Mountain Adventure

One of the greatest things about living in Sarajevo is the proximity of beautiful, untouched nature. By proximity I mean coming home from work, changing your clothes, and getting into the car for a less that an hour long drive straight into the wilderness.

And it's the most friendly, most inviting wilderness.

Today we decided to hike around Bjelasnica mountain. My first trip there this year (and since I returned from Sweden).

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Mnogo toga sto karakterise zivot u Sarajevu ja istinski volim. Moguce jedna od najljepsih stvari je blizina predivne, nedirnute prirode. Kad kazem blizina znate sta zapravo mislim: dodjemo kuci s posla, presvucemo se, sjednemo u automobil i za manje od sat vremena smo u divljini.

Najblazoj, najtoplijoj divljini.

Danas smo se odlucili za planinarenje Bjelasnicom. To je moja prva posjeta Bjelasnici ove godine (i otkako sam se vratila iz Svedske).

I must say it started out kind of slow.

The weather forecast said rain beginning at 5 PM. We looked out of our apartment window: the clouds spelled rain, unambiguously. At least let's get some fresh air, we agreed. We can always turn around.

Climbing up the mountain, the clouds seemed to clear up, and we saw more and more of the blue sky. Soon, the sun was there too. We rolled our windows down. About half an hour in, we passed the Babin Do ski restort and headed for Umoljani. It is one of our favorite locations (I wrote about it earlier here).

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Moram priznati da nije bas najbolje pocelo.

Vremenska prognoza predvidjala je kisu od 17h. Pogled kroz prozor na sve gusce tamne oblake nas nije ohrabrio: bilo je jasno da ce pasti kisa. Hajde da bar udahnemo malo svjezeg zraka, slozili smo se. Uvijek se mozemo vratiti.

Na putu uz planinu cinilo se da se oblaci razilaze, i uskoro su se pojavili prvi komadici plavog neba. Ubrzo poslije, i sunce im se pridruzilo. Spustili smo prozore. Nakon nekih pola sata prosli smo Babin do i nastavili ka Umoljanima. To malo selo je jedna od nasih omiljenih destinacija (o selu sam ranije pisala ovdje).

The weather was chilly when we arrived. And the village all but empty. We feared that the villagers too expected rain and have therefore locked themselves in their homes. The few mountain huts were closed. Nothing but the golden fields of dandelions.

M. suggested we hike to the Seven Mills; they are fairly close, the walk there is scenic, and a drink of fresh water at the source above the mills a fair award. And if it rains?, I thought.

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Iako je sunce bilo obecavajuce, kad smo stigli u Umoljane shvatili smo da je vani prilicno hladno. Selo je bilo gotovo sasvim prazno. Plasili smo se da su iskusni seljani takodjer ocekivali kisu pa su se sklonili u svoje domove. I onih nekoliko planinskih domova za turiste je bilo zatvoreno. Nista osim vjetra i beskrajnih polja maslacka.

M. je predlozio da prosetamo do Sedam vodenica. Nalaze se relativno blizu sela, setnja do njih je jako lijepa, a gutljaj svjeze izvorske vode je zasluzena nagrada. A sta ako padne kisa?, pitala sam se.

Whenever we set out on the hike to the Seven Mills, the first part of the hike seems to be reserved for trying to find the marked path. It is really difficult to miss the Mills if you are moving in their direction, but walking on the path is just easier on the feet. We almost always miss the path.

As many times before, we climbed a bit above it and were now walking on a slightly steep hillside, glancing at the path below. The nature around us was gorgeous. A true spring. It felt like we travelled back in time, since the spring was already slowly giving way to the summer in the city below.

I stopped here and there to photograph the flowers, bees harvesting pollen, and tiny butterflies flying around. M. was walking ahead of me. From time to time he would call for me, usually when noticing a funny looking insect or a small animal that he wanted me to photograph and later send the photo off to Layla. I was quite behind him at one point when I noticed him waving me over. He was signaling for me to be quiet, and pointing at something ahead of him. I moved as slowly as I could, breathless. 

