What's Pickling for 2013?

Happy New Year, picklers near and far!  

In early December,  a small group of us gathered in Washington, DC (thank you Portrait Gallery and American Art Museums for having such a great, friendly space to work in) to brainstorm and plan for the future of the Pickle Project.  Joining Sarah and I were Christie Bond and Anne Laesecke,  both returned Peace Corps volunteers from Ukraine, and Eugene Chervony of the Museum of Natural History in L'viv and currently a Fulbright Scholar in Museum Studies at George Washington University.

We've taken our first steps to becoming a non-profit organization,  with the mission of encouraging thoughtful conversations about food in Ukraine and elsewhere.  We incorporated as a charity in New York State, with Christie joining Sarah and I as the fledgling board.  We're working on the next steps,  our IRS non-profit status and hope to have that paperwork filed soon.

Using survey results, feedback from audiences in Ukraine and the US,  and our own diverse perspectives, we looked at issues that might affect our work in Ukraine and here (both threats and opportunities),  and brainstormed a long list of ideas and possibilities. A few of our concerns:

• Political stability in Ukraine, which could impact free travel and access, in addition to the ability of Ukrainian NGOs to continue (ability for us to partner with Ukrainian organizations
• Tight philanthropic climate in the US (economic downturn – US & Ukraine
• Environmental impacts in Ukraine (increased mining and fracking, changing climate, land use, transformation of agricultural politics)
• Lack of trust in social capital in Ukraine (impact on partnerships)

 And a few of the many opportunities we identified:
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• Continued interest in food & preservation (homesteading, etc.)
• Look at the “why” and “how” of the project in Ukraine (in particular, consider the “how” of the project – Soviet influence)
• Environmental, Natural History perspectives
• Engaging through exhibitions
• Ukrainians have a more integrated “full systems” understanding of environmental impacts – could bring knowledge to Americans
• Engage high school students, & college students in Ukraine (youth)
•  Connect with people hosting agro-tourism in Ukraine (eco-tourism) – greater “tourism” in Ukraine opportunity & growing access to Ukraine

Our weaknesses boiled down, to a large degree,  to our somewhat limited capacity (more on that below, dear readers!)  But our strengths were primarily external ones that heartened us all as we listed them out:

• Strong intentionally cultivated partnerships – and existing connections
• Connection to Fulbright and Peace Corps Communities
• As an organization, able to live with uncertainty
• Creative and flexible as an organization
• 6,000 unique visitors went onto the blog from 110 countries in 2012
• Ability to use social networking platforms – access to a larger audience
• Diversity of Ukraine (landscapes and cultures) and diversity of conversations, partner organizations, and the open way in which we interact with partners.

We boiled down our ideas into three primary goals for the next two years:
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Enhance our online presence through increased interactions
To this end,  you'll be seeing our blog convert to a full-fledged website with more ways for readers to engage with us and we hope, see a Ukrainian/Russian version as well.
Build capacity of the Pickle Project
Complete the 501c3 status;  build the board;  and seek new funding sources including  "Friends of the Pickle Project."
Cultivate in-person engagement in Ukraine and in the United States.
In 2013,  hold a Pickle Project event (or two) in American cities to build engagement and interest;  plan for a 2014 series of conversations in Ukraine. 

As it has since its beginning,  the Pickle Project wants to respond to your interests as well--and to invite you to participate with us in any part of our work.  So please share your thoughts,  invite us to speak, write a blog post,  share your fabulous social media, web development or party planning skills to help us move to the next level.  It's been an incredible journey with friends all over the world--we look forward to the next steps!

Foraging in Ukraine

Note:  Christie Bond of Burlington, Vermont is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer from Ukraine and has joined us in working on the Pickle Project.  We look forward to more posts from her!)

As winter approaches, I have been eagerly awaiting the first snowfall in order to tromp the grounds looking for tracks and other animal signs. As a prelude, I’ve been digging into Paul Rezendes Tracking & the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks and Sign. The language used by Rezendes, “seeing” brought me back to tracking of another kind – foraging in Ukraine.

Although one might assume “tracking plants” to be far easier than following the signs of moving animals, it took me a while to find what my counterpart Maria described as my “mushroom eyes.” Not unlike tracking animals, it’s important to wait for the right conditions – rain after several warm days, and then the hope that your mushroom eyes are working! As Rezendes says, “If you know an animal well, you will know where to look for it and when,” - the same is true for mushrooms.

