Autumn is in full swing, and it's absolutely beautiful. We've had fantastic weather and made the most of it. The pomegranates and walnuts were ready for harvest, along with the last of the apples and a few late pears. The quinces still need a bit more time, but we'll pick them on the next round. We're also preparing our rainwater tank to make the most of the upcoming rainy season.
The yard needed some care, so we took advantage of the great weather to get some work done. We even managed to fire up our makeshift BBQ a couple of times and enjoyed meals cooked over the flame. The highlight, though, was hiking around the nearby lavender fields, which brought us a sense of peace and calm.
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Traditional Bulgarian recipe
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1. Popara
One of our childhood breakfasts. It dates back hundreds of years. Can be made with either milk or tea. My mother recalls having one made with red wine in the 1940's, though that would be pretty illegal these days, wouldn’t it? 😉
Ingredients:
* tea or milk
* loaf of bread (or rusk)
* white cheese
* butter
* 2 tsp sugar
Bake a loaf of bread. Boil tea or warm milk. Pour in a bowl. Add butter to your tasting and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Crush white cheese and crumble bread on top. Stir gently. Eat immediately.
2. Melitzanosalata-kyopolou Balkan appetizer
We first discovered something very similar at our local gyros spot, and we've been making it ever since. It's not exactly true to either Greek or Bulgarian traditional recipes, but somehow it just hits the perfect sweet spot.
Ingredients:
* 2-3 grilled peppers
* 1 small grilled aubergine
* 2-3 garlic cloves
* 2 tbsp mayonnaise
* 1 tbsp yoghurt
* salt and pepper
Mix mayonnaise and yoghurt in a bowl. Finely chop the peppers, aubergine and garlic. Combine everything and season with salt and pepper.
A quick word of advice: don’t bother buying jarred peppers from the store. They’re nothing like the real deal-seriously, no taste or aroma at all. If you can’t grill over an open fire, try using your oven, or better yet, get yourself a chushkopek, the ingenious Bulgarian invention for roasting peppers. I’ll be sure to share my oven grilling hack in one of the winter episodes. And as for the chushkopek, maybe we’ll do a demo next summer! 😊
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