641.56(497.4)(083.12) - slovenian-presidency.consilium

Recipes: s. Nikolina RopForeword: Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj

Editor: Manica FerencTranslation: Peter Szabo

Design: Andreja Jež, HumanistPhotography: Mateja Jordović Potočnik

Preparation of food: Chef Uroš Štefelin, Vila PodvinLjubljana 2021

Selection of Recipes by Sister Nikolina Rop (Ljubljana : Družina, 2013)

Copyright © Družina d.o.o., 2021. All rights reserved.

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CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 641.56(497.4)(083.12) ROP, Nikolina The Slovenian presidency recipe book / [recipes Nikolina Rop ; foreword Janez Bogataj ; translation Peter Szabo ; photography Mateja Jordović Potočnik]. - Ljubljana : Government Communication Office, Republic of Slovenia, 2021 ISBN 978-961-6435-65-9 COBISS.SI-ID 64036867

SOUPS AND STEWS 6 Plum soup 7

Bean soup 8

Clear beef broth 9

Barley stew 10

Karst-style jota 11

Creamy mushroom soup 12

Rabbit stew 13

Wheat-flour soup in water or

milk 14

Liver dumplings in bone broth 15

SIDE DISHES 16Buckwheat kasha with

mushrooms 17

Buckwheat žganci

with potatoes 18

Sautéed grated groats 19

Omelette 20

Mushroom risotto 21

Potato žganci 22

Bread dumplings 23

Stuffed potato halves 24

Fried bread 25

Oven-baked potatoes 26

Sautéed Potatoes 27

Curd-cheese dumplings 28

Curd-cheese štruklji 29

Horseradish with sour cream 30

Courgette roll 31

Breadcrumb dumplings 32

MEAT AND FISH 33Gorenjska prata 34

Idrija-style žlikrofi

with mutton ragout 35

Matevž with ribs 36

Whole stuffed chicken 37

Podvin barley kasha 38

Veal stew 39

Roast veal 40

Pork chops in sauce 41

Stuffed squid 42

Fried fish 43

VEGETABLES 44Chards and potatoes 45

Sautéed red cabbage 46

Sauerkraut with potatoes 47

Kohlrabi in sauce 48

Cucumbers with sour cream

and potatoes 49

Stuffed courgettes 50

Leek and potato gratin 51

Cabbage pasta 52

SALADS 53Asparagus salad 54

Boiled beef salad 55

Dandelion salad 56

Cabbage salad with bacon 57

DESSERTS 58Homemade yoghurt 59

Apple strudel 60

Honey bread 61

Curd-cheese crêpes 62

Pohorje omelette 63

Sweet polenta 64

Potica 65

Prekmurska gibanica 67

Elderflower cordial 68

Blueberry liqueur 69

BREAD 70Bela krajina flat bread 71

Crackling potica 72

Fruit bread 73

Contents

TASTE SLOVENIA

Slovenia is the only land where the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain and the Balkans meet. It is this crossroads that has influenced and continues to influence many centuries-old and modern forms of development in the fields of economic endeavour, social relations, and creativity in art and humanities. The meeting of the diverse geographic areas is not only perceived in the landscape, but in all areas of human effort and creativity, including the development of food culture or gastronomy and cuisine. Chroniclers and travel writers have often reported in wonder about everything this part of the European space has to offer in terms of nutrition. One of them was certainly polyhistorian Janez Vajkard Valvasor (1641–1693) in the second half of the 17th century, who wrote at the time that the people had practically everything they needed for preparing everyday and festive meals: grains in the fields, milk and dairy produce, fish in rivers and lakes, including the Adriatic Sea and the Danube, fruit, honey, vines and wine, forest fruits, and game…, including dormice and crabs. The latter were transported in wooden crates, covered in nettle leaves, to be sold in faraway markets. Important innovations in nutrition were provided by numerous monasteries, which chose the nature of Slovenia and its creative silence as their home.

Diversity as Wealth

The professional development of the art of cuisine and gastronomy in Slovenia began at the end of the 18th century, when in 1799 Valentin Vodnik (1758–1819) published his Cookbooks. It was the first cookbook in the Slovenian language, marking the beginning of a successful series of literature published to this day. With the book, Vodnik proved that he was able to express almost all culinary concepts in the Slovene language, which means that the territory of Slovenia was equally developed in the art of cuisine as other leading culinary and gastronomic areas and countries in Europe.

The next important milestone in the development of culinary knowledge was the famous Slovenian Cook, a work by Magdalena Knafelj Pleiweis (1815–1890). The book was published in 1868 and has undergone numerous reprints with additions. The sixth supplemented and revised edition was published in 1912 at the hands of Felicita Kalinšek (1865–1937), a school nurse and teacher of home economics at the Collegium Marianum in Maribor. Ever since, the book—with all its subsequent editions—has been referred to briefly as ‘the Kalinšek’. To date, there have been numerous editions and reprints for a total circulation of over 250,000 copies, making the book one of the major Slovenian bestsellers. The culinary heritage of Felicita Kalinšek was continued by the school sisters Izabela Regina Gosak, Vendelina Marija Ilc, Salvatora Klun, Bernarda Gostečnik and Nikolina Rop, who is also the co-author of this book together with the first master chef Uroš Štefelin. Sister Nikolina Rop comes from a family of nine from Lenart in Slovenske gorice and graduated from the Secondary School of Home Economics in Šentrupert near Velikovac in Austria. After joining the order of the School Sisters of St. Francis, she graduated from medical high school. She has been passing on her rich culinary knowledge ever since; first in Repnje near Vodice and then in Brezje, and is still teaching. The doors of her classroom and kitchen have been open to many generations who have acquired and are learning the basics and specialising in culinary arts.

Since the 19th century, the art of cuisine has been divulged through books, in schools and various cooking courses. In 1884, a School of Home Economics was founded in Maribor. By the beginning of the First World War, there were already 15 schools of home economics in Slovenia. In the school year 1888/89, the Ljubljana Ursulines started a home economics school, which continued its work in the 20th century and gained great reputation. Girls from wealthy peasant families were the ones most often sent to the school. In 1909, the Ursulines founded a School of Home Economics in Idrija. The School of Home Economics of the Agricultural Society was established at the Collegium Marianum in Ljubljana. School sisters started teaching housekeeping in Tomaj na Krasu in 1898. This school was also considered excellent and provided knowledge mainly to students from the wider Primorska region. The skills acquired in this school have in many ways changed the food culture and the composition of the meals of the peasant population in the Primorska region. Until World War Two, the Agricultural School in Šentjur near Celje (1909), the School of Catering in Celje (1923), Vrhnika (1908), the Regional Agricultural School in Repnje pri Vodicah (1909) and the Catering School in Maribor (1926) continued to provide courses in the art of cuisine. The Mladika School of Home Economics was providing teaching in Ljubljana in five-month courses, first, and then from 1914 as a one-year course of home economics. Further knowledge was also provided in yearly cooking courses. Most of them were organised in Ljubljana. The relatively good culinary education provided between the two world wars continued after the end of World War Two, when the Secondary School of Catering in Ljubljana began its excellent courses in school year 1945/46. At the time, it was the only such school in the whole of Yugoslavia. Somewhat later, schools in other Slovenian towns, such as Maribor, Celje, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenske Konjice, Novo mesto, Radovljica, Izola, etc. began to teach home economics, as well.

