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Tuesday

12 Feb Blini day

In the spirit of using up larder stocks for lent we've just had homemade blinis for supper.  OK, we might manage abstinence until breakfast tomorrow but no later, it was still good to participate in pancake day in some form. 
I watched the children in the ajoining school playground in their pancake race, but was shocked and dismayed to see that none of them tossed their pancakes in the race, it was just dashing around with a frying pan in one hand.  Isn't that missing the point?
Still cool and wintery, but with the promise of mild weather coming on Thusday.

Thursday

Simple peasant food makes for some of the best eating.  Italians understand and love "cucina povera".    But one of my favourites comes from Hungary -  Töltött kápaszta, or Stuffed cabbage leaves.  It's a bit of a faff to make but comes together to make a warming delicious meal, much more than the sum of its parts.
Sweetheart cabbage leaves are the best but also works well with spring greens.
6 large deep green leaves of some favourite brassica.   Blanch these briefly in a steamer then refresh in cold water.
Meanwhile prepare the following;
200g roast pork chopped finely
1 cup cooked rice
1 small chopped onion
Paprika powder generous 1 dsp.
Tomato puree
Garlic
Fry onion and garlic gently, added chopped roast pork and all the other stuffing ingredients.  Spoon onto leaves and roll up neatly.  Fit carefully into an oven proof dish and pour over a cup of good stock (nothing bought please), so liquid comes about 1” up dish.  Bake for 40mins at about 180 degrees, loosely covered with foil to prevent drying out. 
Mix sour cream with horseradish and dill.  Pour over at table