Tomato Juice

Today was a very nice day. It started with me helping Raluca, my gazda and future landlord, with getting the baby stuff ready to move to her parents place. At around 10 AM her father arrived and drove us to his house in a village only fifteen minutes away. There the weather is always a bit cooler and after going there for the first time this past weekend I’ve decided that my favorite place in the house is the covered patio with the huge custom table Ralucas’ father built.




I had anticipated just hanging around the patio all day perhaps playing 3-5-8 a Romanian card game I was taught this past weekend. Instead, after being there for a half hour and already being fed some bread, burduf cheese and salami, Ralucas’ mother started bringing out huge pots full of tomatoes as her father fashioned a cranking device to the edge of the table. We were making tomato juice! Raluca explained to me that her parents were going to make enough juice to last her, her sister and themselves the whole winter!

Raluca started and after seeing her do a bit I jumped in and cranked away enjoying watching tomato juice slide into the bowl and occasionally spray all over the patio. Ralucas’ mother brought out some fresh coffee and Raluca and I enjoyed our well earned break as her father continued to make juice and her mother continued to bring out more pots of tomatoes.


After our coffee was long finished we were presented with our meal of fresh tomato noodle soup which was simply fantastic. There’s nothing like instant gratification!
Ralucas’ father continued to labor over the tomatoes as Raluca and I set up a hammock and generally enjoyed watching the day melt away.

Today was wonderful and so simply Romanian it really makes me happy to be here.