The next important milestone in the development of Slovenian cuisine and gastronomy is 2006 with the drafting of the Slovenian Gastronomy Strategy. It was a national plan of development and guidance in the fields of education, food heritage, promotion, culinary events, and other areas relevant to the development of the art of cuisine in Slovenia, allowing it to step out of its previous anonymity. In the research done in preparation of the strategy, experts divided Slovenia into 24 gastronomic regions and selected over 430 typical and basic produce, dishes, and beverages from each region. A gastronomic pyramid was thus defined, and a selection of local and regional products, dishes and beverages were set as a guideline for the recognition and promotion of Slovenian cuisine. In 2021, the year of Slovenia’s presidency of the European Union, Slovenia became a full member of a new network, the European Regions of Gastronomy. Local and regional collective brands are being developed in Slovenia with considerable success and typical products, dishes, and beverages, as well as dishes served in catering, are well promoted at culinary events. Twelve brands are already being successfully promoted and new regions and municipalities are applying to join. All these efforts, along with a range of others, are aimed at modernising the rich heritage of taste, with an eye on sustainable development and attention to using seasonal produce. The basic mission of all these efforts, however, is to get acquainted with everyday life and holidays of the inhabitants of modern Slovenia through individual dishes and meals, or as the old tenet says: We eat to live and not only live to eat!

Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj

SOUPS AND STEWS

7 / The Slovenian Presidency Recipe Book

Plum soup

1.5 kg prunes or stoned plums1.5 l water1 l milk250 ml milletsalt

Boil the prunes or the plums until soft. Cook the millet on low heat in milk for half an hour. Make sure the millet is cooked tender but not overcooked. Salt to taste and stir in the boiled prunes or plums.


Bean soup

250 ml dry beans 150 g smoked meat100 g onions2 tbsp oil 2 potatoesa bay leafmarjoramsalt ground caraway seeds2 tbsp tomato sauce parsley

Bring the soaked beans and the meat to a boil. Salt when it starts boiling. Roughly dice the potatoes and boil them in a separate pot. Drain the cooked potatoes and keep the cooking water. Mash the potatoes and season with finely chopped sautéed onion, add the tomato sauce, and pour in the cooking water. Stir well and add to the cooked beans. Slice the meat. Season the soup with marjoram and caraway seeds. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top before serving. You can make the soup thicker, if you wish, by adding less cooking water.


Clear beef broth

600 g stewing beef with bones 1.5 l watersoup vegetables: 80 g carrots40 g celery40 g parsley 1 onion 2 garlic cloves 5 pepper grains a bay leaf a piece of veal liver 1 tomato saltsaffron

Use the following cuts: rump, sirloin, flank, ribs, neck, chuck roll, etc. Put the meat in cold water and bring it slowly to a boil so that the proteins turn slowly, and more juice passes from the meat to the water. If you wish to keep the taste of the meat, put it in boiling water. The juices will stay in the fibres, making the meat tastier, but making the broth weaker. Let the broth simmer with a lid on, so it keeps most of its fragrances. You do not have to remove the brownish foam from the surface, because these proteins will dissolve over time and make the broth clearer. Once it begins to boil, add the liver, the soup vegetables, sautéed onions, garlic, spices, and salt. Add the tomato towards the end. Soak a pinch of saffron in some boiling water, mix and pour it into the broth. Let the broth simmer for up to two hours. Once cooked, set aside, and let it cool and clear. Strain and serve with freshly chopped parsley. You can also make the broth the day before serving.Tip: Soup vegetables are carrots, celery root and parsley, which are only used to add taste to the broth. The taste should be harmonious without any of the fragrances standing out. Saffron, as well as a half or a whole tomato, add colour to the beef broth.


Barley stew

150 ml barley 1.5 l water or beef broth1 Carniolan sausage 1 carrot1 potato1 onion1 parsley root 1 piece of celery root cabbage core 1 handful of sliced green beans1 handful of peas paprika 1 tomato2 tbsp finely chopped onion a bay leaf crushed garlic parsley salt

Soak the barley overnight, then bring it to a boil. Drain the water and pour some fresh water or beef-bone broth. Add the finely chopped or grated vegetables, a bay leaf, and the Carniolan sausage. Let it simmer for up to one hour and a half until the barley and vegetables are tender. By the end of the cooking, cut the sausage into pieces and add it to the stew. Add the sautéed onion and the crushed garlic. Before serving, sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top.

Tip: If you cook the barley with a sausage or a knuckle, you can leave out the sautéed onion. If you cooked the barley with vegetables alone, then it is better to add some sautéed onion.


Karst-style jota

500 g potatoes 750 g sour turnip 5 tbsp cracklings 2 tbsp brown sauce salt

Cook the peeled potatoes in salty water and mash them, then add hot cracklings and some cooking water. Add drained sour turnip and, if you wish, some brown sauce for more taste. Serve with bread.Tip: Wash the sour turnip in plenty of water before adding it to the dish, so it will not be too sour.


Creamy mushroom soup

200 g potatoes1½ l watersalt1-2 tbsp oil

Mushroom base:250 g fresh mushrooms70 g onions10 g garlicmarjoramsummer savory100 ml sour creampotato cooking water

Clean and slice the mushrooms, then sauté them with the onions and the garlic. Add some water and the spices. When the mushrooms are tender, whiz them with a stick blender and stir in the sour cream and a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Peel and dice the potatoes, salt to taste and boil in water. Drain the potatoes and keep the cooking water. Season with oil and pour some of the cooking water on top. Stir the mushroom base into the potato mush. Let the soup boil for five minutes. Serve with bread croutons or rye bread.


Rabbit stew

2 tbsp oil 3 tbsp finely chopped onion300 g rabbit meat in pieces 40 g flour Soup vegetables (carrots,

parsley root, celery root)1 lemona bay leafrosemary salt 1 to 2 tbsp wine

Sear the meat on hot oil with the onion. When the juice from the meat is reduced, add the diced soup vegetables, dust with some flour and cover with a litre and half of water. Salt the stew, add the bay leaf, a slice of a lemon and rosemary. Let it simmer for ½ hour until the meat is tender. If you wish, you may add pasta squares, crushed semolina, Spätzle etc. Add vinegar to taste and finely chopped parsley before serving.


Wheat-flour soup in water or milk

2 l chicken stock14 g flour1 (small) eggchives or parsley

Sift the flour into a bowl, add the egg and roughly combine with your hands. Bring the stock to a boil and add the rough dough until it dissolves. Let it boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Before serving, add some finely chopped chives or parsley. Tip: You can also use milk with a pinch of salt instead of the chicken stock. Another idea is to add sugar to the milk and then serve with chocolate powder.


Liver dumplings in bone broth

30 g butter1 tbsp oil 2 tbsp finely chopped onion2 eggs100 g liver3 tbsp breadcrumbs 1 tbsp floura pinch of marjoram pepperparsleysalt

Sauté the onion on oil then add to a bowl with the butter and stir well. Add, one by one, first the eggs, then the blended liver, the breadcrumbs, and the herbs, then pepper to taste. Add the flower and stir with the whisk. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes and then cook the dumplings in boiling broth by shaping them with a tablespoon. Let them simmer with the lid on for 10 - 15 minutes.

