[Charithea]

Joanna I thought of writing about a tree that conjures up happy memories contrary to yours. It is the Seville orange tree. Such a versatile tree. Every Spring it brings back memories of my late mother who even in her 70s would be leaning on the wooden ladder to pick the flowers. She would carefully separate the petals to make preserve and the rest perfume water.  It was always a race to get the water ready as it would be used in the evening of Good Friday. Tonight is the Eastern Good Friday. The iconostasis in the Orthodox Church is dressed in mourning for the death of Jesus but in the middle of the church the tapestry that depicts Jesus' death will be covered with flowers. In my childhood the flowers were collected by the school children in a white sheet. We called on all the village gardens. The flowers would be carried to the church and the adults would do the decorations.These flowers during the evening service would be given to the congregation to take home and plant them. Most of them believed the flower would take because they were blessed. Later on in the evening the burial procession would wind its way around the village streets. The ladies would dash home  from church , armed with their merehas full of the perfumed water to sprinkle it on the congregation. Nowadays the church is decorated by professionals  but the rest is the same. Back to the versatile tree, when the fruit is golf ball size it is used to make preserve glygo , later when the fruit is fully grown the outer part is used for more glygo, and in the Autumn and winter the juice of the fruit is used in soups and the making of pig's brawn.

[Charithea]

I have succeeded in posting  a photo of the church decoration taken today but I must apologize for its quality. In fact the decorations are not as good as the amateur ones we used to produce.

[Joanna Savage]

Charithea, thank you for telling us about Seville Oranges and Easter. I am interested in the use of the orange juice in soups. What else goes into the soup? Meat, vegetables, grains pulses?

[Charithea]

Hello Joanna, we use bitter orange juice in soups made with pulses. I will give you a recipe that my mother and aunt used. The soups were eaten during the fasting periods in winter as they were vegan vegetarians in accordance with their G. Orthodox religion.
Recipe.  1/2 liter cold water, I cup of split peas, 1/4 cup round rice, 1medium size onion chopped to small pieces, 100 ml olive oil, juice of a bitter orange, juice of half lemon, salt pepper
Put water and split peas on heat. Bring to boil, remove the froth that first appears and then add rice. Cook on gentle heat until rice and peas are soft. Cook chopped onion in the olive oil and when onions are soft add to the cooked peas and rice. Put all the mixture in the blender and add some of the juice of b. Orange and lemon. Check for flavour after you seasoned with salt n pepper. Add more b. Orange or lemon according to your taste buds. Nota bene you can add more water if you like your soup thin or boil longer to reduce water content which I am sure you already know.

[David Dickinson]

Thanks for the recipe Charithea. I am always on the look out for vegan recipes. The idea of being able to use the juice of bitter oranges which are found in many of the streets in my area of Rome is a great.

[Charithea]

Hi David if Alisdair can start a new thread under misc we could post recipes using Med fruit, veg n herbs. I could tell you how to cook lentils using carrots, spinach, and home made tagliatelles.

[Hilary]

Charithea,
I loved your description of Cypriot Easter traditions. I too mourn the loss of traditionally decorated epitaph ea to the professionals and their orchids. Five or six years ago we went down to Sparta to cat sit while the family were away.  On Good Friday we drove around villages in the Parnona area. I to try to see seven epitaphs   which apparently is a Greek custom. That time I think we managed to see three. All were decorated by the women of the village with wild flowers and roses from their gardens. In the last village we went to, Krokees, there were many old women crawling round under the table and being helped up by their friends. One woman was telling everyone that she had helped  to decorate or had decorated the Epitapheos herself.
It is a shame all these old traditions are being lost.

[Charithea]

Hilary our epitafios was poorly decorated according to my sister and cousin. Both very religious ladies. There was also a shortage of flower cuttings to take home to grow. For me though it was the lack of Lavender stoechas (mirofores as the Cypriots call them) with their beautiful blue purple colour. Apparently there weren't any about . My cousin who was visiting from Canada made me go around the village and get sprinkled with the perfumed water. He said that act made him feel a boy again. I have not noticed any difference  in me, and the mirror confirms it.