Fresh Herb & Lemon Bulgur Pilaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 cups chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, 1 1/2 cups bulgur, preferably medium or coarse, ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 ½ cups chopped carrot, 2 teaspoons grated or finely chopped fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, finely chopped fresh dill, mint and flat-leaf parsley, some lemon juice

Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet, add onion, until golden brown. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add bulgur, turmeric and cumin and cook, stirring, until the bulgur is coated with oil, about 1 minute.
Add broth, carrot, ginger and salt and bring to a boil, stirring. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir dill, mint and parsley and add the lemon juice.

Lavender simple syrup

2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons lavender, a few blueberries

Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn down the heat to low and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool.
Once cool, strain the lavender buds and blueberries, then pour through a coffee-filter-lined strainer to remove any particles. Pour into a vinegar bottle using a funnel and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Süßkartoffel-Apfel-Suppe

3 shallots, 400 g sweet potatoes, 2 tbsp butter, 750 ml vegetable broth, 2 sour apples, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 stems of basil, salt, pepper

Peel and dice the shallots. Peel and wash the potatoes, cut into approx. 2 cm pieces. Heat the butter in a saucepan. Braise shallots in it until translucent. Add the potatoes and sauté for about 2 minutes while turning.
Deglaze with broth and bring to the boil, cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
Now wash and peel apples. Cut thin slices from 1 apple around the core. Cut slices into fine pencils. Drizzle with lemon juice. Core the remaining apple and dice. Wash the basil, shake dry, pluck the leaves.
Add the apple cubes to the soup and bring to the boil briefly. Puree the soup with the hand blender. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Stir the apple strips into the soup. Arrange in bowls sprinkled with basil.

Aluat de tarta, dulce sau sarat

Really easy to make, the recipe in romanian is here: Aluat tarta

250 grams of regular wheat flour, 125 grams of butter with 82% fat, 1 pinch salt, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons of very cold water

Put the flour and the salt in the bowl of the robot. Incorporate the butter into the flour, add the whole egg and 3 tablespoons of very cold water.
Wrap the dough in clingfoil and store it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough on a flour sprinkled surface in a sheet of 0.6-0.8 mm thickness.
Grease the tart form with butter. Roll the dough on a rolling pin and transfer over the form. Lightly press the dough with your fingers so that it molds to the shape. Perforate the dough from place to place with a fork, then refrigerate for 1/4 - 1/2 hour.
Bake the crust without filling (blind-baking), using ceramic balls put on a baking paper. Bake the tart dough with the weights for 15 minutes, then remove the baking paper with the weights and bake until it becomes a nice golden.