SIDE DISHES


Buckwheat kasha with mushrooms

250 ml buckwheat groats500 ml vegetable brotha bay leaf300 g fresh mushrooms2 tbsp fat2 tbsp finely chopped onion3 garlic clovessaltpepperparsley

Rinse the buckwheat groats, drain, and pour into a pot, then cover with hot vegetable broth. Add a bay leaf and salt to taste. Cook on medium heat for not more than half an hour. Let it slowly simmer. Sauté the onion on oil or butter until golden brown, then add the washed mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the water evaporates. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve the mushrooms over the kasha.Tip: Serve the kasha with roasts or dishes with cabbage or sauerkraut.


Buckwheat žganci with potatoes

350 g buckwheat flour 300 g potatoes 1 l boiling salted water80 g bacon, cracklings,

or lard

Peel and wash the potatoes, dice them, and cook in boiling salted water. Halfway through the cooking (ten minutes) add all the sifted buckwheat flour at once, cover with a lid and cook for another ten minutes. Make a hole in the dough with the handle of your wooden spoon, put the lid back on and cook for another ten minutes. Pour the water away, reserving some of it. Stir a part of the hot liaison into the mix to make it well moist. If needed add some more water. Crumble the dough with a fork and dress with the finely chopped fried bacon, lard, or crackling. The procedure is the same even if you do not use potatoes.


Sautéed grated groats

250 ml flour1 egg1 tbsp butter1 vegetable stock cube100 ml peas500 ml vegetable broth or

watersalt2 tbsp parmesan

Knead the flour and the eggs into a smooth and strong pasta dough, then grated it on a towel. Let it dry a little and then fry it on hot butter until golden brown. Cook the peas halfway, then add them to the groats and cover with water or vegetable broth. Salt to taste, stir and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly ground parmesan before serving.


Omelette

1 cup dandelion flowers1 cup white flour2 eggssalt to tastemilk as needed 2 tbsp lard, butter, or olive oil

Cut the closed dandelion flower buds in half and tip into some milk. Add the flour, eggs, salt, and enough milk to get a runny, smooth mixture. Pour the batter into a hot greased pan and fry on both sides. Serve with a chicory salad.


Mushroom risotto

50 g fat 80 g onions 300 g porcini or other

mushrooms 300 ml rice 3 garlic clovessalt500 - 600 ml vegetable broth

or water 30 g parmesan parsley

Sauté the finely chopped onion until golden brown then add the finely sliced mushrooms. Sear the mushrooms, then add the rinsed and well-drained rice and the garlic. Salt to taste, cover with vegetable broth or boiling water and let it simmer. Be careful not to overcook the rice. There is no way to guess the exact amount of water, since it depends on the type of rice and the variety of the mushrooms. Serve the risotto and dust with freshly ground parmesan and finely chopped parsley.


Potato žganci

300 g potatoes1.5/2 l watersalt400 g wheat flour100 g lard or crackling

Slice the peeled potatoes, cover with water, salt to taste and boil halfway through. Add the flour and let simmer for 15 minutes. Drain roughly half of the cooking water but keep it for later. Sauté the žganci while stirring and keep adding the cooking water, if needed. Make them dry or moist to your liking. Once the flour is well mixed with the potatoes, stir in the hot lard or crackling. Cover the žganci and leave them in a warm place or serve immediately with any dressing: cracklings, smoked lard with cracklings (zaseka), sour cream or hot zaseka.


Bread dumplings

300 g white bread 2 tbsp oil 1 finely chopped onion 50 g smoked bacon100-200 ml milk3 eggssaltparsley50 g flour liaison

Dice the bread and mix with the sautéed onion (or finely chopped smoked bacon). Sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Mix the eggs with the milk, salt to taste and pour over the bread. Stir well and let it rest for half an hour so that the bread gets soaked through and through. Dust with the flour, wet your hands and form the dumplings. Boil them in boiling salted water for 10 - 15 minutes. Dress to taste and serve. Tip: Shape the dough on a kitchen towel into a roll, wrap it in the towel, tie the edges with a string and boil in boiling salted water for 20 -25 minutes. Take the cooked dough out of the napkin, cut into pieces and dress with butter or cracklings.


Stuffed potato halves

6 equal-size potatoes salt

Filling:2 tbsp curd cheesesalt2 tbsp finely chopped ham1 tbsp sour cream 3 garlic clovespepperparsley6 thin slices of cheese

Wash the potatoes well and boil the unpeeled spuds for 8 minutes in salted water. Drain the potatoes and let them cool down a bit, then cut lengthwise into halves. Carve out the centres with a spoon and mix the flesh with the other ingredients for the filling. Place the potato halves on a tray, put a generous amount of filling into each hole and cover with a slice of cheese. Bake at 200°C for around 10 minutes.


Fried bread

10 slices of white breadmilk1 tbsp sugar3 eggsfrying oil

Quickly soak the bread slices in salted milk and put them in a bowl. The slices should keep their shape. Whisk the eggs in a larger bowl. Soak the slices in the eggs and fry on hot oil or butter until golden brown. Let excess fat drip from the slices then dust them with icing sugar and serve with a fruit preserve. You can serve them also as a salty side dish to salads.


Oven-baked potatoes

8 - 12 potatoes saltcaraway seeds50 g butter or oil

Select potatoes of the same size. Wash them well, cut in halves with the skin on and place on a baking tray with the cut size up, sprinkle with salt and ground caraway seeds. Put a thin slice of butter or a few drops of oil on top of each potato. Bake for an hour at 200°C. Once the tops are crispy, turn the heat down.


Sautéed Potatoes

1 kg potatoes3 tbsp lard, butter, or oil1 onion (80-100 g)salt

Wash the potatoes well and cook them in boiling salted water. Let them boil for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the cooked potatoes and let them cool a little. Peal them, however, as soon as possible and cut into rounds. Sauté the onion cut into rounds on some fat, add the potatoes, add salt, and stir well. Cover with a lid and sauté some more or serve immediately.Tip: Potatoes lose their fragrance, the longer they are left to stay. So, make sure to peel, cut and add them to the hot sautéed onions while still hot. To add even more taste, try pouring a few tablespoons of beef stock or brown sauce.


Curd-cheese dumplings

3 eggssalt500 g curd cheese8 tbsp semolinabreadcrumbsfat

Mix the eggs and the curd cheese in a bowl and salt to taste. Stir in the semolina. Let the dough rest for half an hour. Shape the dumplings with your hands and cook them in boiling salted water. Let them simmer with a lid on for 8 to 10 minutes. Toss the cooked dumplings in a bowl with the fried breadcrumbs, then serve with a salad. You may add sugar to the breadcrumbs and serve them with a fruit preserve and sautéed apples.Tip: You may add 8-9 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dough instead of the semolina.


