We want, we don't want ... the beautiful summer is coming to an end and we have to think about the autumn affairs and the preparation for the winter.
I don't want the summer to end and it is obvious that she does not want to leave either, it will certainly be a fight that, obviously, autumn will win. As late as possible, I hope.
After two (short) escapades at sea we dreamed of another one but our good friends wanted the same thing, at the same time and then we had to give up in their favor. You may be wondering why we don't all leave together? Because our friends live in the country, in a big house full of dogs that need to be taken care of and only we can help them when they want to leave home together (I mean our friends).
In these conditions we decided to take advantage of the week in the country and make some preparations for winter. Prepared in the conditions of the country and according to the way our grandparents used to do.
So I went once again to the old market to buy the necessary vegetables. In the market I have to photograph as discreetly as possible because no one likes to be photographed for different reasons. Fear and suspicion.
My market that survives on the outskirts of Bucharest. I prefer this market not only because it is the closest to my house but because the vegetables and fruits are brought from local farmers who produce less good-looking but very tasty products.
Apart from vegetables, I wanted to buy melons and to see the flowers. Autumn flowers have appeared. These are the last days when they are still in the market, the sellers are preparing to go to their homes, in their villages tens of kilometers away.
After the shopping made on the run, a very difficult exit from the city followed. Always on Friday, with the start of the weekend, the outings from the city are extremely crowded, I covered 2 km in two hours!
A distance that usually lasts half an hour I covered in almost three hours! Bad luck on this day. I arrived at the dog house where I will be living next week. I don't really like, to be honest, living in another house. It's hard to adjust to the place, the objects, but friends are friends and need help (just as they help us when we need it).
I think it's obvious that this post is for #MarketFriday hosted with such devotion by our friend Denise, also known as @dswigle!
In the better times, when free time floated easily around me, I used to show in the posts in this challenge how I prepare, cook, what I buy from the market. Although the time is not as generous with me, the proof that I am posting late now, I try to show how I made a preparation for autumn in my friends' yard.
It's about zacusca. I don't know how this word can be translated into English, especially since I don't even think it's a Romanian word!
ZACUSCA is a vegetable preparation that is boiled in oil and kept in jars all winter. It is very tasty.
Although it seems simple, the preparation is very laborious and I worked almost a whole day. I will show you how to prepare it, in stages but without a recipe to follow. It's hard to do for the first time because you have to know how it should be, in taste and shape, when it's ready. That requires exercise ... I have made several mistakes in the past and failed to get the best food. We learn from mistakes! If anyone wants the detailed recipe, then ask for it in the comments and I will publish it.
ZACUSCA
Ingredients: eggplant, red bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, salt and pepper.
Eggplants and bell peppers should be grilled or baked. Fortunately, my friend has a large hob in the yard. This is a great advantage, you can cook several vegetables at once and the fact that it is outside, in the open air, makes the heat released easier to bear.
While the vegetables are cooking, I take care of the tomatoes. They must be grated and boiled. Fortunately, these activities can be done simultaneously.
After baking, eggplant and bell peppers should be peeled.
The eggplant is chopped into small pieces ...
... and the bell peppers as well.
Now it's the onion's turn. Onions cut into pieces are baked in a pot with sunflower oil. First we prepare the pot and the fire. Then add the oil and onion. Bake until tender.
I forgot to say that I had companions all the time I worked on this zacusca. Very curious.
These separately prepared ingredients are now found in the pot. After the onion has softened, add the aubergines and bell peppers and continue to cook, stirring constantly so that the composition does not burn on the bottom of the pot.
It remains to add the tomato juice obtained by boiling the tomatoes given by grater.
The last phase of cooking means this ... add crushed garlic, hot peppers, salt and pepper. All in quantities required by our taste, meaning we have to taste the composition until we like what we have obtained.
We do this if we want to make eggplant zacusca. There are other types of zacusca, for example mushroom zacusca, but eggplant zacusca is the best known and appreciated.
Then follows a very important action in which zacusca is put in jars and they are sterilized to last for months in the pantry. I don't show it now because I risk boring you.
Along with the time spent shopping, all this action lasted almost a day. Of course, this is also influenced by the amount of vegetables used.
This is how life in the country is, you have to work all the time, especially if the house and the garden are big. I could say it's a dog's life but I would be very wrong.
