Summer savory

I owe you the photo story of one of our last trips to the mountains before I returned to Sweden.

I don't even know how I got M. to come, which is, when I think about it, how it happens most of the time. But he always enjoys it and keeps telling me it was a good idea to go hiking and such.

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Dugujem vam foto pricu naseg posljednjeg planinarenja prije nego sam se vratila u Svedsku.

Kao i obicno, ne znam ni kako sam uspjela nagovoriti M. da odemo do Umoljana, jer su dani bili dugi i topli, a obaveza i previse. Ali, nekako je pristao i mislim da mu je bilo lijepo.

Originally, I wanted us to go and get some more elderflower. The joy of it was that we ended up discovering two more elder trees (we laughed about not having spotted them earlier, even though they are sort of difficult to miss).

We picked a few flower heads and kept on walking to the nearby spring. All along the way we were stumbling upon trees of wild cherries. M. climbed up one tree and filled up half of a paper bag with cherries. People usually don't eat them but I don't really see why (not). They are more sour than the ordinary ones and not as meaty, but they do have their own special something.

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Ideja je bila da idemo brati jos zove na istom mjestu gdje smo brali i ranije. Na nase iznenadjenje, na samom pocetku puta naisli smo na jos dva drveta zove (smijali smo se kako ih nismo ranije primijetili, jer, vjerujte, ova dva je bilo jako tesko promasiti).

Ubrali smo nekoliko cvjetova i odlucili prosetati do obliznjeg izvora. Citavim putem nailazili smo na neobrane, divlje tresnje. M. se popeo na jedno drvo i nabrao pola fiseka, da probamo. Znam da se one inace ne jedu ali ne razumijem bas zasto. Da, kiselije su od standardnih tresanja i nisu previse mesnate, ali definitivno imaju svoj sarm.

Once you walk further away from the village, the nature takes over the sounds and smells completely. Nothing but the buzzing of bees, wind in the trees, and an occasional bird. And, oh, the fragrance that is in the air. The smell of multiple flower heads awash in the warmth of the sun.

We came upon a meadow filled with summer savory and yarrow. Working as a team, we sat down and filled up our bags. I always leave amazed at how much the nature gifts us with.

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Kad se tako udaljite od naseljenog mjesta, u jednom trenutku ne cujete nista vise od vlastitih koraka i zvukova prirode. Zujanje pcela, vjetar u krosnjama, poneka ptica. Meni su vrlo dragi mirisi, a planine Bjelasnice u ovo doba odisu raznovrsnim biljem koje je svuda uokolo. Tako smo naisli na livadu prepunu cvjetova kunice i cubra.

Sjeli smo u travu i brali, u drustvu sa skakavcima i pcelama koje su zujale oko nas. Uvijek me dojmi velikodusnost s kojom nam priroda daruje svoja blaga.

When we arrived home, I washed the savory (and yarrow) under the gentle stream of water, patted them with a soft towel and spread on a clean cotton towel to dry. I kept them in a cool place until they were fairly dry and then I packed them in small bags to have for the winter teas and spicing up of our summer meals.

I have used summer savory to flavor cooked green beans, and have discovered a delicious recipe for an herb, summer savory sauce to serve along grilled portobello mushrooms. Savory is a great replacement for pepper and I have enjoyed using it in my cooking. 

Yarrow tea was favorite of M.'s paternal grandfather. M. likes preparing it, and every time I drink it I feel a strong connection to the man I never knew but who, like I, loved yarrow tea very much. 

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Kad smo stigli kuci, ocistila sam stabljike i cvjetove cubra, kao i kunicu. Oprala sam ih pod tankim mlazom vode, lagano posusila mekanim rucnikom i rasirila na cisti, pamucni stolnjak. Cuvala sam ih u hladnoj i prozracnoj sobi dok se nisu dovoljno osusile, a zatim sam ih spakovala u male vrecice. Zimi cemo od njih praviti mirisni caj, a ljeti cubar stavljati u jela sa povrcem.