Filo pastry:30 g flour salt1 egg2 tbsp oil 200 ml tepid water

Curd-cheese filling:1 kg fine curd cheesesalt2 eggs50 g sliced bread2 tbsp sour cream 10 g ground walnuts

Dressing:2 tbsp oil or butter 1 tbsp breadcrumbs

Make the filo dough by mixing the flour, eggs, water, and a pinch of salt. Knead it well, cover with a bowl and let it rest for half an hour. Flatten the dough on a floured towel, roll it out and sprinkle with some oil, then spread the oil with your hands to avoid the dough from sticking while you are pulling it apart into a sheet. Mix the curd cheese with the salt and the finely chopped bread, two egg yolks, whipped egg whites, sour cream, and ground walnuts. Spread the curd-cheese filling across the filo and roll it up. Cut the roll into three pieces, i.e., three štruklji. Soak three towels in cold water, squeeze out the water and sprinkle the towels with breadcrumbs. Wrap each piece loosely in the towel, tie the edges with strings and cook in boiling salted water for 30 minutes. Once cooked, unwrap the štruklji and cut into pieces, then dress with the fried breadcrumbs. Serve hot. Tip: Štruklji may be served as a main course or dressed with fried breadcrumbs, sugar, fruit preserve or apple purée. Štruklji may also be frozen and reheated.

Curd-cheese štruklji


Horseradish with sour cream

200 ml sour cream 100 ml yoghurt salthorseradish

Combine the yoghurt, salt and sour cream with a whisk and then add freshly ground horseradish to taste. Horseradish goes well with boiled beef or roast pork.Tip: You can add some grated apple, too.


Courgette roll

Filo pastry:30 g flour1 egg½ tsp salt1 tbsp oil1 tbsp vinegar150 ml warm water

Filling:1 kg grated courgettessaltpepper3 tbsp sautéed onions300 g curd cheese100 ml sour cream1-2 eggsa handful of breadcrumbs4 tbsp oil

Filo pastry: Sift the flour into a bowl, make a hole in the centre and add the egg, salt, vinegar, and oil. Start kneading and slowly add water until you have a smooth, soft filo pastry. Knead the dough thoroughly, then put it on a board dusted with flour, cover with a bowl, and let it rest for at least half an hour. To make the filling peel the courgettes, remove the seeds and grate them into rough sticks, then salt and pepper to taste. Roll out the dough and spread a layer of curd cheese first, then sprinkle with the courgettes (before they start leaking) and a handful of breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with some oil. Fold the edges of the pastry over the courgettes from all sides, brush the edges with oil and roll up. Place the roll onto a greased tray, spread some sour cream over the roll and put it into a preheated oven at 210°C. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot. Tip: You can add ground roast meat or sausages to the courgettes.


Breadcrumb dumplings

400 ml milk20 g unsalted buttersalt160 g semolina2 eggs180 g curd cheesebreadcrumbsbutter

Salt the milk, add the butter, and bring to a boil. Add the semolina and stir for two minutes until dense. Take off the heat and stir in the eggs one by one. When it cools down a bit, stir in the curd cheese. Sprinkle a wooden board with the breadcrumbs, shape the dough into a roll and cut into 15 - 20 rounds. Shape them into dumplings. Cook the dumplings in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Toss the cooked dumplings into a bowl with fried breadcrumbs, then serve.Tip: You may add sugar to the breadcrumbs and serve the dumplings with a fruit preserve or sautéed fruit.

MEAT AND FISH


Gorenjska prata

200 g white bread150 g smoked pork2 eggs200 ml milksaltpeppernutmegsage leaffat

Dice the bread. Cut the meat into smaller cubes. Grate a little nutmeg, crush the sage, add pepper, and stir. Whisk the eggs, salt to taste, stir in the milk and pour over the bread. Mix and flatten to let the bread soak up the milk. Grease a ribbed baking pan and fill up to three quarters of the height, then bake at 190°C until golden brown.


Idrija-style žlikrofi with mutton ragout (bakalca)

Noodle dough:300 g white flour1 egg1 tsp oilwater or milk as required(for the dough to become

soft)

Filling:500 g potatoes50 g onions50 g smoked bacon

(crackling or minced lard)marjoramchivespeppersalt

INGREDIENTSFOR THE BAKALCA1500 g mutton or rabbit meat50 g fat3 onions3 carrots1 garlic clove2 bay leafthymea few peppercornsa few clovesvinegar and white wine to

taste3 dessertspoons white flour

salt

1. Cut the meat into small pieces.

2. Wash and trim the carrots and slice into circles. Thinly slice the garlic and onions.

3. Fry the onions, garlic and carrots in the fat. Add the meat and let it brown.

4. Add the water, bay leaf, thyme, pepper, cloves, salt and a little vinegar or wine. Let it simmer until the meat is tender.

5. Sprinkle the tender meat and vegetables with the flour, fry for a little longer, then pour over the vinegar or wine and cook briefly.

Knead the dough, which must be softer than noodle dough. Knead for as long as is necessary for the dough to become flexible, elastic and so that it does not stick to your hands and the board. If you cut the dough, it must be dense and without holes. Shape the dough into a round and let it rest for 30 minutes. Then roll it out thinly. Prepare the filling by first boiling the potatoes in their skins, then peeling and mashing them while still warm. Add some salt and fried chopped smoked bacon (or crackling or minced lard). Then mix in fried onions and herbs. Mix well and knead so that you get a flexible mixture, which can be shaped into hazelnut-sized balls. If the mixture is too crumbly, add a little more fat. Place the balls a finger-width apart onto the rolled-out dough, which has been cut into ribbons. Cut the dough between the balls, wrap it around the balls and press together so that the two layers of pastry stick together and you get an edge in the shape of an ear. Make an indentation in each žlikrof so that it acquires a hat-like shape. Idrija-styIe žlikrofi should be 3cm long and 2cm tall. Cook them in salt-ed boiling water until they rise to the surface. Remove the žlikrofi from the water and serve them immediately with a dressing or as an accompaniment to meat or sauces.


Matevž with ribs

300 g beans500 g potatoes 100 g onions 3 tbsp oil 3 garlic cloves500 g cured ribs saltpepper

Rinse the beans well and soak them overnight. On the next day, drain the beans and bring them to a boil in fresh hot water. Remove from heat, drain, and cover with hot water. Add the salt and the ribs. Cover with a lid and let it simmer until tender. Boil the potatoes in a separate pot, drain them, and keep the cooking water. Mash the potatoes and mix in the sautéed onion. Drain and mash the beans, then combine them with the potatoes. Add some crushed garlic and pepper, then add some cooking water to make the dish juicier. Serve with sauerkraut and sliced ribs.


Whole stuffed chicken

1 chickensalt

Filling:160 g white bread80 g smoked meatfinely chopped parsleynutmeg2 eggs150-200 ml milk1 tbsp semolinasalt

Dice the bread, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, finely chopped smoked meat, grind in some nutmeg, and mix well. Scramble the eggs, add some salt and two thirds of the milk, then pour over the bread. Mix well and set aside, so the fragrances in the stuffing combine well. Salt the chicken and with your fingers lift the skin from the meat and the wings. Add the semolina to the stuffing and start by filling the wings, followed by the thighs and then the breasts. If the skin breaks, sew it up. If there is some filling left, you can push it behind the wings under the skin on the back. Tie the thighs to the tail part and lay the chicken on its back on a tray. Pour 100 ml chicken broth or water into the tray and put into a preheated oven at 190°C. After 10 minutes, move the chicken so the skin does not stick to the tray. From time to time, add water or broth and baste the chicken by pouring some of the liquid from the tray on top. Turn the chicken over when it is halfway done. Roast for an hour and a half. When done, let it cool a little bit and then cut it and soak each part in the juices on the bottom of the tray. Heat the parts again in the oven. When cutting, make sure the filling sticks to each part.