Because that's dog life!
Ah, your autumn is just a little bit ahead, I guess. Although, these activities have already started over here as well. It was not that long ago when I last participated in such.
Peppers and eggplants smell wonderful when they burn...I mean...are baked!
Yes, the smell of bell peppers on the grill is a pleasure. This autumn I hope to start as late as possible and to be as long as possible. Thanks for reading!
Friends like you are hard to come by, and you truly step up to help. That is always nice to hear, people helping people. Perhaps the weather will be with you and you can make your escape to the Black Sea when they return? We always seem to have an Indian Summer after it begins to cool off. (Summery weather for a short period of time, perhaps a week or sometimes two) Luck be with you!
I do like your market, the close one. I even like the idea and your thoughts behind it! It makes perfect sense and I find it very rewarding to support the local economy. You may say that they are less than perfect, but, the things you produce with them always look tasty. I sometimes wish my screen had the ability to transport smell. Thank you, for once again spoiling me, taking the time to show how to on your vegetables, even how they should look when roasting them. They look wonderful and I always look forward to your recipes! Cutting, grating, simmering, roasting... these are the things that make you unique. It looks amazing and your post is awesome. The dogs love you! They know you will cook for them later! Does it matter what kind of oil? Italian? Vegetable? Or another? I cannot thank you enough for another wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time and effort!
I love zacusca, but I truly didn't know how to make it, my mother did and I never did learn. I have only ever had the one from eggplant and it is such a yummy spread. The word zacusca is Slavic and means appetizer. I like mine on bread, but I am sure there are other great ways to eat it. Thank you so much for taking part in #MarketFriday! I am so pleased to see you here and I will admit that it is fun to go through these posts and have so many different cultural experiences. The amount of time and effort put into posting in this challenge is not a secret. One of the reasons I have so much appreciation to those that do.
There have been some really interesting ways that #MarketFrday has been presented, all of which adds all the more charm to the mixing bowl. The challenge points out our differences, but, then, it also shows many things our cultures share. When the day is done, it shows off how human we all are and how we basically all care about our families and others. I love the experience of it all. I appreciate the love and support given to #MarketFriday! Thank you! Truly! Your participation adds a piece of your world, and I have to say, people are interested in is seeing it. This entire challenge has opened up the world to me and so many others. Thank you again for being a part of all this! I hope you have a fabulous day! Hive on!!
Fridays are all about the #MarketFriday Challenge! Looking to take part in it? Here is how:
How to Participate:
Go to the market! Any market will do! Food, clothing, plant, or animal, if you wish. You can go to the zoo, an art auction, and restaurants. Anywhere or anything that you pay money for any kind of service.
Take pictures! Be creative! It’s fun!
Tell us a little bit about the market, what brought you here?
Post the picture.(s)
Don’t forget to use the MarketFriday Community #196308 to post from or hashtag it! #MarketFriday by @dswigle If you hashtag it, drop the link to your post here so I can easily find them.
As always, please remember! #MarketFriday loves you!
Upped and reposted
!tip .20
Thank you! I have long wanted to cook zacusca in this way so my friends' vacation at the sea helped me. It was a mutual benefit.
Zacusca is eaten on bread, as you do.
I am so upset that I have been overwhelmed by problems and fail to find the time I need to write and respond to comments.
It's so nice to see you understand that. Thank you!
Don't worry, Dan @bluemoon. Everyone has the same problem from time to time. Thank goodness we are fortunate enough to have a life outside of social media.
Some people don't.
Oh, I'm sorry for these people!
You're right, we're really lucky.
I used to worry so much, but, I found that was wasted. I do what I can and there is nothing more that I can do about it. I like to post, but, I have found I get myself wrapped up with so much, I have not time to post! :))
It will all work out in the end.
I don't have time to post either, although I like, like you, to post. The fact that we are posting less and less is, in fact, a sign and I am afraid that we are detaching ourselves from this place. Anyway, I'm not too optimistic when I think about the future of Hive (at least my future in Hive).
So many are posting less and less. It alarms me in some ways, after all, where will I post? :(
I still remain optimistic and hope that in time, I will have more time available to me. We need to remain optimistic! :))
🎁 Hi @bluemoon! You have received 0.2 HIVE tip from @dswigle!
Check out @dswigle blog here and follow if you like the content :)
Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide.
Thank You!