This recipe is my own creation inspired by my recent discovery of Ćwikła/Tsvikli, an Eastern European relish that uses beets and horseradish. This one, here, is a fantastic recipe, but I had a heck-of-a-time trying to come up with a better name than an obvious list of ingredients. As you can see from the title above, I was not very successful. It was, however, a rather entertaining adventure.
At first I went for the obvious by having Google Translate work with the word ‘relish’ in the Russian, Ukranian, and Polish languages. I ended up with pretty straight forward translations meaning ‘good tasting, savor.’ smakować/смакувати/смаковать
After that I tried ‘a relish’ and got rozkosz/задоволення/наслаждение which I Google-Imaged and ended up with a few steamy photos… ruby red lips eating strawberries… you get the picture. “What on Earth?!”
Okay, perhaps I should try something more specific? I tried ‘bell pepper relish’ which yielded ‘pieprzowy pieprz smakuje’ in Polish. This is when I realize there is a reverse translation button. I hit it and get ‘pepper pepper tastes good’ for the reverse translation back into English.
For whatever reason this totally cracks me up!
I think, perhaps, it was the made up ESL dialect I could hear in my head with someone in a broken English accent saying, “Pepper pepper tastes good!” all the while wondering why they were getting confused, cock-eyed, blank stare back.
I then go back and try to figure out what translation Google was giving in order for me to be getting those almost questionable image searches… ah, those were translating to ‘pleasure’ and ‘delight.’ Yes! Yes I do delight in strawberries!
So in the end I still don’t have a better title than ‘Yellow Bell Pepper Relish with Gherkins and Horseradish,’ however, ‘Pepper Pepper Tastes Good’ was a close second.
Without farther adu, bez ceregieli, may I present:
Yellow Bell Pepper Relish with Gherkins and Horseradish
AKA – “Pepper Pepper Tastes Good Pleasure Delight”
By: semiserious chefs
Makes:~2 cups
Ingredients:
- 2 large yellow bell peppers
- 4-6 small sweet gherkins
- 1/4 cup fresh grated horseradish + 1 T white vinegar + salt to taste
- OR 3-4 T cup prepared Horseradish (this tends to be a little hotter than fresh)
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- OR Smetana if it’s available
Directions:
- Halve the bell peppers and spritz with oil. Roast under the broiler for 5-7 minutes, turning, until the skin can easily be pealed, but is not blackened. Cool with running water and remove skins.
- Halve the gherkins, and add to a food processor or blender, along with the roasted peppers, and pulse gently a few times, leaving them with some chopped texture. (If you blend them until smooth that would also be acceptable. Just more of a spread consistency than a relish.)
- Add this to a small bowl and mix in the horseradish of choice, and crème fraîche.
- Serve with your favorite roasted meat or sausage, with vegetables for dipping, over sliced bread, or on your favorite sandwich.
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