Mushrooms Latvian Style Food

SKLANDRAUSIS: LATVIAN VEGETABLE TART

Steps:

• Make the dough. Mix lard or butter with a warm water and caraway, and knead into dough of homogeneous consistency. Roll it to 3-5 millimeters thickness. Cut out round shapes with a round object (examples, glass or bowl). Turn up their edges with height of about 2 cm. Place on a baking tray.
• Make the potato filling: mash boiled potatoes, add milk, butter and salt. Put a layer of the potato mass on each dough patty until one-third full.
• Make the carrot filling: boiled carrots (unpeeled) smash or rub through a sieve and mix with honey, sour cream and eggs. Top the layer of carrot paste on the potato mass and complete the filling.
• Bake in a moderate heat until the filling becomes light brown or golden and the dough turns dry and crusty.
• Just after baking, cover the tarts with sour cream mixed with some honey and vanillin. Scatter with cinnamon as desired.
• Serve warm or cooled with milk, buttermilk or "skabputra" (sour porridge).

MUSHROOMS, LATVIAN STYLE

Steps:

• Wash the mushrooms, and cut into thin slices.
• Dice the bacon, and fry until lightly browned in a 12-inch skillet.
• Dice the onion, and add to the bacon.
• Fry the mixture, stirring, until the onion is just wilted. Add the mushrooms.
• Over low heat, stir with a spoon for 10 minutes.
• Add flour, water and salt.
• Bring water to boil, and boil for 5 minutes until the mixture has the consistency of gravy.
• Add the sour cream. Stir until well blended.

LATVIAN POTATO AND WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the mushrooms in 1 cup of the water for 2 hours. Drain the mushrooms and strain the liquid through a coffee filter (this is to remove any sand).
• In a large soup pot, bring the mushrooms, their soaking liquid, and the remaining water to a boil over high heat.
• Add salt, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, increase the heat to medium low, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. With a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms. When they are cool enough to handle, chop them very fine.
• Using the slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to a food processor. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and process until pureed.
• Whisk the potatoes back into the cooking liquid in the pot. You will have to stir them thoroughly with a fork or wire whisk until there are no lumps. Set aside.
• In a small skillet, sauté the bacon until it renders its fat. Drain off all but 1 Tablespoon of the fat, then add the onion and the mushrooms. Saute, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat until the mixture is well browned, about 15 minutes.
• Return the soup to low heat. Add the cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes, until the soup is about to boil.
• Stir in the sautéed onion, mushroom, and bacon mixture. Season with a few dashes of paprika and salt and pepper, then simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh dill. Serves 6.