Ukrainian Summer Fruit Kompot

My grandmother would always make a vibrant, fragrant, ice-cold kompot (compote) in the dog days of summer, often with fruit my family had foraged or harvested in the Pacific Northwest. Kompot is essentially stewed fruit that can be strained and enjoyed as a beverage, or it can be ladled into deep mugs and served like a fruit soup. Rich with berries and stone fruit, the deep purple liquid would cool us down as the temperature climbed.

Kompot is very popular in Ukraine, where my family comes from, and across the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Each home has its own recipe, and it can be made with fresh or even dried fruit. Keeping with tradition, I often squirrel away foraged fruit in the freezer; preserving berries and stone fruit from throughout the season waiting for the right time to make this family recipe. Inevitably, an August heat wave will arrive, and that’s when I take out my grandmother’s big enamel pot and fill it with all that saved fruit. The house will slowly fill with the smell of simmering fruit, and I’ll eagerly wait for the satisfaction of sipping on chilled kompot.

This recipe is very simple and endlessly modifiable and can be made year-round from fresh or frozen fruit.

Ukrainian Summer Fruit Kompot (Compote)
Serves 6-8

• Ingredients
  1½ lbs, mixed berries, fresh or frozen (raspberries, blackberries, currants, strawberries, etc.)

• 1 lb mixed stone fruit, fresh or frozen (cherries, plums, peaches)

• 2-3 small apples, cored and halved

• 1 cup sugar or honey, or to taste

• 8 cups of water 

• Juice of 1 lemon, optional 

Directions:
Clean off the fruit and remove any stems.

Add the fruit, sugar, and water to a large pot.

Bring the liquid up to a boil, then lower the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes; you want the fruit to release its juices but still hold its shape.

Taste and add more sugar or honey if you like it sweeter. If adding extra sweetener, let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes to let the sugar dissolve. Add lemon juice if desired for a more tart flavor.

Allow the kompot to cool then transfer it to the fridge to fully chill before serving. 

If you prefer a strained kompot, use a mesh strainer, and transfer the kompot into a pitcher to serve cold. If you prefer the kompot with the fruit still in it, serve it ladled into deep cups or bowls with a spoon.

Cherry Vareniki

Cherry vareniki (half-moon-shaped dumplings) in Ukraine are typically made with sour cherries, known as vishnya. They are nostalgic for many from the region — including my family — and were famously novelist Nikolai Gogol’s favorite food. My family immigrated from Soviet Ukraine to Seattle, and after almost a decade of building a new life in America, my parents were able to buy their first home. It had an enormous garden, with an established cherry tree. Soon after moving, when I was a very small child, my grandparents came to visit us from out of town. That summer, the cherry tree was loaded with fruit. I vividly remember picking glossy, red cherries off the tree with my grandmother and brother by my side. There was more fruit than could be eaten fresh, and my grandmother decided to use some of the harvest to make a large batch of cherry vareniki. We sat outside and ate bowls of the dumplings – pillowy and bursting with tart, sweet fruit. 

Vareniki are similar to pierogi or pelmeni; the dough is tender and soft, and the filling is only lightly sweetened so that the flavor of the fruit shines. This dish straddles the line between sweet and savory; topped with smetana (sour cream), one can eat cherry vareniki either as a main course or as a dessert. When using sour cherries, I eat my vareniki as a savory dish; you can get sour cherries fresh for a few weeks each year, otherwise, I pick them up frozen or preserved from Eastern European or Russian markets. When I fill the vareniki with Bing or Rainier cherries, I enjoy these dumplings as a sweet treat.

I love to serve cherry vareniki with a simple cherry sauce made from the extra filling, topped with big dollops of sour cream to balance out the sweetness. Like any kind of homemade dumpling or ravioli, vareniki take some effort to make, but are unquestionably worth the work. They’re ideal to make with a group of friends, and you can double or even triple the recipe as needed. 

Notes:

• Vareniki freeze extraordinarily well, offering a way to preserve the best of fleeting cherry season for future bowls of sweet dumplings. Freeze uncooked in a single layer, then transfer them to a bag or airtight container for three months. 

