Bell Pepper Rolls--For Party Dinners

Bell peppers, like tomatoes, can be turned almost into any dish. I have always liked their strong aroma and taste, but I love them even more since I learned years ago that they can be roasted and peeled off. Bulgarians use so much of pepper prepared this way that they invented a special clay pot to make the process of peeling easier. I just broil them in my oven and then peel them off easily.

Pepper-based dishes can enrich any menu, as starters, side dishes, or main dishes by themselves. In the past years I have been cooking and experimenting with roasted peppers a lot. I stuffed, fried, marinated, and pureed them. I also made many roasted pepper-based dishes--a soup, pasta, a tart, and preserves.

Some time ago, inspired by the Bulgarian cuisine where pepper is often paired with Feta cheese, I made slices of pepper rolled with goat cheese and prosciutto. It was an experiment based on the idea "whatever you have in your fridge" when I had unexpected guests coming and no time to do additional shopping. This combination happened to be excellent--the softness and sweetness of roasted peppers, delicate sourness of the goat cheese, and and the smoky taste of prosciutto turned this simple dish into an attractive dinner starter.

It became one of my most popular starters, I prepared it already several times for many of my guests. It tastes and looks great taste and also can be made a day or two ahead. Two of my French friends, ladies who are excellent cooks themselves, asked me to share this recipe. Since a party season is approaching, I thought this was a good time to post this recipe, as some may want to look it up searching for an idea to make a dinner more festive.

I served those pepper rolls with caper fruits, fresh parsley sauce, and a freshly baked ficelle.

Bell Pepper Rolls
(Serves six)

Ingredients:
4 red peppers,
8-10 slices slices prosciutto or Serrano ham,
a log of goat cheese, about 8 oz, room temperature (this is important, as it can be spread more easily without tearing the soft peppers),
marinated caper fruits or capers to decorate,

For the parsley sauce:
1/2 cup of fresh, chopped parsley (can be either Italian or curly),
2 tbsp lemon juice,
1/4 cup olive oil,
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. Put whole or half peppers on a cookie sheet in an oven (on the highest rack) and set it for broiling at 400F. Let them broil until the skin on top is blackened and even partially charred. If you broil whole peppers, they should be turned once upside down.

2. Remove the peppers from the oven and place them all in a large container. Cover it with a lid and let the peppers cool down completely.
3. Take the peppers out of the container, remove seeds, and (using a small pairing knife) peel off the skin.
4. Cut each pepper in four and lay on the cutting board.

5. First, spread a slice of goat cheese on each piece evenly, season with ground black pepper, and put a slice of prosciutto on top and roll up.

6. Put pepper rolls in a refrigerator and let them chill for at least half an hour to set.

7. To make a parsley sauce put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until they make a smooth sauce.

Drizzle the rolls gently with the parsley sauce, decorate with caper fruits, and serve.

Ukrainian Borshch--and the Bean Factor

This is probably the most popular soup in my home. And it is also one of the dishes that all the foreigners who traveled to Poland tried and keep asking for. Simply because it is unique.

Although the name suggests that it comes from Ukraine, since there was a time in our history, when borders were moving back and forth and Ukraine and Poland were parts of one kingdom, we consider this borshch Polish and it has been in our national menu for ages.

Yesterday, I was invited by an Ukrainian friend to cook an Ukrainian borshch together. I could not be more excited. I was anxious to find out what Polish and Ukrainians make under the same name.

We cooked two versions of the same borshch. One was based on a beef stock, the other was vegetarian. My grandmother used to cook a meat (pork) version of it, while my mother did mostly a vegetarian borshch. These days, I also make a vegetarian borshch, as it is always safe to serve it to friends in such diverse environment where some don't eat beef, others don't eat pork, and some don't eat meat at all. Luckily, this soup is rich enough to be very satisfying just in its purely vegetarian version and often it was served as an Eintopf; however, especially when it was made with meat. Ukrainians serve it with a special bread which is topped with garlic and oil. In Poland we add garlic directly to the soup.

As we peeled, cut, and cooked all the ingredients there was almost no difference in preparation. Svitlana made the most traditional version of the soup based on beets, carrots ,onion, potatoes, cabbage, and tomato paste. However there was one difference in how she made it and how we make it. In Poland we always add beans to the soup. During summer months it is usually green or yellow string beans, or even better a wax bean. It does not take long to cook such soup made with very fresh vegetables and can be served when the vegetables are still on the crispy side, and especially when beans and cabbage are still al dente. In winter we use white cannellini beans, and cook the borshch longer, until all the ingredients are soft. Since beans make this soup very fulfilling, we usually do not serve it with bread.

