Gaby
The warm May sun is shining generously. Many are already eyeing their suitcases: vacation time is just around the corner. Those preparing to welcome holidaymakers at their vacation homes, while those with their own dachas have moved there as early as March or April to work in their gardens and plots. Of course, this means more work in the kitchen for the hostesses: breakfast, lunch, and dinner need to be prepared. The situation is further complicated by the fact that fresh vegetables and fruits are scarce in spring and early summer. Therefore, it’s essential to use more parsley, dill, green onions, and garlic.
A savvy hostess will certainly keep a stock of canned meats, fish, and vegetables, as well as soup concentrates, cereals, and jellies. All of this will come in handy at the dacha. One note: before using them, be sure to taste and adjust with fat, salt, onions, and spices as needed. Don’t throw away the liquid from vegetable cans; it can be used for soups—like potato, pea, bean, or mushroom soup.
If you’re relaxing by a body of water and the men or kids enjoy fishing from the shore, we hope you’ll always have fresh fish on hand. When you do need to buy it from fishermen, remember that fresh fish sinks in water, has shiny scales that cling tightly, bright red gills, bulging eyes, and firm flesh.
In May, you may still have to eat old potatoes. To enhance their flavor, soak them in cold water for a few hours.
GREEN SOUP
Sorrel, spinach, green onions, and other assorted greens should be kept in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then thoroughly rinsed. Chopped green onions and dill are added to the finished dish. Other greens are tossed into boiling broth, which will help soften the potatoes cooking in it. Just before finishing, pour in a liaison—a mixture of milk and egg yolk. When serving, add a boiled and finely chopped egg to each bowl.
SORREL SOUP “COUNTRY STYLE”
This soup will be particularly delicious if cooked in a cast-iron pot in the oven. Whole peeled potatoes are boiled, then cooled. Strain the broth. Chop the sorrel, onion, and celery root, add a bit of the broth, and sauté with margarine or butter for 5-7 minutes. Then add the diced potatoes, pour in the remaining broth, and boil for another 3-5 minutes. Stir in sour cream, green onions, and dill before serving.
For 850g of water: 3 potatoes, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon of butter, sorrel, celery, green onions, dill, sour cream.
NETTLE SOUP
Chopped nettles are briefly immersed in boiling water, then drained, rinsed with cold water, and sautéed with fat for 10-15 minutes. Diced parsley roots, carrots, and onions are sautéed and added to the boiling broth along with the prepared nettles. After 20 minutes, add salt and spices. Serve with chopped boiled egg, a piece of meat, sour cream, and herbs in each bowl.
For 700g of broth: 300g of nettles, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped herbs, 1 egg.
FISH SOUP
Fresh fish is delicious in any form—fried, boiled, or stuffed. From larger fish, like catfish or pike, you can make fillets. Large pieces should be pounded, while smaller ones can be ground with soaked white bread and onion. To prepare the filling: break an egg, add salt and pepper. Spread the mixture on the fillet pieces, roll them into sausage shapes, dip in egg, coat in flour, fry in butter, and then simmer in tomato sauce. Serve with boiled potatoes.
OKROSHKA
If you have kvass or kefir, you can serve a cold okroshka for lunch. For 800g of kvass or diluted boiled water kefir, you’ll need a piece of boiled meat, 2-3 boiled potatoes, 2-3 hard-boiled eggs, green onions, 2 fresh cucumbers, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Cut the vegetables into cubes. Instead of meat, you can use lean ham, boiled tongue, or skip it altogether for a vegetable okroshka.
SIMPLE PORRIDGE
Porridge is often made for breakfast. There are also some secrets to its preparation. Porridge made from any grain will be very tasty if you pour 1.5 cups of boiling water over 1 cup of grain, add 50g of butter, an egg, and a bit of salt. Mix everything, cover the pot, and place it in the oven.
