Monday, December 30, 2013

Home in Saliste....a Memory


Săliște, Sibiu

Roaming the hills of my childhood, I remember stories about the old Dacian citadel between Saliste and Tilisca. The first document mentioning Saliste is from 1354 and refers to it in Latin as Magna Villa.











The air is sweet and crisp in Saliste, my grandmother's roses, herbs and apple orchard are as fragrant as ever. When the wind picks up, the green scent of cedar from the mountains touches my face. 

The wood stove is warming the kitchen, a big calico cat has found his nook near the herb drying shelf. 

 
A pot of GREEN BEAN CIORBA is simmering on the edge.

 Ingredients:
2 cups fresh green beans cut in bite size pieces
1 onion finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock(preferably home made)
4 hard boiled eggs finely chopped
1/2 stick sweet butter
lemon juice according to taste
4 slices of rustic bread
fresh parsley chopped
oregano a good pinch

basil a good pinch
salt and freshly ground pepper


In a sauteuse combine a bit of butter with the onion, green beans and 1/4 cup of water, cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, until beans are cooked al dente.

Heat the chicken stock in a separate soup pot. 

When the beans are ready, transfer them in the soup pot, add salt and pepper, lemon juice and the herbs. 

Toast the rustic bread and brush with butter.

Each serving bowl gets a slice of buttered rustic bread on the bottom, chopped egg, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a large ladle of the soup.

Across the street, our neighbor is sitting at her loom adding more magic to the wool carpets she creates, her window is getting darker, the sound of bells is trickling through the air...the cows are coming home from pasture.


1 comment:

  1. You stories make me homesick for my grandparents. Your blog has given me idea to write about my maternal grandparents and share their lives with friends on line. Traditions of the past are roots to my modern living. Thank you Cristina for opening my heart. A very good grounding.

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