Cherry Vareniki (Dumplings)
Serves: 4-6, makes about 50 vareniki
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
For the dough:

• 3 cups + 2 Tbsp (400 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting or as needed 

• ¾ cup water

• 2 Tbsp sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 tsp kosher salt

For the filling and sauce:

• 1½ lb (680 g) cherries or sour cherries

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• juice of ½ a lemon

• sour cream, as desired, for serving

Directions:

1. Start by making your dough: In a large bowl, combine the 3 cups of flour, water, sour cream, egg and salt. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then transfer to a clean surface and knead until very soft, smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. If the dough is very sticky, add additional flour 1 Tbsp at a time until it’s easy to knead and doesn’t stick to your hands. 

2. You can also make this dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment by adding all of the ingredients to the bowl, and mixing on the lowest speed until a shaggy dough forms. Turn up the speed to medium-low, and mix until smooth and soft, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 1 hour. 

4. While the dough is resting, start on your filling. Wash, dry and pit all of your cherries. If using a cherry pitter, cut the cherry in half after removing the pit. Add the cherries to a bowl with ½ cup of sugar, and let them sit and start to release their juices for a minimum of 30 minutes, or as the dough rests.

5. Once your dough has rested for an hour and your cherries have been sitting for at least 30 minutes, you can begin shaping your vareniki. 

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and heavily dust it with flour.

7. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Liberally dust both your rolling pin and your surface with flour. Roll out each piece of dough very thin, almost as thin as pasta; if you lift it up the dough light should come through it. 

8. Cut out 2-inch rounds of dough using a water glass or biscuit cutter, lightly flour the rim of the glass or cutter before making rounds. Gather up the scraps into a ball and reserve to re-roll the dough one time, after that discard any scraps. Fill each round of dough with about a teaspoon of cherry, about 1-1½ cherries. Seal the dumplings into half-moon shapes, if needed dab the edges with water to help it stick, but the dough should be sticky enough to press together on its own. Using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the dough to ensure they’re properly sealed. 

9. Transfer the formed dumplings onto the lined baking sheet. Reserve any remaining cherries for sauce. Repeat the process until you have used up all of the dough, and then place the dumplings in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes before cooking. While your vareniki are in the freezer you can bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

10. While the water is coming to a boil, add the remaining cherries to a small pot. Bring the cherry mixture up to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the cherries for 10-15 minutes or until they are very soft and broken down. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp of cornstarch with the juice of half a lemon. At the end of cooking the cherries, add the starch slurry, and simmer for an additional minute or until just thickened. If the sauce thickens too much, you can always thin it with water.

11. Add vareniki, in batches if needed, to the pot of water (be careful not to overfill).. Once the vareniki float to the top, simmer them for an additional 5 minutes. If using frozen vareniki, it may take a few minutes longer for them to float to the top. Remove the vareniki from the pot and serve immediately. 

12. Top the vareniki with sour cream and cherry sauce. 

Apple Oladi - Ukrainian Pancakes

Oladi are pancakes that are popular in Ukraine and across the former Soviet Union. They come in a variety of styles but their batter is most often made with plain kefir (or buttermilk) and a leavening agent, such as baking powder or yeast. When fruit or cheese are added to oladi, they become fritter-like. They are typically cooked in a generous amount of sunflower oil, allowing them to puff up and become fluffy in the center with golden, crisp edges. 

The recipe for oladi first appeared in “Domostroy,” a famous 16th-century Russian book on household matters, but the term oladi comes from the East Slavic word oldaya, which refers to a flat cake of unleavened wheat, that dates back to 1470. Oldaya is derived from the Greek word for oil and is also associated with a Middle Greek oil cake called eladion. While these Russian pancakes may seem distant from the potato pancakes we eat at Hanukkah, the Yiddish word latkes comes from oladka, the Russian diminutive of oladi. 

In fact, early latkes were not made from potato at all, but were instead prepared with curd cheese fried in butter or oil, and likely originated in Italy, not Eastern Europe. Potatoes were not cultivated in Europe until the late 16th century; they became a staple crop in Russia and Poland in the 19th century. Once potatoes were ubiquitous in Ashkenazi communities, latkes for Hanukkah were made with potatoes fried in schmaltz. 

