Eventhoughmyparents
workedhardtheirwhole
lives,keptbusybringingup
meandmybrother,growing
vegetablesandcookingfrom
scratch,timemovedslowlyfor
theminoursmallhometown
inUkraine.Thiswasespecially
sointhesummer.Wespentour
three-monthholidayshangingout
inoursummerkitchen,a separate
littlebuilding– a kitchen
workshopofsorts– whereallthe
cookingandpreservingforthe
longwintermonthsaheadwent
onthroughoutthesummer.It was
thesameformostUkrainian
familieswholivedinsmall
townsandvillagesandit felt like
a sanctuaryofsorts.
Incontrast,whenI firstmoved
toLondon,theoverwhelming
speedandenergyofeverything
mademefeelpanickedand
unsettledatfirst.Butverysoon
I gotusedtoit,gotaddictedto
it even,andthrewmyself into
itsmadwhirlpool.
Theweekswe’veallhadto
spendathomerecentlyhave
beenthefirsttimesinceliving
inLondonthatI’vefeltableto
experiencetheslowingdown
I wasusedtoasa child.Despite
beingbusywitha smallbaby,
homeschoolingmyeight-year-old
son,workingandtryingtokeep
thehousesemi-presentable,
it feltlikewecouldenjoy
thisunexpectedgiftoftime–
something that would have madeusfeelguiltynormally.I’vebeen
abletotapintohowweusedto
liveinUkraine,withitsbustling
microcosmofsummerkitchens,
suspendedina bubbleoftime
thatlingered.If it wasn’tforthe
uncertaintyandsinisternatureof
things,I mayeven have let myself
enjoyit fully.
Still,I appreciatedrippingout
alltheuselesslawnfromour
garden.Thisspringwe’vebeen
abletosowandtowatchspindly
thingsgrowintosturdyplants.
Sympatheticsnailsleftmydill
andcorianderbe,self-seeded
courgettessprungupin
unexpectedplacesandproduced
somanywe’llhaveenoughto
preserveina caramelisedpaste.
Thepeaplantsboresome
sweets,andbeansswelledup
andkeptongiving.It maynotbe
enoughtobefullyself-sufficient,
butit’sbroughtuscloserto
mymum’spatch-to-panhome
cooking.Forthefirsttimesince
mychildhoodI’vebeenableto
re-createif nota summerkitchen
ofourown,thenatleastthat
ethosofsustainabilityand
self-sufficiency– somethingI
wouldlovetokeeponcenormality
(oritsapproximation)resumes.
NextyearI plantoextendour
vegetablepatch,toremember
toslowdowngently,andtoenjoy
it ina different,moreprofound
way,devoidofworry.
HowI lookforward
to those days...→Thelockdown
hashelpedOlia
rediscovera
morefruitful
way of lifeSlow-roast
porkwithkraut
and dried fruit52 deliciousmagazine.co.uk