situated is famous for its jamon, cured in the mild, dry mountain air of this particularly beautiful sierra where there is still a donkey rush hour as the sun goes down.
The Extremadura contains 3 UNESCO world heritage towns, all in the Caceres province, Caceres, Guadalupe and Merida, all offering an exceptional experience and marvellous insights into history, art and architecture as well as having bustling centres with interesting shops, food markets, theatres, art galleries, lively bars and restaurants.
Besides the hundreds of village and town fiestas throughout the year there are two international festivals, WOMAD in Caceres takes place in May. The festival of theatre and dance takes place at Roman sites in Merida, notably the original Roman theatre, a unique experience during July and August. The Extremadura has it all, something to enthuse all ages and all tastes but most exceptionally the deep tranquillity, almost empty roads, a real feeling of discovery without being accompanied by crowds of fellow tourists, quite simply the extraordinary natural beauty to be encountered throughout this fortunate and friendly region.

Nearest airports are Madrid, Lisbon and Seville, all about 3 hours by car on excellent toll free motorways.If not hiring a car there is an excellent bus service from Madrid to Trujillo where we can arrange a car to take you to the finca.