October

Grape harvest

October is a very important month of the year as at that time grapes are harvested. This time of the year is specially jolly and cheerful.
The grape harvesters gather in the morning and have an abundant breakfast together. After that, they choose rows in the vineyard and pick up grapes, sometimes on very steep slopes. They put the grapes into cases where from the wooden tub carriers carry the juicy fruits into the press. The sweet liquid is left in casks to ferment.
After the work is done, the harvesters’ feast begins. A typical Slovenian ‘Sunday’ meal is served. Beef soup with noodles is obligatory. Roast meat (pork and chicken), roast potatoes and different salads made with vinegar and pumpkin oil bend the tables. Even though the stomachs are full, there must be some space for gibanica left.
In Maribor, there is the oldest vine in the world where annually, harvesting is solemnly carried out.

Gibanica

Ingredients
Dough:
250 g flour
a package of fresh or dry yeast
some milk
1 ts sugar
1 egg
some butter
some salt

Filling:
1 pot cottage cheese
1 egg
3 tbs sugar
1 cream for whipping
3 tbs sugar
1 egg

In lukewarm water, stir the yeast, add sugar and let it rise. Dissolve the butter or margarine, pour milk, add the egg and whisk. Make a hole in the middle of flour and pour into the risen yeast. Mix well till the dough is nicely smooth and leave it aside to rise.
When it is high enough, flatten it with a rolling-pin and put it in a greased baking pan (round or rectangular).

Filling:
Add the egg and sugar to cottage cheese and mix. Separately, mix the whipping cream, egg and sugar and add the mixture to the cottage cheese. Pour the mixture onto the dough and bake at 200 °C untilo lightly brown.
The cake simply melts in your mouth and you just have to have more than one piece of it!
If you are brave enough, and have a lot of time to spare, you can try to make another Slovenian gibanica: Prekmurska gibanica. A specialty you cannot resist!