And then I saw it.

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Svaki put kad idemo do Vodenica, prvi dio setnje rezervisan je za pronalazenje obiljezene staze. Vodenice je jako tesko promasiti ukoliko se krecete u njihovom pravcu, medjutim uvijek je lakse setati utabanom stazom. Mi skoro uvijek promasimo stazu.

Kao puno puta ranije, prosli smo malo iznad staze, i kretali smo se u pravcu vodenica na blagoj nizbrdici, prateci stazu ispod. Priroda je oduzimala dah. Istinsko proljece svuda oko nas - cak i behar! Osjecali smo se kao da smo otputovali unazad kroz vrijeme, obzirom da je u Sarajevu sve vise mirisalo na ljeto.

Tu i tamo sam se zaustavljala da fotografisem cvijece, pcele koje su prikupljale polen i leptirice kojih je bilo svuda. M. je hodao ispred mene. S vremena na vrijeme bi me zovnuo, obicno ako bi primijetio interesantne insekte ili zivotinjice, koje sam ja onda fotografisala za Laylu. Bila sam znacajno iza njega kada sam primijetila sam da mase da pridjem. Pokazivao mi je da budem tiha, i da je nesto ispred nas. Ja sam mu prilazila sto sam tise mogla, zadrzavajuci dah.

A onda sam je ugledala.

The most elegant little fox was prancing right in front of us, moving in our direction. It was looking down at the ground and it appeared that it did not notice us yet. I wanted to photograph it but realized I had the wrong lens. Quickly, change it. Oh, it's in your backpack. Hand it over, quietly. No, don't take the picture with your phone. Oh, why is this not fitting on. I am trying to hurry up. Just look at how beautiful it is. Seriously, put the phone back in your pocket. Ah, finally. 

I snapped a couple of photos, and a second later, it looked at us. Head high, pointy ears, rich, auburn fur. It didn't take long and the fox was running for the woods above, away from us. We remained in our place looking after it, mesmerized.

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Lisica, uzdignutog repa, je elegantno marsirala odmah ispred nas, krecuci se u nasem pravcu. Gledala je u zemlju ispod sebe i djelovalo je da nas jos uvijek nije primijetila. Htjela sam da je fotografisem, ali sam istog trenutka shvatila da je na aparatu pogresan objektiv. Hajde brzo ga zamijeni, tiho. Aha, kod tebe je u ruksaku. Polako mi ga dodaj. Cekaj, nemoj fotografisati mobitelom. Sto ovo nece da se uglavi. Pokusavam pozuriti! Vidi molim te kako je divna. Ozbiljno, ostavi taj mobitel. Uh, napokon.

Napravila sam nekoliko brzih fotografija, i samo trenutak nakon lisica je pogledala u nasem pravcu. Glave dignute visoko, spicastih usiju i ridjeg krzna. Nije prosla ni sekunda, a vec je bjezala prema sumi, daleko od nas. Mi smo jos uvijek stajali na istom mjestu, ocarani.

Sighting wild animals can often be very difficult and rare, but we think we have truly been blessed this month. First it was a huge rabbit at Cavljak (it was the quickest one to run away), then, two lovely baby deer in Crepoljsko that stumbled on our road (they were the really confused ones); later, a tiny, food-hunting blackbird at our house. And today, this lovely fox. 

Back in the village, friendly chickens were clucking around. Driving back, a herd of sheep occupied a shadowy hillside. Their shepherd was sleeping to the right of them. Slightly below him, a large shepherd dog (sharplaninec), was also sleeping on his side.

We snapped photos and laughed.

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Nije tako jednostavno pribliziti se i vidjeti divlju zivotinju, iako mi se cini da smo ovaj mjesec imali puno srece. Sve je pocelo sa ogromnim zecom na Cavljaku (on je najbrze pobjegao), zatim dva divna laneta na Crepoljskom koja su istrcala direktno na cestu ispred nas (bili su tako neodoljivo zbunjeni); kasnije, sitni i ozbiljno u potrazi za hranom crni kos na nasoj vikendici. I danas, ova ocaravajuca lisica.

