Cook of the Week recipes

Zupa Truskawkowa- strawberry soup.

2 pounds fresh or frozen, thawed, strawberries, divided 2 quarts

(2 liters) water

1/3 cup (75 grams) granulated sugar

Optional additions: Sour cream, cooked noodles or mint

In a big pot, combine water and sugar over high heat, make sure it's boiled and all sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and add 3/4 of strawberries. Let that sit in a low simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let it cool before pouring it into the blender.

Purée until smooth and blend in batches or all at once, depends on how big your blender is.

Place it back into the pot and put in the remainder 1/4 strawberries and let simmer for another 15 minutes

Serve hot or cold.

Make sure when you choose to eat it cold, you let the soup cool in the refrigerator for a couple of hours and serve chill. You can add a little sour cream, noodles or mint.

Polish potato pancakes: placki ziemniaczane

6 medium potatoes (peeled and grated finely)

2 large eggs

1 medium onion

½ cup of vegetable oil

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Salt and black pepper (to taste)

In a bowl mix potatoes, egg, onion and salt and pepper.

Add enough flour, a little at a time, to bind the mix together and leave the mix light on flour.

Heat ¼ of the oil in a frying pan - Make sure you don't over heat the oil!

Drop a tablespoon of mix into the pan and spread it out with a spoon, like a pancake about ¼ of an inch thick and about 3-4 inches wide

Watch the pancake until you see the bottom turn brown- make sure it's not smoking or popping really heavily. If so, reduce your pan to medium. Cook about 3-5 min on each side or until golden brown.

Remove and place onto a paper towel to remove access oil.

Serve with garnish of your choice: apple sauce, sour cream or granulated sugar.

I personally like adding bacon bits!

Serves 6

Dorothy's Cucumber Salad or Dorota's Mizeria

2 large cucumbers- peeled and sliced very thinly

¾ cup sour cream

Salt

¼ cup of feta cheese

1 small yellow or white onion, chopped

1 tomato sliced

Garnish with cilantro

Place the peeled and sliced cucumbers in a bowl and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until the cucumbers let go of their juices.

Drain half of the cucumber juice and leave the remainder juice in the bowl.

Add the chopped onion, salt for taste, along with feta and sour cream. Mix well.

Once you're done mixing, add the sliced tomatoes along the top and garnish with cilantro.