PIONEERS, CHURCH . . . and GREEK GIBLETS

Gedo and Baba

Mom was in her nineties when she wrote this.  

Her family were Ukrainian Greek Catholic.

Thank you, MARILYN, for visiting Mom and asking her to write about her memories.

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BRAISED CHICKEN GIZZARDS (Entosthia Kotisia me Kimino ke Skordo)

      from:  GREEK CUISINE by Peter Conistis

 The chef has a restaurant where he serves these irresistible gizzards!

Serves 3 as a main course with potatoes and salad.

1 lb gizzards

3 to 4 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup olive oil

1 onion

6 garlic cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp dried oregano

100 ml (3 fl oz) dry white wine

225 ml (7 fl oz) chicken stock, reserved from poaching

¼ tsp pepper

¾ tsp salt

*Finely chop onion and set aside.

*Finely chop garlic and set aside.

*Dry roast cumin seeds and grind.

*Bring gizzards and stock to a boil.  Simmer for 60 minutes.  Drain and reserve stock.

*Over low heat, cook onion and garlic for 10 minutes in olive oil.

 *Add gizzards, cumin, and oregano.  Stir for 1 minute.

*Increase heat and add wine.

*When wine has evaporated, add the reserved stock, salt, and pepper.

*Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until a thick sauce forms in the pan.

YUM!

Uncle Myron's granddaughter's wedding . . . and Poppyseed Cake

Uncle Myron with his daughter Val and two of her sons

Uncle Myron's daughter-in-law, Liz 

Uncle Myron's sons George and Ernie  

Uncle Wes's son, Larry, and his wife, Heather

Val's cousin’s daughter and husband from Winnipeg on her dad’s side of the family

Melanie and David

Uncle Myron's granddaugher, Vanessa, and Marilyn's son, Sean

Vanessa is my cousin George's daughter

                     Uncle Myron with his daughter-in-law, Rachel, son Clifford, and granddaughter

Aunt Nellie's son, Jimmy

Jimmy's wife, Laurie

Marilyn's daughter, MaryAn

Marilyn's son, Jonathan

Serg

Aunt Nellie's son, Vern, Melanie, and Uncle Wes's son, Ivan

                    my brother George, cousin Marilyn, cousin Clifford, Aline

 

my brother George's granddaughter, DJ

Uncle Wes's grandson seated with his grandmother, Marion, standing behind 

                                                  Nick & Anne Kereluk, friends of the family

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When I was growing up, there were always loads of cakes and pies on the tables at a Ukrainian wedding.

  Here’s a recipe from Lois Syhut in Sonningdale, Saskatchewan  for delicious

POPPYSEED CAKE

2 cups flour

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

½ cup poppy seeds

1 ½ cups sugar, divided

½ cup coconut oil or butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

½ cup egg whites (or 4)

*Set aside a well-greased 9 inch tube pan. 

*Start oven preheating to 350.

*In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and poppy seeds.

*In a large bowl, beat together 1 ¼ cup sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla. 

*Beat in some flour and then some milk.  Keep alternating until done.

*Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Then beat until stiff with the remaining ¼ cup sugar.

*Fold egg whites into batter.

*Turn into tube pan.  Bake for 50 minutes.

*Stand on wire rack.  Remove from pan after 10 minutes. 

*When cool, spread with a vanilla butter-cream icing or a cream cheese icing. 

Yum!

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My cousin Gerald is Uncle Myron's son.

 Gerald and his wife, Val, were in Ukraine last month where they had a wonderful time as guests at a wedding.

It occurred to me that they might enjoy a trip down memory lane.

The pictures I have shared in this post are from their daughter’s wedding in 2003. 

******

Thanks, Marilyn, for sending me the pictures in COLOUR you took at that wedding!
  
P.S.  Marilyn tells me that Father Bryan Bayda is now a bishop!

Setting a Place . . . and Borshch Moskovskaia

The gone-befores

are here with us

in our memory

in our keeping. . .

(by Maude Meehan) 

Dad:  December 13, 1901 - July, 1983

Matt: December 13, 1932 -  September 21, 1999

Mom:  October 2, 1912 - November 13, 2007

George:  March 27, 1935 - July 24, 2013

                                                                Donald: July 21, 1936 - November 27, 2015

                                                                Steven: December 14, 1962 - November 11, 2016

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Ukrainian Saying: Without bread, it’s no lunch.  Without cabbage, it’s no borsch.  

Без хліба – не обід; без капусти – не борщ (Bez khliba – ne obid; bez kapusty – ne borshch).

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BORSHCH MOSKOVSKAIA  (to serve 6-8)

            From:  RUSSIAN COOKING by Helen & George Papashvily.  Time-Life, c1969

1 pound beef (top round or sirloin)

8 cups beef stock (canned)

2 tbsp butter

½ cup chopped onions

1 ½ pounds beets

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 tomatoes (medium or large)

2 tsp salt (divided)

¼ tsp pepper

½ pound white cabbage

¼ pound boiled ham, cut into small cubes

¼ pound all-beef frankfurters

4 sprigs parsley

1 bay leaf

1 cup sour cream

½ cup finely chopped dill

*Put beef and 2 cups stock in small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and skim.  Lower heat, partly cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

*Chop onions and set aside.

*Peel and cut beets into strips.  Set beside stove.

*Finely chop tomatoes.  (Otherwise, you must peel them.)  Set beside stove.

*Cut ham into small cubes and set aside.

*Cut frankfurters into ½ inch lengths.  Add to ham.

*Cut the now-cooked beef into small cubes and add to the franks.  Put in fridge.

*Cook onions in butter in a large pot (like a Dutch oven) for 3 to 5 min until soft but not brown. 

*Add beets, vinegar, sugar, tomatoes, pepper, ONLY ½ cup of stock, and ONLY ONE TEASPOON SALT.

*Cover and simmer undisturbed over low heat for 50 minutes.   The liquid will be almost all gone so be careful not to have the heat too high.

(I prepared the soup to this point a day ahead.  This isn’t necessary but I’m just saying it can be done that way if that will help the cook.)

*Coarsely shred the cabbage into strips about ½ inch wide and 1 to 2 inches long.

*Add the remaining stock to the pot and add the cabbage.  Bring to a boil.

*Add ham, frankfurter, beef, parsley, bay leaf, and another teaspoon of salt.  (The borsch was very tasty but a bit salty so you may want to put in only one half teaspoon of salt right now.)  Simmer partially covered for ½ hour.

*Remove the parsley sprigs and bay leaf when serving.

Chop the dill and set on the table in a small bowl with a spoon.  Also, set out a dish of sour cream to pass around. 

OR

Serve the borsch with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of dill.