"European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas"
Baked Lezakhov dumplings
Submitting culinary practice: Circle of Rural Housewives in Leżachów, Przeworsk pov, Sieniawa commune
CATEGORY OF THE CONTEST "POLSKA WIEŚ SMAKUJE": HOLIDAY FOODS
Place: 1
The Circle of Rural Housewives in Lezhov was active as early as the beginning of the 20th century, when, in the days of the poor Galician countryside, the housewife's resourcefulness was the basis of family survival. Women were involved in gardening and beekeeping. The center of education was the village common room and school. The culinary traditions of the village of Lezakh and the region are continued today by the Laureate Circle, which was reactivated in 2008 after years of stagnation. It promotes cultural heritage by disseminating traditional regional cuisine, which is as varied as the ethnically diverse population of the Nadsanie area was until World War II. Grandmotherly recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, and the dishes are reminiscent of childhood. KGW Leżachów is distinguished by dumplings of all kinds - boiled, baked and fried - with various fillings; which are characteristic of the region. While nurturing tradition, the Circle has for years simultaneously been building a modern image of a committed village society that cares about the ecology of its small homeland. It cooperates with various institutions, and has in its rich heritage many cultural and integration events prepared for residents, as well as active participation in various projects organized by: LAG Stowarzyszenie Kraina Sanu, Przeworsk District Office, Przeworsk Museum, Marshal's Office in Rzeszów.
Description of the dish and recipe
The distinctive filling of buckwheat groats and cheese in a crispy, golden crust is an indispensable part of any holiday or feast. They taste delicious hot or cold with red borscht, kefir, milk, but also beer. They are renowned for their unique taste, thanks to the composition of traditional spices and products. They always go well, and frozen can be quickly reheated in the oven. They are an excellent healthy snack or appetizer with garlic dip.
Ingredients for the dough:
- 1 kg of spelt or plain wheat flour
- 2 cubes of butter
- 2 - 3 egg yolks and 1 egg
- 10 dkg of yeast
- about 1 cup of sour cream
- a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar, for sprinkling cumin or nigella.
Ingredients for stuffing:
- 0.5 kg of buckwheat groats
- 1 cube of cottage cheese or feta
- 1 sliced onion
- a few tablespoons of canola oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic.
Method of preparation:
Pick the groats, rinse them in a strainer and pour water again for about 1 h to soak, then drain. Boil water separately and pour into it groats in a 2:1 ratio, add salt, stir and cook. To the cooled groats add crushed garlic, onion browned in oil, curd and season to taste. Mix well. On a pastry board, chop butter with flour, add eggs and yeast dissolved in cream with sugar. Knead elastic dough, cut off portions, which you roll out 2 mm thick, cut out circles, stick the ravioli and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, spread with spread egg whites, sprinkle with caraway seeds and bake with thermo-circulation at 180 degrees until browned - about 15 minutes.
The culinary tradition of the dish
Leżachów baked dumplings are a dish characteristic of Leżachów. After KGW Leżachów submitted an application (through the LAG Kraina Sanu and after the required verification), they were entered on the Ministerial List of Traditional Products in 2013. The dumplings are also called "threshing dumplings," from the words "thresh, thresh grain," because they were a popular snack during threshing, which used to be a neighborhood-family self-help activity and was the most important community event in the village, when a machine called a threshing machine "went" from farm to farm.
Culinary practices were cultivated in family homes as an extension of family traditions, which was later transferred to the Circle. To celebrate the success of being certified as a traditional product, KGW Leżachów organized a community event for all Seniors of the village titled. , "Bazaar of Flavors in Lezhachow," whom they hosted at the Folk House with various dishes they had prepared.
The culinary practice can be applied to healthy eating because the products are organic. We buy groats from local producers, and we grow vegetables organically in our own gardens. In addition, buckwheat groats, called in our country "hrecha na", are a true miracle of nature, because in addition to being rich in protein and in many minerals and B vitamins, they are very nutritious, in addition, they are gluten-free, so the dumplings can be reached without fear by people who are intolerant to gluten, and because of their low glycemic index, they are also indicated for people with diabetes. On the other hand, the dough made from spelt - an ancient variety of wheat that has not been modified from its original state - does contain gluten, but it is better absorbed than gluten from wheat.
Values of culinary practice
It has not been known for a long time that most people are united by a common meal. All the most important matters for them end with a meeting at a lavishly set table, where people share "bread" understood here as nourishment, share joy and regenerate their strength. Cyclical events organized by the circle - i.e. the Lezhachów Picnic, Senior Citizens' Meeting, St. John's Day, Mother's Day, Nativity - began with performances by the KGW cabaret group "Big Baby" or children, and ended with a community feast, singing and intergenerational talks, from which people left satisfied that they could pleasantly spend time together and forget about their problems and sorrows.