Oladi can be made plainly with flour, but they are also made with potato, carrot, beans, rice or even squash. Sweet oladi are made with apples or raspberries, especially in Ukraine. Like potato latkes, they are traditionally served with sour cream. You can make these apple oladi even sweeter by topping them with fruit preserves, a generous dusting of powdered sugar, or a drizzle of sweet, golden honey.

Apple Oladi
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-size apple 

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup plain kefir or buttermilk

• ¼ cup water

• 3 Tbsp sugar

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• big pinch of salt 

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour

• oil, as needed (sunflower, avocado or any neutral-tasting oil)

Directions:

1. Peel your apple. Dice it very fine by hand or in a food processor.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, kefir/buttermilk, water, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. 

3. Add the flour to the bowl, and mix until just combined, be careful not to overmix.

4. Add the apple and fold it into the batter until just combined. Do not let the batter sit for too long before cooking the oladi, as the apples will begin to release their juices.

5. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a generous amount of oil (about ¼” deep in the pan). Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and add ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until the oladi are golden brown on each side and have puffed up. Work in batches, and make sure not to crowd the pan. 

6. Serve immediately dusted with powdered sugar, and with sides of sour cream and fruit preserves.

Bubliki - Ukrainian Bagels

Bublik looks a lot like a bagel, sounds a little like a bagel, but is not quite a bagel. Bublik (pronounced boob-leek) or bubliki (pl), is the Ukrainian version of a yeasted, boiled, round bread that dates back to 18th century Odessa. Just like New York or Montreal-style bagels, bubliki came to the Ukraine by way of Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Poland and Eastern Europe, and later became popular throughout the former Soviet Union. While bread shaped into rings dates back to at least the 13th century, written records of the beygl (Yiddish for bagel), date back to 1610 in Krakow, Poland, where bagels were mentioned in Jewish community ordinances. The word bublik comes from the proto-Slavic word boubl, which means swelling or bubble. These delicious rings of bread are also affectionately called bublichki, and there is even a famous Yiddish-Ukrainain song from the 1920’s with this diminutive name.

Popular across the former Soviet Union, bubliki are not typically eaten as a breakfast food, and are instead traditionally served with tea, topped with butter, jam, or even smetana (sour cream). Compared to bagels, bubliki have a tender crust, are a little sweeter, and sometimes have a larger hole in their center. The chewiness of the bublik varies by baker, but they’re most often lighter than their New York counterparts. While bagels are made with a simple dough of yeasted flour and water, bubliki are typically made with an enriched yeasted dough that includes butter, egg, and milk. Both bagels and bubliki are boiled in water before being baked, which gives them their unmistakable glossy crust, but bagels are traditionally boiled in water with barley malt syrup added to it, whereas bubliki are boiled in plain water. In some ways, the flavor of bubliki is closer to a Montreal-style bagel, which is sweetened and boiled with honey.

In all its forms, bubliki and bagels have made their way into kitchens and bakeries around the world. While bubliki take time to make from scratch, you will be rewarded with the incomparable  joy of eating a fresh, warm bublik, and your home will be filled with the smell of one of the most comforting Jewish breads.

Bublik (Ukrainian Bagels)

Makes 10 bubliki

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups (350 ml) milk (or non-dairy unsweetened milk)

• 2¼ tsps (7 g/ 1 packet) active dry yeast

• 2 Tbsps sugar

• 4 cups (525 g) bread flour, or all-purpose flour

• 4 Tbsps (65 g) unsalted butter or vegan butter, melted

• 1 large egg

• 2 Tbsps honey

• 2 tsps kosher salt, or 1½ tsps sea salt

• Poppy seeds or sesame seeds, optional

Directions:

1.     Heat the milk until it is just warm to a touch, between 80-100°F. Add the active dry yeast and sugar to the milk and stir. Let the yeast proof for 5-10 minutes, or until it is foamy on top.

2.     In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, add the flour, melted butter, egg, honey, and salt. Add the milk and yeast mixture to the bowl. Combine the dough together by hand, or turn the mixer on to low. Mix until it forms a craggy ball. If kneading by hand, transfer the dough onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic and firm, about 10-15 minutes. If using a stand mixer, increase the speed to medium, and knead for 8-10 minutes. Check to see if enough gluten has formed by doing the window pain test: rip off a small piece of dough, and gently stretch it until it is thin enough that you can see light coming through it. If it starts to tear before you can stretch it thin, then continue to knead the dough for a few more minutes, and test it again.