Zapravo, svaki put kad sam pravila buraniju ovih ljetnih dana, dodavala sam dvije do tri smrvljene stabljike cubra. Nasla sam i ukusan recept za biljni sos od cubra koji se servira sa vrganjima. Cubar daje aromu slicnu biberu, a dobar je i jer, za razliku od bibera, nikada ne uznemirava probavne organe.

Caj od kunice bio je omiljeno pice M.-ovog djeda sa oceve strane. M. ga voli pripremati a ja se svaki put kad ga pijem osjetim povezanom sa covjekom kojeg nikad nisam niti poznavala, ali koji je, kao i ja, volio caj od kunice.

Of course I already miss the beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina, but there is also so much going on in Sweden and I cannot wait to tell you all about it. We are finishing up the blog redesign too, and new recipes are coming up soon. 

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Naravno, prelijepa Bosna i Hercegovina mi vec jako nedostaje. Ali i u Svedskoj se u ovih nekoliko dana otkako sam se vratila toliko toga desavalo da jedva cekam da vam sve pricam. Zavrsavamo sa redizajniranjem bloga (kako vam se cini?), a spremam i nove recepte, pa vise o svemu u narednim danima.

Elderflower Picking and a Summer Tradition

Running off to the mountains and foraging for the edible gifts of wild nature has come to be one of my favorite things to do. Early July is just perfect to go hunting for one of our favorites - elderflower. We did it last year and I was excited that that time of year has come again.

Elderflower blooms somewhat later in the high mountains, but we patiently wait in order to get to the most fragrant flowers, blooming away from the urban impurities. M. is already used to enjoying the refreshing syrup we make from the flowers - he says that it is second only to water. 

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Uvijek se radujem ideji bjega u planine i potrage za jestivim plodovima divlje prirode. Rani juli je savrsen za branje zove koja u to doba cvate u planinskim dijelovima. Njeni cvjetovi su veliki i bijeli, cesto tesko dostizni. Brali smo je prosle godine i sa radoscu smo docekali (i planirali!) i ovaj put. M. je vec navikao da se osvjezava sokom od zove u vrucim ljetnim mjesecima. Po njemu je sok od zove, nakon vode, najukusnije pice. 

I thought to play around and use the syrup to flavor some mini cakes. I found and worked around a lovely, simple recipe for elderflower flavored mini cakes. I separated about four large flower heads and mixed them in a tightly closed jar with 500 g of sugar. I let it sit for a couple days, removed the flowers and was left with elderflower-flavored sugar to use in cooking. 

Most of the cake flavor comes from adding the elderflower syrup into the mix (you used way too much, M. said with a pretend frown). But, he loved the cakes. Honestly, I was unsure if he would like the subtle elderflower aroma in a cake, but he said that they were perfect! The cakes are very soft and buttery, while the cream cheese and elderflower syrup in the icing provide for a sweet and citrus-like, cooling combo. I often mention that he lacks the sweet tooth, so I get very excited when he gets very excited over something sweet I made.

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Nekoliko dana prije nego cemo ici da beremo zovu, nasla sam i prilagodila jednostavan recept za tortice sa okusom zove. Odvojila sam i cetiri velika cvijeta zove i cvrsto ih zatvorila u teglu sa 500 g secera. Nakon dva dana izvadila sam cvjetove i dobila secer sa blagom aromom zove koji cu koristiti u pripremi kolaca. 

Veci dio arome zove u torticama dolazi od dodavanja u smjesu sirupa od zove (previse si potrosila, rekao je M., djecije se mrsteci). Srecom, bio je odusevljen torticama. Nisam bila sigurna kako ce se konzervativcu kao sto je on dopasti okus zove u kolacima, ali on je rekao da su savrseni! Tortice su mekane i rahle, a kombinacija krem sira i sirupa od zove osvjezavala je i hladila. Vise puta sam pisala da on nije ljubitelj kolaca, tako da se svaki put odusevim ako njega odusevi neki kolac koji sam pravila.

