Cuke-Miserations . . . A Not So Mizerable Salad

Oftentimes, what inspires me to make a recipe are the ingredients that I have on hand and that need to be used up so they do not spoil (I absolutely abhor wasting food).  This time the ingredients in question were 2 cute little Persian cucumbers (that were not on my grocery shopping list, but that made it in my shopping cart all the same. Yes, cukes can be an impulse buy). Naturally, when I saw the cucumbers lingering in my fridge, I thought, “I must make mizeria!”

Mizeria is a type of Polish cucumber salad that is usually made with sour cream. (Hang on tight, for my creamy plant-based version of the salad in a future posting.) However, it can also be made as a non-creamy salad ala Kuchnia Polska recipe #543 Mizeria z ogórków z octem (Cucumber salad with vinegar). I’m finding that sometimes, it is not that hard to veganize Polish recipes, as some of them are already plant-based enough.  Such are the wonders one discovers when delving into the world of Kuchnia Polska and Polish plant-based cookery.

Mizeria z octem

Before we start making salad together, let’s cuke-miserate a bit.  Shall we?  I think that, mizeria-- a word denoting and connoting misery, poverty, shabbiness, and meagerness in the Polish language-- is kind of a funny word for a cucumber salad. So, it made me wonder why Poles have named such a yummy salad with such derision.  So, logically, I hit the internet (and a couple of Polish-English dictionaries) to do a little research on the topic (and by “a little”, that is exactly what I mean). 

Apparently, other inquisitive minds have wondered about the etymology of mizeria, as well. Explanations abound and range from the ever-popular legend about good ol’ homesick and miserable Queen Bona Sforza shedding tears into her beloved cuke salad reminiscing about Italy while residing in Poland (Girl, I’ve been there!), to an interpretation that cucumber salad was not thought of as a very filling or satisfying meal (at least not compared to meals that typically consisted of hearty potatoes, cabbage, and meat dishes that fueled the Slavs for centuries prior to French or Italian culinary influences on Polish cookery).  You know, just some meager ("mizerne") cucumbers in sour cream and vinegar with some onion slices and seasonings. There is even a Wikipedia page (albeit a very short one) on the term mizeria, which seems to suggest that it’s possible that the salad gained its namesake from sweet cream Spanish origins.

Long story short, I was unable to find a truly definitive explanation of how mizeria gained its name and fame, but I enjoyed researching it (a little bit) all the same.  I think it’d be fun to come up with our own explanations for how mizeria got its name? While you think about your explanation (don't forget to share it with me in the comments section), let me share with you how to make this not so miserable salad.

A Not So Mizerable Polish Cucumber Salad

(Makes enough salad for about 2-4 servings based on serving size and hunger level.)

Ingredients/Składniki: 

• 2 small Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced* (add more, if you like)
• 2 Tsp Erythritol** (or, to taste)
• ½ Tsp salt (I used Himalayan pink salt) (or, to taste)
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, minced (or, to your liking)
• 1-3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or, to taste) –The Kuchnia Polska recipe calls for just a sprinkling of regular distilled vinegar, but I love the stuff so I use more-- and I used the apple cider vinegar instead.***

Preparations/Przygotowania:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow juices to be released and flavors to merge. The salad should have a sweet and sour taste to it. 

* Here is why, if I can, I always use red onions in my recipes.

** You can use any sweetener you like. Here and here is why I choose to use Erythritol.

*** And, here is why vinegar is good for us.

Smacznego!

Please Mister, Don’t You Touch Me Polish Tomato Soup

Eat it, instead! All you do is szlurp up, szlurp up. Well, you will be soon, anyhow. 

Polish soups, as my mom always says, are simple to make, you make the base stock and then just add whatever the main ingredient is to make the said soup.  For example, Mushroom Soup =  base + mushrooms, Pickle Soup = base + pickles, Barszcz (Borscht) = base + beets, and so on and so forth. Easy, right? OK, so, it is a little more involved than that, but you will see that Polish soups do follow a bit of a formula that is pretty easy to follow, especially when one is in dire need of a tasty bowl of comforting soup. 

"Zupy i dodatki do zup"
Courtesy of Kuchnia Polska p.289

Polish Tomato Soup started many a meal at our family dinner table, as I suspect it still does in many Polish households because it is a very common Polish soup.  It can be made quickly, and it is quite yummy (one of my favorites—my mouth is watering just thinking and blogging about it now).  There are several variations of the soup; Kuchnia Polska lists 3 recipes (#s 192, 241, and 242) for Zupa Pomidorowa.  I'll be making my plant-based version of this traditional soup based on all 3 recipes, plus my own recollection of the dish.  

