Croatia | Sea | Kayaking | Tours | Lifejacket Adventures - Adriatic Expeditions

A new pizzeria just opened in Motovun - Propeler, for which they had a party last weekend. It means Motovun now has 3 places to eat year around - Pod Voltom, Propeler, Mondo (as it is now named - it was Barbacan).

Pod Voltom is standard Istrian konoba fare - thick soup, steaks and pastas. In the summer they have tables with the best view in town underneath the town’s loggia. Mondo is slightly more experimental, with dishes such as steak with banana sauce.

We had an excellent meal with some fellow expatriates-and-now-Istrian-home-owners, Michael and Marijana, at Rino’s in Momjan. Rino’s has a simple menu of soups, pastas and meats - no complaints at all.

Other favorite Istrian restaurants of ours are Plavi Podrum and Le Mandrać in Volosko near Opatija or Valsabbion near Pula (try their tasting menu).

Michael and Marijana wrote down their tips for dining in Istria. They included Pietropelosa and Tonćić in Zrenj, Dolina near Livade, Toklarija in Sovinjsko Polje, Astarea in Brtonigla, Maslinova Grana in the castle above Buje, Nono in Petrovija and Agrotourisme in Završje. It is good to hear about others happy dining experiences in Istria. We had become a little concerned that Istrian restaurants weren’t performing to their reputations, after we had bad meals at Zigante, Ponte Porton and Konoba Oprtalj. We will have a bit of research to do next time we are in the area.

Monday, 7th July

End of the Tour in Hvar Town

For our last day together the plan was to sail the southern coast of Hvar Island. But the jugo (southern wind) had blown in during the night, meaning it would be impossible to anchor in the small exposed bays. Instead we enjoyed (well some of us!) a good sail before returning to the Pakleni Islands and finding yet another beach-side konoba.

For the evening we found space in Hvar Town harbour. Hvar has become a jet-set hangout. All the hotels have been renovated by Sunćani Hvar and numerous bars crowd the waterfront - including the infamous Carpe Diem.

The nobility that controlled all the vineyards and olive groves on the surrounding islands lived in Hvar. They built several grand houses and Europe’s first public theatre inside its old walls. Other highlights of Hvar are Dalmatia’s largest piazza and the Arsenal , which was used during the Venetian occupation to repair the commune’s war galley.

After a sunset walk to the Spanish Fort, which crouches above the town, we settled down to our last meal together before trying out several of the bars.

Post-Mortem - With several days of winds on the nose, the kayaking was strenuous, but even with all the exercise, due to the gourmet food and wine imbibed, everyone will need to go on a diet!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Sunday, 6th July

Sailing Across to Hvar Island - Exploring the Pakleni

Tove unfortunately had to leave us early, so she caught the ferry back from Vis Island to Split. The rest of us enjoyed an early morning coffee or three on Vis Town’s riva - waterfront. Then it was time to cross the channel to Hvar Island.

With not much wind and the sun beating down a swim and a rope swing was taken in the middle of the 12km crossing.

The day was to be spent on the Pakleni Islands, a small group just off Hvar Town. Pakleni means hell in Croatian. Boat builders used the islands in the past for making pine tar, a sticky material produced by the high temperature distillation of pine wood. The tar was used to preserve boats’ wood and rigging. The many fires used to make the tar gave the islands a hellish appearance.

Anchoring in a small cove, we swam ashore and walked to a hidden restaurant, Dionis. Our hosts had prepared us an eggplant pie and octopus salad for starters and gregada for main course. Gregada is another fishermen’s stew, but unlike brudet, it is made with white wine, potatoes and garlic. All this food was consumed whilst sitting on Dionis’ huge terrace, which over their vineyard towards Vis Island, from where we had just sailed.

The sandy bottom bay of Palmižana was our port-of-call for the night. For those looking for a romantic week, see the Meneghello Family website. Over the last 100 years they have built beautiful bungalows amongst their gardens. We enjoyed cocktails into the wee small hours at a beach-side bar.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Saturday, 5th July

Completing the Circumnavigation of Vis Island - Stončica Bay

A serve of fried eggs and a cup of coffee gave us all the energy to begin our last day on Vis Island.

A short kayak had us at the first stop; the sandy beach (not typical for Dalmatia) of Stončica Bay. While some of us soaked up the sun, others combined two favourite pastimes - drinking beer and playing soccer.

Lunch came from the grill - squid, veal and vegetables were all thrown on it, and as usual too much was ordered - no one lost weight on this tour! The simple food was drizzled with olive oil and garlic - excellent!

