Daily Archives: December 13, 2009

Wigilia (Polish Christmas Eve Celebration)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

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This weekend, my husband and I celebrated an early Wigilia with friends.

Wigilia, meaning vigil, is a traditional Polish Christmas Eve celebration. Every holiday season, my mother who immigrated to North America from Poland, would prepare this traditional meal for my family. I have fond memories of decorating the house and preparing the food for this traditional feast. After getting married about 5 years ago, my mom put together a little book for my sister and me which explains the tradition and includes translated recipes for the 5 course meal.

In my mother’s words, here’s her explanation of this Polish tradition:

Wigilia take place on Christmas Eve. It is traditionally a vegetarian meal where no meat is served. There are “supposed” to be twelve dishes or items to symbolize the 12 apostles. The table is festively set and an extra plate is set for some traveler that does not make it home for the holidays. The dishes are traditional and are the same from year to year as far as the availability of ingredients.

Traditionally the Christmas tree was put up and decorated that morning. The children would set the table and wait for the first star to appear. Then the feast would begin, The family would gather around the Christmas tree. The mother or father would read the story of the first Christmas and the meaning of the oplatek (an unleavend wafer). After the blessing the father starts with the oplatek and passes it to all gathered. Each person then breaks the oplatek with one another and wishes all the best for Christmas and coming New Year. The family then sits down at the table for the meal.

After the meal, the family would take a break and sit down to sing Christmas carols. Later coffee, or tea is served with Makowiec (poppyseed roll) and other desserts. The family would then open their presents and attend midnight mass to close the Wigilia celebration.

The following courses are all based on my mom’s recipes. Instead of preparing 12 courses, my mom would typically prepare 5:

  • Course 1 | Sledz (herring in wine sauce or sour cream) served with fresh bread and butter
  • Course 2| Ryba and Kapusta (white fish and sauerkraut)
  • Course 3| Barszcz and Uszka (beet soup and mushroom dumplings)
  • Course 4| Kompot (fruit stew)
  • Course 5| Makowiec (poppyseed roll)
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Ryba (Fish)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Farmers' Market, Recipe

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This recipe was inspired by Wigilia – a Polish Christmas Eve Celebration. As a kid my mom would prepare some type of simple white fish dish. I put together this recipe the first year I celebrated Wigilia away from my mom. The recipe is simple, but delicious and uses several seasonal vegetables available in a autumn/winter CSA.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tbsp dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 organic carrots, cut into 2 inch julienne strips
  • 3 small, organic turnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch julienne strips
  • 4 medium filets of tilapia or flounder
  • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Combine wine through salt, mix well and set aside.
  3. In a large 13X9″ baking dish toss sauce and julienned vegetables.
  4. Roast vegetables in oven for 20 minutes – stirring every 5 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of each filet of fish. Gently lay the fish filets on top of the roasted vegetables. Slightly cover the filets with some of the roasted vegetables.
  6. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip the fish filets and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the fish are flaky and firm to the touch.

Kapusta (Polish Sauerkraut)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Entree, Recipe

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Kapusta is Polish style sauerkraut. As a kid, I absolutely hated sauerkraut. I remember every time my Polish mom would make it, I would immediately leave the kitchen and hold my nose. For some reason, I detested the smell, especially as it permeated the house. Well, perhaps my palate has changed, but I have come to like sauerkraut – my mom would be so proud! This recipe is an adaptation of my mom’s and Babcia’s (grandmother) recipe. My Babcia would pick her mushrooms and dry them herself.
To soften the sometimes acidic, harsh flavor of sauerkraut, I’ve added fresh cabbage, additional dried mushrooms, vegetable broth, and some balsamic cream vinegar. Make this dish a few days ahead of time, because the flavors improve with each day.
INGREDIENTS
  • 3 tbsp organic, salted butter
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red or white sweet onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 leek, light green and white parts only, diced
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seed
  • 1/2 head green cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 (12 oz) package or jar of organic sauerkraut (made with cabbage, water and salt only)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 to 1 cup dried mushrooms
  • 32 oz vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp balsamic cream vinegar
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Put the sauerkraut in a colander and rinse well with cold water. Set aside.
  2. Add butter and olive oil to a large stock pot. Saute onion, carrots, leek and caraway seed until onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes). Add fresh cabbage then sauerkraut, dried mushrooms, bay leaf, vegetable broth and water.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for one hour.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients. And cook for an additional 30 minutes to an hour.

Uszka (Polish Mushroom Dumplings)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Recipe, Side

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Uszka is a type of Polish dumpling, similar to pierogie, but baked instead of boiled. The dough contains more butter than pierogies, creating a light, crispy crust. This uszka recipe uses a savory, mushroom filling. They can be eaten plain, but are best dipped in barszcz – Polish beet soup. This recipe comes from a Polish cookbook, and was translated by my mom who immigrated to North America when she was 10 from Poland.

