Zelnacka, or Spicy, Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup

 We were supposed to go away in the caravan a few weeks ago, but the weather had other ideas.  The day we had planned to leave was very windy, and the next day, we woke up to steady drizzle.  It IS Springtime here in New Zealand, but that generally means the weather is incredibly fickle.  In the last three weeks, we have had a major wind-storm, incessant rains that flooded Little River, and a hailstorm that left about 2 inches of ice and closed roads.  Oh well, that’s what you get when you live in a small island nation in the middle of the roaring forties!

So, a few days before we planned to go, I cleaned out the fridge and pantry in preparation for our intended trip.  Besides finding way too many condiments, I came across some chorizo that was approaching early retirement.  I adore chorizo, but most of the dishes I use it in are cold weather soups and stews.

While having my coffee and being pleased that we had delayed the trip, I contemplated what tasks I should conquer on this chilly, rainy day.  It came to me: Zelnacka!!!  (It is pronounced zel-netch-ka)  The Czech chefs we employed for so many years made this on a regular basis, and I really can’t get enough of it.  So, today would be the day I would make my first batch of Zelnacka, now being chef-less.

The ingredients?

Chorizo, cut into small bits

Bacon (sort of optional)

An onion, chopped

about a dozen mushrooms (also, optional)

2 or 3 potatoes, diced

1 can (7oz) sauerkraut

a few Tablespoons of flour

2 –3 teaspoons of sweet paprika

2 or 3 Tablespoons of Caraway seeds

salt, to taste

You must remember that this is solid, Eastern European peasant food – hearty, cheap and made from ingredients always on hand in that part of the world.  It is what I call a ‘Nana’ recipe – there are as many versions as there are ‘Nana’s’.

My base recipe called for rendering some fat from the bacon, then add the onion, chorizo and mushrooms, and sauté in the fat until the onions are tender.  Well, I didn’t want to use the bacon, so I started the onions and such in some vegetable oil, instead.  I cooked the mix until the onions were translucent and the chorizo had given up some of its fat.  The Man tells me that our Czech boys would let the onion cook for a very long time, until almost caramelised, and then add the mushrooms and chorizo.  I also believe that they would have added a fair amount of garlic – these boys eat garlic on their cornflakes, along with caraway seeds!!!

Next, I sprinkled a few tablespoons of flour onto the mixture and stirred it in.  This is basically like making a gravy base or a roux, as it thickens the soup.  

Once the flour has cooked through for a few minutes, add the potatoes, sauerkraut, paprika and caraway seeds.  At this stage, I added a bit of smoked paprika to make up for the lack of bacon-y smokiness.

Then, let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.  That’s it!!!!  One pot and simple!  Did I mention how good it smells when cooking?!  Oh, and the flavour – if you like sauerkraut, you will love, love, love this!  It tastes almost like a Reuben Sandwich in soup form!

While the soup was simmering, I made a batch of Caraway Rye Bread http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caraway-Rye-Bread/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Now, there is a funny story about this dish.  We decided to put it on the menu at the cafe one season, as we did try to always have a few Czech dishes on the menu.  It drew in the local Czech population and was interesting to other visitors.  But, since no one has ever heard of Zelnacka, we would have to explain it.  It just so happened that The Man had recently had some dental issues and was missing a front tooth.  It was going to take a few months to get that fixed.  So, for several months, he was challenged with “Zelnacka?  Oh, it ith a thpithy, thaurkraut and thauthage thoop.”

Feats, Fetes, and Finally, Finding Our Way…

Our life has taken a numbers of turns in the past three months, literally and figuratively.

Back in July, the darkest and coldest part of our New Zealand winter, a young couple (backed by her parents) made an offer on our business.  It was low, but given the economy and recent earthquakes, we knew it was reasonable.  We accepted, and six quick weeks later, we left the Hilltop for the last time as proprietors.  Having poured our hearts and souls into turning that old pub into a respectable bar and café, I thought the moment we handed over the keys would be bittersweet, but honestly, it wasn’t.  Between doing a final inventory, paying off creditors, preparing the final payroll and figuring out final tax payments, it just came and went with very little hoopla.  In the days that followed, I think we began to realize just how burned out we had become.  While we had loved the challenges and loved chatting with our customers, it really was hard work and a lot of responsibility.

But, now the question on everyone’s mind, including our own, was “What are you going to do, now?”  Obviously, we had discussed this, but not knowing when exactly the question would present itself, we didn’t have an answer!  We did know we wanted to take a bit of time off, relax, get the house up to scratch and get our garden ready for summer.  We considered a holiday – maybe Fiji, or Thailand?  But, we also realised that we have not seen a lot of this beautiful country that we now call home.  I suggested a motorhome, but when we began looking, the prices were daunting.  Then, one day, sitting at my desk, I saw a car go past, towing a small caravan!  BINGO!  We didn’t need another vehicle; we needed a caravan!  After much thought, we decided that we would be frugal, take the summer off (more or less) and enjoy a non-working summer as gypsies in New Zealand!