The short paddle to complete the circumnavigation of Vis Island was again into a stiff sea breeze, and we were happy to complete it.

Dinner was at the best pizzeria in Vis overlooking the harbour.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

Friday, 4th July

Kayaking along Vis Island’s Southern Coast - Stiniva Bay and Mala Travna

Because of geological reasons, the southern sides of the Dalmatian Islands are the most interesting - towering cliffs with narrow pebble beaches slicing into them. The day’s paddling was the most enjoyable with many nooks and crannies to be explored. The wind gods were against us again with a slight head wind, which almost doubled the excursion time.

Just before lunch we visited the most photographed beach on Vis, Stiniva Bay. From the mouth of the bay there is no evidence of the hidden cove at the end - its an incredible little space.

On a per capita basis, Vis Island is the poet capital of the world - everyone describes themselves as a one. Our favourite is Senko. He operates a small restaurant on his terrace above Mala Travna Bay. Senko is one of a few chefs to push the boundaries of Dalmatian cooking. He is not happy to serve the standard fare, but is always experimenting with local herbs and the preparation of fish. We happily sat as Senko placed course after course of small dishes in front of us. Of course there was his domestic wine with which to wash it all down. Senko only cooks if you call him in advance.

To get to the campsite we had a short sunset paddle to a small island off the town of Rukavac. In celebration of the 4th July, we had a big BBQ on the beach - plenty of steaks and salads!

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

As mentioned previously, the usual support boat for our sea-kayaking tours has been in Brest for the last 10 days. So we needed another for last week’s adventure around Vis and Hvar Islands. Tim and I headed north to Murter to borrow the only other replica falkuša, the Mikula, from my friend Tomislav. Murter is home to one of the last fleets of traditional lanteen-rigged boats.

The boat needed to be in Vis Town for the start of the tour. To start, we motored down to the town of Primošten for the night.

In the past Primošten was situated on an islet close to the mainland. During the Turkish invasions of 1542 the islet was protected by walls and towers, and a drawbridge connected it to the mainland. When the Turks retreated, the bridge was replaced by the causeway and in 1564 the settlement was named Primošten after the Croatian verb primostiti (to span).

Whilst there we discovered the best steak I have had in Dalmatia at the restaurant Torkul.

(For all the pictures of the kayak tour - click here.)

An old friend from New York City, the Gregster, dropped in to visit us this weekend. We hadn’t seen him in 7 years - it was great to catchup and talk about the days in NYC - the bars, restaurants and clubs, and playing for the NY Magpies. It was also an excellent opportunity to eat at some of our favorite restaurants and take some embarrassing pictures of Greg.

The first day we had lunch at Konoba Šperun, next to the laundrette. We often grab a quick meal here - usually during the summer on their curb-side tables and just the cold appetizers. They have excellent marinated anchovies, a cheese and tomato plate, calamari, bread and olives - really simple but tasty things.

The next day was a gluttonous road-trip to Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful towns in the world. Now is the perfect time to visit before the summer cruise-liners arrive and swamp the cobbled streets.

On the way we stopped at Kapetanova Kuća in Mali Ston- one of Croatia’s Top Ten Restaurants - which has been mentioned previously on our blog. After denying ourselves breakfast we were ready for a huge lunch.

We started with oysters of course - as Mali Ston is famous for them. I had always thought that all oysters were the same - but after visiting the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station in NY many years ago, where you can order them from all over the world, I learned that every region produces different size and shape shells and, more importantly, different flavours.

After the oysters we shared a plate of mixed mussels and clams - cooked buzara style. Buzara is a Dalmatian white wine and garlic sauce in which they cook their shellfish. The sauce is so good that after eating the shellfish you then mop it up with plenty of bread.

The main meal was black cuttlefish risotto (made with the ink from squids) and grilled squid. People always jump when they see the colour of the risotto - but, if the initial fear of eating black food can be overcome, black risotto is delicious. The squid was simply grilled and then drizzled with olive oil and garlic.

All this was washed down with a bottle of Marco Polo Pošip. Pošip is the white wine variety from Korčula Island.

And if all this wasn’t enough, Greg need a slice of rožata - Dalmatian creme caramel - to top it all off. I was thinking to offer him a glass of desert wine - prošek - but that would have been excessive!

Once we arrived in Dubrovnik we needed to rest. So we found a hole-in-the-wall cafe clinging to the town’s famous walls and watched the big ships sail passed.