3.     Transfer the dough to a large lightly oiled bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate the dough overnight, or for at last 8 hours. It is ideal to let this dough slowly proof in the fridge, but alternatively, you can cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

4.     Remove the proved dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the dough onto a clean surface, and press it down to fully deflate any bubbles in the dough. For even-sized bubliki, weigh the dough, and divide the toal amount by 10. Each bublik should weigh  1/10th of the total weight of dough (or roughly 90g per bublik). If you do not have a scale, divide the dough into 10 approximately equal-sized pieces.

5.     Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper, and lightly sprinkle the surface with flour. Make 10 balls of dough, by taking each piece of dough, and pinching the edges of the dough towards the center to form a ball. Roll the dough into a ball. Place the balls of dough a few inches apart from each other on the lined baking sheet. Loosely cover the balls of dough with plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 15 minutes.

6.     After 15 minutes, shape each ball of dough into a bublik by sticking your thumb down into the center of the dough, forming a hole, and then using both hands to stretch it into a ring about 5-6 inches in diameter (it will quickly shrink back a bit when you place it back onto the lined parchment paper). Cover all of the formed bubliki with the loose plastic wrap and allow them to rise for another 20 minutes.

7.     While the bubliki are rising, preheat the oven to 500°F and arrange the baking racks on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two more baking sheets with parchment paper.

8.     Once the water is boiling and the bubliki have risen, add 2-3 at a time to the boiling water (be careful not to crowd the pot). Let the bubliki boil for 30 seconds on one side, then flip them and let them boil for 30 seconds on the opposite side. Transfer the bubliki to the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving several inches of room between each bublik, about 4-6 bubliki per baking sheet. If topping with seeds, immediately sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds over each bublik.

9.     Place one baking sheet on the top third of the oven, and one baking sheet on the lower third. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake for 5-6 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until deep golden brown on the top and the bottom of each bublik.

10.  Allow the bubliki to cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Bubliki are best eaten the same day they are made, but they also freeze well, and can be reheated in an oven or toaster.

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage

From Italy to Poland, from Ukraine to China, stuffed cabbage is a classic comfort food in many parts of the world. While it takes some time to make, the effort put into the dish is rewarded in its results: the cabbage turns tender and sweet, and the savory filling is enhanced by the tanginess of the tomato sauce it slowly simmers in.

While stuffed cabbage is typically made with ground meat, this Ukrainian-style stuffed cabbage is vegetarian and is made with eggplant. The recipe for the filling is versatile, it is gluten and dairy-free, and it can be made vegan by omitting the egg. If you’re not a fan of eggplant, you can replace the eggplant with zucchini or your favorite vegan ground meat substitute. If you prefer meat, you can substitute the eggplant in this recipe for an equal amount of ground beef or chicken. I find the eggplant offers its own “meatiness” to the dish; and when it is peeled and cut into small cubes it becomes tender and soft, and easily absorbs the flavors of the caramelized onion, garlic, and spices that help create the unmistakable flavors of Eastern European-style stuffed cabbage. The sauce is slightly sweet and sour and demands to be eaten with a slice of good crusty bread to mop up any last drops. If you’re like my Ukrainian Jewish family, you might also want to serve this stuffed cabbage alongside creamy mashed potatoes. Top the stuffed cabbage rolls with parsley, dill, and a dollop of sour cream and you’ll have a hearty, comforting, meal.

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage

Serves 4-6, makes 12-13 stuffed cabbage

Prep time: 1 hour / Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

For the stuffed cabbage-

• 1 large Savoy or green cabbage

• ⅔ cups Basmati rice, rinsed

• 3 Tbsps oil

• 1 large onion, diced fine

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced fine

• 1½ lbs pounds (2 medium) eggplant, peeled and cubed small

• 1 small carrot, diced fine

• 1½ tsps garlic powder

• ½ tsp Paprika

• ½ tsp umami season blend/dried mushroom seasoning blend (optional)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 large egg, optional

For the sauce-

• 28 oz tomato purée, plus an equal amount of water

• ½ a large onion, chopped fine

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced fine

• 1 small apple, peeled and diced fine

• 2 Tbsps tomato paste

• 2-3 Tbsps maple syrup, or 2 tsps sugar, or to taste

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the cabbage- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, and then add the cabbage to the water. Boil the cabbage for 4-5 minutes. Then remove the cabbage from the pot and allow it to cool, reserve the water to boil the rice.

