Tag Archives: gluten-free food in Slovenia

Super Saturday in Radovljica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Jelovica, kamna gorica, Kamp Sobec, Lipnica Valley, Mosnje, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia blog, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Last Saturday, 4th February 2023, was Super Saturday in Radovljica for numerous reasons – for me and for many others too!

Our day started with an early morning hike to the Suharna viewpoint on the Jelovica plateau. We set off on foot from Radovljica, and before reaching the start of the trail in Kolnica in the Lipnica valley, we were lucky enough to see a rare rainbow cloud formation. Having enlightened myself (well, Googled it), I discovered this occurs due to cloud iridescence. If you want to know more, Google is your friend, or you can just admire the photo!

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At this time of year a pair of lightweight crampons certainly comes in handy, as the trails are very icy in parts at lower altitudes, whilst up higher (higher than the Jelovica plateau) there is still A LOT of snow.

From Suharna, we first took the path towards the Vodiška planina mountain pasture, but soon turned off that path and took the one down to Kamna Gorica. On reaching the village we then headed up to the Zijavka viewpoint, from where there are lovely views over the village and church.

It was a really sunny day and not too cold, though abnormally windy; Radovljica is usually fairly well sheltered in terms of wind, but last Saturday was an exception, so we were glad of our flask of tea to warm us up. We then headed back to Radovljica via the Fux footbridge over the Sava river and back to Linhart Square, i.e. the heart of the action!

The Radol’ca market takes place on the first Saturday of each month in front of St. Peter’s church in Linhart Square. Since moving from its former location at Vila Podvin in Mošnje it has become increasingly popular. This month I persuaded the organisers (Tourism Radol’ca) to let me arrange a gluten-free corner at the market and, fortunately, they agreed! There were a total of 23 stalls, four of which featured gluten-free goodies – doughnuts, cake pops, bread, rolls, pastry, profiteroles, biscuits galore and more! I advertised the event via the Facebook group that I set up for coeliacs (Celiakaši v Sloveniji), as did each of the four stallholders, but, wow, I/we, weren’t expecting it to be such a hit! They pretty much sold out in less than an hour, and there was me asking the organisers for a one-hour extension to 1pm instead of the 12noon!

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In addition to the gluten-free corner, the market features local producers and suppliers of various fruit, vegetables, cheese and other dairy products, dried meat products, honey, herbs, teas and more – something for everyone!

Some of us – stallholders and fellow coeliacs – then went for to Kavarna Vidic in Linhart Square for a cuppa and a chinwag, during which we planned future such events, of which there will be many!

We then headed home for some lunch before heading out again, well it was such a lovely day (except the wind!) for a walk to the Šobec camp, which is lovely in winter too, before returning alongside the Sava river back to Radovljica.

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It’s amazing how much you can pack into a day in Radovljica; hiking, fab views, good (gluten-free) food, socialising, walking and more!

© Adele in Slovenia

The Festive Season is Here in Radovljica!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, Christmas in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Uncategorized, Visit Radol'ca by

It’s hard to believe it’s December already. Is anyone else wondering where 2022 has gone? It seems to have whizzed by and the festive season is now upon us. At least this year, unlike the past two – for obvious reasons – we can enjoy Christmas with our families and loved ones, and join in group events and celebrations, so all the more reason to get in the festive spirit and start planning what to do, where to go and, of course, what to eat and drink!

The festive season here in Radovljica kicks off tomorrow, Friday 2nd December, with the switching on of the Christmas lights in Linhart Square, the heart of the old town centre. It also marks the end of this year’s Taste Radol’ca Month of Local Menus, and as such the closing event will feature all of the participating Taste Radol’ca restaurants, whose chefs will be cooking up some delicious street food to keep visitors warm and well fed while listening to live music and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Morda je slika naslednjega: 6 oseb in na prostem

Morda je slika naslednjega: 1 oseba, stati, hrana in znotraj

Thereafter, throughout the month of December there are a whole host of events taking place in Radovljica and the surrounding villages, too many to list here, so I have picked out a few highlights to whet your appetite and you can find the full programme here.

The very next day, Saturday 3rd December, the ever-popular monthly Radol’ca Market takes place from 10am to 1pm, this time with added entertainment for children with horses from the Sitar Ranch.

Morda je slika naslednjega: 3 osebe, ljudje stojijo, Konj in na prostem

I’m particularly looking forward to this month’s market as for the first time ever there will be a stall of gluten-free goodies, made by an acquaintance of mine who has her own gluten-free workshop, Šcepec Vanje (A Pinch of Vanja) and who I know through the Facebook group I set up and run for coeliacs. Cake pops, biscuits, honeybreads and more await!