In Dubrovnik there is only one place to eat - Lokanda Peskarija. All the other restaurants are tourist traps. The Peskarija has a limited menu - maybe 10 dishes - and they are all served in small black pots. Its such a simple, elegant idea. Its location is stunning as well - right on the edge of the water in the old port, under big umbrellas. After such a big lunch we just needed something small - just calamari, grilled prawns and a big mixed salad - and a little more wine and coffee.

The next morning, nursing the first twinges of gout, we decided some brisk sea air and a little walk would do us good. So Greg, Jules, the kids and I piled into the Fiat and caught the ferry to Hvar Island. We drove across the island to look at its southern slopes which are famous for producing excellent plavac -Dalmatian red wine.

The plan was to hike amongst the vines but the weather gods were against us so we retired to Konoba Vrisnik for lunch. The owner, Andro Grgičević, welcomed us in but said that they were not yet officially open for the season. However a group from Zagreb had organized a meal and he said we could join them.

The meal started with a broth made with goat meat stock and buck-wheat - very tasty. Then Andro brought us a plate of boiled goat meat, mashed potato and tomato sauce. He explained that this was typical Saturday meal for the villagers of Hvar. After the first course of goat another bowl of goat meat cooked with peas appeared. The sweetness of the peas was excellent with the young goat meat. Just as we were settling down completely satisfied, we saw Andro serving the other guests with yet more plates of grilled lamb and salad. Thinking that heart-attacks were imminent if we continued with the last course, we went for quick a walk.

After returning to Split, for the evening meal we decided to try Restoran Perlica. The restaurant had been recommended as the best place near Split to get lamb-on-the-spit. And we were not disappointed! The friendly staff (often a rarity in Croatia) provided us with a plate piled high with roasted lamb, green salad and a side-order of young spring onions. Once again really simple food but so good. The reason we wanted to try Perlica was we wish to include it in a half-day tour from Split to the archaeological sites of the Roman city of Salona and the hill-top fort of Klis. We will definitely bring guests to it!

Finally, Greg fell in love with a Croatian beer - Karlovačko - which always seems to be the favorite of foreigners visiting here.

After such a debauched weekend I was happy to see the back of Greg - but hopefully it won’t be another 7 years before we meet again.

We were back up in Motovun again this weekend as our builder, Gino, prepared for demolition in the house we are renovating.

From a gastronomic POV, Motovun is known for its truffles. In fact the world’s largest was found in 1999 in the nearby forests - it weighed 1.30 kgs. Given Black truffle sells for about 700€/kg and the white variety about 2 000€/kg - thats not bad reward for an afternoon stroll. They were first found in the area in 1929.

Four weeks ago David and Vanda’s dog, Bonnie, had 8 puppies. Bonnie is a failed truffle hunting dog that they saved. David and Vanda are responsible for Timeout Croatia magazines and guidebooks. Dogs are used to sniff out the underground fungi - but if the dog is found not to make the grade it is usually put to sleep.

The best place in town for a truffle-sprinkled dinner is the Barbacan Restaurant. Its owner, Ronald Geul, is Dutch. As the older generation in Motovun moves on, the town is becoming popular for interesting people from all over the world in which to live. The town’s new resident grumpy old man is Ranko Bon - architect, economist, painter and poet.

Risotto with Leek, Mushrooms and Truffle

Ingredients
Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
500g Shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 7mm thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle
Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
For Leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For Mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For Risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Malvasia
Istria has two wines of note - a red, teran, and a white, malvasia. For malvasia we choose to drink that from the Kozlović Family.

Wine Maker – Kozlović Vina
Colour – Golden yellow colour with a slight green tinge.
Bouquet – Aroma of fruit and berries
Palate – Fresh, medium-bodied, and balanced, with an almond aftertaste.

Time for another Dalmatian dish and appropriate wine. This month’s serving comes from Vis Island - another stop on one of our kayaking tours.
One of the remotest Dalmatian islands, Vis is proud of its fishing heritage. Komiža Pie was a staple of the men sailing their falkuše to the rich fishing grounds surrounding the islet of Palagruža.

