Roses, lavender & olive oil
I was in Italy in the beautiful and picturesque Toscolano Maderno on the hills above Lago di Garda and some foreign friends were curious about Bulgaria and some distinctive features of my home country. I took few moments to reflect on this question as very often the common things to us turn uncommon and fascinating to others not native to our local places. And I started telling a story about the unique Bulgarian landscapes 2/3 of which are breath taking mountains and highest on the Balkan peninsula, the plain fertile land north and south capturing lots of sun, the very special tender yoghurt due to the very specific bacteria it nurtures, the lovely fields of lavender and Bulgaria being the leading producer of lavender oil, the famous Bulgarian roses in the Rose valley spreading in between two mountain ranges Stara Planina and Sredna Gora and suppling producers of refined perfumes, the wine that has made a great progress in the past 10 years and many more things to tell. And also the creative energy and artisan spirit that one feels and notices once walking the streets of Sofia, Plovdiv and other towns vs. other European cities.
On my Loved ingredients list ~ both for delightful and flavourful food preparation and for nurturing health and beauty ~ I have a special place for lavender, roses and olive oil. The three of them are very much linked to the Mediterranean culture and two of them ranking Bulgaria high on the production list. I love lavender and rose oils to delight, heal, nurture and beautify my skin and often in combination with olive oil. Lavender olive oil soap, olive oil & herb balm with lavender, rose oil to radiate the complexion and many more artisan products that are Nature’s pure gifts. Now…talking about taste combinations ~ it makes a very special pairing with potatoes ~ baked potatoes with rosemary, lavender blossoms and extra virgin olive oil are a fantastic match and go perfectly on their own or with grilled sea fish. In this case a Coratina from Puglia is an amazing fit to the more intense flavours of the herbs. It also has the sweeter spiciness of the South that blends perfectly here. Mashed potatoes with some lavender blossoms and drizzles of delicate extra virgin olive oil for final touch is also lovely. The flavours of essential oil and olive oil match very harmoniously and remain delicate and tender without being intrusive. This combination is delightful with steamed fish or vegetables such as green beans and peas. I also have created a sweet recipe that I’ll share for dessert. Bulgarian rose ~ the queen Damascena, the rare Alba ~ fragrant and delicate beauties that need lots of care and attention. It is a tradition to prepare rose jam that makes a wonderful pairing with pancakes and also with yoghurt desserts and vanilla/yoghurt ice-cream. Rose flavours harmonise in a very subtle way with fresh cheese and cottage cheese bringing a sense of elegance and grace. Inspiration unwinds ~ my favourite Indian Sandesh sweets where to Finally let me share a favourite recipe for a small dessert going well with coffee or after a generous dinner, or for little sharing with friends and colleagues in the office. Here is the recipe ~ Sweets with dates and lavender ~ for about 20 pieces ~ 10 large dates ~ 6 soup spoon-fuls of raw almonds flour or finely grinded raw almonds ~ ½ tea spoon of dry lavender blossom ~ 2 soup spoon-fuls of extra virgin olive oil (I prefer the Tuscany or Garda lake green herbateous style, goes also well with EVOOs with sweeter spiciness) ~ Natural coconut flakes to roll the sweets Once the date ~ almond ~ evoo ~ lavender mix is ready I make bite size balls and roll them into the coconut flakes. I store them for 1-2 hours in the fridge before serving. This little dessert is delightful and healthy ~ combining Omega 9, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Vitamins from the B group, fibres and a pleasant natural sweetness ~ bringing energy and a smile. Simply amazing! ~ I wish you an ultimate delight for the senses! ~ We are what we live, we are what we eat, food for change ~I tried lavender herbal infusion some months ago and got totally inspired to spread its flavour also in food. And its healthy traits as well bringing us closer to what Nature has at hand. Lavender has anti-inflammatory and protective properties, it is calming both the spirit and the skin, helps digestion and metabolism, brings relief to muscle and joint pain, helps the respiratory function and is great for calming tiredness. A true natural healer that everyone could have at home without much effort. And it is so much native to Bulgaria and our DNA.