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Even if you are lucky enough not to have to avoid gluten, it’s well worth trying Vanja’s divine profiteroles!

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On Sunday 4th December from 10am to 7pm there is a St. Nicholas market, creative workshop for children, theatre performance and a visit by St. Nicholas himself!

Miklavžev vikend v Radovljici

The annual Advent Market begins on Friday 9th December from 3pm to 7pm.

There will also be numerous street shows by Ana Snežna, as well as Čupakabra.

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So, as you can see, there’s plenty to see and do here in Radovljica throughout the month of December and, of course, since the town is close to the motorway and well connected by public transport, you can easily visit Ljubljana to see the Christmas lights and visit the Christmas market, as well as other towns and cities throughout Slovenia.

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So, this December, cherish time with your loved ones, spare a thought for those that aren’t in such a fortunate position and, above all, have a happy and healthy festive season!

© Adele in Slovenia

 

 

Taste Taste Radol’ca…at Home!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, COVID-19 Slovenia, Food, gluten free food in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, Gostilna Kunstelj, ifeelsLOVEnia, Okusi Radol'ce, Radovljica, Restaurants, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Taste Radol'ca, Tourism Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

A follower of my blog in Canada recently wrote to me asking if I could write a post about Slovenian recipes, so how could I refuse to comply! So, Mary in Canada, this one is for you!

Since all the restaurants, bars, cafes etc. are (still) closed – it’s been like this here since the end of October last year – we (both the owners of such establishments and the public at large) have had to get used to cooking more at home whilst also taking advantage of the take-away food on offer at selected places. Many of the Taste Radol’ca restaurants have been offering take-away food and, in fact, it has actually been to my advantage in some respect that chefs have had more time to ‘play’ in their kitchens, and Aleš Tavčar, head chef and owner of Gostišče Draga in the Draga valley in Begunje na Gorenjskem, finally found time to make me a glut of gluten-free štruklji to go in my freezer.

And since štruklji really are something unbeknown to most of the world, they were the first thing that sprung to mind when deciding which Slovenian recipe to first write about.

Štruklji at Gostišče Draga

The recipe and photos shown below are for gluten-free štruklji, which, due to gluten being what provides the ‘elastic’ in dough mixes, are slightly different to ‘regular’ štruklji. Therefore, I should stress that ‘normal’ flour will provide you with a better result and your štruklji will look and taste somewhat better too, so unless you have to avoid gluten (coeliac disease in my case, though others have an intolerance and/or choose not to eat it for other reasons) you can use the same quantity of regular flour. These days I’m just happy to be able to eat them, even if they aren’t exactly as I remember them in my pre-coeliac days.

The full recipe with quantities is at the end of this post.

First gather the ingredients for the dough – flour, salt, egg, vinegar, water, oil.

Combine them well but don’t overwork the dough.

Shape the dough into a round loaf shape.

Next, make the filling using curd cheese, eggs, sour cream and salt.

Mash (or mince) the curd cheese well, add the eggs and sour cream then season with salt.

Roll out the dough – after watching the ‘pro’, I was allowed to help with this part!

Spread a generous amount of the filling mix over the dough.

Next its time to roll the štruklji then lift them gently onto lightly oiled foil or a non-stick cloth before steaming or cooking into salted simmering water.

This is the basic, traditional way of cooking and serving štruklji, but these days, in terms of how you choose to eat them and what kind of fillings/flavours you add, the sky’s the limit. You can eat them as a main course, a side dish or even chocolate štruklji for dessert. I’ve yet to find a flavour I don’t like!

At Gostišče Draga you can try a savoury version with a mushroom sauce…

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…or, my preferred option, topped with cranberry sauce for a savoury/sweet taste.

Until the restaurant is able to reopen – and in fact also thereafter too as they have proved to be such a success – you can buy some of Gostišče Draga’s dishes and home produce from the family farm in jars. The range include goulash, jota, bograč and various pickled vegetables. Aleš and Tina have certainly not been resting on their laurels during this long lockdown – all credit to them. The jars can be bought direct at the restaurant (at weekends), at the Lesce farmers market (Friday afternoons/Saturday mornings), from the vending machine outside Gostilna Kunstelj, and at various local shops as well as further afield.