The nature was lovely, and our elderflower picking turned into a leisurely walk through the peaks and valleys of Bjelasnica. I was yet again amazed at the incredible richness of nature's beauty. The same valley will look completely different in a different season, even at the different times of a day. Different flowers bloom, different animals are heard and/or seen (we spotted an eagle!), and sun and the shadows play its own game. There is always, always, something new to be seen.

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Priroda je bila ocekivano divna, i nase branje zove pretvorilo se u opustajucu setnju brdima i dolinama Bjelasnice. Jos jednom me odusevila raskosna ljepota divljine. Jedna ista udolina izgledat ce potpuno drugacije u razlicitim sezonama, cak i u razlicitom dobu dana. Drugaciji cvjetovi ce cvjetati, druge zivotinje se se oglasavati (ovaj put smo vidjeli orla!), a sunce i sjenke vodit ce neku svoju igru. Uvijek, uvijek, moze se vidjeti nesto novo.

This time, it was the smell of freshly cut tall grass and meadows in full bloom, and the sight of villagers working hard in small groups to build haystacks. Everyone smiles, everyone says hello back. We carry our paper bags filled with elderflower heads back to our car, stop many times on the road back to admire the sight of a shepherd, his dog, and several sheep, grazing at the edge of the hill, take in the beauty of the yarrow field, and laugh at a lone donkey moving funny next to a single tree on a steep, green hillside.  

July, we are looking forward to you, again.

Ovaj put, bio je to miris svjeze pokosene visoke trave i livada u punom cvatu, te prizor seljaka koji su napornim radom u malim grupama pravili plastove sijena. Svi se smijese, svi toplo uzvracaju na nase pozdrave. Mi nosimo vrecice napunjene cvjetovima zove natrag do automobila, zaustavljamo se na putu za grad diveci se prizoru pastira, njegovog psa i nekoliko ovaca, koje pasu na samoj ivici brda, uzivamo u bjelini polja kunice, i smijemo se smusenom magarcu koji luta zelenom padinom u blizini usamljenog drveta.

Juli, vec ti se, opet, radujemo.

Elderflower mini cakes (makes 12)

Ingredients

175 g butter (room temperature)

175 g elderflower or regular sugar

175 g plain flour

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

5 tbsp elderflower cordial

1/8 tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Cream together butter and sugar (around 5 minutes if the butter has softened). In a different bowl, gently combine the eggs and the elderflower cordial. Add one tablespoon of flour to the butter and sugar mixture, while mixing on low, and then add the eggs and cordial mixture while mixing constantly. Slowly add the remainder of the flour sifted with the baking powder and salt. Mix until incorporated.

Fill the muffin/cupcake tins about 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cakes are golden on top and they bounce back when touched. Serve dusted with sugar or decorated with icing (recipe follows).

The Icing

Ingredients

110 g softened, unsalted butter

200 g icing sugar

2 tbsp elderflower cordial

50 g cream cheese

Method

Cream butter and icing sugar for around 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and elderflower cordial, and beat by hand until the mixture is incorporated. Decorate the cupcakes.

Tortice sa aromom zove (za 12 tortica)

Sastojci

175 g maslaca (na sobnoj temperaturi)

175 g zovinog ili obicnog secera 

175 g brasna

3 jajeta

1 kasicica praska za pecivo 

5 kasika sirupa od zove 

1/8 kasicice soli

Priprema

Zagrijte pecnicu na 180 C (350 F). Mikserom umutite maslac i secer (oko pet minuta). U odvojenoj zdjeni, lagano rukom umutite jana i sirup. Seceru i maslacu dodajte jednu kasiku brasna, a zatim jaja i sirup,  muteci konstantno. Postepeno dodajite ostakat brasna koje ste prosijali sa praskom i soli. Mijesajte dok se smjesa ne sjedini.

