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Seasonal Entertaining: A Croatian New Year

Croatian gastronomy reflects the cultural mosaic of the culinary intersection between central Europe and the Mediterranean. On the Adriatic coast, Croatian cuisine revolves around fish and shellfish with an undeniable Italian influence. Italian and other influences are seen and tasted not only in the use of pastas and olive oil, but also in the simplicity and seasonality of Croatian cuisine. Croatian foods beckon the addition of fresh herbs to almost any dish. We’ve included some traditional coastal Croatian dishes to inspire your own holiday menus.

A minty twist to the traditional Kir Royal
Start with a champagne flute and add ¼ shot of Crème de Cassis, ¼ shot of lemon juice and ¼ shot Chambourd. In a shaker crush four sprigs of mint and two shots of vodka, shake well, add to flute, top with champagne, and toasts to a happy New Year!

Octopus and Potato Soup
Cut two to three pounds of octopus into large pieces and cook for about an hour in a large skillet or Dutch oven with ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. Add about two pounds of chopped waxy potatoes, another ¼ cup of olive oil and cook for another forty-five minutes until both the potatoes and octopus are tender. Stir in one tablespoon of chopped garlic, ½ cup of fresh parsley leaves, and ½ cup of white wine and cook for another fifteen minutes until flavors are blended. Salt to taste.

Peppers Stuffed with Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Preheat oven to 400° F. Halve and seed four yellow sweet peppers and mash about ten ounces of sheep’s milk cheese. Take three small tomatoes and blanch for a few seconds in boiling water, then peel and seed them. Finely chop a couple of scallions and a few cloves of garlic and sauté them in olive oil. Pit and chop two ounces each of green and black olives. Combine all ingredients in a bowl adding 1/8 cup of chopped parsley and 1 tsp fresh thyme. Stuff your pepper halves and bake for about thirty minutes until tender.

Dalmatian Pot Roast
This traditional holiday recipe needs to marinate for twelve hours before final preparations and serving. Pierce a 5 lb pot roast with a sharp knife, and then insert slivers of garlic into and around the roast. Cover the meat with a bottle of red wine and add 3-4 chopped onions, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary along with a few bay leaves, fresh pepper and cubed parsely root. Cover and refrigerate for twelve hours.

The following day, heat olive oil in a heavy pan and brown your roast, then remove it. Add all the contents of your marinade and sauté. Return the roast to the pan, adding 10 oz of peeled tomatoes (canned are fine), eight prunes, 1 c of chopped celery and 2 tsp of mustard. Mix well and cook for 2-3 more hours at a simmer. When your meat is good and tender, strain the juices and serve as a sauce to the sliced roast.

Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad
Gently toss together the following: three peeled and chopped Fuyu persimmons, ¾ cup of pomegranate seeds, one peeled, cored, and chopped apple, preferably a Granny Smith or Fuji, about ten slices of fresh mint leaves, 1 tsp of honey and 2 tsp of lemon juice. Serve alone, or try a lemon sorbet or freshly made crepes sprinkled with sugar.