 Once cool to the touch, remove the leaves, and place them on a clean kitchen towel to remove any excess liquid. The center of the cabbage/smaller leaves will not be as pliable and can be reserved for other uses.

For the filling- Bring the pot of water back to a boil, and add the rice. Boil the rice for 8-10 minutes, or until partially cooked. Drain and reserve.

To a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and chopped onion. Allow the onion to get golden brown and slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 minutes. This step takes some time but adds a lot of flavor; prep the other vegetables while the onion caramelizes. Add the garlic to the onion, and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the cubed eggplant and diced carrot to the onion mixture; add more oil if needed. Generously season with salt and pepper, and sauté the eggplant mixture until the eggplant is softened, about 10-15 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Turn off the heat. Add the par-boiled rice, garlic powder, paprika, and if using, add the umami/dried mushroom seasoning blend. Allow the eggplant filling to cool. Add the egg if using, and mix until it is well combined.

For the sauce- In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic until softened and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add the apple, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add tomato paste and stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, and add an equal amount of water. Then add bay leaf, salt, pepper, and maple syrup or sugar. Your sauce should start out very thin, but it will thicken as it cooks. Bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes. Taste the sauce before adding the stuffed cabbage, and adjust for salt or sweetness. Dilute with more water if needed. 

To assemble - Separate the cabbage leaves, and cut out the thickest part of the center vein/core.

Fill each cabbage leaf with approximately ¼-cup of filling near the base of the leaf. Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, fold the sides of the leaf towards the center, and then roll until the cabbage is formed into a burrito-like package. Place seam-side down into the pot; cabbage rolls can be stacked on top of each other as long as they are all submerged in the sauce.

 Cover the pot, and let the cabbage simmer for 50-60 minutes on low heat, or until tender and the rice is completely cooked through. Add more water if the sauce appears too thick at any point, or when reheating. The sauce should be easily spoonable over the cabbage.

Served topped with fresh herbs and/or sour cream.

Savory Mushroom Blintzes

You may think of blintzes as always filled with a sweet cheese filling and topped with preserved fruit, but in Russia and the former Soviet Union, blintzes are made savory just as often as they are made with a sweet. My Ukrainian grandmother loved to make blintzes with a variety of fillings: from farmers' cheese and cherries to one's stuffed with mushrooms and ground meat. She called her sweet blintzes blinchiki, and her savory blintzes nalesniki. Some even call savory blintzes blini. While the names may vary depending on the cook or region, they are always delicious. These savory blintzes are filled with mushrooms and leek, and are light and flavorful. They’re vegetarian and can be made dairy-free by using non-dairy butter and milk. The mushroom filling can be made with just crimini or button mushrooms, but I love to add shiitake, oyster, or chanterelle mushrooms to the mix for a richer mushroom flavor. Breadcrumbs help bind the filling, although my grandmother would have likely used her beloved matzo meal instead. While these blintzes require a few steps to prepare and assemble, each element can be prepared in advance. Both the crepes and filling can be prepared and refrigerated 1-2 days ahead of serving. You can also pre-assemble the blintzes and brown them just before serving, which makes them a great dish for hosting. I particularly love to serve these for a lunch or brunch, topped with freshly chopped parsley or dill, and a generous dollop of sour cream. 

Mushrooms blintzes

Makes 10-12, Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes/ Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the crepes-

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup milk (can substitute with unsweetened non-dairy milk)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 Tbsps melted unsalted butter or oil, plus more as needed

• 1 tsp sugar

• ½ tsp kosher salt

For the mushroom filling-

• 1 lb (450 g)  crimini or button mushrooms

• ½ lb (225 g) shiitake, oyster, or chanterelles, mushrooms (or substitute with more crimini)

• 1 large leek

• 2 Tbsps oil, plus more as needed

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs

• 1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar or rice vinegar

• ½ tsp salt, or to taste

• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Toppings-

• Sour cream

• Chopped parsley or dill

Directions:

For the crepes- Using a blender, immersion blender, or whisk, blend the eggs, milk, flour, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, sugar, and salt together until smooth. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. 

