Rustic Flavors: Cooking In Dubrovnik's Counrtyside

OVERVIEW

Join a hands-on cooking class in a country home and learn to prepare traditional Croatian cuisine over an open fire. You will first enjoy a welcoming apéritif and a tasty snack at the rural home as your hosts describe their laid-back village lifestyle. In the adjoining garden, you will pick the fresh ingredients needed to make lunch. The exact dishes will depend on the season and what is at its peak flavor in the garden that day. Chances are, the entrée will be lamb or veal cooked in a vessel with a bell dome lid that will be placed right in the fire’s hot embers. Zelena menestra may also be on the menu. A specialty of the Konavle region since the 15th century, this hearty soup contains a variety of leafy green vegetables, root vegetables and cured meats. Enjoy fresh-baked bread dipped in olive oil while the dishes are cooking.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Learn to cook traditional Croatian cuisine in a private country home.
• Pick the vegetables needed for the dishes in the home’s garden.
• Cook the lunch you have prepared over an open fire.
• Dine on the dishes with your hosts, who will happily discuss the joys of rural life.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.