Ukrainian and Polish Festivals, Toronto

Ukrainian Festival, Bloor West Village and Polish Festival in Roncessvalles Village, Toronto

This was another festival-filled weekend and we did both! Very humid with rain threatening both days, we managed to avoid and had a nice time at both! In honour of the festivals, I made some perogies for hors d’oeuvres last night. Not so traditional, but definitely inspired by.

Goat’s Cheese-filled perogies

Using a traditional Gnocchi recipe for the dough, make whatever filling you desire, boil pierogies until cooked and cool. Freeze any unused portions on a cookie sheet for future hors d’oeuvres.

Goat’s Cheese Filling

• 1/2 cup goat’s cheese at room temperature
• 1 small clove garlic pressed through a micro plane (or very finely minced)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 medium basil leaves finely sliced (chiffonade)

1. In a small food processor, or simply with a fork, mix all ingredients but the basil until well combined.
2. Add basil and toss lightly. Set aside in refrigerator.

Pierogi Dough (makes about 24 perogies 3″ in diameter)

I ran out of flour! Can you believe it? So i had to improvise with my pierogi dough. These measures are just estimates, you’ll have to eyeball the texture or make a tried and true potato gnocchi recipe.

• 1/2 rice flour
• 1/2 cup potato flour
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour for dusting
• 2 large egg whites
• 2-3 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 feet of parchment paper (use parchment on your counter for rolling, the rice and potato flours are glue – you will thank me later!)

1. In a food processor, combine all ingredients with the exception of the water and pulse until you get a ball of dough, adding the water a little at a time. If the dough is too wet, add all-purpose flour to achieve the ball.
2. Dust the parchment with a generous amount of all-purpose flour, roll dough to about 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick.
3. Cut with a 2-3 inch round cookie cutter (for hors d’oeuvres, use smaller cutters).
4. Put a small amount of the goat’s cheese mixture into the centre. Dot edges with a very small amount of water and pinch to seal (you may not even need water).
5. Continue until all of the dough is used up (if you run out of goat’s cheese filling, use a thick European jam as dessert pirogies (just make sure you know which is which, once sealed, you will have to bit into it to see!).
6. Boil well salted water. Once on a good hard boil, add the pierogies one at a time, only enough to fill the bottom of the pan. The perogies will rise to the top when done. Remove with a strainer and allow excess water to drip off.

Finishing and Serving Pierogies

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 pirogies

1. Melt butter with olive oil in a cast enamel pan.
2. Add pirogies and brown both sides.
3. Remove from pan and drain off oil.
4. Serve with 2-3 tbsp sour cream or yogurt cheese (strained yogurt).
5. Enjoy!

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