Using a non-stick spray, or using a brush with oil or melted butter, lightly grease an 8-9” non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add ¼ cup of batter to the pan, and swirl the batter so that it forms an even layer in the pan. Cook the crepe for 1-2 minutes, then flip it and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side – or until the crepe is golden. Transfer to a plate. Repeat the process by spraying or brushing the pan with oil between each crepe. Stack finished crepes on top of each other. Crepes can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to assemble. 

For the mushroom filling-  Trim the woody stems of the mushrooms, then dice them very fine. To save time, you can finely dice the mushrooms in a food processor by pulsing them several times; be careful not to over-process the mushrooms into a paste. 

Trim the darker, green ends of the leek. Slice the leek lengthwise, and wash it of any remaining grit. Finely dice the leek.

Over medium-high heat, add a few tablespoons of oil to a large castiron or non-skillet skillet. Add the mushrooms and leeks to the pan and sauté until the mushrooms have started to brown, and have released most of their liquid, about 10-15 minutes. 

Add the breadcrumbs to the pan, and add another drizzle of oil if needed. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are starting to stick to the mushrooms. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper as needed. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then remove the filling from the heat. The filling can be used immediately or can be made a day ahead of assembling. 

To assemble and cook the blintzes- Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the mushroom filling to the center of each crepe. Fold over each side towards the center of the crepe, then fold the top over the two sides and roll the crepe up, like you would a burrito or eggroll. Continue assembling the blintzes, and place them seam-side down until ready to cook. 

Add a little butter or oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place the blintzes seam-side down in the pan, and let it brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the blintz, and brown it on the opposite side for an additional 2-3 minutes. Prepare the blintzes in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Serve warm topped with fresh herbs, sour cream, or your favorite toppings.

Golubtsi - Classic Stuffed Cabbage

In our family, we preferred our golubtsi (stuffed cabbage) with chicken, and my grandmother taught me to use Savoy cabbage. Savoy’s leaves are softer and more pliable than standard green cabbage, with a subtle sweet flavor. This recipe is meant to merely be a guide; add more or less rice, use the meat you prefer, add seasonings or herbs you love, and adjust the sauce to your own liking. This dish can be easily be made in advance and reheated before serving, and it also freezes well. I like to serve mine with a big salad, sliced toasted crusty bread, or fresh challah.

“Golubtsi” - Stuffed Cabbage

Ingredients:

For the sauce-

• 28 oz tomato sauce/purée + equal parts water

• 1 onion, chopped fine

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced fine

• 1 small apple, diced fine

• 2 Tbsps tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf

• 2-3 Tbsps maple/agave syrup, or 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the stuffed cabbage-

• 1 large savoy cabbage

• 1½ lbs ground chicken, turkey, or beef

• ⅔ cups basmati rice, rinsed

• ½ medium onion, diced fine

• 1 large egg

• 2¼  tsps Diamond kosher salt

• 1-2 tsps garlic powder, or 1 clove garlic minced very fine

Directions:

For the sauce- In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic until softened and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add the apple, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add tomato paste and stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, and an equal amount of water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and sweetener of choice (if using). Your sauce should start out thin and liquidy; it will thicken as it cooks. Bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes, or while you prepare the cabbage and filling. Taste the sauce before adding the stuffed cabbage, and adjust if necessary for salt or sweetness. Dilute with more water if needed.  

For the cabbage- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, and then add the cabbage to the water. Boil the cabbage for 2-3 minutes. Then remove it and allow it to cool. 

While the cabbage is cooling, add the rinsed rice to the same pot of salted boiling water. Let the rice boil for 8-10 minutes until partially cooked. Drain, and allow to cool and dry. 

Make the filling: combine the ground meat, cooled and drained rice, diced onion, egg, salt, and garlic powder. 