According to KGW Leżachów, the present cooking practice could contribute to additional income for the Circle or rural women in general. It has such potential, but so far it is still in the promotion stage. The reported culinary practice has ecological qualities. The products are healthy, without artificial additives. In Lezakh, care is taken to keep the environment clean, their fields or gardens are fertilized with natural compost or manure. They spray concoctions of nettles or other herbs. KGW promotes environmental protection, fosters knowledge among the local community, including a project called Count yourself with garbage.
Thanks to KGW Leżachów's initiatives related to culinary practice, the Circle has made young people interested in the local history and cultural and natural heritage of their village and community. After 2008. KGW Leżachów tried to fill the breach created by the liquidation of the school in the village. Socially, it began to organize the cultural and social life of the residents with the then mayor. All events were educational and educational in nature. What attracted children, adolescents and adults was culinary practice combined with handicraft or dance workshops, or Nordic Walking training, since the longest trail in the Sieniawa municipality runs through Leżachów. The Circle also organized soccer games on the so-called school square, ending, of course, with a bonfire and refreshments. The experience of KGW Leżachów is a perfect example of how cooking can be the best way for social integration and all kinds of development.
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Christmas bigos from grandma's notes
Submitter of the culinary practice: Circle of Rural Housewives of Iwaniska, Opatowski district municipality of Iwaniska
CATEGORY OF THE COMPETITION "POLSKA WIEŚ SMAKUJE": HOLIDAY FOODS
Place: 2
The Ivaniska Rural Housewives' Circle was established in December 2018. It participates in many culinary competitions and fairs promoting folk culture, where it is successful and wins awards. The circle recreates old recipes, cultivates such customs as: sauerkraut pickling in barrels, preparation of jams according to old recipes. It promotes the prepared healthy delicacies by showing their use in modern cuisine.
Description of the dish and recipe
The ingredient of the dish is a vegetable that has been cultivated for a very long time in Ivanish fields or even in home gardens, as well as gifts of nature gathered in the Świętokrzyskie forests, which are always in abundance in the area during the season. The dish is made from cabbage, shredded and pickled the old way, and using, among other things, sloes scooped onto sloes' twigs and mushrooms dried on the stove.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg of sauerkraut
- 15 dkg of dried mushrooms
- 12 pieces of dried prunes
- 1 kg of mixed meat
- 30 dkg of sausage
- 20 dkg of smoked bacon
- 3 grains of allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- Pepper and salt to taste.
In a pot, set the meat and cook it similarly to the broth. At the same time in the other pot we boil the sauerkraut, then drain it. Pour the finished meat stock over the cabbage and begin to simmer. Add bay leaves and allspice. Cut the cooled meat into pieces fry it in a pan with a little fat. Similarly, cut smoked bacon and sausage and also fry. Put all the ingredients from the frying pan along with the rendered fat into the boiling cabbage. We add dried mushrooms and dried prunes. Cook over low heat until the cabbage is sufficiently soft. At the end of cooking, add a tablespoon of tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tradition culinary dish
Christmas bigos is a well-known dish, and a special one for residents of the Ivanisk area. It is prepared in this region for every holiday or local event. In the past, rural weddings had to have this dish as an obligatory part of their menu. This dish was prepared by the grandmothers of Circle members in rural, less affluent households, adding dried mushrooms and prunes, and those who were slightly better off added more meat. In addition, properly stored it could be served at a later time without losing its taste.
KGW in Ivaniska often prepares this dish and serves it during special events organized together with the Volunteer Fire Department for Ivaniska residents and visitors from further afield. It works perfectly, and all that is needed as a side dish is a roll of country bread. Even younger people choose this dish over typical fast food.
The circle prepares the dish for tasting at larger fairs promoting folk culture held outside the village and commune. Hosted at events held at Krzyżtopór Castle, located in the Ivaniska commune, bigos can be enjoyed by tourists from all over the country and abroad.
The culinary practice can be applied to healthy eating, as its main ingredient is sauerkraut, which during the pickling process acquires health-promoting ingredients such as vitamin C and minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. Sauerkraut also acts as a probiotic. Both the cabbage and the meat side dish (which contains protein) will satiate and satisfy hunger for a long time. Dried prunes improve the digestive system, protect against disease, lower cholesterol. An important role is also played by spices such as bay leaf, which contains elements that protect us from cancer.
Values of culinary practice
Practicing the cooking of bigos contributes to the integration of local residents especially those of varying ages. Younger people have the opportunity to acquire new culinary skills and learn how to make a dish that has been prepared in Ivansk for a very long time. On the occasion of cooking together or tasting the dish, social activity is increased by expanding knowledge of healthy food, interesting exchanges about past and present tastes.