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Recipe

Dough:

370g flour (gluten-free or regular)

pinch of salt

One egg

10g vinegar

300g water

90g oil

Filling:

1kg curd cheese

6 eggs

200g sour cream

Salt

Method:

Make the dough by mixing together the flour, eggs, water, vinegar and oil then shape into a round loaf.

Make the filling by mashing/mincing the curd cheese then add the eggs and sour cream and season with salt.

Roll out the dough – it should be very thin – ???? then spread over the filling. Roll the štruklji into a Swiss roll shape then lift gently onto lightly oiled foil or a non-stick cloth and roll to fully encase the štruklji. Steam for 45 minutes or cook into salted simmering water for 30 minutes.

And that’s it – simple when you know how!

Let me know how you get on!

© Adele in Slovenia

A Taste Radol’ca Culinary Challenge!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten free food in Slovenia, Gostilna Kunstelj, ifeelsLOVEnia, Karavanke mountains, Okusi Radol'ce, Radol'ca, Radovljica, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Taste Radol'ca, Visit Radol'ca by

Life in Slovenia is almost back to normal – tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, campsites, etc. are open, and there are even tourists to be seen here and there! That said, there has been a spike in new cases in the past week, so we aren’t out of the woods yet, and caution is still the name of the game.

As a result of COVID-19, now, more than ever, it is important to support local businesses and to look after our health – of which eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an important part. So, it seemed an appropriate time to set Taste Radol’ca restaurants a culinary challenge!

The background to my ‘challenge’ is the situation I find myself in these days since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, which is that going out to eat leads to feelings of: (1) anxiety, (2) apprehension, (3) embarrassment and (4) envy. The first two are due to never being able to be 100% sure that when I order gluten-free food it will really be gluten-free and prepared in a ‘safe’ way, the third is due to having to ask the waiting staff and/or chefs so many questions, and the fourth because invariably I can only ever order one or two things from the menu, which most often aren’t the things I would have previously chosen to eat, and I then end up feeling envious looking at fellow diners tucking into their tasty-looking meals.

Thus I decide it was high-time to be brave and embrace the great, local cuisine and to put my faith in the Taste Radol’ca chefs! I contacted 4 restaurants and asked them to prepare a selection of dishes – meat-based, vegan, and vegetarian – all of which needed to be gluten-free. I should add that I’m neither a vegan or a vegetarian, however, I know that these days an increasing number of people are turning to vegan lifestyles, and there are also those with coeliac disease who choose to additionally be vegan, which must be doubly difficult.

So, below you can see the tasty delights I devoured, beginning at Gostišče Draga in the Draga valley in Begunje na Gorenjskem.

I used to particularly enjoy the various sweet and savoury štruklji at this restaurant, and up until now, I hadn’t found anywhere that offers gluten-free štruklji. I had kind of resigned myself to never being able to eat one of my favourite Slovenian foods again, well, unless I made them myself – and that isn’t about to happen!

So, I was more than over the moon to discover that owner and head chef Ales Tavčar finally lived up to his promise and prepared gluten-free štruklji for me! And, even better, they were such as success they will be featuring on the menu sometime in the near future.

Struklji can be eaten both as a savoury dish, for example with a mushroom sauce…

…or sweet, for example with cranberry sauce. I think my face tells the picture of how delighted I was, and, trust me, they tasted as good as they look!

Vegans are catered for too with dishes such as buckwheat with apple and almonds, which is also gluten-free.

Next up was Gostišče Tulipan in Lesce. Regular readers might recall that I held my celebration there on the occasion of gaining Slovenian citizenship last year. And at that time too it came up trumps with a gluten-free buffet for all my guests. You can read about my celebration here – https://adeleinslovenia.com/2019/10/14/when-adele-in-slovenia-became-adele-is-a-slovene/

So, my visit was with less trepidation in the knowledge that they know their stuff in terms of gluten-free food and preparation.

This time I enjoyed risotto with prawns and truffles – gluten-free and also suitable for pescatarians…

…rump steak with roasted vegetables and potatoes – all naturally gluten-free…

…and rice noodles with homemade wild garlic pesto – vegan and gluten-free.

And all enjoyed on the terrace with a great view!

Next was the turn of Restavracija Center in Lesce, which is a new, and very welcome, addition to the Taste Radol’ca ‘family’.

Since being diagnosed with coeliac disease this place has become my ‘go-to’ restaurant, notably for their amazing gluten-free pizzas, which actually look, and taste, like pizzas – something that can’t be said for many a gluten-free pizza! The dough is made separately and the pizzas are cooked in special baking trays to avoid any cross-contamination. Eating here is the one time I don’t feel so hard done-by!