To assemble and cook: Separate the cabbage leaves, trimming any thick part of the stem. If your cabbage isn’t separating easily, place it back in boiling water for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

Place a leaf of cabbage down flat, fill it with approximately ¼-cup of filling near the base of the leaf. Fold the base of the leaf over the filling, fold the sides of the leaf towards the center, and then roll until the cabbage is formed into a burrito-like package. Place seam-side down into the pot; cabbage rolls can be stacked on top of each other as long as they are all submerged in the sauce. 

Cover the pot, and let the cabbage simmer for 45-60 minutes on low heat, or until tender and cooked through. Add more water if the sauce appears too thick at any point. The sauce should be easily spoonable over the cabbage.

Stuffed cabbage can be reheated in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350°F, a covered pot on the stove , or in a microwave. 

Pampushky - Ukrainian Garlic Bread Rolls

Pampushky are fluffy, soft, Ukrainian garlic rolls. Ukraine was known as the “breadbasket” of the Soviet Union, and both garlic and bread are staples of the cuisine. These rolls are traditionally served alongside borscht; the garlic’s sharpness compliments the sweetness of borscht’s beets. Garlic + bread is such a common side to borscht, that my own grandparents would often simply eat slices of brown bread and whole raw cloves of garlic with their soup. 

I was first inspired to make pampushky years ago when I came across a recipe in Mamushka, Olia Hercules’ exceptional Ukrainian cookbook. This recipe differs slightly, but the idea is the same for all pampushky: make pillowy soft buns, and top them with a mixture of oil and copious amounts of freshly minced or grated raw garlic. I prefer sunflower oil for this recipe, which is traditionally used in Ukrainian cooking. The moment the rolls come out of the oven, generously slather them with the garlic and oil mixture. The heat of the bread cooks the garlic just enough to slightly mellow its flavor. Fresh parsley and dill are also added to the garlic oil, which offers a bright herbaceousness to the spicy heat of the garlic. Make no mistake, these rolls are adamantly for garlic lovers. 

Pampushky are best served warm, either soon after coming out of the oven, or reheated just before serving. As you set the rolls on the table, make sure to announce that you are serving  “pampushky.” Saying the word out loud is part of the joy of making these rolls. 

Ingredients-

• For the dough:

• 1 cup (250 ml) milk 

• 2¼ tsps (1 packet) active dry yeast

• 2 Tbsps sugar

• 2 Tbsps oil (sunflower, avocado, or olive) 

• 3 cups (380 g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tsps salt

• 1 egg, beaten

For the garlic oil:

• 3 Tbsps oil (sunflower, avocado, or olive) 

• 3-4 garlic cloves

• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley 

• Flake salt (optional)

Directions-

Warm the milk until it is between 80-100°F, and just warm to the touch. Add the milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, or add the milk to a large bowl if kneading by hand. Add the sugar to the milk, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Whisk the mixture and allow it to activate and become foamy for about 5-10 minutes. Once the yeast is activated, add the oil to the milk mixture, then add the flour and salt. If using a stand mixer, start mixing the dough on the lowest setting. Once the dough starts to form a ball, increase the speed to medium and knead for 6-8 minutes. Alternatively, knead for 10-12 minutes by hand. The dough is done when it is elastic, glossy, soft, and easily comes away from the sides of the bowl/surface. Add the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise for 1-1½ hours, or until doubled in size. 

Once the dough has risen and doubled in size, punch it down to remove the air, and transfer it to a clean surface. Form the dough into a rectangle, and then divide it into 8 equal-sized pieces; weigh each one to be exact. Form each piece into a ball by pinching the edges inward, and then on a flat surface, roll the dough into a ball shape.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” round or square baking dish, preferably metal as opposed to glass or ceramic. Beat the egg for the egg wash. Place each ball of dough in the baking dish, with an equal distance between each ball. Allow the dough to rise a second time for 30 minutes, or until the rolls have puffed up and filled the pan. Brush the tops of the dough with the egg wash and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until deep golden brown.

While the rolls bake, make the garlic oil mixture. Finely mince the garlic using a garlic press or a Microplane. Combine the oil, garlic, chopped dill, and chopped parsley together. Brush the garlic-herb mixture over the rolls immediately after they come out of the oven. Allow the rolls to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Pampushky can also be served at room temperature or reheated.