By cultivating the cooking of bigos according to the Circle's recipe and making it possible to taste the dish, there is its promotion, and thus an increase in the ability to interact for the benefit of the local community. Cultivating cooking according to the recipes of the Circle's ancestors fosters an increased sense among younger people that the traditions of something unique and distinctive to the region are being upheld.
According to KGW Iwaniska, the practice of cooking bigos has economic benefits for the Circle itself. It should be noted that it also contributes to increased income among local farmers. The dish from the recipe presented by the Circle is prepared from cabbage previously pickled by the Circle, and purchased from farmers in our region. When promoting their dish at the tasting, the Circle emphasizes that the characteristic flavor is given by the cabbage they pickled themselves, which was grown right in the Ivanisk region. The dish is not expensive in terms of ingredients or, indeed, the preparation process. And it is always very popular.
The main ingredient of the dish is cabbage, a vegetable that is grown in the Ivanisk lands, without having to transport it from distant places. The circle, if it already has a main ingredient, uses meat products left in the refrigerator as side dishes. In this way it contributes to the principle of not wasting food and making the most of it. Besides, the surplus of the prepared dish can be frozen, which will also not waste food.
Cultivating the cooking of bigos is of great importance for KGW Ivaniska. This dish, its characteristic smell when prepared in the kitchen, is always associated with the coming holidays. Prepared by our grandmothers while feasting together at the table, it allows us to return with memories to those who have already passed away. Despite the passage of time, it is hosted on Ivanish tables, probably richer in meat ingredients than it once was, but still with the same unique taste. Nowadays, people have the opportunity to travel all over the world, try the most diverse dishes, use spices not available to our ancestors. However, it is worth remembering that the dish uses simple ingredients, i.e. cabbage, dried mushrooms from our forests, plums from home orchards, things that have always been in abundance in our country. By recreating this dish, the circle remembers where our roots come from, and this is something to be proud of.
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Birch millet dumpling
Submitting culinary practice: Circle of Rural Housewives "Brzozaki", locality Brzóza Królewska, district of Lezajsk commune
CATEGORY OF THE CONTEST "POLSKA WIEŚ SMAKUJE": HOLIDAY FOODS
Place: 3
The Rural Housewives' Circle in Brzoza Królewska was founded in 1963 and initially operated at the Agricultural Circle. Today's KGW actively participates in the social and cultural life of the municipality, district and beyond. In 2003, a singing and ritual group "Brzozoki" was established at the Circle, which participates in reviews, meetings, passes on traditions to the younger generation, old rituals and customs. The circle has been organizing the cyclic event "Autumn rites - Baked potato festival" for 17 years. This event has been certified by the Podkarpackie Regional Tourist Organization. The main purpose of this festival is to popularize cultural heritage and cultivate traditions through demonstration and tasting of regional dishes specific to Brzóza Królewska. In addition, various special events are organized throughout the year with the participation of the Circle, i.e. Senior Citizens' Day, Women's Day, May 3 Constitution Day or the Village Harvest Festival. In 2018. The Circle made an entry in the National Register of Rural Circles kept by ARMA and receives a grant from the state budget for its statutory purposes. Thanks to this funding, it has been possible to purchase missing costumes, tableware and necessary equipment to facilitate the Circle's work. Not without significance is also the help of the Communal Cultural Center, which lends its premises and kitchen facilities free of charge.
Description of the dish and recipe
The birch berry dumpling is a yeast dough with a filling made of loose-cooked and buttered millet groats topped with cottage cheese. A thin layer of dough is on the bottom of the top and sides of the dumpling. In the center is a thick layer of lamb stuffing. During the baking of the dumpling, the mild aroma of cooked millet groats enriched with a buttery aroma, combined with the smell of yeast dough, spreads around. All this creates a unique flavor that remains in the memory for a long time, for those who have tasted the jaggery dumpling.
Leaven:
- 2 dkg of yeast
- 1 cup of lukewarm milk
- teaspoon of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- mix ingredients, let rise.
Dough - to the risen leaven add:
- 1 egg,
- a little oil,
- a pinch of salt,
- flour as much as it will collect, so that the dough is not too hard.
Preparation:
Knead the dough well, let it rise in a warm place.
Groats: Rinse 2 and ½ pots of half-liter groats and boil them in 2 liters of water. Add ½ kg of butter to the boiling groats. Salt to taste. Cook the groats until soft. To the cooked slightly cooled add 1 kg of crumbled cottage cheese.