Well, one thing led to another…  We flew to the north island to pick up a Range Rover that we got a tremendous deal on (The Man wasn’t sure our car would pull the caravan very well), and drove it home.  The Rover is a man magnet – no joke.  Everywhere we go, we get comments – “Is that a V8?”.

The following week we drove south to pick up the imported, used, renovated UK caravan that we had bought sight unseen in a 1$ reserve online auction.  Again, we got a very good deal.  When we sell the second car, it will more than cover the Range Rover and the caravan.

Bess LOVES it!!!  She has always been a great little traveller, and that fact contributed heavily to our caravan decision to begin with.  The money saved by not having to kennel her would go a long way towards our travel fund, plus she is just fun to have around.  As we visit beaches and forests, she’ll have a great time.  What I haven’t mentioned is, that during the week between getting the Range Rover and getting the caravan, Bessie managed to get out on the road and was hit by an SUV.  Lucky thing that she is, she went under the carriage and escaped with a horrific gash down her back.  No crushes, bruises, or other wounds!  Many stitches later, she was in pretty good shape, but needed her wound cleaned and dressed a few times a day, plus weekly vet visits for several weeks.  Had we planned the overseas holiday, we would have had to cancel or rely on the kennel to look after her – neither of which would have made us happy.  But, with ointments, antibiotics, and home-made ‘sport suits’ to hold her dressings (sanitary pads!) in place, we managed to pick up ‘Bertha’ as scheduled.

So, having hooked up with ‘Bertha’ (she is a two berth) near Dunedin, we headed north and stopped for our first two nights in Timaru.  It was still early spring and a bit cold, but the built in heater kept us warm and cozy.  Too early for BBQing, so we roasted a chicken in the oven and had stroganoff another night.

Timaru is a quaint South Island town with a lovely esplanade running along the bay.  The Top 10 Holiday Park is fantastic.  While located practically in the center of town, it is very private and comfortable.  The communal ‘ablution blocks’ have under-floor heating and good, hot showers.  As is typical of the ‘Holiday Parks’ there is a playground, this one complete with a ‘bouncing pillow’ and flying fox. 

There is a great local park that Bess loves, so she visited it several times.  It is conveniently located next to ‘Briscoe’s’, a home-ware store.  We had packed up pretty well in preparation for meeting Bertha, but now that we knew what she looked like and had spent some time with her, we had a blast shopping for a few bits and pieces.

On Saturday night we went to a local pub and watched the All Blacks’ play in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final and met some friendly locals.  On Sunday, we went to the local Farmer’s Market and enjoyed strolling around in the lovely spring weather.  Later, I taught The Man a thing or two about backgammon!

Once back home, we parked Bertha and powered her up.  We spent some time cleaning, stocking the shelves and cupboards and generally, getting to know her.  Coincidentally, the local Motorhome and Caravan show was that weekend, so we were able to get a better education about all things RV.  We got our insurance sorted, joined a club (AKA, we got our ‘Wings’, which are like a secret handshake!) and after much research bought a small, portable satellite dish and a cute TV that takes our cable smart-card and has a built in DVD player!  I’d also figured out the whole Wi-Fi thing, by now!  All Recipes, Facebook and Words with Friends will not be neglected! 

So, time for our next journey!  We left promptly after Bessie’s vet appointment.  ‘Uncle Richard’ removed her stitches and drains but warned me that the wound might expand and get messy as some of the fatty tissue deteriorated, and I just needed to manage it.  This time we headed north about 3 hours to the seaside town of Kaikoura, famous for its snow capped mountains tumbling into the sea, whale watching and seal colonies.  Again, at a Top 10 Holiday Park, we had full amenities and were very comfy.  It was also full of French rugby fans on their way back to Christchurch, before the flight to Auckland for the lead up to the final against the All Blacks. This park also has a huge, private outdoor hot-tub that guests can ‘book’ and use for free!  We set up the TV, only to realize we’d forgotten the SKY card!  But, that was fine, as we had good ‘freeview’ reception.  Yet again, I was amazed at how huge and comfortable the made-out bed is.  And, there is even a special ‘nook’ for Bess, so we are all happy.

The next day, we hit the road heading another 2 hours north to the province of Marlborough, one of the best-known wine-producing regions of New Zealand.  We parked up at yet another Top 10 Park, this one right on the river, but only a minute from the center of town.  Bess loved exploring the riverbank, and true to form, she didn’t harass the ducks when we asked her not to!

The weather was a bit drizzly that first day.  We wandered into town to pick up a few supplies (sanitary pads and leggings to make into ‘sports suits’, for Bess!) and ended up at ‘The Warehouse’, kind of like K-Mart.  They were having a big sale on DVD’s for $3, so we grabbed several and went back to relax and watch a few movies, something we never do at home.  We contemplated going out to watch the All Blacks win the semi-final, but we were too comfy and watched it at ‘home’. 

The following day dawned frosty but clear as a bell, and by 11AM it was warming up pleasantly.  We went to one of our favourite vineyards, Highcliff, for an amazing lunch overlooking the vines.  Bellies full and minds relaxed, Bertha beckoned and we spent the rest of the day relaxing.  For me, cross-stitch and internet.  For The Man, reading, TV and the internet.