INGREDIENTS

Dough

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1 stick organic, lightly salted butter
  • 1 organic, free-range egg
  • 1 tbsp light, organic sour cream
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Filling

  • 1 lb. mushrooms, washed (try a combination, such as baby bella, oyster, shitaki, button, etc.)
  • 1 medium organic onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp bread crumbs
  • 1 organic, free-range egg
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large bowl, add flour and salt – mix. Cut butter into flour until crumbly. Add lightly beaten egg, and sour cream. Knead dough until the ingredients are well combined and the dough glistens and does not stick to the surface (you may need to incorporate a little more flour during the kneading process).
  2. Cover the dough and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  3. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Add the mushrooms and onions to a food processor and process until finely chopped (the mushroom onion mixture will look slightly pasty).
  4. Heat oil in a large frying pan and saute the mushroom mixture on medium-high heat stirring constantly so the water from the mushrooms evaporates and the mixture does not burn. Cook until the mushroom mixture begins to brown for best flavor. Remove mixture from pan and set aside in a bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add bread crumbs, lightly beaten egg, salt and pepper.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Remove dough from refrigerator. Divide into 3 sections. Roll out one section of the dough on a large floured surface into a thin layer. Use a small drinking glass and cut out circles. Set the circles aside. Continue to roll out each dough section and make additional circles.
  7. Place a 1/2 tsp of mushroom mixture in the middle of each circle. Fold each circle in half and pinch the dough together to create a seal. (Make sure the two edges of each circle are sealed well to prevent leakage of the mushroom mixture.)
  8. Arrange the dumplings on several cookie sheets and bake one cookie sheet at a time until light browned (about 10-15 minutes).

Makowiec (Polish Poppyseed Roll)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dessert, Recipe

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Makowiec is a special Polish baked good eaten during the holiday season, particularly on Wigilia (Christmas Eve). This recipe comes from a Polish cookbook, and was translated by my mom who immigrated to North America when she was 10 from Poland.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 organic, free-range eggs
  • 2 organic, free-range egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup organic, light sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup organic, lightly salted butter (cut up into small chunks)
  • 3/4 cup organic sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 2 (10 oz) cans or jars of poppyseed filling

DIRECTIONS

Bread Machine Directions

  1. Add water to the bread machine. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract. Add to water.
  2. Then add butter through salt.
  3. Lightly spoon flour on top of the water mixture. Make a little well in the flour, and add yeast.
  4. Select the dough setting on your bread machine.
  5. Divide dough in thirds. Roll each dough into a 9-12 inch square or rectangle on a large, floured surface. Spread poppyseed filling evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch space on 3 of the sides.
  6. Starting with the 4th side (where the poppyseed filling comes closest to the edge), gently roll the dough in a jelly-roll fashion (like you would a yoga mat or sleeping bag). Seal the edges (on both sides and on the top seam).
  7. Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let it sit for about 30 minutes (or as my mom likes to say “until you get tired waiting”).
  8. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 to 45 minutes. Cool.

By Hand Directions

  1. Soften yeast in warm water in a bowl.
  2. Mix flour with sugar and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, until the mixture is crumbly.
  3. Beat eggs and egg yolks, mix with yeast, then stir in flour mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix well.
  4. Knead dough on floured surface for 5 minutes. Divide in half. Roll each dough into a 12 inch square or rectangle on a large, floured surface. Spread poppyseed filling evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/4 inch space on 3 of the sides.
  5. Starting with the 4th side (where the poppyseed filling comes closest to the edge), gently roll the dough in a jelly-roll fashion (like you would a yoga mat or sleeping bag). Seal the edges (on both sides and on the top seam).
  6. Cover. Let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours – or as my mom likes to say “until you get tired waiting”).
  7. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 to 45 minutes. Cool.

Kompot (Polish Fruit Stew)

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dessert, Recipe, Stew

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Kompot is a traditional Polish dessert made from a combination of fresh and dried fruit. The dish is typically served at room temperature or cold.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2-3 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced
  • 1 large organic orange, washed well, sliced and then quartered
  • 6 oz dried apricots, halved
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4-5 whole cloves
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium to large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the fruit.
  2. Bring to a boil, then simmer until apples are just tender.

CSA Share Week 10

13 Sunday Dec 2009

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This is the very last CSA share for the year and winter. How sad!

  • 2 bunches collard greens
  • 1 bunch bok choy
  • 1 small bunch tatsoi
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 1 pint broccoli crowns
  • 1 pint brussel sprouts
  • 1 small head green cabbage
  • 1 head green leaf lettuce
  • 1 head red leaf lettuce
  • 1 head romaine lettuce
  • 4 apples of assorted varieties
  • 2 bosc pears