Podvin barley kasha

280 g barley 1 Carniolan sausage50 g horseradish50 g shallots100 g dry, cooked

and diced yellow pears½ l vegetable stock100 g butter50 g Bohinj cheese70 g smoked trout

BARLEYSoak the barley overnight and cook.Boil and peel the Carniolan sausage, then dice.Sauté the finely chopped shallots, add the sausage and once it is slightly seared, add the rinsed barley and the pears.Cover with vegetable stock and cook until reduced. Stir in the grated horseradish and the butter. CARNIOLAN SAUSAGE CHIPSCut the sausage into thin slices and place them on baking paper, cover with another layer of baking paper and bake for 10 minutes at 190°C.

Serve by placing the barley in a round model and topping it with smoked trout and the Carniolan sausage chips.


Veal stew

500 g veal (neck, brisket, shoulder)

15 g onions3 tbsp oil1 tbsp flour½ l watersalt2 garlic cloves ½ tsp grated organic lemon zest a bay leaf 2 tbsp vinegar50 g carrots50 g parsley root30 g celeryparsley

Dice the meat and the vegetables. Sauté the finely chopped onion, add the meat and the vegetables and sear well. Add the flour and stir well then cover with water. Salt to taste and add the herbs once it starts simmering. Add the vinegar and some finely chopped parsley before serving.


Roast veal

1.2 kg veal shoulder a few veal bones 50 ml oilsaltveal stock 2 g unsalted butter 2 g flourvegetable broth or water

Rinse the meat under running water, pat it dry and salt it. Put the bones on the bottom of the tray. Place the meat on the bones and sear it with hot oil. Add a ladle of veal stock or water under every piece of meat. Put the tray in a preheated oven. While roasting, keep basting by pouring some of the liquid from the tray on top, every now and then. When the meat is golden brown on one side, turn it over. You know the meat is done when there is no blood oozing out when stabbed. Move the meat to another pot and place it in some steam. Dip the bones in flour and fry them, add some more stock or water, and bring to a boil. Filter the sauce and add a little bit of butter. Slice the meat and place the slices on a plate, then cover with the sauce. Another excellent way of making a sauce is by putting two slices of dry bread on the bottom of the tray. The bread will soak up the juices. After the roast, add some stock or water to the bones, bring to a boil and mash the bread, which is a fine liaison, into the sauce. Sirloin, tenderloin, or short loin also make for a delicious roast veal.Tip: Salt the meat and then rub with crushed garlic, ground black pepper, ginger, thyme, crushed bay leaves and little bit of olive oil. Let the meat marinate for over two hours. After 15 minutes of roasting, pour 100 ml white wine over the meat and then continue basting.


Pork chops in sauce

7 pork chops 2 tbsp oil salt

Sauce: 1 tbsp oil 2 tbsp finely chopped onion1 tbsp smoked bacon 4 tbsp sweet peppers1 tbsp finely chopped pickled

cucumbers2 tbsp tomato sauce

Roux: 2 tbsp sour cream½ tbsp flour½ tsp mustard1 ladleful stock

Pound the meat, salt to taste and quickly sear on hot oil until golden brown. Place them in a deep skillet one on top of the other, add some meat broth and let simmer for 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: Sauté the finely chopped onion on oil, with the bacon, sweet peppers, pickled cucumbers, tomato sauce and a ladleful of meat broth. When it starts boiling, stir in the roux (sour cream with flour and mustard). Add some more broth, if needed, stir once more, and pour over the pork chops. Shake the skillet to evenly spread the liquid and bring it to a boil once more.


Stuffed squid

10 cleaned squid cooking oil5 tbsp white wine 5 tbsp water

Filling:2 tbsp oil3 garlic cloves2 tbsp finely chopped onionsquid tentacles70 g bread3 tbsp milkparsleysaltpepperlemon juice

Wash the mantles of the squid and chop the tentacles for the filling. Stuff the mantles halfway with the filling: Sauté the finely chopped onion on oil, add the crushed garlic and cook the tentacles. Soak the bread in milk and squeeze out the excess then add it to the tentacles when they are reduced. Let it cool a little, then add the finely chopped parsley, some lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Close the squid mantels with toothpicks and sear them from every side on hot oil in a shallow pot or pan. Add some whine and water and let it simmer for about 1/2 hour or until tender. Keep adding boiling water, if needed. Make sure there is always enough liquid in the pan, or the squid may become stiff, rubbery, and not very tasty.


Fried fish

6 sea bass of about 200 g each

saltgarlicparsleyflourcooking oil6 slices of lemon

Scale and gut the fish. Remove any remaining scales and dried blood and rinse under running water. Pat the fish dry with paper towels, salt them inside and outside. Rub the inside with finely chopped garlic and parsley. Sprinkle both sides evenly with flour and lay into a frying pan. Fry on each side for about six minutes. The oil should not be too hot at the start since it will tear the skin. Gradually turn the heat up as you go along. Serve with lemon slices. Tip: You can also prepare them in an oven. The preparation is the same as for pan frying. Sprinkle some lemon juice on the inside and make two incisions on each side, then lay the fish onto an oiled tray. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sprinkle the fish with some oil and place them in the oven. Halfway through baking, roughly after 15 minutes, turn the fish and bake for another 15 minutes.

VEGETABLES

The Slovenian Presidency Recipe Book /4545 / The Slovenian Presidency Recipe Book

Chards and potatoes

500 g chards 400 g potatoes 3 tbsp finely chopped onion 3 tbsp oil 4 garlic cloves salt pepperparsley

Boil the chards and the diced potatoes in not too much boiling salted water in two separate pots. Sauté the finely chopped onion on oil. Toss in the drained chards and potatoes (keep the cooking water), crushed garlic and a hint of ground pepper. Stir and sauté for a few minutes with a lid on. If the dish seems too dry, add some potato cooking water. Sprinkle finely chopped parsley on top before serving.


Sautéed red cabbage

600 g red cabbage2 tbsp oil1 tsp sugar4 tbsp finely chopped onionground caraway seeds1 sour applesalta few tablespoons of vegetable

broth2 tbsp apple vinegar1 l boiling water2 tbsp brown sauce

Cut the cabbage in thin stripes and dip them in boiling water with vinegar and then drain. Sauté the finely chopped onion on oil with a teaspoon of sugar. Add the drained cabbage and sauté until tender. Salt to taste, add the sliced apple and caraway seeds, the sauté with a lid on. Keep adding the vegetable broth as needed. When almost done, season with some brown sauce for more taste.Tip: Sautéed cabbage goes well with baked sausage, venison, roast pork, or duck with mlinci (matzo).


Sauerkraut with potatoes

500 g sauerkraut 500 g potatoes beansa bay leaflemon zestsaltgarlicpepper

Roux:2-3 tbsp lard 1 tsp flour 2 tbsp finely chopped onion

Cooked beans: Soak the beans overnight and bring them to a boil. Drain and add 2 litres of fresh water. Bring to a boil again, then add the bay leaf, lemon zest and salt.If the sauerkraut is very sour, briefly rinse it, boil it in some water and keep the cooking water. Sauté the onions in some oil until golden brown, add the flour and some stock or the cooking water. Add a beef or vegetable stock cube until it melts. Add the roux to the sauerkraut, add the cooked and drained beans and bring the whole to a boil. Tip: You can add a cooked Frankfurter, a Carniolan sausage or smoked meat.Do not cook sauerkraut in too much water. If the sauerkraut is very sour, rinse it before cooking. You can also add separately cooked diced potatoes, which should not be too soft. Do not discard the cooking water. Sauté an onion, add some flour, and cook until golden brown (roux). Add some crushed garlic, drained sauerkraut, and a ladleful of cooking water. Add salt and pepper, then the potatoes and cover. Let it stew until thick enough. Add a tablespoon of cracklings to give it even more taste. You can also add a liaison by combining a tablespoonful of flour with water and sour cream.


