This Easter I visited my parents for the first time after being diagnosed with celiac. Together with my partner we drove 1000 km to finally reach Ustka in Poland, my home town where I lived until my twenties.
Road trip – map
Ustka
Although, there is no fast connection between Arnhem and the north of Poland, a road trip with my partner and our dog is always fun. The 11 hours of driving from Arnhem to Ustka passed rather fast. Because of our dog we always stop every 1.5 hour to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. The hours in between are filled with chatting, laughing, singing and of course gluten –free snacking!
Food on the go
- Schar ciabatta’s with pate, ham, cheese and roasted almonds paste
- Homemade oat cookies
- Carrots, cucumbers
- Apples, bananas
- Nuts
- Kinder chocolate bars
- Tortilla chips
- Boiled eggs
- Water, tea and coffee
In Ustka a warm chicken soup was awaiting us. Since my cousin also has celiac disease, my mum knew the basic rules of gluten free cooking. She stocked up well on eggs and poultry from a local farmer and fish from local fishermen.
Egg Farm in a nearby village (at Grabno)
I found at home an impressive collection of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and nuts. My mum didn’t know, however, that I am not supposed to eat dairy and she baked a delicious cheesecake with boiled potatoes (which looked so perfect that I had to sin and try it). The polish Easter celebration means a lot of eating and many traditional dishes. As you can guess, most of these dishes contain gluten but my mum did a great job on modifying each traditional recipe or preparing an alternative meal especially for me. Mums are wonderful!
Gluten free dishes on our Easter table (Everything homemade)
- Homemade pate
- Baked hams
- Baked turkey breast
- Baked wild zalm
- Meat and vegetables in a gelly
- Eggs
- Vegetable salad
- Carrot-apple salad
- Beaten salad
- Mushroom soup
- Chicken soup with rice noodles
- Fresh fruits
- Baked cheese cake with potatoes
Besides, I found gluten-free food products (certified !) in almost every shop in Ustka. I will have to make a separate post about that :)
A following post about gluten free shopping in Ustka you can find here.