Komiža Pie – “Komiska Pogaca”
Dough
1 ¼ cups of warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 ¼ tablespoons sugar
3 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons olive oil
(roll dough out to be 1.5cm thick)

Filling
2 medium onions – cut in thin rings
4 garlic cloves – finely chopped
pinch salt, pepper and crushed chili to taste
fresh basil roughly chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
400g chopped tomatoes - 1 tin
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons capers
4 tins sardines in olive oil and lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Serves 6 people

In a glass bowl dissolve sugar and yeast in the water – set aside for 15 minutes.
Add flour, salt and olive oil to the mixture above – knead for 10 minutes (adding flour if necessary) – use a rolling pin, roll out on flat floured surface.
Roll dough mixture into a ball and place in glass bowl – coat dough surface lightly with olive oil and cover with a damp cloth, set aside for 1 hour.
Mix together in a small bowl, garlic, salt, pepper, chili, tomato paste, tomato puree, chopped tomato’s, olive oil and capers.
Split dough mixture into 2 portions (one portion slightly larger – for top piece of pie).
Roll dough mixture out on flat floured surface.
Coat bottom of tray with thin layer of oil - place rolled dough on flat tray.
Spread tomato mixture onto dough.
Add sardines – breaking into pieces.
Add onions.
Add extra tomato puree if necessary.
Cover with remaining portion of rolled out dough mixture.
Pierce with fork and seal edges.
Baste top of dough with a little oil.
Bake for 30 minutes @ 180 degrees Celsius or until golden.

Vugava (also Bugava)
A long, fertile valley runs down the centre of Vis Island. Winemakers produce the ubiquitous Dalmatian red, plavac, as well as the indigenous white, vugava. The numerous micro-climates of the valley mean good quantities of similar high quality grapes can be hard to grow. Vugava was discovered on the island by the Romans when they arrived. They enjoyed it so much they took vines to France with them - where it became known as viognier.

Wine Maker – Antonio Lipanović
Colour – Honey, lemon, apple juice yellow
Bouquet – Light apricot
Palate – At 14% alcohol, this is a solid yet dry wine with just the right amount of acid to add an edge to the long, clean finish.

Storm-surges of competing empires eroded Croatia into its present form and left their influences on bordering regions as they receded. They gave Croatia, a small country of about four and a half million people, a remarkable variation of traditions. This variety is reflected in the country’s food and wine.

At least every month, from Julie’s kitchen and Shane’s cellar, a food dish and wine from one of the regions will be presented.

Croatian food doesn’t receive nearly the attention it should. From the game-meat stews of Continental Croatia, through the decadent truffle-laced dishes of Istria, to the fresh seafood of the Adriatic; each region produces a mouth-watering array of culinary delights. Lo-cal, not always, but definitely healthy; it must be remembered that Rudolph Steiner, the great-grandfather of organic farming, was born in the north, and his ideals are still practiced all over the country.

Most people do not think of Croatia as a class wine producing country. But it has more than 700 registered wines and at least a dozen premium varietals.

Primošten Chicken
12 chicken thigh pieces (without drum sticks) – can also use a combination of thighs and chicken breasts
Flour for coating chicken prior to frying
Vegetable oil for frying – approx. 6 tablespoons
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pumpkin oil (not essential but adds great flavour)
150g prosciutto or bacon
4 onions – medium - diced
6 garlic cloves – finely chopped
Salt, pepper and crushed chili to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
800g chopped tomatos - 2 tins
1 tablespoon vegeta (chicken stock cubes)
80ml prosek (sherry)
3 tablespoons capers
600g peas
400g potatoes – diced
Parsley

Serves 6 people

Wash chicken pieces – dry off with paper towels.
Sprinkle chicken with vegeta and flour, fry in hot oil until brown on all sides.
Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Quickly fry in a separate large pot, olive oil, pumpkin oil, prosciutto, onions, garlic and crushed chili to taste.
Add chicken pieces to pot, sprinkle with extra vegeta, and pour in prosek diluted with a little water.
Add capers, peas, salt, pepper and potatoes, continue cooking until meat is tender.
Add more tomato’s and water if necessary (sauce should almost cover entire contents in pot).
Add parsley.

Babić Wine
Man’s ability to create beauty with only limited resources and an abundance of perseverance is represented in a picture of the vineyards of Primošten hung in the foyer of the United Nations in New York City. Each vine sits in its own patch of fertile earth within a framework of stone walls covering the surrounding hills. Hundreds of years of effort by the local women of this seaside town produced this inspiring quilt. Enjoy Babić, the wine which is the result of their toil.

Year – 2002
Winery – Vinoplod Vinarija, Šibenik
Colour – Garnet red with hints of orange
Bouquet – Understated musty barn
Palate – This wine is thin and light bodied, possibly due to the quantities of rain at the end of the 2002 season in Dalmatia. Austere would be a good description for its high acidity and medium tannin levels. Overall, disappointingly, this bottle was not typical of the highly berried-with-hint-of-earth-bouqueted, dry, full-bodied wines of this variety. Cellaring may round out the wine, but not likely.