Tag: salads

Potato Skins. Kartulikoored

kartulikoored1 (19)

Estonians are the singing nation. We regained independence without any bloodshed only by singing…

The Singing Revolution lasted over 4 years and In 1990 Estonians promised to eat even potato peelings in name of independent state.

In order to handle the deficit, in 1990 the government  established a rationing system. This meant that for buying a product in a shop one had to produce not just a bank-note – the rouble – but also a special coupon. The coupon was actually a simple piece of paper cut out from a printed A4 sheet. These coupons were distributed to households according to the number of family members.
1991, 20th of august we got freedom and independent state. Few months later were stores full of different goods and food.  Would be only money for that 🙂

But, we still like potato skins, because of delicious taste 🙂

Celebrate with us 🙂
Continue reading “Potato Skins. Kartulikoored” →

Freshly Salted Cucumbers. Estonian Salt pickles. Värsked soolakurgid

soolakurk 1(2)You can find from my blog already few recipes how to make freshly salted cucumbers.

For example this recipe or this.

And now, one more recipe. You need salt and garlic and a little bit of time to get  very delicious solution,

Black currant leaves and horse-radish leaves and root are necessary to get the  perfect Estonian taste.
Where to use ? Eat as appetizer or with sandwich. Or cook seljanka, Kurzeme stroganoff or Rassolnik.

 

 

 

Continue reading “Freshly Salted Cucumbers. Estonian Salt pickles. Värsked soolakurgid” →

Cottage Cheese and Potato Salad. Kodujuustu ja kartulisalat

kodujuust (1)
cottage cheese

Interesting fact: In Estonia, cottage cheese began to be produced in order to meet the cheese production plan set by Moscow to the USSR. The National Planning Committee of the USSR almost doubled the cheese production of the Estonian SSR for the five-year plan, So, this is the reason why Estonia began to produce cottage cheese which was reported as cheese in the reports 🙂kogujuustukartulisalat (14)

But still. There is nothing better than fresh new potatoes with little bit salty cottage cheese.
I believe I am not wrong to say that this is a typical Estonian summer dish. Potatoes and cottage cheese and sometimes with herring. Continue reading “Cottage Cheese and Potato Salad. Kodujuustu ja kartulisalat” →

Crispy Vegetable Stripes Salad. Ribasalat köögiviljadest

ribasalat1 (3)Did you know.

Carrot came from Afganistan and original carrot was purple. Orange carrots came later.

I love this easy salad because of how it looks like. Beautiful colors. Fresh vegetables are crunchy and crispy and using stripes make this simpler to eat.
Definitely you can add more different vegetables and combine with dressing and flavours.
Continue reading “Crispy Vegetable Stripes Salad. Ribasalat köögiviljadest” →

Buckwheat Salad. Tatrasalat

One more recipe about ” what to do with boiled buckwheat”.

I love buckwheat and in my opinion, it is goes with everything. This is one possible combination

boiled buckwheat
red onion
pickled cucumber
boiled beetroot
tatrasalat 1(6)
You can serve this with oil- acid sauce, but I like more mayonnaise- sour cream (smetana/creme fraiche) sauce. It makes salad more creamy and nutritious
tatrasalat 1(2)

Old-school Cabbage-Carrot Salad. Kapsa- porgandisalat.

porgkapsasalat (1)
Old School Cabbage Carrot Salad http://www.estoniancuisine.com

In 1988-1992 I have been studied in university (this time university last 5 years).  This was very complicated and messy time.
Of course, students are always poor and has complicated life 🙂 But this time in Estonia took place changes.

We have been more than 40 years occupied by soviet union, all this period were lack of food products, deficit. Most of milk and meat and butter,  produced in Estonia,  were sent to the Russia.
But in the beginning of 90-s, was situation very bad. This was not only deficit, but to get any milk, butter, flour, sugar, semolina…. and so one, you must have a special coupon.

 

 

 

porgkapsasalat (5)
Old School Cabbage Carrot Salad http://www.estoniancuisine.com

today is very cool to be vegan, This time we have to be vegans…we fryed potatoes using water, and this salad was one of the main dish. Vegetables were something, what we had….. Because most of the Estonians had and have some land in country or country grandmothers.
Continue reading “Old-school Cabbage-Carrot Salad. Kapsa- porgandisalat.” →

Simple Mushroom salad

seenesalat1 (2)

I used in headline word “mushroom”. But in Estonia, when we are talking about mushrooms, we mean forest and/or wild mushrooms: milk mushrooms, russulas, chanterelle….

As Estonia has an abundance of forest, we like to pick berries and mushrooms.

For winter mushrooms are  marinated, or salted or fermented. Or dried.
But the easiest way to freeze.  Heat the mushrooms in a skillet until water has evaporated and add butter. Pour mixture into boxes and freeze over winter.

In this photo and recipe I used marinated russulales.( it is very complicated to find english translation, but it seems to be  false saffron milkcap)

293079_487757724581438_773509521_nIMAG0461Marineeritud riisikad

 

Simple Mushroom Salad

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A light snack.

Ingredients

  • 300 g mushrooms
  • 2 (red) onion, chopped
  • 150 g sour cream

Continue reading “Simple Mushroom salad” →

Old School Tomato and Onion Salad

My three-year old nephew: I want to draw

I: of course. I am looking for paper and pencils

Child`s mother: Mmmm… he wants a tablet…:) 🙂

In ancient times, when drawing meant paper and colours… 🙂 we cooked for winter-time lot of preserves. This is one very old recipe.

Now, when tomatoes are available during year, now need for preserves. Cook just a delicious salad.

recipe by Milvi
1 kg tomatoes, sliced
300 g onion, sliced
5-6 cloves
1 teaspoon grounded pepper
2 tablespoon 30% vinegar
salt
3 tablespoon butter
1/2 glass sugar

Melt butter, add sugar and stew onion half-ready, add tomatoes and seasoning.
Add vinegar. Do not boil. Taste.
Continue reading “Old School Tomato and Onion Salad” →

1 Hour Simple Brined Cucumbers in Plastic Bag. Estonian Salt pickles. Kiirsoolakurgid.

I believe that each Estonian has own recipe what to do with cucumbers. I already shared one recipe and I will share them more.  But if you have not time and you need brine cucumbers as soon as possible. This is one option.

Simple Salted Cucumbers

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Print

kilekurk (5)
Brined Cucumbers in Plastic Bag

Continue reading “1 Hour Simple Brined Cucumbers in Plastic Bag. Estonian Salt pickles. Kiirsoolakurgid.” →

Rhubarb and Onion Sauce

How to get married?
• On a Midsummer night pick the nine different flowers and put the bouquet under your pillow. Man, you are dreaming of, will be your future husband
• On a Midsummer night go to the sauna and whisk the nice boys. A Sticking birch leaf shows your future husband
• Wash yourself with Midsummer morning dew, it makes you beautiful
• If you can find a fern’s blossom on a Midsummer night, you will be rich and become able to understand animal languages.

So, if you are rich and beautiful and able to speak with everyone, you are will definitely get married 🙂

Jaaniõhtu (Midsummer Eve – 23 June) and Jaanipäev (Midsummer Day, St John’s Day – 24 June) are the most important holidays in the Estonian calendar.

Jaanipäev is summer solstice and we say ” sun do not go down”.
In Estonian fairy tales and literature, there is a tale of two lovers, Koit (dawn) and Hämarik (dusk). These two lovers see each other only once a year and exchange the briefest of kisses on the shortest night of the year. Earth-bound lovers go into the forest looking for the “flower of the fern” which is said to bloom only on that night.

Continue reading “Rhubarb and Onion Sauce” →