Natrag u selu, raspolozene kokoske kokodakale su uokolo. Vozeci se nazad u grad, prosli smo pored stada ovaca koje je paslo na malom brdu. Njihov pastir je spavao na nekoliko metara sa njihove desne strane, a isto toliko ispod njega drijemao je ogromni sarplaninac. Dok sam fotografisala, podigao je svoju njusku, i valjda ocijenivsi da smo bezopasni, nastavio da drijema.

Mi smo jos malo fotografisali, uz smijeh.

On the way back to the village, M. made a tiny bouquet of wild flowers for me. As I write this post, the flowers are nesting in the small vase to the left of me. Every now and then I glance at them with a smile over a lovely little adventure that made this almost rainy day quite... magical.

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Na putu od Vodenica ka selu, M. je napravio mali buket divljeg cvijeca za mene. Dok kucam, cvijece se odmara u maloj vazi s moje lijeve strane. Svako malo ga pogledam i nasmijesim se avanturi koja je ovaj kisni dan ucinila prilicno... magicnim.

Coconut Paletas and Vanilla Bean Pots de Crème

Last spring, I made and photographed strawberry paletas. 

This time around, I thought to open the popsicle season with the aroma of coconut. Further below, you'll also find the recipe for vanilla pots de creme - a creamy custard that can be served with fresh fruit (finally in season). It's among favorites at our house, easy to whip up, and absolutely divine when served with chopped raw pistachios.


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Proslog proljeca, napravila sam i fotografirala paleta sladolede od jagoda.

Ovaj put, palo mi je na pamet da otvorim sezonu sladoleda aromom kokosa. Ispod cete takodjer naci i recept za pots de creme od vanilije - kremu koju mozete servirati uz svjeze voce. Obzirom da M. jako voli puding, ova krema je jedan od najomiljenijih dezerta u nasem domu. Takodjer se brzo pripremi, a ja je najvise volim posutu svjezim, usitnjenim pistacijama.

I love making paletas, and I am so excited to try many fruit flavors in the coming days. My real challenge is to come up with ways to reduce or eliminate the sugar content.  

This recipe is an adapted version of Paletas de Coco Fresco from Fany Gerson's book on paletas. She used real coconut while I subbed with coconut milk to reduce the prep time. Still a pretty delicious outcome.


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Ja uzivam u pripremanju sladoleda, i radujem se isprobavanju brojnih vocnih okusa u narednim danima. Najveci izazov ce biti da smislim nacine da smanjim ili eliminisem potrebnu kolicinu secera.

Ovaj recept je prilagodjen originalnom receptu Fany Gerson. Ona je koristila cijeli kokos, a ja sam ga zamijenila kokosovim mlijekom kako bih skratila vrijeme potrebno za pripremu. Sladoled je u svakom slucaju bio prilicno ukusan.

Coconut Paletas

Ingredients

2 cups coconut milk
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
pinch of salt (optional)

Method

In a large saucepan, heat coconut milk, whole milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Taste and add more sugar if you like. Let cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick.

If using conventional molds, divide the mixture among the molds, snap on the lid, add the sticks, and freeze until solid (about 6 hours). I added coconut chips to each mold for a bit of a crunch. If using glasses or other unconventional molds, freeze until the pops are beginning to set (1 1/2 to 2 hours), then insert the sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. 

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Sladoled od kokosa

Sastojci

2 case kokosovog mlijeka 
3 case kravljeg mlijeka
1/2 casa secera
1 stapic cimeta
prstohvat soli (po zelji)

Priprema

U velikom loncu za kuhanje, zagrijte kokosovo mlijeko, mlijeko, secer i cimet. Kad smjesa pocne da kuha, smanjite toplotu i, uz mijesanje, kuhajte 15 minuta. Probajte smjesu i dodajte jos secera ako zelite. Ohladite smjesu do sobne temperature. Uklonite stapic cimeta. 