Napunite kalupe za tortice do 2/3 i pecite 18-20 minuta. Tortice ce biti zlatnozute boje i mekane na dodir. Servirajte posuto secerom u prahu ili ukraseno kremom (recept ispod). 

Krema (Icing)

Sastojci

110 g omeksalog, neslanog maslaca

200 g secera u prahu

2 kasike sirupa od zove 

50 g krem sira

Priprema

Mikserom mutite maslac i secer u prahu oko pet minuta, dok smjesa ne postane prozracna i blijedozute boje. Dodajte krem sir i sirup od zove, te mutite dok se smjesa ne sjedini. Ukrasite tortice po zelji.

For the love of crepes

I wanted to take one photo of the crepes that we ate today and post it on our Facebook page, but somehow managed to take enough photos to make it into a post. I am a huge fan of crepes, and even though this is a very basic recipe, what is a food blog without a crepe recipe that works every time, right? 

My favorite little person to make crepes for is my eight year old niece, G., also known as (the self-proclaimed) Master of Sweets. That is because I can hardly pinpoint an individual that enjoys crepes as much as she does (I guess she reminds me of myself at her age). She likes them so much that she comes up with these creative ways to get me to make them, such as preparing a surprise dinner for her mother. We don't know what we're cooking, but we know we're surprising her with crepes for dessert.

Danas sam namjeravala napraviti jednu fotografiju palacinaka za nasu Facebook stranicu, ali sam nekako uspjela napraviti dovoljno fotografija da napisem i post. Palacinci su omiljeno 'slatko' mog djetinjstva. Razmisljala sam da bi bilo dobro da se na ovom blogu nadje i poneki bazicni recept, onaj koji uvijek uspije i za koji znamo da ce se svima dopasti. Stoga pocinjem sa omiljenom poslasticom mojih mladjih dana. 

Najvise volim da pravim palacinke za moju osmogodisnju sestricnu, G., jer ne znam niti jednu drugu osobu koja u njima uziva onako kako se ja prisjecam da sam sama uzivala u njenim godinama. Njena radost je cista i potpuna. S vremena na vrijeme smislja nacine da me nagovori da joj napavim palacinke, npr. predlozi da iznenadimo njenu mamu specijalnom vecerom. Obicno nista na meniju nije definisano, izuzev da ce za dezert biti palacinci. 

Basic Crepe Recipe

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp melted and cooled butter

Method

Using a hand mixer, beat eggs and milk until smooth. Sift together the dry ingredients and beat them in the egg and milk mixture. Mix in melted butter. Let sit in the refrigerator for half and hour (optional).

Fry the batter in a shallow, lightly greased pan over medium heat, until golden brown on both sides. Serve warm with your favorite topping. My absolute favorite part are the crispy edges (it's how my Mom always made them!) but you can use a taller frying pan to get the perfect round ones.

Palacinci

Sastojci

3 jaja

2 mjerice mlijeka 

1 mjerica brasna

1 kasicica secera

1/4 kasicice soli 

2 kasike istopljenog i ohladjenog maslaca 

Priprema

Mikserom umutite jaja i mlijeko dok ne dobijete glatku, svijetlozutu smjesu. Prosijte zajedno suhe sastojke i dodajte ih smjesi jaja i mlijeka, muteci mikserom do glatke smjese. Na kraju umijesajte ohladjeni otopljeni maslac. Ostavite pola sata u frizideru.

Pecite u plitkoj, blago namascenoj tavi na umjerenoj toploti. Servirajte toplo uz svoj omiljeni namaz ili prilog. 

Mulberry and Rainier Cherry Clafoutis

So I stumbled upon some black mulberry at the market, as usual while looking for something completely different. I like it and I know that it is in season. Why not try making something with it, I thought. 

