OK, it’s yet to be seen if I’ll have an impact on ALL of Moldova, but I’ve most definitely had an effect on one household in the village of Tvarditsa. I’ve introduced the Green Salad.
When we arrived in Moldova last September, I remember somebody telling us that lettuce doesn’t grow here. How strange, I remember thinking, that in a country where they grow grapes, plums, peaches, pears, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, pumpkins, squash, eggplant, peas, peppers, corn, wheat and all kinds of other fruits and vegetables they can’t grow lettuce. But then again, I thought, what do I know about farming?
Well, it turns out they can grow lettuce here, they just have no idea what to do with it. Someone gave Anya and Georghi some lettuce seeds a couple years ago and they planted them. One day I was walking through the garden, saw some green leaves and thought to myself, Geez, that looks an awful lot like lettuce! But then again, what do I know about farming? For all I knew, it could be the tasteless leaves of some root vegetable. Another day, walking through the garden with Anya, I asked about it and learned that indeed it was lettuce, and it was everywhere! I told her how great it was, how I loved salads made with lettuce, and that night she made a typical Moldovan-style salad incorporating lettuce, which means all the vegetables were chopped into miniscule pieces, including the lettuce, and drenched in mayonnaise. Not exactly what I’d had in mind.
A few nights later, I offered to make a “typical American salad.” I picked a bunch of big juicy leaves, bought a couple tomatoes and cucumbers at the market (as it’s still too early to have them fresh from the garden), shelled some walnuts and mixed up a simple herb vinaigrette. Anya eyed suspiciously the big bowl of large undiced lettuce leaves, chunky tomatoes and cucumber slices, but held her tongue. She watched how I served myself, spooning the dressing over the top (another new concept: we don’t have to drown the salad in advance; instead, each person can add as much or as little dressing as desired). She tried a little bit and chewed contemplatively, then asked me how I’d made the dressing. She commented how they were so used to chopping everything up in tiny pieces, but this way was certainly faster and easier, she noted. None of the other dishes I’ve prepared here have impressed their palettes, so I wasn’t expecting her to be too thrilled with my big salad either. But I, nonetheless, thoroughly enjoyed it. Anya laughed and told me they’d been feeding the lettuce to their geese as they’d not really seen any other use for it!
Much to my surprise, a couple nights later I entered the kitchen at dinnertime to discover a plate of lettuce (sans the tomatoes and cucumbers, which are still very expensive at the market) and a jar of vinaigrette. Anya said she’d really enjoyed the new recipe I’d shown her! She’d always thought the lettuce was kind of bitter by itself but the vinaigrette was really great with it. As the various vegetables ripen this summer, I’ll introduce some new variations to the recipe, tossing in some carrots, or a red pepper, maybe even something crazy like a bit of feta cheese. Who knows?
So, that’s my contribution to Moldova. The Big Green Salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
Anka in Kyiv 