Ako koristite standardne kalupe, rasporedite smjesu po kalupima, poklopite, dodajte stapice i zaledite (oko 6 sati u zamrzivacu). Ja sam dodala i kokosov cips u svaki kalup. Ako koristite case ili druge netipicne kalupe, zaledite dok smjesa postane cvrsta (sat i pol do dva sata), onda ubacite stapice, i zamrznite jos 4 do 5 sati. 

Pots de creme is a light dessert I often make, especially when I have leftover yolk. The tiny ramekins make for a perfect sweet serving. I am beginning with a vanilla version, yet I am already looking forward to making it with chocolate, raspberries, chocolate and raspberries, and so on... It might take a bit of practice to get the right texture (I've put some tips in the recipe below), but once you master it, you'll get to enjoy one of the smoothest custards ever.

I will be serving it a lot to the many guests we are expecting this summer. You can make it a day or two in advance, to take the edge off the, sometimes stressful, planning of a dinner party. I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours does.

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Pots de creme je lagani dezert koji cesto pravim, narocito kad imam viska zumanjaka. Male zdjelice cine idealnu porciju. Ovaj put s vama dijelim pots de creme od vanilije. Vec se radujem i verzijama sa cokoladom, malinama, cokoladom i malinama, o kojima cu pisati u narednim postovima. Mozda ce vam biti potrebno malo vjezbe da pogodite pravu teksturu, a mozda ce vam odmah poci za rukom. U recept ispod sam stavila nekoliko preporuka.

Mi ovog ljeta ocekujemo brojne goste, pa planiram da im serviram ovu kremu jer ju je lako unaprijed pripremiti. Nadam se da cete vi i vasa porodica uzivati u ovom desertu onoliko koliko mi uzivamo.

Vanilla Bean Pots de Creme

Ingredients

2 cups (500 ml) cream
1/2 vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 120 C (260 F).

Pour cream into a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean half and scrape the seeds into cream. Put the pod in the cream also. Heat over medium heat until the steam rises. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let steep for 30-45 minutes. Strain the cream.

In a separate bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Slowly stir in about a quarter of the cream in this mixture (resist the urge to whisk energetically), and then pour the entire mixture into the remainder of the cream and stir slowly to avoid foaming. Divide the mixture into ramekins and place them in a baking dish. Put the dish in the oven and then add water around the ramekins (about halfway up the outer ramekin walls). If putting the water in before putting the baking dish in the oven, cover with aluminum foil.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes, checking occasionally. The custard is done when the cream is barely set (the center slightly jiggles when the ramekin is touched). Cool in the refrigerator and serve completely cold.  Garnish with raw pistachios and/or fresh fruit.

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Vanilla Bean Pots de Creme

Sastojci

2 case (500 ml) vrhnja za kuhanje
1/2 stapic vanilije
6 zumanaca
1/2 casa secera

Priprema

Zagrijte pecnicu do 120 C (260 F).

Uspite kremu u manji lonac za kuhanje. Uzduz prepolovite vanilin stapic i nozem sastruzite zrna vanilije u kremu. Stavite i stapic u kremu takodjer. Zagrijte na umjerenoj temperaturi dok primijetite da se para dize sa kreme. Sklonite sa toplote, pokrijte lonac i ostavite da stoji 30-45 minuta. Nakon toga procijedite kremu i uklonite vanilin stapic. 

U odvojenoj zdjeli, umutite secer i zumanca. Polako upite oko cetvrtinu kreme u ovu smjesu, lagano promijesajte, a zatim tu smjesu uspite natrag u kremu. Lagano mijesajte kako biste izbjegli stvaranje pjene. Uspite u zdjelice i stavite ih u dublji pleh za pecenje. Stavite pleh sa zdjelicama u pecnicu, a zatim u njega uspite vodu otprilike do polovine vanjskog zida zdjelica. Ukoliko zelite nasuti vodu prije stavljanja pleha u pecnicu, prekrijte pleh i zdjelice aluminijskom folijom.

