Maggi Seasoning

  • Did you know that Maggi seasoning is named after its inventor –  Julius Maggi (1846-1912) from Switzerland?
  • He started off making proucts from legumes to improve the diet of working people.
  • Buillion cubes were made from 1908.
  • Liquid seasoning was made later and is now available nearly all over the world.
  • Did you know that Polish Maggi is slightly different than other varieties? – 
  • It contains loveage – lubczyk.
  • My cousins in Poland use it quite often in casseroles or somethimes as few drop over a cooked dish.
  • *
  • Do you use it?

 

New Recipes

  • Just back from a short trip to  Gdańsk.
  • It has been the coldest year there for 16 years.
  • The river Motlawa, which flows to the sea, has been frozen.
  • It was hard getting around as many of the pavements had not been cleared.
  • We went to 3 of our favourite restaurants: Gdański Bowkie, Gvara(sic) and Lookier, 
  • As well as going to some lovely bakeries.
  • I have a couple of new ideas for recipes to try out very soon.
  • I managed to buy 5 recipe magazines so have lots of recipes and ideas to try out so I am very excited.

Buckwheat – Not Roasted

  • I love buckwheat but have always used the roasted variety.
  • This I think has a nutty taste.
  • I have just been introduced to the non roasted variety which you can buy in the local Polish shop.
  • My friend called what she cooked a soup but I think it is more like a kasza – as most of the liquid was used up
  • The buckwheat is cooked in a beef or chicken stock with an assortment of vegetables.
  • Here we used broccoli, leeks, brussel sprouts, potatoes and carrots.
  • It is much milder than the roasted buckwheat.

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of buckwheat
  • 2 litres of beef or chicken stock (homemade is best)
  • 2 leeks – chopped fine
  • Some broccoli – chopped
  • 2 large potatoes – cubed
  • A few brussel sprouts – sliced.
  • 2 carrots – sliced or cubed
  • 2-3 allspice grains
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Sprig of Rosemary and Thyme
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

  • In a large pan bring the stock to a simmer.
  • Add the buckwheat and the other vegetables.
  • Add the bay leaves, herbs and allspice grains.
  • Cook until the buckwheat is soft and so are the other vegetables.
  • If you want a soup you may have to add more stock.
  • If you want kasza – heat until most of the liquid is reduced.
  • Remove the sprigs of herbs.
  • Season to taste.

Serve on its own or with roasted meats or gulasz.

Royal Stafford – Blossom Time – Soup Plate

Radish Salad – A Different Way

I usually cut radishes into small circles to use in salads.

See my recipes in Summer Salads.

One of my Polish friends came round and used them in a different way.

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of radishes

2 – 3 tablespoonfulls of Greek yoghurt

Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD

Use a fine grater to grate all the radishes.

Mix the grated radishes with the yoghurt.

Season to taste.

Super on their own or with other salad items such as lettuce.

Marcypan Budyń – chilled

  • I came across a recipe for budyń which had marcypan – marzipan melted into it.
  • I used bought golden marzipan from Marks & Spencer’s to test it out.
  • There is enough to make this three times.
  • It was delicious.
  • I used it in two diferent ways.
  • This is the first one in which the budyń is chilled.
  • The original recipe used apples with the budyń, but although I have lots of apples left in the garden; I think it is better with dark red fruits such as sour cherries.

Ingredients

  • 250ml milk
  • 1½ tablespoons of potato flour
  • 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
  • 150g of made marzipan
  • 2 egg yolks

Method

  • Mix a little of  the milk with the potato flour and the sugar.
  • Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan.
  • Add the rest of the milk mixture to this and heat till it is thick.
  • Chop the mazipan into little pieces.
  • Add the mazipan to the milk mixture and stir till it is melted and you have a thick sauce.
  • Leave till slightly cool.
  • Add the egg yolks and mix till it is thick.
  • Leave till cool.
  • *
  • Use this over thickened fruit dark fruits such as soured cherries.
  • Leave to chill.

 

Apple, Sultana & Budyń Dessert

  • This is made as a cold dessert.
  •  
  • Apple & sultana filling is the base in a Pyrex  dish.
  • Cold budyń (Polish custard) made with 500ml of milk  is poured and leveled out on top.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM5- 190°C.
  • Kruszonka made with 125g of plain flour is crumbled on top.
  • Bake for around 50 – 60 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • This dessert is best served chilled.

Kruszonka – Crumble Mix

  • Kruszonka – comes from the Polish verb kruszic – to crush.
  • Crumble – comes from the English verb to crumble –  make into small pieces.
  • Similar verbs but not from the same origin.
  • Stresusel – come from the German verb – to sprinkle.
  • These ingredients are used on top of many cakes in Poland and Germany and on the top of a sweet fruit pudding in England.
  • *
  • Until recently I always used half the amount of butter as flour to make the kruszonka – crumbs.
  • However recently I found a different proportion with a higher fat ratio and the results are wonderful – much more crunchy.
  • You have to be careful and have the oven hot to start with and cook this at GM 5 or GM 6 or the butter will all melt.

