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Polish Spring Menu

For me Spring in Poland has a flavor of fresh vegetables: dill, radish, beets, cucumbers, young cabbage and potatoes. In Spring you can get first wild mushrooms – chanterelles. Very popular ingredient of Polish desserts is rhubarb. You can get first strawberries and cherries. So yummy! I tried to choose the best of Polish ingredients and recipes in Polish Spring Menu.

Today I’ve got 2 dinner menus for you, one is for usual Spring day, the other one is more special. Actually as I was writing this I decided, that I need to mention few wild plants soups, as an alternative to standard Polish Spring menu, as they are underappreciated, but so worth trying – full of vitamins, ecological and the main ingredient is usually free (like stinging nettle) 🙂

Let’s cook seasonally and let’s cook Polish dishes!

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Chłodnik – Cold Soup

This Chłodnik – cold soup – my Grandma was making us quite often, we loved to eat it accompanied by boiled potatoes sprinkled with sauteed onions and/or fried bacon. I remember that we used to have only one shared plate of potatoes (with onions, bacon and dill) for the whole family and we would scooped some potatoes and fill the spoon up with chłodnik from our own bowl.

Chłodnik – cold soup is easy and really quick to do. It’s enough to cut the vegetables and combine them with sour milk or other favorite milk drink, such as buttermilk or kefir. We’ve usually used sour milk- zsiadłe mleko, as it was the most easily available at that time. Our neighbor had a cow and we used to get fresh milk from her. My Grandma would left some milk on the counter covered with a cloth and after 2 days sour milk have been ready. Now it is hard to make a decent sour milk out of the carton milk or it may be even impossible.

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Polish Crepes with Farmer’s Cheese

Naleśniki z Serem

Polish Crepes with Farmer’s Cheese are one of the favorites sweet suppers in Poland. These thin pancakes served with Polish white cheese, heavy cream and almond flakes are the best!

Maybe you would like to check Polish Pancakes with Apples? Apple racuchy are really delicious!

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Dandelion Syrup

I’ve made Dandelion syrup few times so far. It’s so tasty. My children like pancakes splashed with Dandelion syrup just as much as with maple syrup.

In Polish folk medicine it is know from ages as a cure for cough and a help with liver cleansing. Dandelion syrup recipe can be found in Saint Hildegard of Bingen’s books and she lived in XII century:) It is sometimes called Dandelion honey, but actually it is a syrup. Try this easy recipe for homemade Dandelion Syrup. For more immunity booster recipes check: Immunity.

Important Note: Dandelion syrup should not be used by people suffering from hyperacidity nor with dandelion allergy.

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Bear’s Garlic Creamy Soup

Bear’s Garlic Creamy Soup is a full of vitamins Spring soup. A season for bear’s garlic (which can be also called wild leek, ramps, wild garlic) is quite short, use it and cook this healthy soup. If you still have some ramps left, you can try out other recipes: Bear’s Garlic Cream Cheese or Bear’s Garlic Pesto.

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Homemade Canned Pork

Mięso w Słoiku

I remember eating Homemade Canned Pork made by my Grandma Emilka in our old house. Jars with this delicious meat was stored in a basement where was a pantry with canned food: fermented cucumbers, sauerkraut, red peppers, homemade tomato sauce, canned beets, forest mushrooms in vinegar, jams, fruit compotes and ‘mięso w słoiku’ – a rare delicacy for special occasions:)

Try this garlic flavored delicate meat with one more essential ingredient – a meat jelly, which moisturizes bread and make a sandwich with meat totally perfect 🙂

Make few jars to your pantry, it could help you to stay secure in this crisis times of pandemonium.

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Bear’s Garlic Cream Cheese

Early spring is the only time in the year when you can obtain fresh bear’s garlic (also called ramps or wild leek). In Poland it is a perfect time for it right now. Last year I made delicious Pesto, from this year’s batch I decided to make a bread spread: Bear’s Garlic Cream Cheese and a Bear’s Garlic Soup, which recipe is coming up soon. Stay alert not to miss my next recipe;) You can for example subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Instagram. Maybe you prefer Pinterest? Feel invited to choose your favorite way to stay in touch with me:)

Bear's garlic bread spread served on a bread

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Braided Yeast Easter Bread

Pani Steciuk’s Paska Recipe

I love cooking according to old recipes, specially I like real recipes of real people. These recipes are passed down from generation to generation and are cherished by the whole families. When these dishes are cooked and eaten, people gather and recollect the old times and recall people who are no longer with them. Last week I found this kind of recipe on one of the Facebook groups gathering Polish food lovers. Tracey shared her Babcia’s recipe for Braided Yeast Easter Bread, Pani Staciuk’s Paska. I am so happy that she shared with me her memories and also a picture of her Grandma, Maria Steciuk!

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Polish Easter Mazurek

Polish Easter Mazurek can be made in many different ways. Basically if someone says Mazurek, you can imagine short, about 3 centimeters high shortcrust pastry with custard made of chocolate, fudge or caramel and decorated with nuts, dried fruits and chocolate. The topping composition is of your choice.

Try my recipe which is very easy to make, it is rather basic, you need just a few ingredients and you get delicious dessert.

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Grandma’s Potato & Cheese Pierogi

Today there is something special for you, a great guest on my blog, let me introduce you my friend’s Grandma. She is leaving in the Eastern Poland in Włodawa, near Belarus and Ukrainian border and has made thousands of pierogi in her life:) Her favorite are Pierogi Ruskie, made with potato and cheese filling. Ladies and Gentelmen, best Grandma’s Potato & Cheese Pierogi!

