I spent this past weekend visiting Igor and his family in Korosten.
I was hurrying to get out of Kyiv as early as possible on Saturday, and forgot to eat breakfast before I left my apartment. I remembered this when I finally made it to the bus and realized I had a 2 1/2 hour trip ahead of me, with an empty stomach. By the time I arrived in Korosten, about 1:30, I was nearly ready to eat my jacket. Good thing I arrived hungry! A feast was awaiting me at Igor’s parents’ house – a feast which lasted nearly 3 hours!
His family, like most Ukrainians, are rather baffled by my vegetarianism, and the other times I’ve visited them, much of the meal-time conversation has focused on why I don’t eat meat or fish, and how, in their opinions, I am really missing out on some of the best things in life. This time we had to revisit the familiar topic, but I can tell they are getting used to my “strangeness” as we didn’t talk about it as much as other times. Given the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits right now, they are enjoying a more veg-oriented diet. And there’s no better way to win the love and affection of a Ukrainian family than to praise the meal prepared almost exclusively with their own homegrown produce.
After so much food, I told Igor that I needed to go for a walk or else I would explode. We strolled into the town center and walked through the lovely park. It was a lovely evening, and we returned to the house happily worn out from a long walk.
Sunday morning, Igor told me we were going out to the nearby village where his family still owns a house and were they keep the largest of their several gardens. Along the way, we stopped in the forest to partake of the beloved Ukrainian pastime- picking mushrooms. I’ve heard a lot about this activity, but had never participated in it myself. It was hot, muggy, and we were devoured by mosquitoes, but nonetheless it was pretty fun. Igor’s parents headed off in their own directions, but Igor and I teamed up for our hunt. I was surprised and proud to spot our first mushroom of the day, and Igor explained to me how this particular kind always grows in pairs. So we started looking around for the second, which turned out be hiding right behind Igor.
We spent about about an hour or so searching for mushrooms. Every now and then we could hear Igor’s parents calling out to each other through the forest, keeping tabs on each others’ locations. We found quite a few different varieties of mushrooms, but there were only 2 or 3 kinds that Igor’s family gathers, they ones they know best and know are safe to eat. We didn’t have much success in finding the kinds we were looking for, but we collected enough to make a nice side dish for dinner later on.
From the forest, we went to their dacha, where Igor’s mom picked cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes. Igor and his dad Ivan raked up some of the hay that had been laid out to dry, and I had a tour of their property. The home itself is over a hundred years old, and still has the traditional wood-burning oven (or “pechka”) used throughout Ukraine. Ivan told me how he has been slowing renovating the dacha, and that it is his dream to fix it up a bit more and then, when he retires, to live there all summer long. He loves his garden, the fresh country air, and the peace and quiet of dacha life.
Igor and I came back to Kyiv with 2 heavy bags full of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, fresh herbs, sweet apricots, hand-churned butter, and freshly laid eggs. And that was only part of what his mom wanted to give us! We left behind the potatoes, onions, garlic, and cheese that she also set out for us. I had asked her for her recipe for pickled cucumbers, so when we got back to Kyiv in the evening, I had my first attempt ever at home-pickling. We’ll let them sit a few days in the fridge, and hopefully they’ll be as tasty as ones I had in Korosten.
Visiting a family for the weekend reminded me how much I miss my host family in Tvarditsa. I am hoping to go visit them soon, and I’m looking forward to the delicious food, the fabulous wine, the breathtaking night sky, and the sweet company of a wonderful family.
Anka in Kyiv 