Ingredients 

  • 125g plain flour
  • 100g butter
  • 80g – 100g granulated sugar 
  • *
  • This is the ratio I have used in my recent recipes and it is super.
  • I have many older recipes with a kruszonka topping.
  • When I make these again I will try out these ‘new’ proportions.
  • I made a simple apple crumple using these proportions with 4-5 large cooking apples.
  • My mama would have called this szarlotka.

Method

  • Peel and core and part cook the apples first.
  • Leave them to cool – best if cold – you could do this much earlier.
  • Put the apples into an oven proof dish.
  • Pre-heat the oven at GM5.
  • Add the topping.
  • Bake for around 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Basrszcz Ukraiński

  • My mama only made barszcz the clear beetroot soup, which was served at Wigilia – Christmas Eve
  • This is a much more hefty, filling beetroot soup.
  • I got this recipe from one of my Polish friends.
  • With all the different vegetables I would say make this with 2 litres of stock.
  • A fatty chicken stock is good – home made is best.
  • But if you are using stock cubes add some butter to the mix.
  • Use a large stock pot or saucepan.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3-4 Beetroots – coarse grated – include the stems and leaves if you have them
  • ½ a sweetheart cabbage – finely shredded and chopped.
  • 3-4 medium starchy potatoes – peeled and chopped into small cubes
  • 2 parsnips – coarse grated or chopped into small cubes
  • 2 carrots – coarse grated or choped into small cubes
  • ¼ of a celeriac – cut into small cubes
  • 1 leeks – chopped into small circles
  • 2 litres of chicken stock
  • 4-5 grains of allspice
  • 5-6 peppercorns
  • 2-3 dried juniper berries
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • *
  • 1 tin of white beans – cannellini or haricot beans – drained
  • ½ bottle of beetroot concentrate
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • *
  • Hard boiled eggs for serving – 1 per person – chopped or cut into quarters

METHOD

  • Bring the chicken stock to the boil and then turn down to simmer.
  • Add all the chopped vegetables and the allspice, peppercorns, juniper berries and the bay leaves.
  • Gently simmer till the vegetables are nearly soft.
  • Add the beans and simmer till they are soft.
  • Season to taste.
  • *
  • Add the beetroot concentrate and stir.
  • *
  • Serve in deep bowls and add the eggs on top to serve.

 

Royal Stafford Blossom Time – Soup plates.

Option – not tested – some people add a few tablespoons of soured cream before serving.

Plum & Budyń Tort

  • It is my 700th post and the first for 2026.
  • So a Happy New Year to everyone.
  • This is a richer take on the last post of a simple apple cake.
  • Technically to be as a tort – it should have several layers but I am not an expert at cutting the sponges into halves.
  • Here 2 sponges – from 4 eggs, butter, sugar and flour – are sandwiched together with a plum- jam mixture and budyń made with 500ml of milk.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 circles(20/21cm in diameter) of sponge cake made from 4 eggs and the equivalent weight of butter, sugar and flour and a few drops of vanilla essence.
  • Around 370g of a sharp plum or plum and apple jam.
  • Juice of 1 lemon.
  • * 
  •  Budyń made with 500ml of milk – 3 egg yolks – 3 tablespoons of potato flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter. 
  • *
  • All the ingredients need to be cool – even cold, so they do not run when put together.
  • *
  • Icing sugar to dust

METHOD

  • Put the jam and the juice of 1 lemon into a small saucepan and heat gently, mixing together to get a thick paste.
  • Leave to cool completly before using.
  • *
  • Spread the jam mixture  over the first round of the cake.
  • *
  • Spread the cold budyń over the jam mixture – do not take it quite to the edges.
  • *
  • Place the second round of cake over this, gently press it down.
  • Dust this with icing sugar before serving.
  • Take care when cutting into the cake.

Simple Apple Sponge

  • I know that this is coming up to Wigilia & Christmas but this a a simple cake to balance all the rich ones you might be making.
  • It is a basic sponge make with 4 eggs and their equivalent weights of butter, sugar and flour and some baking powder.
  • Some drops of vanilla essence were added.
  • The two cakes were sandwiched together with a layer of apple jam & lemon juice.

METHOD

  • Make two rounds of sponge cake (the type with butter) in 20/21 cm  diameter tins.
  • Add a few drops of vanilla essence to the cake mixture.
  • *
  • Take a jar of homemade apple jam and put it into a small saucepan.
  • This will be around 370g of jam.
  • Add the juice of 1 or 2 lemons depending on size,
  • Slowly heat this up together until you have a thick mixture.
  • Leave this to go cold before using.
  • *
  • Sandwich the cake round together.
  • *
  • Dust the top with icing sugar.
  • *
  • You will have a refreshing cake to serve.