Kohlrabi in sauce

400 g young kohlrabi 30 g unsalted butter 2 g floursalt pepperground caraway seedsvegetable broth or water2 tbsp sour cream parsley

Wash, peel and cut the kohlrabi in thin rounds. Simmer in a covered pot with a little water or broth. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and add 100 ml cold water. Stir with a whisk to make it smooth. When the flour is cooked, pour it over the kohlrabi, season and cook until tender. Before serving, stir in the sour cream and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.


Cucumbers with sour creamand potatoes

500 g cucumbersalt

Dressing:1 tablespoon cracklings or lard1 tsp flour 100 ml fruit vinegar 4 garlic cloves 2 pinches ground caraway

seeds 2 boiled potatoes 2 cups sour milk 1 cup sour cream

Peel and grate the cucumbers. Salt to taste and stir. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing: Heat the cracklings in a pan, mix them with flour and immediately pour vinegar on top. Bring to a boil and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside, add crushed garlic, ground caraway seeds, mashed potatoes, the drained cucumbers, sour milk, and sour cream and mix well. Salt to taste. Serve with bread.


Stuffed courgettes

6 small courgettes100 g ham1 egg1 slice of bread50 g cheese30 g unsalted buttersaltpeppermilk

Boil the courgettes in salted water for 10 minutes. Cut them in half lengthwise, carve out the cores to get small ‘boats’ and stuff with the filling. To make the stuffing, soak the crumb in milk and then squeeze out the excess. Mix the finely chopped ham (or other meat), the milk-soaked breadcrumbs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, egg yolks and whipped egg whites. Sprinkle the stuffed courgettes with butter flakes and breadcrumbs, place them on a greased tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 200 °C.


Leek and potato gratin

300 g leeks150 g potatoes 1 egg3 tbsp sour cream saltgrated parmesan or other

cheesebutter breadcrumbs

Wash and drain the leeks, then cut them into thin stripes (roughly 3 mm wide) and boil them in salted water. Slice the potatoes and boil them in a separate pot. Grease a soufflé tray and cover with breadcrumbs. Drain the vegetables and spread them in three layers with leeks on the bottom, a layer of potatoes and another layer of leeks on top. Stir the egg with the sour cream and salt to taste. Pour the mix over the vegetables. Cover with some grated parmesan or other cheese. Bake it for 20-25 minutes at 200°C until golden brown.


Cabbage pasta

200 g fettuccine or squares3 tbsp oil1 finely chopped onion300 g diced fresh cabbage rocketscalliongarlicpine nutssaltground caraway seeds peppervegetable broth or water

Sauté the onion on oil, add the cabbage and stew for a while. Add salt and caraway seeds and pour in some broth or water. Cook the pasta in salted water, drain and toss into the sautéed cabbage. Pepper to taste and serve as a separate dish.Wash the rocket thoroughly, drain it, and quickly boil it. Rinse and cover with cold water. Sauté some finely chopped shallots, garlic, and pine nuts until golden brown. Add the drained rocket, salt, and pepper to taste, add some sour cream and take off the heat. If you wish, add some freshly grated parmesan or other cheese.

SALADS


Asparagus salad

500 g asparagus 1 tsp sugar2 eggs3 tbsp oil 50 ml vinegar saltparsley

Choose asparagus of the same size. Peel the lower parts of the stems and cut into pieces roughly 2 cm long. Boil the asparagus in boiling salted water with some sugar and then drain. Keep the cooking water. Hard boil the eggs (six minutes). Pour a mix of oil, vinegar, salt, and some cooking water over the warm asparagus. Serve with the quartered eggs and some finely chopped parsley on top.


Boiled beef salad

200 g beef from broth 100 g leeks 100 g cooked carrots chivesparsley

Dressing:100 ml fruit vinegar3 tbsp olive oil saltpepper

Wash the leeks well, as they tend to have soil on the inside. Cut the leeks into strips 2 cm wide and boil them in salted water. Let the leeks drain and cool down, then season with oil and vinegar and add some freshly chopped parsley.Cut the meat into thin slices then add the thinly sliced carrots and the leeks. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives and parsley and toss well. Add the dressing. Let the salad rest for a while, so the fragrances blend well.


Dandelion salad

300 g dandelion leaves 150 g potatoes 60 g bacon vinegarsaltgarlic

Dandelion should be collected in early spring. The whitish sprouts are the best for salad, and you can combine them with hot boiled potatoes or beans. Clean the dandelion leaves, wash well, and drain. Fry the diced bacon, pour some vinegar on top of it. Sprinkle the dandelion leaves with finely chopped garlic and salt, then add the bacon and the vinegar. Give it a good old mix.


Cabbage salad with bacon

½ kg fresh cabbage40 g smoked bacon4 tbsp vinegara pinch of caraway seedssalt

Separate the cabbage leaves and wash them well. Roll them up and cut them into thin slices. Toss the cabbage in a bowl and add the caraway seeds. Finely dice the bacon and fry it in a pan. Remove from the range, let the grease cool a little and then add vinegar. Add salt and bring it to a boil again. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix well, and serve.

DESSERTS


Homemade yoghurt

1 ½ - 2 l milk 1 cup yoghurt

Boil the milk and let it cool to 37°C. Stir a few tablespoons of warm milk into the yoghurt and then pour it into the rest of the warm milk. Stir well with a whisk, divide into cups, and place them into a large pot. Cover with a lid and place in a warm oven (30°C). Your yoghurt will be ready in a couple of hours. Place the cups with the yoghurt in the fridge, so you will have fresh yoghurt whenever you wish for a couple of days. If the yoghurt is too watery, the oven was too warm and the temperature killed off the bacteria in the starter, which are needed for fermentation. Keep one of your cups of yoghurt as a starter for the next batch. Tip: Try making a fruit yoghurt by adding fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.) with, if you wish, some sugar. You can dress each cup of yoghurt with fresh fruit or add it to a large bowl. You may also blend the fruit and serve it alongside the yoghurt.


Apple strudel

Dough:30 g flour ½ tsp salt1 egg2 tbsp oil150-200 ml tepid water

Apple filling:2 kg apples1-2 tbsp sugara pinch of cinnamon½ grated organic lemon zest100 g butter2 tbsp breadcrumbs100 ml sour cream or butter

Curd-cheese filling:1 kg curd cheese salt3-4 tbsp sugar the juice and zest of half

organic lemona handful of breadcrumbs 100 ml cream 2 eggs

Sift the flour into a bowl, make a hole in the centre and add the egg, salt, and oil. Knead by slowly adding lukewarm water and making sure the centre of the dough is always smooth. Knead to get a reasonably soft dough. Dust a kneading board with flour and knead the dough for at least 10 minutes until shiny and smooth. Cover with a bowel and let the dough rest for half an hour.