And this pizza ticks the vegetarian box too, though there are plenty of meat pizzas, too!

For meat eaters, a great gluten-free choice is the beef tagliata, potatoes, rocket and parmesan…

…while vegans can enjoy a seasonal risotto – this one with asparagus was by far the best risotto I’ve ever eaten and from now on will be my second choice in the event that they have run out of gluten-free pizzas, which does happen at times, so it’s always best to call ahead to check to avoid disappointment.

And I ended at Gostilna Kunstelj, which ranks among one of Slovenia’s most well-known traditional restaurants. Even the former Yugoslavian president Tito used to visit!

In fine weather the fantastic view makes the food taste even better!

Since Gostilna Kunstelj’s whole ethos is based on using local and seasonal produce, there is certainly no lack of choice for vegetarians and vegans, and many of the dishes are either naturally gluten-free or can be adapted to be so.

A big hit with me, and a revelation too, was the buckwheat with vegetables and pumpkin seed tempeh. Full of colour and flavour, indeed!

There are numerous salads on the menu, which use produce from the restaurant’s own garden.

Gostilna Kunstelj also has renovated guest rooms, all of which come with stunning views too!

Fortunately, Taste Radol’ca’s talented chefs came up trumps and I’m delighted that now I know I have a slightly wider choice of dishes when I go out to eat, though, of course, the worry is, and will be, ever-present, as even the tiniest grain of gluten sets off an autoimmune reaction. But one needs to also remember that there are people far worse off in life!

© Adele in Slovenia

Taborniški dom na Šiji – Homely Hospitality and Hiking at the Scouts’ Hut on Šija

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, gluten-free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, Karavanke, Karavanke mountains, restaurants in Tržič, Slovenia blog, Slovenian food, Slovenian mountain huts, Tržič, Visit Tržić by

Unlike the majority of Slovenia’s mountain huts, the Taborniški dom na Šiji mountain hut (translation: the Šija Scouts Hut) is privately run, and the difference is obvious from the moment you arrive.

The hut lies at an altitude of 1,528 metres under the ridge of Slovenia’s longest mountain. There are numerous mountain pastures beneath the Košuta ridge, where cattle graze in summer, and the Šija hut makes a great place to base yourself for a couple of days to hike the pastures or along the ridge. The hut is also ideal for small groups, clubs, school outings, etc.

Owners Simona and Miha pride themselves on the homely atmosphere and home-cooked traditional food. So, I went to check it out for myself and within minutes of arriving, we were chatting like long-lost friends!

And I soon made friends with Jerry the dog too!

The Šija mountain pasture can be reached from several directions; the easiest and most direct of which is from the village of Jelendol, from where you can either set off on foot (cca. 2 hours) or, if you don’t mind getting a dusty car (I do mind, hence I walked!), then you can take the mountain road.

Whether on foot or by car, continue on the mountain road to the sign as seen in the photo below, from where it takes approx. 45 minutes to reach the hut on foot.

The čez frata (translation: through a clearing) path leads up to reach the Ilovica mountain pasture from where its just a 5 minute walk to reach the Taborniški dom.

Note: the path is well marked, however, when you reach the gate at the top of the pasture there isn’t a sign and it’s not immediately obvious whether to turn left or right; turn right and you reach the hut in around 5 minutes.

After a good old chinwag, I was shown to my room for the night. The hut has 4 bedrooms with a total of 34 beds, and a separate 6-bedded room. It has an indoor toilet (always a bonus when staying in the mountains!) and electricity.

I left it to my hosts to choose what to serve for dinner – albeit with strict instructions that it had to be gluten-free. And they didn’t disappoint with jota (a thick cabbage, potato and Carniolan sausage soup) and bržola, a traditional Tržič lamb stew, which these days is getting harder to find, hence Miha and Simona are keen to try to preserve its presence in the Tržič area.

But the best was still to come. The house special dessert – buckwheat omelette with forest fruits – which was seriously scrummy and, even better, is naturally gluten-free too! Well worth the hike! The only problem is I want another one, or two…!

I was fortunate that the weather was glorious, both on the evening that I arrived and the next morning. What a view to wake up to!

And not a bad view for breakfast either!

Speaking of breakfast, you can opt for a more simple continental-style breakfast, or opt to try some traditional specialities such as masunek (a mixture of flour, eggs, salt, butter) and/or buckwheat žganci (buckwheat flour cooked to a porridge-like consistency topped with pork crackling), all served with a mug of kislo mleko (sour milk).