I remember during high school times it was an obligation of doing two weeks of agricultural work. I was lucky to have my mission in the town of Kazanluk ~ the capital of the Rose valley where a rose oil factory was located. Back then I thought I was lucky not to wake up 4:30am to go and collect the roses in the fields before dawn. I was “privileged” to work in the factory and handle the rose petals with utmost care. Rose oil is doing miracles to skin and complexion, it is both tender and powerful. Rose petals tea as well ~ it delights, refreshes and improves metabolism. Rose water, jam or simply petals connect magically in food, mostly used for sweets and desserts.
smoothen and bond the fresh cheese (panir) mix I add 2-3 spoons of delicate extra virgin olive oil and after roll the sweets in rose petals ~ a divine combination of flavours and textures. Or the thicker mini pancakes (called Syrniki in Russia) with cottage cheese and rose petals in the egg mix cooked on a pan with extra virgin olive oil and served with white cherry jam. Another delicious breakfast are the mini Rose pancakes with tangerine zest and rose petals and served with honey with rose petals. Extra virgin olive oil plays a key role for preparing the mini pancakes. I always tell my friends and students how beneficial the use of evoo for food preparation is and for any heat and cooking technique ~ taste, health and beauty in one. On one hand, oleic acid is resistant to heat due to the stable nature of this monounsaturated fatty acid, being in average 75% in evoo. On the other hand, evoo has a high t° smoke point 190-210°C making cooking safe and beneficial and as natural as it could be.
Purslane ~ love from 1st sight
Could you imagine the world without green? Those beautiful shades of green, from sparkling and translucent in the spring to calm and profound in the autumn? Me not, not at all. Green is the synthesis of life and all the rest of the colours make the life bouquet more vivid and abundant. I love that expression of Nature immensely and green inspires me a lot to play and make food interpretations. In my own Mediterranean way ~ simple and special, full of flavour and inviting us to have a bite, and then another one, and another one. To enjoy the food slowly and with care, and respect. And to be full of happiness and gratitude that each season the Nature is so generous to us with its gifts. We just need to be attentive and bring its fruits to our table.
This article is a continuation of my recipes with Bulgarian greens and of a story I wrote about Crete last October and its precious wild greens emblematic for the Cretan diet, an inseparable part of the live eating culture on the island nowadays. Purslane is a beloved summer green with succulent leaves and is described as a magical plant in antiquity. It is common in the Mediterranean countries and is found in Bulgaria too. A valuable weed rich in protective nutrients that we could have at hand in the hot summer weeks. While walking on the cobbled stone paths in Milies village in Pelion and coming across the weed in my feet, my Greek friend told me a curious story that this was the only plant nominated with a Goddess in ancient Greece. So precious! Vit. C is also at good levels (25% of RDA) and when consumed fresh its effect is maximized in combination with other veggies (e.g. tomatoes). Vit. A is common for purslane as well. The green is with a low calorific value of 20 kcal per 100g and is also a good source of Magnesium (19% of RDA). People with kidney stones issues, however, need to be more careful as it contains some oxalate. In a nutshell, that green gem is a must for our summer plates! I found in on the market in Sofia and have been Eggs love purslane, a discovery that could make anyone’s senses happy. I chopped the greens coarsely and added them to the almost cooked scrambled eggs. 1-2 min. more and this summer kind of omelette is done. We don’t need to overdo the cooking for the greens to preserve the flavours and their full benefits. I added some very aromatic Cretan oregano with deep sunny flavours and a spicy paprika that I brought from Ayvalik in Turkey, the two for an extra boost of the egg mix. Apart from the simpler EVOO that I used for frying the eggs, I chose a complex Picual with some radiant green and riper fruity notes to give the dish a final special touch. And a spicy kick as the Picual variety is famous for its prominent Pungency. In summary, for 2 people I would suggest 4 large eggs (I break them directly in the pan heated with a t.s. of EVOO, to keep their flavours and texture more intact) and 2 handfuls of chopped purslane. A fine drizzle of an EVOO with pronounced characteristics just before serving the dish. Oregano, paprika and sea salt go as per one’s taste, yet I would go for a more generous approach to give that richness and lusciousness of the seasonal eggs as only the sunny Summer could do for us. I open a bracket here that I’m “fanatic” about pasta and the pasta to be right ~ to be from durum wheat/semolina flour and cooked al dente. It makes such a difference in the taste, but also how our body and digestion appreciate its beneficial properties. I still remember the words of my Italian boss during my working in Moscow ~ “a dry pasta boiled less than 12 min. is not right”. Certainly, as any other Italian he was very sensitive to the topic of pasta and food in general, but also had had some years in the pasta business and knew a lot about the secrets of a good pasta. The durum wheat which is not common world-wide (around 10% of the world production) is specific with the hardness of the grain and unlike the bread softer varieties of wheat, the gluten is not released so effortlessly from the endosperm, therefore the “gluten grid” is not so solid. It is rarely used for bread making (except for some local breads in the south of Italy, also I’ve tasted