Pecite 30 do 45 minuta. Povremeno provjeravajte (pecnice se razlikuju). Krema je spremna kad se ucvrsti na ivicama a centar se jos uvijek pomjera kad se zdjelica prodrma. Ohladite u frizideru i servirajte potpuno hladne. Ukrasite svjezim pistacijama ili vocem.

Spring Bounty

I have been spending much of these last days roaming the mountains around Sarajevo. M. keeps me company. Actually, he is quite a sweetheart about it, understanding how much I've missed the mountains after spending months in Lund and Chicago, both of which are fairly flat (but not without their own charms). So, he's game wherever and whenever I want to go. 

We've been enjoying nettle throughout April, mainly by purchasing it or from family members bringing it over to share. There is also a man that comes to our neighborhood on Tuesdays and Fridays, parks his yellow van in the parking lot, and sets up a stand below a nearby tree. While chatting with the 'locals', he sells fresh eggs, milk, vegetables, and, occasionally, nettle. M. has been shopping there very often (eggs are always superb!). He's built a rapport with the man, and usually comes home quoting something funny or interesting he heard from him (e.g., he calls his scale soulless). 

This time around, I wanted to include nettle-picking in our, almost daily, outings in the mountains. And get the freshest nettle possible. We hiked in the nearby mountain of Trebevic - the air was so light and fresh, and often it felt like we were the only people in the world. We sought birds in the trees (he always spots them first), I chose the nettle leaves I wanted and snipped them off with my gardening scissors; he held the paper bag, making sure the leaves do not get squished.

I may be boring you to death with this, but really, making an effort in obtaining the ingredients (slightly larger than, say, going to the market), really rounds off the entire experience and makes it more than just about cooking or eating. We discovered a horse grazing in the middle of the woods, a most beautiful tree in blossom, actually ran into some friends even, and got the fresh nettle. When we came home, I made the soup, crackers, and the tart, and we had them with roasted potatoes (they were a very refreshing addition). Even the meal had a sense of adventure about it.

You'll find the recipes below. What do you like to make with fresh nettle?  

Stinging Nettle Cottage Cheese Tart

Crust

Ingredients

70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 egg yolks
210 g (1,5 cup) all-purpose flour
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch salt
1/4 cup cold water

Filling

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb) fresh nettle, leaves/soft parts only
1 egg
3 egg whites (what's left from the crust)
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp cottage cheese
2 tbsp feta cheese
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp mixed pepper

Method

Using a mixer, whip butter until it is light and airy. Add egg yolks one by one while whipping. Switch to a dough hook, add flour, sea salt, and oregano, and keep mixing until the mixture becomes crumbly. Slowly add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc with your hands, wrap in plastic foil and refrigerate for one hour.

Roll the dough on a flat, cool, and lightly floured surface, to a size that fits your preferred pie pan. Poke the dough here and there with a fork, lay with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15-20 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Remove the weights/beans and parchment paper. Let cool slightly while you prepare the filling. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).

To prepare the filling, start by chopping the nettle leaves. Whisk the egg with the egg whites, and add to the leaves. Add cheeses and mix together. Season with oil, salt and pepper, and stir gently until combined. Fill the crust and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and fresh thyme. 

Any leftover dough can be used to make crackers. Roll the dough to about 2 cm (little less than 1 in), cut into small squares and season with salt and sesame. Poke each a few times with a fork so that they don't rise when baking. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden at 150 C (300 F).

Simple Stinging Nettle Soup

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb) stinging nettle leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2-3 medium potatoes, cut
1 l vegetable stock (I used plain water)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Method

Lightly heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and potatoes, and cook for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add vegetable stock/water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes on medium to low heat, until potatoes are soft. 

Add the nettle leaves and leave them in warm soup for a minute to wilt. Blend the soup with the mixer or a blender. You can add butter or cream to taste, but I think they make the soup a little heavy, so I just serve it as is, with crackers.

Enjoy!