You can visit the Taborniški dom website here (currently in Slovene only, but expect an English version soon), and the Facebook page here.

There are numerous onward hikes from the Šija mountain pasture, either along the mountain pastures or traversing the peaks of Slovenia’s longest mountain. It was sad to bid farewell so soon, but I was equally looking forward to day two of my adventure. Keep reading and following my blog to find out about my ridge hike – more coming soon!

© Adele in Slovenia

Picerija pri Daretu, Žirovnica – My Go-To (and gluten-free) Pizza Place!

Posted in Adele in Slovenia, coeliac disease, Food, gluten-free food in Slovenia, hiking in Slovenia, hiking trails, ifeelsLOVEnia, Julian Alps, Karavanke mountains, Slovenia, Slovenia blog, sv. Lovrenc, Visit Žirovnica, Žirovnica by

It will come as no surprise to regular readers of my blog when I say that I have always enjoyed eating out. Not just for the food itself but also for a change of scenery; working at home has many advantages, but when one’s home is also one’s office – and hence the place you spend the most time – going out becomes even more of a treat.

However, having recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease, I now find myself in a kind of period of ‘mourning’ for all the delicious things that, literally overnight, have become off limits for me. And then there was the realisation that a lot of my blogs are also food-related, so how am I going to square blogging with coeliac disease. Therefore, I was more than delighted when I discovered that Picerija pri Daretu in Selo pri Žirovnici offers gluten-free pizzas, and good ones too!

My first taste of gluten-free pizza in a local pizzeria was, well, a total disaster; it was barely big enough to feed a small child and the dough was all-but raw. So, to be honest, I wasn’t holding out my hope. But, what a revelation, this places does excellent pizzas – the regular kind and the gluten-free ones too – my ‘pizza partner’ for the evening confirmed that his regular (gluten-full!) pizza was also delicious!

It can’t be denied that, from the outside at least, Picerija pri Daretu doesn’t look like a pizzeria per se, and one could easily pass by without noticing it, in fact, I confess that I have been past hundreds of times without giving it much thought. However, as well all know, looks can be deceptive, and, from now on, this will definitely be my ‘go-to’ pizza place!

I got lucky as, following a week of unseasonably cool and wet weather, on Friday afternoon the skies suddenly brightened and it was even warm enough to sit outside and soak up the view!

So, I took the opportunity to ask the owner, Darko Noč, a bit more about the pizzeria and how, and why, he and his team decided to offer gluten-free pizzas.

He told me that since taking over the pizzeria around five years, there has been a noticeable increase in requests for gluten-free pizzas. Therefore, around two years ago the team decided to find out more and undertook some education about the requirements. They then spent the next two years or so perfecting a recipe for gluten-free dough and, as you can see below, it actually looks like – and tastes – like a regular pizza! And, trust me, anyone who has tried gluten-free pizza or bread will know that producing something like this is a major achievement!

And the salads are pretty good too!

I should stress, however, for those with severe symptoms of coeliac (fortunately I’m not among them), as the pizzeria is only small, they do not have a separate area for preparing gluten-free food, so those worried about cross-contamination should chat to the friendly team if they are unsure.

Picerija pri Daretu is open daily from 11am – 10pm, oh and, by the way, they offer delivery too, yippee! And for gluten-free pizzas, it’s recommended that you call in advance as the dough is made fresh to order and therefore takes a little longer to prepare. Click here for more information about this, and other places to eat in the Žirovnica area.

If you want to work up an appetite prior to eating, or even burn off some calories after your meal, I recommend the short hike up to St. Lawrence’s church (725m). There are a number of paths to reach the church, one of which starts almost opposite the pizzeria from where you can follow the road up through the village, past St. Cantius’ church, then follow the sign (to the right) for sv. Lovrenc.

A church was first built here during the time of the Turkish invasions, but was later abandoned in 1821 when a new parish church was built in the village of Breznica. In the 1990s volunteers built a new church on the foundations of the original one.

A particular feature of the church is its presbytery which has painted pictures of the flowers that are found in the area surrounding the church.

On the outside wall there is an unusual mosaic of St. Christopher.

The path to the church is just one of the 16 trails included in the new map of hiking and mountain bike trails in the Žirovnica area, which you download here or pick up a copy (available in Slovene and English) at the Žirovnica Tourist Information Centre in Čop’s House (Čopova hiša).

© Adele in Slovenia