Easter Box

It is becoming a tradition now that I do Food Boxes for Christmas and Easter packed with awesome Polish flavours. 

Easter table for me must have żurek, fresh biała sausage, traditional vegetable salad and beautifully decorated sweet treats.

Żurek soup is based on fermented wheat (mainly rye) and this gives a sour taste to the soup. I make my own fermented base (kwas) so you can be assured that the best quality flour goes into it. 

Directions: heat up the soup (don't boil), if you wish to have it more sour, just add more kwas, if you want less, add vegetable stock or meat broth. You can make it thicker by mixing a table spoon of sour cream with three tablespoons of normal cream and a tablespoon of flour (white flour is best). Combine it well and add to your soup. Bring it to boil and then turn off the hob. 

Serve: with hard boiled egg (halved), mashed potatoes on the side and sliced sausage (either smoked or poached biała). Sprinkle with fresh parsley. 

Poached pork sausage (biała kiełbasa) is made with a good pinch of marjoram. It is a lean and aromatic sausage that is consumed traditionally at Easter. 

Directions: make small diagonal cuts and fry in the pan until it becomes golden brown.

Serve: Slice and add to your żurek soup. You can also make a main dish by serving with mashed potatoes and salad. You will need a spoon of good mustard or horseradish cream on the side.

Vegetable salad is a staple all year round in my house.

I'd have it for breakfast, lunch and as a side dish at dinner, no matter what time of the year it is. The ingredients are basic and a good quality mayonnaise and a fair amount of spices make the taste stand out. The Easter salad is made of cooked potatoes, carrots, green peas, corn kernels, sour gherkins, mayo and spices.

Sweet treats are always part of the Easter table. They are usually beautifully decorated with bright colours to signify new life brought by the spring.

You will find three hand-painted shortbread cookies in the Easter Box which will look amazing as a centrepiece of your Easter table. They will last a few days but I bet they will be gone sooner than you'd like it :-)

This year, I included the smoked sausage in the Easter box and some yummy relishes. The smoked sausage can be part of your Easter dinner but it is also very good eaten cold mixed with other cold meats and cheeses on a platter. I cut mine into small pieces and add to my żurek soup.

Beetroot relish is very popular in Poland and makes a great addition to the smoked sausage. 

I hope you'll enjoy all the food that Easter brings and have a wonderful time!