(Mushroom Pizza – Sumy)

When traveling the highways in Ukraine, it is common to see babushkas with foraged mushrooms for sale – fresh and dried. In addition, when the weather is right, any location will do. While on a weekend retreat near the Desna river, one of the program planners mentioned he had seen oyster mushrooms near the sanatorium entrance, so we happily ended our meeting in search of them. He brought them back the following day in the form of a soup that his wife had prepared.

(Mushroom Soup - Odessa)

Without Maria, Dr. Valarie, or Tatiana (all passionate foragers), I am reluctant to go on my own. Luckily this fall was particularly rich with giant puff ball mushrooms (which have no poisonous look-alikes). Rezendes believes that through tracking, a person can develop an intimate bond with the animal, and furthermore develop a more keen understanding of their relationship to the natural world. I believe the same can be said for foraging. Through the collection of mushrooms, one can develop a keen sense of their environment.

For helpful foraging tips, visit: http://www.foragingguide.com/

(Top photo:  Mushrooms at an Odessa Market)

Short Timers Food

Just off a leafy boulevard in Simferopol, you will find Crimea State Medical University. Every year, this small medical school welcomes hundreds of foreign students from around the world. Young people journey from African countries, the Middle East, Turkey and India, among other places, to study at the medical school, which is for many more affordable than training in their home countries.

Nestled on the second floor of the university’s high-rise dormitories, there is a cafe that caters to foreign students, serving pan-Asian dishes. Wandering up flights of stairs and through darkened hallways, we managed to find the little café recommended to us by several friends.

It was here, over curries and naan, that we met Seethala Devi, who just finished her medical degree a few days before. Seethala, 27, is Malaysian and comes from the Selangor district, about 45 minutes from the capital, Kuala Lumpur.  She has a warm eyes and a kind smile. 

Seethala first came to Crimea for her pre-medical training and decided to stay on for her full medical instruction. Coming here was really hard, at first, she said. It is tough to be alone in a new place with a new language and environment. Then, she told us, she started finding all the positives. “I like it here; I have really enjoyed it.” The hardest part now is missing her family, as she had not been back to Malaysia in four years. 

Getting used to Ukrainian food was part of the adjustment to life in Crimea. Seethala smiled as she recalled “When I first came, I became quite plump.” But, as it turns out, she explained, eating local food became a bit like a diet, with simple tastes, fresh vegetables and less oil than many Asian dishes.

She works long shifts at the hospital and packs along with her kasha, cookies vegetables and tea, for her breaks. “I actually really enjoy it. I will bring along some bread and I have a complete meal.” Eyes shining, she admitted that she has also developed a penchant for Ukrainian sweets (as many of us do!). Once in a while, for treat, Seethala stops by a local bakery for a sochnik, a puff pastry filled with the sweetened pot (cottage) cheese.

She still makes favorites from her native Malaysia, however, but access to spices for traditional dishes is limited. Once in a while, she will stop by the café for a quick meal alone, before heading to the hospital and meeting with friends. Like many restaurants in Ukraine, the café often does not have everything on the menu but does has a few daily specials. “It is a gamble, sometimes” Seethala told us and advised us to ask for “what is nice?” Then, you will get what is freshest.

After seven years in Crimea, she is preparing to go back to Malaysia and was hoping for an internship in Sabah, the oil rich province in the Northeastern part of the country.  It will be a transition too, she said. “I am really going to miss it here.”

Checking Out Markets

Today, I'm headed off to work on an exciting new project for Context Travel, helping to develop resources and approaches for their scholar/docents who present fascinating, indepth city learning experiences.  But that also means, I hope, that I'll carve out time to visit city markets in London, Rome, Paris, Florence and Venice.   I love food markets of all types, so I'll be sharing some images here and on our Facebook page with all of you.  A detour from Ukraine, but I hope you enjoy them!

Help Us Plan the Future!

We're now in the process of establishing the Pickle Project as a non-profit organization to explore ways to develop active conversations about food, sustainability and community in Ukraine, the United States and elsewhere.  As a part of that process, we're embarking on a strategic planning process over the next few months--and we hope you'll be a part of it. 

