ESTONIA: Buckwheat and Mushrooms (Tatra- seenevorm) and Shaken Cucumber Salad

Once again, a dish that defines why I am on this journey. I have added buckwheat to soups, but never used as a base for a dish. Now, it will undoubtedly be added to our dinner rotations. Despite its name, buckwheat is naturally gluten free. It is a highly nutritious — packed with fiber, protein, antioxidants, magnesium, copper, and essential amino acids. It supports heart health, reduces blood sugar spikes, and offers prebiotic benefits for gut health. Not to mention, it is quite tasty. For the dish below, you can either make a casserole with the buckwheat, by adding egg and milk to the cooked buckwheat before topping it with the vegetables and sour cream, then baking. Or you can omit the eggs and milk, making the buckwheat into at rice-like base, then stir the sour cream into the vegetables before layering them on top.

Buckwheat and Mushrooms (Tatra- seenevorm)

1 cup buckwheat groats

2½ cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

1 glove of garlic

¾ lb chanterelles, hen of the woods, cremini, and/or shiitake mushrooms

½ cup frozen green peas, optional

2 eggs*

1 cup milk*

1 tablespoon softened butter*

½ cup sour cream

Chopped dill or parsley for garnish, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

*Only needed if making dish into a casserole.

1. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Add the buckwheat and stir. When mixture comes back to a boil, cover the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

2. While buckwheat cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Chop the onion, add to skillet, and reduce heat to medium low, stirring often. Sauté 5 until onion turns transluscent. Mince the garlic and add to the skillet. Sauté an additional minute.

3. While onion cooks, clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Remove end of stems and chop. Add mushroom to skillet. Salt and pepper liberally. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms give off liquid, and it evaporates, about 7 minutes. If using peas, add about 5 minutes after adding the mushrooms.

4. For CASSEROLE version: Preheat oven to 350° F. Add the milk and eggs to the buckwheat and stir throughly. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or four, oven-proof soup bowls. Pour the groat mixture into the baking dish or evenly divided among the bowels. Top with cooked mushroom mixture. Spread the sour cream in a thin layer on top. Bake 30-35 minutes for the 2-quart baking dish, 20 minutes for the individual bowls. Top with garnish if using.

5. For PORRIDGE version: Taste cooked groats for seasoning. Divide them evenly into 4 soup bowels. Mix the sour cream into the mushroom mixture. Divide the mushrooms evenly, layering them on top of each of the 4 soup bowels. Top with garnish if using.

Shaken Cucumber Salad

1 large cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon table salt

½ teaspoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1. Peel the cucumbers. Slice into rounds. Put the cumbers into a medium bowl with a lid. Mix in the caraway seeds and salt. Let stand 10 minutes-one hour.

2. Place the lid on the cucumbers and shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds, to soften them. Remove lid and drain any liquid from the bowl.

3. Stir in the vinegar and dill and serve.

#ngomou #lambstew #mauritania

FUN FACTS:

• Estonia ranks first in Europe for educational performance.

• After regaining independence from Russia in 1991, the country invested heavily in digital technology. Estonia has led the way in e-government development, offering 99% of its public services online, including voting.

• The Singing Revolution (1987–1991) was a peaceful, nonviolent movement in Estonia that used music and mass singing demonstrations to overthrow Soviet occupation and regain independence. Hundreds of thousands gathered to sing patriotic, ending in the 1991 restoration of Estonian independence without loss of life.