Prior to Moldova, winter was simply that thing that happened to people who decided to live in really cold climates.
Me? Winter only meant we could not sunbathe…instead our amusement derived from testing our physical skills on the beach….such as cartwheels.
Sullivans Island, South Carolina.
So beautiful!
Then, I applied for Peace Corps. I received my 1st preference for Sub-Saharan Africa where temperatures stay relatively high. I was pleased. However, not everything works out as planned. Joke was on me as I tackled my first “real” winter. Thanks, Moldova. I’m cold….and I’m hungry.
The land here is beautiful. The nutrients so rich that you can spit a grape seed on the ground…years later a vineyard will appear. The flavor of the produce is succulent and the color beautifully vibrant. Fire engine red tomatoes vivid purple eggplant. Seriously, fruits and vegetables would make Whole Foods surrender and fall to its knees. Our meals come from the gardens we pass on our daily running trails. The juicy grapes that currently occupy a bowl on our kitchen table are cut from the vines of the host family’s terrace.
Personally, we really enjoy going to the piata for fresh produce. Just to elaborate our L.O.V.E, occasionally, we must throw on a ‘restraining order’ on ourselves if visits are reaching day #4 that week. Note- it’s barely open 5 days-a-week. The local ladies know us- and yes, I’m disregarding the fact that we stand out like the obvious Americans that we represent. But, we truly enjoy purchasing produce straight from the Baba’s gardens. Actually, this is a prime example of how we can get a bit…carried away….
Lately, our obsessive produce purchasing habits benefited because we are on a mission…
Goal: Survive Winter 2013 in Moldova.
Objective: Take advantage of the current low cost veggies through creative freezing techniques while shoving our faces with stuff that’s still green.
So far, we are far exceeding our expectations. We have prepared & froze:
- About a dozen jalapeno peppers…that’s a lie. We did this little number as well ‘kitchen décor/future condiment’
- Ratatouille (vegetable bake dish)
- Stuffed Ground Pork Peppers with Hrisca (buckwheat)
- Eggplant
- Green Smoothies (a concoction of green veggies blended with lemon juice & tossed into a ziplock)
- Curried Zucchini Soup
- Cinnamon Zucchini Bread
- Sugar Cookie Dough (This is just a self-defense mechanism so we don’t eat the cookies in 48 hrs)
- Thai cilantro marinade
Now, fellow Peace Corps Volunteers who can manage freezer space or convince your host family to section out a 6 inches of their freezer for you……have fun with these recipes!
Zucchini Soup
*It was not until I picked 3 too many kilos of Zucchini & realized that I needed to do something with this green goddess of a vegetable. Especially, because they’re SO DELICOUS right now! Yeah, that’s right they actually have flavor!
Ingredients:
- Zucchini cut into chunks
- Soup Stock (Veggie or Chicken)
- Onions & Garlic diced
- Condiments- salt, pepper, curry, basil…whatever you please
The Magic: #1: Look up Zucchini Soup Recipe. Then read how I semi-followed it….
Throw all your diced garlic & onions in a pan & sauté. Dust with salt & pepper. Then add your stock, followed by your zucchini and let all that jazz simmer for….ohh….15-20 minutes? Enough to get the zucchini tender, but not mushy soft. After that add everything into a blender/food processor until a smooth consistency. Put in a pot to cool. Repeat. You’re finished. Yay.
Ground Pork stuffed Peppers with Hrisca
Basically, we took the abundance of peppers, cleaned them out, stuffed them with fully cooked ground pork, mixed with Hrisca (Buckwheat inst of white rice) because we try to be waist-line conscious, stuffed the mixture in the peppers & froze ‘em. When we’re ready to enjoy- all that is necessary is throwing the green guys in the oven until they defrost & the pepper is tender.
Zucchini Bread:
This recipe is amazingly easy and great to prepare since the veggie currently at a low cost!
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
- 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For more Pizazz add:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup raisins
Mix that stuff together & bake! It’s delish! If you want, it’s possible to also add more nutmeg, allspice, or something wintery along those lines….
The days are slowly getting a bit colder and it’s a Saturday morning. This means, time to get dressed in my finest & hit up the piața and start another day of cooking and freezing in the most valiant attempt to survive this winter.
Cheers!
Sfecla & Spice 
