Classic Polish Cucumber Salad for St. John Paul II

There are two foods that I associate with going to visit my relatives on the farm where my Polish American father was born and raised - and Mizeria, cucumber in a creamy dill dressing, is one.  It was a staple. From most Polish families you will hear the same. As a classic Polish salad side dish it seems very fitting for the feast day of St. John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła), October 22. And it is super simple to make - a bonus for a busy day.

Mizeria - Polish Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
• pinch of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

Peel cucumber(s).  Slice cucumber very thinly and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle slices with salt and let sit for 30 minutes to pull the liquid. Drain water from the salted cucumbers and gently squeeze to expel any remaining water.  Pat dry with paper towel.  

Mix sour cream, vinegar, sugar, and dill in medium bowl.  Toss cucumber slices in mixture. Allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Taste, season with salt and freshly ground pepper as needed and serve.  Garnish with dill if desired. Serves 4 but is easily doubled or tripled. 

St. John Paul II, the Great, Pray for us!

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A Polish Feast for Saint John Paul II

This post was written by Catholic Cuisine contributor, Charlotte from Waltzing Matilda. 

Today is the feast day of the newly canonized Pope Saint John Paul II and my youngest daughter's baptismal anniversary so we want to celebrate in a big way with a Polish feast. I plan on making Polish Meat and Potatoes for dinner, a combination of cabbage and kielbasa served over garlic mashed potatoes and Piernik for dessert. I will post pictures when I take them later, but for now, here are the recipes to get you started: (Updated… pictures of our feast!)

Polish Meat and Potatoes
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
4-5 cups of cabbage leaves, chopped
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional… I leave it out or let people add it to their serving)
1 pkg. kielbasa, cut into rounds
3-4 green onions (opt.)
And supplies to make your usual mashed potatoes...

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add kielbasa slices and cook for about 10-15 minutes. I like to see a little crust show up in the sides of the sausage. Add garlic and cook for just another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant, but not burned. Add cabbage and green onions and stir frequently for the next 10 minutes until cooked. We like our cabbage lightly sautéed but if you like yours more well done, cook it longer, just keep stirring so the garlic doesn't  burn. Add pepper (and salt) to taste.

I serve this over regular mashed potatoes seasoned with garlic salt.

For dessert, I am making Piernik (Polish Honey Bread). It's baking in the oven right now and smells amazing! In fact, my 10 year old son just walked into the kitchen saying, "Mmmmmmm…. what is that smell?"

Piernik

1 C. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves (I substituted nutmeg)
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
4 eggs
1/2 C. milk
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 C. honey
4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. raisins (optional… my kids don't like them)
1/2 C. walnuts (optional… my husband can't eat them so I didn't add them)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bunt pan. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, spices and eggs. Add in the milk, oil, baking powder and baking soda. In a small pot, heat the honey to boiling and then add to mixture. Mix in the flour and stir until blended well. Fold in the raisins and walnuts if you'd like them. Pour into pan and bake for about an hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack and turn out after 20 minutes. Dust top with powdered sugar.

I only had a little honey so I made a half batch, that's why my bread is shorter.

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Root Vegetable Harvest Recipes for October Saints

October is late harvest time all over the world. The Polish especially have a tradition of emphasizing the and celebrating the harvest season. Late September usually brings frost, so most often only the root crops, like cabbage, turnips, beets and carrots and perhaps some grains are being harvested in October. Old Polish legends talk about harvesting these late root crops and sowing of winter wheat on or just after October 16 which is St. Hedwig’s Day or Sw. Jadwiga in Poland. She is a patroness of Poland and it is said that she sweetens these crops if they are left until that date. 

Sw. Jadwiga, jesli deszcz nie pada
To do kapusty Pan Bog miodunada.

On St. Hedwig's, if it's not raining
God grants honey to the cabbage.

Another mid-October feast is tied into Polish harvest lore. It is also said that by St. Luke's Day (Sw. Lukasz), October 18 all the work in the field should have been completed. They might chant:  "Sw. Lukasz day, co w polu szukasz?" (Translated: "On St. Luke's Day, what are you looking for in the fields?"). And of course there is St. John Paul II's feast on October 22. 

So to celebrate the late harvest season and the root vegetables, to recognize a couple October saint feast days, and give a nod to my Polish heritage, I have a couple hearty recipes to share. 

Roasted Root Vegetables 

1 T olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 turnip, peeled and diced
1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
1 t dried rosemary
1 t dried thyme
1 pinch salt
1/2 t black pepper
1-2 T balsamic vinegar, optional for drizzling.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss to combine. Place mixture on a baking sheet and bake approximately 30 minutes. Turn vegetables every 10 minutes until vegetables are tender and slightly browned. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving.
Makes 6 servings.

Polish people make a lot of zupa (soups), and starting with the cold weather and the harvest, soup is a wonderful addition to any meal.  Here is one that combines some of the root vegetables that are common in Polish fare.

Cabbage Kielbasa Soup

1 small head cabbage, shredded
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 T olive oil
4 cups water
3 T cider vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 pound Kielbasa sausage, halved, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrots, chopped
1 t caraway seeds
1/2 t pepper

In a Dutch oven or large kettle, saute the cabbage, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add water, vinegar and brown sugar to cabbage mixture.  Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Makes 8-10 servings.

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Keys of Heaven Candies

Today is a historic day in the Catholic Church as two popes are canonized.  You can find a number of recipes to commemorate these new saints in the archives including Papal Polenta, Kremówka Papieska (Papal Cream Cake), and John Paul II Sugar Cookies.  I just finished making some "Keys of Heaven" candies for my children using this Key Mold and Yellow Candy Melts.

St. John XXIII and St. John Paul II, Ora Pro Nobis!

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