All along the way,  from our very first blog post--all of you readers,  guest bloggers, Facebook fans and Kickstarter supporters--no matter where in the world you live-- have inspired us, cheered us on,  and been an integral part of our journey as we explore food and community.   So please just take the survey below (it's short, we promise!) to help us shape the future of the Pickle Project.

Click here to take survey

Photo:  Anna Khvyl and her mom at the 2011 Pickle Project conversation in Kyiv at the Bulgakov Museum.

Kitchen Talk

Sofia's Kitchen, Verkhovyna, Carpathian Mountains

I have heard native-born Ukrainians refer to the language spoken by members of the Ukrainian diaspora, living in the US and Canada as “kitchen Ukrainian,” a not-quite contemporary Ukrainian, often with English or other influences. It is also meant to reflect the fact that many first and second generation Ukrainian Americans and Canadians learned Ukrainian from their mother or grandmothers, usually while they helped with cooking. Indeed, several friends with Ukrainian roots that grew up in the US and Canada have shared these kinds of insights. 

The Beekeeper's kitchen, Donbass Oblast

Social scientists actually use the term “diaspora language” to describe the dialects or variations of languages spoken in places of migration. These languages evolve, as all languages do, absorbing new influences and changes to their community. In the context of rapid change in Ukraine, as well as long absences from the country, language and food practices seem to be the most tangible connection to this culture for people with Ukrainian roots living in other parts of the world.

Svitlana, in her Kyiv kitchen

Through the Pickle Project, we too have learned a kind of kitchen language, Ukrainian, Russian and Crimean Tatar, spending time, mostly with women, talking about food. Standing over stoves, hunched over plants in the garden: Як ви сказали? How do you say it? 

Lenura's kitchen in Ak-Meshet, Crimea

Maybe it is because that is where Mama is, or, where the food is, or, where the work is.. Everyone is always hanging out in the kitchen. Included here are photos of some kitchens that we have been lucky enough to spend time in.

The 1970's kitchen, Pyrohiv National Museum of Folk Architecture

Of course, nothing foments fervent debate or connections to identity and culture quite like language in Ukraine. So, please consider this an open invitation to share your own thoughts, stories and experiences about the intersection of food practice, cultural preservation and food. 

Historic Photo, Ukrainian Market

Out of this World Apples

Last year, the apple tree in our backyard here in the Catskills was heavy with apples, with every branch full.  This year, there's barely an apple to be seen out there, due to an late frost last spring.  So despite the scarcity of apples in my immediate neighborhood, fall always seems a good time to think about apples.

Berries and cherries may seem like the most prevalent fruits in Ukraine as they're so scrumptious, prevalent and available in the summer months.  But apples take center stage come fall.  You can eat them fresh, picked from the tree in your dacha's garden;  you can make apple cakes;  you can dry them, and use them to make a compote from that;  you can have pickled apples,  or make apple wine or brandy.  So rather than those big, hard supermarket apples, Ukrainians have all these ways to make the flavors of real, taste-filled apples last the year-round.

Dried apples are just one part of what makes uzvar, a drink made from soaking dried apples, plums and perhaps pears in liquid.  The drink often has a smoky taste, from the way the fruits are dried,  and to me, is a bit of an acquired taste.

A little web research told me more about Ukrainian apples--several of these heirloom varieties can also be found in North America.  On several sites describing apple varieties, I wondered whether apples whose origins noted as Russian were perhaps Ukrainian.  From Crimea, there's the Kandil Sinap, also called Jubilee.  Discovered growing wild in Ukraine in the 1700s was the Alexander apple, which came into Britain in 1805;  and then made its way to the United States.  

One of the most notable apples was the Reinette Simirenko (above)  which, some agronomists say, may be the same as Woods' Greening, an American apple. But it may have originated in P.F. Simirenko's Ukrainian garden.  I could just find a bit about Simirenko,  who evidently was an expert in fruit crop breeding in Ukraine but whose work was opposed by Soviet horticulturist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin, leading to Simirenko's imprisonment and death in the 1930s.  But evidently the taste of the Reinette Simirenko is out of this world--Soviet cosmonauts snacked on it in space! So perhaps it's a carefully wrapped Reinette Simirenko you glimpse in this video showing ground level tasting of cosmonaut food.