Ukrainian Borshch (Polish Version)
(Serves six)

Ingredients:
2 medium beets,
4 medium carrots,
a small piece (about 1/8) of a celery root or two celery stalks,
3 medium white potatoes,
1 medium onion,
3 garlic cloves,
about 1/4 of a small white cabbage,
1/2 lb of preferably wax beans or yellow or green string beans, or one 14 oz can of white cannellini beans,
1/2 cup of tomato paste or 2 tbsp tomato concentrate,
1/2 cup of crème fraiche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt,
fresh chopped dill or parsley,
1 bay leaf,
3 grains all spice,
salt and pepper.

Preparation:
1. In a large pot put about a gallon of water, add bay leaf and all spice and bring to boil.
2. Peel the onion, chop it, and add to the boiling water. Let it boil for about 5 minutes.
3. Peel the carrots, potatoes, and beets. Cut carrot into thin slices, potatoes into small cubes, and beets into small sticks.

You can also grate carrots and beets (but not the potatoes) on a large hole grater or use a food processor with grater blade.

4. Add beets, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for about 20 minutes, until almost soft. If you grated the vegetables they will cook faster.
5. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Shred cabbage and add to the boiling soup together with fresh beans if you use them. Let it cook for about 10-15 minutes.
7. The last step is to season the soup with salt and freshly grated pepper and add tomato paste or concentrate. If you make this soup with white beans, rinse them under the running water, and add just before the tomato concentrate. Toss in chopped garlic and let it boil for about 3 minutes to infuse all the flavors together.

Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraiche on top, and sprinkle with dill or parsley.

Potato Pancakes--Polish Classic

Fall potatoes taste best, and in Poland this is the time when we start making all kinds of potato dishes. At least we used to, so I can easily name probably twenty or even more dishes featuring potatoes as their main ingredient. And I would probably call them, next to soups, our comfort food.

Last couple of years, about once in two weeks my kitchen is overtaken by potatoes pancakes, a pillar of Polish cuisine. Luckily, my sons love them, so at least on those days I can make the same dinner for both of them. They like it probably because they remind them pizza, especially when they are crispy and eaten, as they do, with ketchup.

At the same time, I should admit that until last year I have never made those pancakes myself. So far, I was always able to rely on my mother's talent when she was visiting. Not only I considered them too basic and too ordinary to make, but also when I put her in charge she felt appreciated and needed. Besides, Polish potato pancakes were literally very painful to make. Unlike the Jewish latkes, they were grated on a a very fine grater, and often times together with the outer layer of the fingers. Just recently, I adapted a very handy shortcut and started to puree raw potatoes in a food processor with a knife blade.

Because of that invention and since I make them pretty regularly for kids, I decided it is time to share this recipe. I know that every Polish cook has her or his own special recipe for potato pancakes. Also, almost each region of Poland prepares and serves them a bit differently.

My grandmother served potato pancakes with sugar, which is probably the most popular way, and sour cream on top. But later my mother started to make them only in a savory way, by adding onion to the batter and different spices. I like them them this way better and this is how my kids like them as well. Those who wish to try the most traditional version of pancakes and serve them with sugar (and cream), should omit onion and herbs in the preparation.

Potato Pancakes
(Makes 16-20 pancakes or 4 servings)

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes--baking potatoes would be best, or any other type which is starchy and not watery,
1 large egg,
1 onion,
2 tbsp all purpose flour,
1 tbsp salt,
1/2 tsp black pepper,
mix of herbs--1/4 tsp of each--paprika, dried marjoram, ground coriander, ground caraway, and ground mustard seeds (addition of herbs is optional)
vegetable oil (grape seed or rice bran oil) for frying.

Preparation:
1. Peel, wash, and dry potatoes. Cut them in small cubes and place in food processor with a knife blade. First, pulse the blender to make smaller pieces, and later run until potatoes become puree.
2. Peel onion and chop it. Add it to the food processor and run the engine a couple of times together with the potatoes.
3. Transfer the potato batter to the large bowl. If there is an extra liquid from potatoes on the surface, try to collect it with a spoon and discard.
4. Add a whole egg, flour, salt pepper, and spices if used.

5. Using wooden spoon or spatula blend well all the ingredients.

6. Preheat a large frying pan with 2 tbsp of oil until very hot. Place about a spoon of potato mixture next to each other and flatten on the top.
7. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until the pancakes become dark gold. Repeat with adding oil before each batch.

Serve warm plain, or the American way (i.e., how my kids like them with ketchup on top), or

with yogurt sauce (yogurt, garlic salt, and pepper), or

with mushroom sauce, and cucumbers in brine or cornichons.