The “heat wave” in Poland seems to have subsided for a while, as it’s cooler and often overcast. Yesterday we ran out of noms, and so made a trip to the local market, a small shop run by a family, and to the big grocery store on the town square.
In the little store there’s a selection of everything, including local fruit and vegetables. We bought some of the small plums for plum tart (see tomorrow). Note the flat peaches and sunflower heads, which are bought for nibbling the seeds:
Horseradish: a Polish favorite:
A selfie in the store:
And a visit to the “big store”: the 5-year-old supermarket in the town.
Salads and pickled stuffs (prices are in zlotys per kilogram (3 zlotys/per US$):
The usual huge selection of sausages:
And moar meats:
Meanwhile, back at home, the Princess sleeps off another night on the tiles. I got a lot of quality Hili time yesterday and today:
A preprandial walk; Cyrus, acting above his station, leads the way. Hili, as always, keeps a weather eye on where the humans are:
A noble cat by the Vistula:
For treats (and so I wouldn’t go pieless), Malgorazata made an apple pie with its crust on the top (no crust on the bottom). The filling included a thin layer of apricot jam over the apples. The crust included ground almonds, sugar, and butter:
The warm pie was topped with “vanilla sauce,” a Swedish product that Malgorzata always insists that her Swedish guests bring. It comes in a box (bottom picture) and is whipped with cold milk. For such a quick preparation it was quite delicious.
Ohhhhhhh, I get so hungry after looking at your food pictures, Jerry. What do I have to eat? PB&J sandwich. Want to trade for some of that lovely Polish sausage, apple pie with vanilla sauce?
Malgorzata posted the recipe for that pie last year and I’ve made it several times now; it’s delicious.
replying to my own comment, here’s the recipe from last September:
(from here: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/poland-3/#comments )
Take 6 big sour apples, two tablespoons of apricot jam, 2 eggs, 100 gram butter, 100 gram almonds, 100 gram sugar.
Peel apples and cut them into thin slices. Put them into a bakingform (greazed) and spread the apricot jam over apples.
Mix: sugar, grounded almonds, butter and eggs.
Spread the mixed mass over the apples.
Bake about 45 minutes in 200C.
You can serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or just without anything.
That looks like a day. I would really like some of that pie!
On the one hand, a selfie of Jerry looking lean.
On the other hand, numerous pictures and accounts of delicious, fattening food eaten by Jerry.
It’s indisputable miracles such as this which make me a true believer in Professor Ceiling Cat (provisions be upon his head).
The moral: never say no to a swedish quickie. (There’s now IMO even more delicious ready made preparations that goes down well without or with whipping. Not from Ekströms though. Maybe Malgorzata can induce her guests to bring samples for tasting.)
Hey, I think that is a Nikon CoolPix camera, same as my camera!
I’ve had those flat peaches. Deelish!
With that fruit supply, you’re going to have no problems getting your “five a day” (servings of fruit, or veg) into you.
Memo to self : plums tomorrow. Though they’ll be imported.
By all means, get as many a day as you possibly can. Russia has just imposed an embargo on Polish fruit and veggie exports, and they won’t eat themselves.
That all looks very yummy. The vanilla sauce is known in the British Commonwealth as “custard” and can be made either with custard powder from a box, or from scratch using corn flour (corn starch) and eggs. It is one if my favourite things but Americans don’t seem to know about it.
This American loves custard, but not the kind made w powder or cornstarch. I just use milk ( or cream), eggs ( sometimes w extra yolks) and sugar. Also love crème caramel, or flan, with caramelized sugar. I bake it. Oh, also love Portuguese custard tarts ( to die for!!). Enough food talk:-)
Anyone who loves Ekstroms Marsan can order it from Amazon, but you have to get a box of 26 packs ($48.36):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017OCRQ8/?tag=shoppcente0c2-20
You used to be able to buy it in Ikea in single packs, but they don’t seem to carry it anymore. You can also order it from Bishop Hill Colony for $2.25/package (if you don’t need 26 packages):
http://bishophillheritage.org/products-page/food/ekstroms-marsan-instant-vanilla-sauce/
But it’s so easy to make from scratch:-)
True, from scratch is no hassle. I like the basic custard of my rice pudding recipe, which is delicious with or without the rice.
Americans do know about what Brits call custard, but we usually call it crème anglaise, since “custard” in the States means something more along the lines of crème brûlée or Spanish flan.
The English and the Americans, two peoples separated by a common language. Attr to George Bernard Shaw, possibly apocryphal.
But the Oscar Wilde quote is authentic (from The Canterville Ghost):
“We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.”
And the Brits seem to call all desserts pudding, whereas N. Americans only call things like custard, which you eat with a spoon, pudding:-)
I miss living in Europe and shopping at the local markets. Nothing here even comes close.