Macedonia

Macedonia, country I identify myself, country I was born and country I visited this summer.There are so many places to visit as Macedonia is very rich with history. I just wish one day we will have more time to travel all over the country, for now we are happy with what we have seen so far.

Macedonia - always in my heart!

Typical seasonal  fruits and vegetables in August in Macedonia

 Hot peppers

 Grapes

 Plum tree 

 Figs

corns cooked on outside fire 

homemade bread 

 Coffee cooked in copper pots on outdoor wooden fire - priceless 

My mum's flowers decoration for her balconies 

 View from the front balcony

Ready for the winter

 Plums

Figs, not ready yet

tomatoes are sun - drying 

ready to go in the jar 

ready for the winter days

Me in action 

Ohrid lake

Ohrid lake, St.John at Kaneo

Plaoshnik 

View from fortress Kale

View towards the Millennium cross 

River Vardar

About to rain 

sunset in Skopje 

Mother Theresa museum

Skopje in the evening 

View from the top of the mountain Vodno

Millennium Cross  

From Vodno

Traditional rugs and bags

Traditional wedding dress in olden days

Traditional shop in the old town

Matka

River Treska

Chaining peppers for sun-drying

Will take a good couple of months to get completely dry,ready for the winter when can be used in bean stews or dips, yummy !

Сушени домати на сонце / Sun-dried tomatoes

I took advantage of my visit to Macedonia to make this recipe I've been planing to make for a long time but it is almost impossible to succeed in England. Apart of having brilliant time with my family, laughing to tears and traveling around the country, I was cooking as well, mainly helping to my mum or cooking new vegetarian dishes for my parents to try. We also made together some pumpkin bread, plum tray and a lot more.These tomatoes are grown in my parents garden,they are organic and I was very happy to use them in cooking or eating raw!

Потребни состојки:

2 кг домати

400 мл маслиново масло

3-4 чешниња лук

босилок

сол

трпение

Исечете ги доматите на четвртини и одстранете ги семките и сокот*

Наредете ги во поголема тепсија.

Малку посолете.

Ставете ги да се сончаат преку ден, навечер внесувајте ги внатре.

За 3 дена веке ке бидат суви.

Ако немате сонце ставете ја тепсијата со домати во загреана рерна на 50 степени и сушете ги доматите околу 4 часа.

Наредете ги во средна големина тегла,ставете и сецкано лукче како и свеж босилок.

Прелијте со маслиново масло ( ладно цедено ) и чувајте во фрижидер.

Маслото ке си го користите за прелив на салати а сушените домати за пица, мезе или како додаток во салати на база на житарки.

* Сокот исцедете го, малку посолете, додајте коцка-две мраз и неколку ливчиња босилок. Идеален летен пијалок!

Доматен сок 

Ingredients: 

2 kg tomatoes

400 ml olive oil

3-4 garlic cloves

fresh basil 

salt

patience 

Cut the tomatoes into 4.

Take the seeds and juices* out

Place the tomatoes into a big tray and place them out on sunny spot during the day.

Bring them indoor during the night.

Repeat for 3 day.

If you haven't got sun, you can use electric oven.

Place the tray with tomatoes in oven pre-heated on 50 C

Bake / dry them for 4 hours.

When tomatoes are ready place them in a clean jar adding some chopped garlic and fresh basil.

Keep the jar in fridge.

Use the tomatoes as you wish, pizza topping or chopped up in grain salads.

Use the oil as well for dressing salads.

*Put the juice  through a sieve, season with some salt and top it with fresh basil adding some ice cubes, perfect summer drink!

Tomato juice