such in Greece) as the structure of the bread remains very compact and solid. The al dente cooked pasta is an art, and I’ve seen it by myself that this art is acquired with patience and Coming back to our pasta with purslane, let me share a few details around the sauce itself and the pasta type I would choose for this dish. For 2 people I take 2 large sweet garden tomatoes, discard the skin and dice them (cubes 1 x 1 cm). I simmer the tomatoes for around 20 min. to thicken. Usually the summer varieties of sweet tomatoes have sufficient pulp and don’t require much time to lose the water. Only then I add some EVOO (a t.s. per person), some sea salt and pepper to taste, a mountain herb mix (thyme, oregano) and 2-3 cloves of garlic for the lovers of its flavours. Another 10 min. at low heat and the base sauce is ready. Alternatively, one might add some caper (buds or fruit) and de-pitted olives (I prefer normally salted taggiasca), or a pinch of pepperoncino. For the tomato ~ purslane pairing I would leave the sauce simple, just tomatoes, spices and herbs. In winter I use sunny home preserved tomatoes in a jar and follow the same steps. What always makes a difference in the taste of the sauce is to leave it for 10-15 min. aside with a lid, to rest and all the flavours to bond in harmony. A generous handful of purslane leaves that I add on top of the mixed pasta and sauce, along with 1-2 t.s. of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. What makes a true difference and adds some vigor and freshness is an EVOO with pronounced characteristics for a final touch. In this case I chose Amfissis early harvest from Pelion with well-expressed herbaceous and fresh cut grass notes on the nose and some ripe tomato and green apple on the palate. This oil has a medium Pungency that complements ideally the tomato sauce. And finally, let me finish with some extra greenness and share a loving avocado ~ purslane combination. A cream ideal for an energizing breakfast. The different here is that I add finely chopped purslane (in case the stems are very solid I discard them, if they are fine, a chop all together) and some sumac to give a special sensation to the avocado cream. A touch of lemon, sea salt crystals and 2 t.s. of a highly pungent EVOO with well expressed green notes of green almond, olive and dandelion leaves. I chose the Cretan Tsounati variety here with a very elegant and persistent body that lasts and thus pairs fantastically with the avocado ~ purslane combination. And this green green and luscious cream is ready. With some bread or/and poached eggs it goes perfectly for breakfast of for a light lunch. Purslane is a versatile green, it could enrich many different dishes with its greenness and nutritious benefits. And its deliciousness is enormous, imagination flies too. I wish you an ultimate delight for the senses! ~ we are what we live ~ we are what we eat ~ food for change I love it for its green grassy flavours and the many possibilities for pairing with other flavours, just by holding a bunch in my hand the taste ideas start flowing effortlessly. I appreciate it for its being also nutrient dense with anti-inflammatory and immune system stimulating capacity. It aids our digestion flow and is beneficial for the skin. It is unique with its Omega 3 content, and also with the abundance of tocopherols in the form of vit. E known for their antioxidant activity (circa 80% of RDA per 100g).
experimenting with it these last two weeks. So here come some ideas for my seasonal pairings. Purslane loves EVOO too and combining different olive oil profiles with it was pretty enjoyable. I brought some EVOOs from my last Greek trip and was a genuine delight to connect their flavors with the ones of the purslane.
Another idea is to pair purslane with some classics ~ pasta with a tomato sauce. I adore tomatoes and when sunny, sweet and from the garden the sauce turns magic. It is very balanced and natural in its sweetness and acidity, sometimes the acidity level could be problematic when the tomatoes are just not right and from a “nursery”. Purslane, I assure you, loves that combination too. I experimented with two types of dry pasta ~ one with eggs in the dough and the other one without and requiring 10-12 min. of boiling until al dente. My strong recommendation would go for a durum wheat pasta w/o eggs, just semolina, water and salt as the flavours are concentrated and clean and when combined with the tomatoes and greens they get this magic completeness. A perfection!
experience during the years. And now, just a bite tells me immediately if it is right or not😊When biting a penne for instance the sensation is as if it is slightly hard, yet delightfully elastic without having the notion of flour in the centre. When the pasta or the risotto are cooked al dente not only the flavour perception is enjoyable and richer, but also the digestion is eased and the glycaemic index is lower dur to the lower levels of released starch. The latter is due to the structure of the grain of the durum wheat varieties of wheat ~ the starch gets “capsulated” in the gluten grid. One more tip is the water we boil the pasta to be “with the taste of the sea” as the Italians say.
As mentioned earlier for the tomato sauce pasta recipes I prefer a dry pasta (pasta secca) to a fresh one (pasta fresca). I take 80-100g of dry pasta per person that normally doubles its size when boiled. 100g of boiled pasta is circa 160kcal, the carbs being 31% in average. Together with the tomatoes and purslane it is a very balanced and wholesome meal, calory-wise is much admissible as well. I choose penne, or paccheri, or orecchiette, or any shape that could “hold” some of the sauce so one has this delightfully rich juicy sensation. In this recipe I used a traditional durum wheat pasta I brought from Pelion called touritellia that had similar “sauce holding” effect😊