Apple strudel: Peel and grate 2 kg apples, add the sugar, cinnamon, grated lemon zest, fried breadcrumbs (100 g butter and 2-3 tbsp breadcrumbs) and stir lightly. Spread the filling over the rolled-out dough. Spread the edges of the pastry with sour cream. Roll up the dough from both sided toward the centre. Place the roll on a greased tray and brush the roll with cream or butter, then bake for up to one hour at 180 - 200°C. Cut into slices once it cools down and serve with icing sugar on top.

Curdle-cheese strudel: Mix the ingredients for the filling and spread it over the rolled-out dough. Follow the same procedure as for the apple strudel.

Strudel with other types of filling: If you do not have all the ingredients or want to make a strudel in spring, when apples are not fresh enough and have lost some of their taste, you may try using other ingredients: plums, apricots, rhubarb, etc. You may also freeze the ingredients in season and use them later.

Tip: When you roll out the dough, let it dry for some time, so the dough does not soak up the juices from the fruit. Prepare the filling right before spreading it and do not let it stay for too long, or the juices will drain from the fruit.


Honey bread

50 g flour 1 tsp baking soda 150 g butter 150 g icing sugar 2 eggs 150 g honey (heated to 60°C

and then cooled down to room temperature)

a pinch of cinnamon

Mix the baking soda with the sifted flour, add the butter, and stir well. Add the sugar, cinnamon and the eggs and knead a fine dough. Let it rest for at least an hour or, even better, overnight. Shape the dough into balls. Place the balls on a greased tray dusted with flour. Bake for 12 -15 minutes at 180°C. Once baked, take them off the tray and let them cool. Store them in a closed container. The honey bread will be stiff, at first, and will become tender after a day or two. Tip: You can make you own mix of spices by mixing ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice. You can also bake honey bred on baking paper or on a baking bin brushed with wax while hot.


Curd-cheese crêpes

Batter:2 eggs salt ½ l milk 25 g flour

Filling:500 g curd cheese 2 eggs100 ml sour cream the juice and zest of half organic

lemon salt2 tbsp sugar

Dressing:1 ml milk 1 egg100 ml sour cream

Blend the batter and cook the crêpes in a skillet. Mix the curd cheese, sour cream, eggs, salt, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a bowl. Spread the filling on every crêpe and roll it up. Grease a tray with butter and cover in breadcrumbs. Lay the rolled-up crêpes to fill the tray. Pour a mix of sour cream, milk and egg over the crêpes. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200°C. You may also make a salty curd-cheese filling.


Pohorje omelette

Dough:3 eggs3 tbsp sugar3 tbsp floura pinch of baking powder

Dressing:1 l cranberries or blueberries 100 ml sugary wine or fruit juice300 ml cream

Whisk the egg whites until stiff, stir in the sugar and the egg yolks. Gently stir in the flour and the baking powder. Roll out the dough to a thickness of a half a finger. Grease a baking tin and dust with flour. Place the rolled-out dough on the tin and bake for 6-8 minutes at 200-220°C. Once the sponge layer is baked, take it off the tin and turn over onto a wooden board. Cut the sponge layer in half and brush one of the halves with two tablespoons of whipped cream, then sprinkle with the berries. Sprinkle the layer with sweetened wine or fruit juice and cover with the other half of the layer. Let the omelette cool in the refrigerator. Before serving, decorate with whipped cream and some more berries.


Sweet polenta

700 ml water or milk 300 ml corn meal1 tsp salt 3 tbsp oil

Filling: 1 kg peeled apples 250 g curd cheese 3 tbsp sugar cinnamon2 tbsp lemon juice 4 tbsp sour cream salt lemon zest

Add the salt and the oil to the milk and bring it to a boil. Pour in the corn meal and cook for 15 minutes stirring all the time. Pour the cooked meal on a greased tray and spread to a thickness of a finger. Pour the filling on top, sprinkle with sour cream and bake for 20-30 minutes at 200°C. Filling: Peel and slice the apples and put them in a pot. Add one tablespoon of sugar, cinnamon, and the lemon juice. Cover with a lid and simmer until soft. Stir two tablespoons of cream, a pinch of salt, two tablespoons of sugar and the grated lemon zest into the curd cheese. Spread the curd cheese over the polenta, then sprinkle with the cooked apples and the rest of the cream. Bake for 25 minutes. Tip: You can also prepare the filling by grating the apples and mixing them with the curd cheese and the other ingredients and then spread it over the polenta. In this case, since the apples are raw, you will need to bake it for some more time.


Dough:650 g flour 1 tsp salt 2 egg yolks 50 g sugar1 packet vanilla sugar a pinch of grated lemon zest 2 tbsp rum 30 g yeast 80 g unsalted butter 400 ml lukewarm milk 1 egg

Walnut filling:450 g ground walnuts 20 g sugar 30 g breadcrumbs a pinch of ground coffeea pinch of cinnamon 250 ml cream2 eggsraisins soaked in rum

Stir a pinch of sugar and the yeast into three spoonfuls of tepid milk. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the salt to the side of the flour and make a small hole at the centre. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and the seasoning in a large bowl and then add 300 ml of lukewarm milk. Pour the mix in the hole in the flour and mix it with your hands. Add the risen yeast and more lukewarm milk to get a soft dough as for white bread. Finally, add the molten butter (not too hot) and knead the dough well until it comes off the walls of the bowl. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise for an hour and a half. Put the risen dough on a towel sprinkled with flour, fold up the edges of the towel, dust the top with some flour and roll it out with a roller into a sheet of an inch or two. Do not pull the dough but use the weight of the roller instead. Spread the filling (see instructions) evenly across the dough and sprinkle (if you wish) with the raisins soaked in rum. Roll up the dough, place it into a buttered mould and punch it with a fork or a pin. Even out the potica and let it rise for an hour and a quarter. Preheat the oven to 185°C, brush the top of the risen dough with a scrambled egg before baking. Once the potica has risen and has become golden brown, reduce the oven temperature. Bake the potica for an hour and a quarter or adjust the time to the thickness of the dough and the weight of the filling. Once baked, brush with oil and after five minutes, turn it over onto a wooden board and then cover with a towel to let it slowly cool down. If the crust cracks while baking, the potica was not left to rise long enough. If it collapses, it was left to rise for too long. In both cases the crust tends to come off. The potica will not be perfect, if the dough is too stiff and the filling too soft or vice versa.

Potica

Poppy-seed filling:½ l ground poppy seeds 250 ml milk 120 g sugar 1 packet vanilla sugar 80 g unsalted butter 2 eggs2 tbsp breadcrumbs a pinch of grated lemon zest1-2 tbsp fruit jamraisins soaked in rum

Tarragon filling:I: finely chopped fresh

tarragon150 g raisins soaked in rumII: 1 egg yolk2 tbsp rich 1-2 tbsp sugar150 g finely chopped fresh tarragonraisins soaked in rum


Walnut filling: Mix all the ingredients, except the cream, first, then add the cream while still very hot, the scrambled egg yolks and the whipped egg whites. Spread over the rolled-out dough and sprinkle with raisins soaked in rum.