A 10am start saw us arrive home about 3pm, just ahead of a massive wind storm!

During the following week and half, we managed to do some much needed redecorating and painting in the house.  We moved into our cottage 2 years into the 7-year Hilltop stint, and while we have put in a new kitchen, carpet, windows and such, we have never really settled in and made it ‘homey’.  Our desks are still in the main room, because it works for us, but my file box has disappeared, and the stuff on my desk is a lot less serious than previous!  

Bess’ weekly visit was a big one.  Richard sedated her and did some minor surgery and gave her a fresh stitch or two, but said she was healing amazingly well.  He told me to keep on doing what we were doing.  Oh, and the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup!

When we first arrived in NZ, almost 10 years ago, we went to all the festivals and markets, as we were trying to learn the culture and regions, not to mention, we had the time.  Well, we haven’t had much time for that over the last 7 years, so we were delighted to find that the Culverden Christmas Fete was scheduled for last Thursday.  We had been once during our first year, and it is definitely one of the best gatherings.  We were even more pleased to know that Top 10 has a highly rated park in Hanmer Springs, about 20 minutes further on.

We’d spent the day before at home, cleaning, cooking, loading and generally getting Bertha ready.  We headed north again, along the coast but turned west about an hour north of Christchurch and continued inland for another hour and a half until we arrived at Hanmer Springs.  Along the way we noticed a lot of hand made signs – Go Black!!!! – not a racist thing at all, just a left over from the rugby, but interesting I’m sure for those who don’t know.

Crossing the single lane bridge that spans the very deep gorge into Hanmer with Bertha was definitely a white-knuckle moment for The Man, but as I wasn’t driving, I was able to take in the magnificent beauty of the river with the majestic mountain backdrop. 

Once we were parked and set-up at the local Top 10, I took Bess out to ‘explore’.  I was delighted to find that we were adjacent to a huge reserve that was dog friendly, with a lovely creek running through it.  There are miles and miles of walking and biking tracks.

So, Thursday morning, we were up and away by 10ish, on our way to the Culverden Christmas Fete.  But, it’s crazy!  Culverden is a small, rural town in North Canterbury, a good hour or more from Christchurch.  A gas station, a ‘tea room’, a café, a pub and that’s about it.  Now, the ‘fete’ is advertised as being in Culverden.  So, we turn left at the café and carry on.   And, carry on…  Several kilometres later, the tar seal ends, but we carry on.  And, carry on, while the road becomes narrower.  Finally, after several bends in the road, we arrive at a huge field and numerous serious looking people in flouro vests waving flouro sticks, gesturing where to park among the 1200 or more cars that are already neatly assembled!

The fete was great!  Lots of stalls and lots of great products on offer, almost all NZ made and of high quality.  Food (preserves and eat now), clothes (mostly woollen), crafts, jewellery, plants, everything under the sun.  

A young female duet was performing in the stalls area, while a 4-piece band entertained the crowd that had pre-purchased a tasty picnic lunch that included a delicious glass of bubbles.  

Back in Hanmer Springs, we used the communal kitchen to fry up some lovely lamb chops, rather than spattering grease inside Bertha.  We had to rush though, as Masterchef was starting at 7:30!  The fresh asparagus that we bought at the fete was beautiful!  What a great end to a great day!

After a lazy morning we donned our togs, AKA cozzies, AKA swimsuits, and headed for the thermal pools, Hanmer Springs main claim to fame.  We’d never been before, but thoroughly enjoyed it.  There are great changing rooms with showers, etc, plus lockers and a café.  There are many pools, ranging from adult only giant Jacuzzis that are fairly warm with slightly diluted spring water, rather hot non-bubbling mineral pools that are slightly sulphuric, gentle hot soaking pools and a regular swimming pool.  There is also (for an additional fee) a couple of waterslides that look like a blast!  You can also pay extra for private pools and saunas.  We were there mid-week, so it was rather quiet, but I know this place rocks on weekends and during the summer.  While we were there, we saw a woman with her elderly mother in a wheel chair, and a school group of special needs kids (mostly Down Syndrome) – it was nice to see.

We were having such a great time, and being so close to the awesome reserve, we extended our stay for two more nights!  Hey!  We are gypsies!  We have no agenda!  We spent the bulk of the following day being very lazy!  Nice long dog walk, cross stitch, reading, a great movie I’d never heard of (The Butterfly Effect)…   Oh, this IS the life!

Well, we were up and away by 10am, and home by about 2:30.  We got Bertha all scrubbed up and ready for her next adventure.  We also managed to give Bess a bath and a thorough ‘puppy cut’ to remove the mats that have amassed during her convalescence.  I removed her last stitch, and her wound is now as small as a postage stamp!  She is rabbiting like you can’t imagine and has lost a lot of weight (a very good thing) since leaving the Hilltop.

So, we have achieved feats, attended fetes and finally, at least for the time being, found our way!