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Murzynek Polish Chocolate Cake

Classic Polish Chocolate cake is easy and delicious. Moist and fluffy, delicate, with perfect amount of cocoa and sweetness. Classic Murzynek Polish Chocolate cake was the first cake I have baked myself:) It was so popular during PRL and still is now. My children love this cake, they love to bake it themselves, my son even choose it as his birthday cake. Try this traditional recipe, Polish chocolate cake would suit well on Easter table, if you prefer to keep it simple but delicious.

For more Easter dishes check the link: Polish Easter recipes.

Classic Murzynek Polish Chocolate cake served on a plate.

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Sausage Baked in Horseradish Sauce

Fresh (in Poland also called: white) Polish sausage is very popular dish for Easter. It is an important ingredient of Żurek, hearty traditional Polish Easter soup. But this time I invite you to check Polish White Sausage Baked in Horseradish Creamy Sauce. It is so easy and quick to make. It is so delicious, roasted kiełbasa with spicy creamy rich sauce. Horseradish and kiełbasa accompany each other so well, that they make a perfect comfort dish not only for Easter.

Baked white raw sausage in creamy horseradish sauce served on a plate with bread

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Forest Moss Spinach Cake

Leśny Mech

Forest Moss Spinach Cake is not a traditional Polish cake, but is something that got very popular in Poland in the past years, so I decided to bake it and show you what are the latest trends in Polish cooking.

Forest Moss Spinach cake is easy and it doesn’t take long to make it, but the result may be spectacular and delicious on the same time:) It would also give a Spring touch on your Easter table!

I used recipe I found on one of the most popular Polish cooking sites: Kwestia Smaku. My favorite!

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Onion Syrup for immunity

It is always worth to care about your immune system, not only while coronavirus pandemonium. Onion Syrup for immunity will help you to stay healthy, strong and not to get ill. In my family it is a first help for my children while first moments of caught. And surprisingly- they like it’s taste!

Recipe is easy, there are only two ingredients. Onion is widely available all over the world and is a source of taste in many culinary dishes. Onion is also very healthy, as it has strong antibacterial effect, it contains vitamin C, magnesium, silicon and zinc for immunity boost. It’s not only folk medicine, it really works.

Remember, if you are sick you need to contact your doctor. Do not ignore fever and other flu symptoms. Onion Syrup will help you not to get sick, but if you do – you need professional medical advice.

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Prażoki

Mashed potato and flour Polish regional dish

Prażoki is a dish made of cooked potatoes with the addition of wheat flour. Kind of mashed potatoes, usually served with sauteed onions and greaves.

I saw Prażoki for the first time in a food TV programme and they were introduced as a Kurpie dish. When I checked internet cooking forums I found out that Prażoki are known all over the Poland, but under several names. Some people call it prazoki, other prażuchy, but also completely different names are used like: porka, fusier, psiocha, kamza or lemieszka:)

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Mackerel and Farmers Cheese Salad

During Lent or if you just try to limit meat on your table, you may like to try this easy and healthy bread spread – Smoked Mackerel and Farmers Cheese Salad. Actually you can use any other smoked fish, if mackerel is not available in your area. I am using mackerel, because it is the cheapest and the most popular smoked fish available on Polish market. It have been always widely used by our Grandmas trying to feed large family on budget. Mackerel is a fat fish, soft and delicate.

Try more Polish bread spreads recipes here: http://cookinpolish.com/tag/bread-spread/.

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Forest Mushrooms & Sauerkraut Dumplings

Pierogi z Kapustą i Grzybami

Are you fasting during Lent? Whatever you will answer, it is always good to limit quantity of meat in your diet. But, let’s admit, having Forest Mushrooms & Sauerkraut Dumplings is not fasting, this is something you look for and desire. This is a treat:) The best served with sauteed onions.

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Kasza Manna with Milk

Kasza Manna with milk is one of the flavors of my childhood. My Grandma Emilka used to make it for us for breakfast. Alternatively we had rise or noodles with milk and sugar, served as a milk soup. Zupa mleczna – milk soup is something that many Poles don’t want to remember from their childhood:) Did you like them?

Kasza Manna is a fine semolina, when you add liquid and cook it, it makes a kind of Polish polenta. It may be called farina or cream of wheat, in UK it is known as semolina pudding.

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Kwaśnica – Polish Sauerkraut Soup

Winter school break in Poland has just finished. This year there was not much snow or almost not at all, the only destination for skiing was Mountains. Zakopane, Karpacz, Białka and Bukowina Tatrzańska – these are the most popular Winter resorts, that deserve to go, you can feel and see there the magic of Polish Winter. And of course you can eat there something delicious, specific to this region:) Polish highlanders cuisine is not sophisticated. There is lots of cabbage used, potatoes, sheep cheese – oscypek and sheep meat. I love most of these dishes, but eating Kwaśnica is a must for me when I’m in mountains. Kwaśnica – Polish Sauerkraut Soup is cooked with lots of meat. It is quite fat, perfect to get warm and comfort yourself after a whole day of skiing.

Lately I gathered most delicious Polish soups all together here: 10 Traditional Polish Soups, try them all and decide which one you like the most:)

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10 Traditional Polish Soups

Few weeks ago I met a Greek couple leaving in Warsaw. Dimitris asked me to show him how to cook Bigos. When we talked about Polish cuisine, Anja said that soups are something special for Poland. And this is a fact: in Poland soups are a staple in Polish homes for dinner. You can get it also in any restaurant, served as an appetizer. Check my review of 10 Traditional Polish Soups, soups I like the most and which are the most specific to Polish cuisine.

Which one have you tried and which one is your favorite?

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