I know what you are thinking. Zupa Pomidorowa? I thought this was Polish Tomato Soup and not Italian Tomato Soup! Good eye, my linguistically astute and curious friend, good eye!  Long story short, way way way back in the day, Poland and Italy not only shared trade routes, but also political leaders. As a result, this Italian - Polish connection ended up influencing Polish culture, language, and food to some degree (I wonder if there was a similar Polish influence on Italian culture?  Hmmm, that is definitely something to look into.)  Hence, the term, Zupa Pomidorowa and not tomatsoppa (Swedish), Tomatensuppe (German), or rajčinová polievka (Slovakian).

Zupa Pomidorowa
ala Kuchnia Polska photo #26

Anyway back to Zupa Pomidorowa; it can be made from fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes (either preserved at home or store bought), or even canned tomato paste; it can be made with a creamy base or without; and, it can be made with a variety of “dodatki” (additions), such as rice, noodles, croutons, sour cream*, naleśniki "noodles" (a recipe that I will be experimenting with in the future, to be sure).  At our house, we typically ate this soup with either rice or noodles, and my mom usually whipped it up using canned tomato products.  Although, these days my dad uses his own homemade canned tomatoes.  

My mouth is watering, shall we start touchin' them tomatoes, then?

Don't Touch Me 
Plant-Based Polish Tomato Soup ...
Eat it, instead!

(Makes a big ol' pot of soup. I'd say 4-6 servings, based on serving size and hunger level.)

Ingredients/Składniki:

• 6-7 cups water
• 3 small-medium carrots
• 3 stalks/ribs of celery
• 1 red onion (cut into 2 halves, dice 1 half, and leave the other half as is)
• 1/2 bunch of parsley (Italian or curly, it does not matter, both taste the same… at least they do to me)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp (give or take) of liquid seasoning (make sure it is plant-based)**
• 28 oz canned peeled crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 Tsp of non-dairy plant-based butter spread (can also use olive oil, or just omit altogether)
• 4 Tbsp of brown rice (optional)
• 2/3 cup of soy milk (another non-dairy milk can be used, or can omit altogether)
• 2 Tbsp of tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp of agave syrup, or other sweetener (optional)
• Pepper to taste
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh dill and/or parsley minced (optional, but highly recommended)

Preparations/Przygotowania:

Combine water, carrots, celery, 1/2 whole red onion, parsley, garlic, bay leaf, and liquid seasoning in a soup pot. Bring to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer.  Cook until the veggies soften.

While the broth is simmering and the veggies are softening, saute the remaining 1/2 of the diced red onion with the non-dairy plant-based butter spread or with a touch of olive oil.  You do not need to use a lot of fat, just enough to give the onion color.  If you prefer not to use any spread or oil, you can opt to broth or water saute the onions instead. I find that onions taste much better if they are sauteed with just a bit of fat. So, I begin my saute with a hint of spread or oil and then add liquid to extend the saute.  It works very nicely for me, and really helps to cut down on the fat.

Once the onions begin to get some color, add about 1/3 of the crushed canned tomatoes, and saute for an additional 5 minutes, letting the flavors merge.  You can add some of the broth to the mix, if it gets too thick.

Strain the broth and remove the veggies from the pot. Do not throw away the softened onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. You can discard the parsley, though.  The softened veggies will be used to "nutrify" and thicken the soup. Also, hold on to that bay leaf.

Pour the strained broth back into the pot, and add the reserved bay leaf.

Puree the softened veggies and the tomato/onion saute mix in a blender, and pour the mixture into the soup pot to combine with the broth.  

Add the brown rice, if using. (When I was learning how to cook, to help me remember how much rice to add to the soup, my mom always said to add as many tablespoons of rice as there were people in our family--there were 4 of us. 4 Tbsp is enough, trust me! The stuff expands BIG time. If you add too much rice-- which I have done in the past-- you will get more of a tomato rice mush rather than a soup. Still edible, but just not the same thing.)

Bring the soup back to a boil, cover, and turn down to a simmer.

Combine the soy milk, tomato paste, agave syrup in a cup and temper with some of the hot soup. Add this mixture to the soup. Add pepper to taste.

Let the soup simmer until the rice kernels open up like little butterflies.  

Serve the soup with a healthy sprinkling of fresh dill and/or parsley.  (You can leave this out if you are one of those anti-green dill folks who are not into this -- you know who you are. But let me tell you, if you do leave this out, you will be missing out! Because there is nothing like the taste of these very healthful and flavor enhancing fresh herbs!)

Now, go szlurp up, szlurp up!

NOTE:  

* I am currently experimenting with making a non-dairy plant-based sour cream that would be suitable for a soup garnish.  I'll get back to you once I have perfected my concoction. So, do stay tuned.

** If you don't have liquid seasoning on hand (something like Maggi or Bragg's Liquid Aminos), some veggie bouillon or a combination of vegetable seasoning and salt to taste would be suitable substitutes. I've never tried it, but soy sauce might work, as well. 

Smacznego!