Poppy-seed filling: Heat the milk with butter and sugar and once hot, add the ground poppy seeds. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Take off and let it cool, then add the seasoning (lemon zest and vanilla sugar), the fruit jam, the egg yolks and the breadcrumbs stirred into the whipped egg whites. Spread over the rolled-out dough and sprinkle with raisins soaked in rum.

Tarragon filling I: Spread the chopped tarragon evenly across the rolled-out dough, then add the raisins soaked in rum.

Tarragon filling II: Mix all the ingredients except the tarragon and the raisins, and spread the filling across the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle with tarragon and with the raisins soaked in rum.

Tip: The crust and the dough tend to come off the filling rather often. The filling should not be too thick and the dough not too soft. Do not add too much yeast to the dough. If the potica has risen a little bit too much, put it into a hotter oven (200°C) to bake the crust first. Conversely, if the dough has not risen enough, use a cooler oven (170°C) to let the potica rise some more. If the filling is too soft, it tends to go into the dough and the potica will not be well baked.

Tip: To avoid heartburn from walnuts, wash the kernels and dry them in an oven before grinding. Add three tablespoons of orange juice to the filling.


Prekmurska gibanicaFilo pastry: 600 ml milk ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp oil 1 eggwatera pinch of grated lemon zestbutter for greasing

Poppy-seed filling:150 g poppy seeds 200 ml milk4 tbsp sugar 50 g unsalted butter3 tbsp biscuit crumbs 2 tbsp fruit jam a pinch of grated lemon zest rum

Curd-cheese filling: 800 g curd cheese3 tbsp sugar 2 eggs1 packet of vanilla pudding the juice of one lemon a pinch of grated lemon zestsaltsour cream (if the filling is too

dry)

Apple filling:1 kg apples1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp biscuit crumbs cinnamona pinch of grated lemon zest

Walnut filling: 200 g walnuts 2 tbsp sugar 1 egg2 tbsp breadcrumbs cinnamonmilka pinch of grated lemon zest2 tbsp sour cream 300 ml sour cream for covering

Filo dough: Make a hole in the flour, add the salt, oil and one egg, and start mixing by slowly adding water until you get a rather strong dough. Knead the dough thoroughly on a board. Dust the board and the dough with flour, cover with a bowl and let it rest for at least half an hour. In the meantime, prepare the fillings.Poppy-seed filling: Add sugar and butter to the milk. Bring the milk to a boil, then add the finely ground poppy seeds. Cook until it becomes thick. Make sure to stir well while cooking to avoid burning it. Add the other ingredients once the poppy seeds cool down.Curd-cheese filling: Mix the curd cheese while adding the salt and then stir in the vanilla pudding. Add the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. Give it a good old mix. If the filling is too dry, add some sour cream.Apple filling: Grate the apples, sprinkle with sugar, biscuit crumbs, cinnamon and lemon zest. Then mix it a bit. Walnut filling: Ground the walnuts and add the sugar, seasoning, biscuit crumbs, eggs, cream and keep adding milk until it mixes well.

Once the dough has been resting for at least half an hour, roll out the dough with a towel dusted with flour. Brush the dough with oil and then pull it apart into a thin sheet. Put a baking tray (31 x 41 cm) at the centre of the towel and grease it well with butter. Pull the dough generously over the edges of the baking tray. Cut off the dough outside the tray. Make sure the dough falls well inside the corners of the tray. Spread the poppy-seed filling evenly across the dough up until the edges. Sprinkle with some sour cream and fold the edges of the dough over the filling. Add a layer of curd-cheese filling and cover it with the dough that you have cut off. Cover with the apple filling, another layer of dough and the walnut filling. Make another round of layers. Cover with another layer of dough, punch it with a fork and cover in sour cream. Bake for an hour at 200°C. Once the top becomes golden brown, set the oven temperature down. Cut into pieces once it has cooled down.


Elderflower cordial

25-30 elder flowerheads3 l water4 l sugar3 organic lemons40 g citric acid

Melt the sugar in boiling water and let it completely cool down. Wash and drain the flowerheads, then add them to the water with lemon slices, citric acid, then stir well. Let the flowers in the water for two to three days and stir from time to them. Filter the liquid and pour the cordial into bottles, close them tightly and keep them in a pantry or a cellar.Tip: You may also try a different flavouring by adding caramel instead of sugar. Melt the sugar in a dry pot while stirring to avoid burning it. Pour water on top and add the liquid caramel to the water with the flowerheads. The same procedure can be used for making cordials with the flowers of false acacia (black locust), linden or mint leaves. You will need 12 fistfuls of flowers.


Blueberry liqueur

2 kg blueberries1 kg sugar2 l teran6 packets vanilla sugar500 ml rum

Bring the wine, sugar, and blueberries to a boil. Cook for five minutes, then add the vanilla sugar and let it cool down. Filter, add the rum and pour into bottles. Tightly close the bottles and keep in a cellar or a pantry. The liqueur is a very good aperitif.


Bela krajina flat bread

500 g very fine white flour3 tsp white flour300 ml tepid water2 tsp salt20 g yeast½ tsp sugar1 pinch caraway seeds1 egg

Crumble the yeast into a cup, add 3 teaspoons of white flour, 50 ml of tepid water, the sugar and mix well. Wait for the yeast to rise and more than double its volume. Into a bowl large enough for kneading put the fine flour, the tepid water, and the risen yeast. Knead into a smooth dough that is not too stiff for about 10 minutes, so that an indentation made with a finger immediately disappears. Let the dough rise in the bowl covered with a cloth until its volume doubles. Tip the risen dough into a round, oiled baking tin and stretch it with your hands to a diameter of approximately 30 cm. The edge of the dough should not be touching the edge of the baking tin and should always be thinner than the middle. Using a knife, make a pattern of squares, cutting right through the dough. Brush with a beaten egg, into which you have mixed the caraway seeds. Then sprinkle with a pinch of large-grained sea salt or fleur de sel. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in an oven heated to 220°C. The bread should turn golden brown, its height should be between 3 and 4 cm in the middle and between 1 and 2 cm at the edges. Serve warm.


Crackling potica

60 g floursalt 20 g yeast 350 ml lukewarm milk 100 g warm drained crackling barley coffee or water

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt to the side of the bowl. Make a whole in the centre and pour in the yeast that you have crumbled into a little bit of water. When the yeast starts rising, keep adding lukewarm milk and knead into bread dough. Knead the dough thoroughly, then let it rise for an hour and a half. Roll out the dough on a towel dusted with flour to a thickness of a half a finger. Sprinkle with warm cracklings and roll up. Place the potica into a ribbed or rectangular baking pan, poke with a fork and even it out with your hands. Let it rise for at least one hour. Preheat the oven to 200°C and brush the top with coffee or water before baking. When it rises and becomes golden brown (after 10 - 15 minutes), reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for another half an hour. Tip the potica out of the mould and cover with a towel. Slice once cooled down.


Fruit bread

Dough: same as white bread.Fruit: dried apricots, plums,

walnuts, apples and raisin, 100 g of each

Seasoning: grated organic lemon or orange zest, cinnamon, ground cloves, 100 ml rum

Season the finely chopped dry fruit, sprinkle with rum and cover. Knead the dough and add the fruit. Dust a board with flour and divide the dough in three loaves. Put each loaf in a greased form or all three on a large baking tray. Let them rise for an hour, then bake in an oven for 45-60 minutes at 200°C.

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