Little did I know what amazing superfruit I had in my bags. Some say its antioxidant properties are unmatched, and it helps with a number of ailments (I learned later). I found a gluten-free clafoutis recipe that I felt does not take away from mulberry's health benefits. It's one of those easy dessert meals that does not leave you feeling guilty. I also used some of the leftover mulberries to make muffins, following this recipe. 

The rest we ate fresh with our hands (my fingertips are still purple).

I don't know about you, but to me mulberry carries the sentiment of the time passed, living in the memories acquired from the stories of those who came before me. In particular, it reminds me of my late grandmother who first let me taste it, holding a bunch of them in her hand. I pried one out, squishing it slightly with my fingers and letting the dark dye run down my little fingers. It was juicy and sweet, and she smiled as she saw the look of approval in my eyes. 

Kao sto to cesto biva, trazeci nesto sasvim drugo na pijaci, na jednoj od tezgi naletjela sam na crni dud. Volim ga jesti (M. bas i ne), a znala sam da je sad u sezoni. Zasto ne bih probala napraviti nesto s njim, mislila sam. 

Dok nisam dosla kuci i obavila pretragu na internetu, nisam znala za brojna hranjiva svojstva duda. Neki kazu da je dud medju ostalim vockama najbogatiji antioksidantima. Imala sam recept za clafoutis bez glutena, i sve sastojke za desert poslije kojeg vas ne grize savjest. Koristeci ovaj recept, od duda sam napravila i ukusne muffins. 

Ostatak duda smo pojeli svjezeg (moji prsti su vec drugi dan ljubicaste boje).  

Ne znam za vas, ali za mene dud nosi miris nekog davno proslog vremena, koje i poznajem samo indirektno, iz prica onih koji su dosli prije mene. Sjecam se kad sam ga probala prvi put, probirajuci jedan plod od njih nekoliko sa rasirenog dlana moje nene. Njeznu ovojnicu sam pregrubo stisnula, a ljubicasta boja se razlila po mojim djecijim prstima. Bio je socan i slatkog okusa. Nena se nasmijesila na pogled odobravanja koji sam joj uputila.

Mulberry and Rainer Cherry Clafoutis (gluten-free)
Inspired by Cannelle et Vanille

Ingredients

1 cup wild mulberries
1 cup pitted, halved Rainer cherries (other kinds will also work)
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup cornstarch
pinch salt
5 tbsp pistachio meal (plus 1 tbsp chopped raw pistachios)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1/4 tbsp butter for brushing the baking dish

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Butter the baking dish, coating the sides also.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together honey, vanilla beans, and eggs. Add the cornstarch and whisk until incorporated. Add pistachio meal, chopped pistachios, salt, and milk, and stir until combined.

Pour into the buttered pan, and arrange mulberries and halved cherries on top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Serve warm, dusted with confectioners' sugar.



Clafoutis sa divljim dudom i bijelim tresnjama (bez glutena)
Prilagodjeno sa Cannelle et Vanille

Sastojci

1 mjerica/casa/235 ml divljeg duda 
1 mjerica/casa bijelih tresanja (moze i neka druga vrsta) 
1/2 mjerice meda
1/2 mjerice gustina
1/8 kasicice soli
5 kasika mljevenih svjezih pistacija (plus 1 kasika nasitnjenih svjezih pistacija) 
3/4 mjerice mlijeka
1/2 stapica vanilije (sjemenke)
1/4 kasika maslaca za premastiti posudu za pecenje 
Priprema

Zagrijte pecnicu na 180 C (350 F). Maslacem premazite posudu za pecenje (dno i unutrasnje strane).

U posudi srednje velicine, rucno umutite jaja, med, i zrna vanilije. Dodajte gustin i mijesajte dok se grudvice gustina ne umute. Dodajte mljevene pistacije, nasitnjene pistacije, sol i mlijeko, i umutite.

Uspite u posudu za pecenje a po vrhu rasporedite dud i polovice tresanja. Pecite oko 25 minuta, ili dok ivice clafoutisa ne dobiju zlatnu boju. Servirajte toplo, posuto secerom u prahu.