Kulajda soup and more

Being inspired with my trip to Prague last week,
brought it into my kitchen.
Interesting, somewhat ancient atmosphere old recipes create.
They have one thing in common – simple ingredients.

But they are as delicious as they sound, start for winter
feast was “Kulajda” soup, comes from very old recipe from the
mountains in SW part of Bohemia. Vegetarian friendly.

Kulajda soup
recipe for standardized
10 portions at 0.33 l (approx. 1,5 cup) each

Ingredients:

2 litres (8 cups)    vegetable stock
0.5 kg (1 pound)   potatoes (peeled, cut to 1cm/half inch cubes)
0.5 kg (1 pound)   mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
0.25 liter (1 cup)   heavy cream
0.25 liter (1 cup)   milk
150 gr. (5 oz.)      fine flour
3                         eggs, hard boiled, sliced
handful (cca 1 cup) fresh dill, finely chopped
30ml (2 tbsp.)       white vinegar

caraway seed
salt

Bring vegetable stock to boil, add peeled and cut into small cubes
potatoes, after 10 minutes add sliced mushrooms and teaspoon of
caraway seeds, salt.
After 5 more minutes, whisk flour into milk and cream,
and thru strainer slowly, while stirring it, pour into the boiling soup.
You’ll see it thicken, stop at nice, sauce alike consistency.
On low heat boil for 5 more minutes, potatoes should be now tender.
Add more salt, chopped dill and take off the heat.
Finish the taste with vinegar for sweet, creamy, slightly acidic taste,
which is in aftertaste overpowered with dill.
Before serving, put small cube of butter on top
and slices of hard boiled egg, serve with dark bread or sesame crisps.

Couple notes – usually recipe calls for making “roux” from oil and milk
to start, then adding other ingredients, I’ve altered and tested above
process to cut down on calories and simplify recipe.

Next was Steak Tartar, made from smoked salmon.
Served with nicely aged Parmigiano, few capers and homemade pasty.
Great equivalent to traditional raw beef tenderloin tartar steak.
Little spicy, contrasty edge to the traditional menu. My fave.And because picture of dessert turned out just awful . . .

second course is last one today -
I’ve coated chicken breasts in herbs, actually in “dough”
made of milk, eggs, flour and herbs, and served with steamed
winter vegetables, touched with butter. What a hit it was!
No leftovers, it suprised even me how good it is.
Here is a pic. for your inspiration.

How was that for traditional Czech cuisine?
Light, with a modern twist . . .it doesn’t have always be
about dumplings and heavy sauces . . .I hope.
And will do my best in future for those changes, wish me luck.

There will be week of Czech cuisine in Copenhagen in March
in Radisson SAS Royal hotel . . .plannig on being there -
just to look, not work, he he (suprisingly), but I’ll have camera
with me and above soup is on the menu!

Thanks for looking,

Tomas

Chilled cucumber soup

Here is a summer reminder, or, to you closer to equator,
everyday idea on cool, eh, chilled delight.

I’ve found this recipe online, however, modified it to fit my
concept a little bit. Pureeing the cucumbers is definitely the fun part,
make it in small batches and fit the cover tightly.
Because green kitchen looks ugly.

I’m for last couple months on a wave of serving food in various
glasses and such, although this one is far from description of verrine,
it looks just fabulous in glass, the color is amazingly green,
reminds me of summer. Yea, that was the first idea!

recipe?
4 “English” cucumbers
1 pound (15 oz.) creme fraiche (sourcream)
zest and juice from one lemon
handful of mint leaves
salt, peper, 4 tbs. sugar
•
Roughly cut cucumbers, ad mint leaves and puree in blender.
Mix in creme fraiche.
Ad lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar.
Stir together, taste and season with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Enjoy!