Roll out the risen dough into a rectangle line the bottom and sides of the baking sheet with it. We leave a little dough for the top. On the dough we put the stuffing from millet groats, cover it with the rolled out rest of the dough, thoroughly gluing its edges. Spread the top with beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour. After baking and cooling, we lay out from the form on a board. It tastes best while still warm, or cut into slices and fried until golden brown in butter.
The culinary tradition of the dish
Since time immemorial, the bircher jaglak, popularly known as jagel dumpling, has been a culinary specialty known and admired and valued for its unique taste. This jaggery specialty is undeniably a regional delicacy. Its history dates back to very ancient times, when it was a ceremonial cake, a symbol of abundance, served at baptisms, weddings, holiday and special occasion feasts. It was also not held without it at the digging, harvest or harvest festivals. It was baked for Christmas and Easter. It is known from stories that it accompanied the residents of today's Royal Brzoza during the most important ceremonial events. The entire baking process has been passed down from generation to generation and has remained unchanged to the present day. Pieróg is a specific baked product, undoubtedly traditional and characteristic of the area, which is why the Circle has applied for its inclusion in the list of traditional dishes.
The birch berry dumpling still dominates among traditional dishes for the Royal Brzoza and is still present on tables, but at the present time it is experiencing a great renaissance. It reigns not only on the tables of older ladies, but also on the tables of younger ones, who eagerly draw on their knowledge of its production. Thanks to this, the tradition of baking jagelak has survived to this day. In the village, many housewives still bake the dumpling in traditional bread ovens. Jaglak has for years been a gem among the dishes prepared by KGW, which cultivates traditional flavors and prepares dishes according to the recipes of their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Also, the recipe for jaglak dumpling is still the same. This baked product is presented by the local KGW at all events promoting Old Polish cuisine, not only local ones, but also on a wider scale. It should be added that the Brzeźno KGW has won numerous awards for its jaglak at many prestigious competitions, i.e. "Our Culinary Heritage", "Festival of Podkarpackie Flavors", "Włościańskie Jadło", etc. This local product, thanks to numerous trips and KGW's participation in cultural events, is known in various parts of not only the country, but also abroad.
The traditional millet dumpling has the status of a festive, old Polish bread, but in the era of the return to what is healthy and natural, it triumphs on tables more and more often and is valued for its high quality and exceptional taste. No wonder, since its main ingredient is millet millet groats, called the queen of groats for their nutritional value, digestibility and aromatic taste. It is one of the oldest and healthiest groats, which for centuries has provided people with energy. It is a wealth of vitamins and minerals, but also prevents many diseases. Also, due to its natural ingredients, millet dumpling is easily digestible and very nutritious. The butter or cheese added to the porridge is a source of health. Thanks to this, jaggery is sure to be appreciated by lovers of natural healthy eating.
Values of culinary practice
The tradition of baking a berry dumpling is not only the maintenance of a centuries-old tradition. Its cultivation and rescue from oblivion has social value, as it integrates in common action not only members of the Circle. Culinary workshops conducted by the KGW and events promoting the blueberry dumpling integrate local society, which actively participates in these activities. Not without significance is the numerous participation of children and young people during these meetings. Joint work and the common goal of promoting the local delicacy in the broadest way motivates more and more initiatives. This in turn influences the activity of local NGOs and community involvement.
At the present time there is a growing interest in a healthy lifestyle, and consequently more and more people are beginning to discover the benefits of natural foods. Currently, millet groats are breaking sales records. This is followed by products made from it as well. Among them, the leading place is occupied by the lamb dumpling. Contributing to this is not only the healthy ingredients of the jaggery, but also the traditional recipe and execution. Thanks to this, there is an increase in the number of amateurs of millet dumpling, which in turn provides a real opportunity to increase the income of KGW.
The production of traditional jaggery dumpling is always done using organic products made on the farmers' own farms. So there is no artificial packaging to dispose of in the process. Baked in a traditional wood-fired bread oven, it has a unique flavor that you can't find in vain in food cooked or baked in modern electric or gas stoves. What's more, several large dumplings can be baked in one oven at once. Thus, this production reduces the consumption of electricity and gas, and thus contributes to environmental protection.
Cultivating the tradition of baking the Brezhnev jaggery in the traditional way that has been unchanged for years, based on the recipes of our grandmothers significantly contributes to the preservation and development of village culture. After all, it has always been food that brought people together, in a direct way uniting generations around one table. Hence, among other things, oral transmissions, but also the transmission of ancient customs and recipes has such great cultural value. Dumpling is an integral part of the heritage of the village of Brzóza Królewska - it is the legacy of Brzozan housewives. It attracts many amateurs of its taste during cultural events where presentations of old Polish dishes are held. This affects the number of people who not only taste the delicacy, but also participate in the whole event at the same time. All this is conducive to the preservation and development of village culture.
