A PERFECT DAY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE OF NOVI SAD
After a challenging week, both mentally and emotionally, today was everything I needed. It was a day full of delicious food, solitude and nature. It was perfect.
FIRST STOP
I started my day by checking out Futoška Pijaca and picked up some figs (a new obsession). This market is huge! With fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, flowers, and even clothes and all kinds of other things for sale.
VENTURING INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE
The pace of life feels so different here, only a 15 minute drive from the city center.
I took a bus into the countryside of Novi Sad, right in the heart of the National Park of Fruska Gora. What a difference from Novi Sad!
WHAT BROUGHT ME OUT HERE
Last Monday I met up with Youtubers, Stephanie and Jillian (Our Freedom Years), and they told me about this amazing tasting menu at Podrum Miljević by the most amazing hosts, Dragan and his wife.
A chemical engineer by background, he’s had this amazing livestock farm, vineyard and rural tourism business since 2011. Located in Stari Ledinci village, their facility has a wine cellar, tasting room, 5 rooms, and a tavern.
You can feel how much love they put into this place.
HOMEMADE EVERYTHING
He makes everything himself, including bread, jam, tomato juice, ajvar, fermented grapes, paprika (grilled pepper), wine and rakia.
GARDEN
Along with his vineyard, he grows vegetables, strawberries, and herbs.
BEAUTIFUL DETAILS THROUGHOUT
The garden beds are lined with this beautiful mosaic.
CREATIVES
Dragan and his wife are true creatives. His wife makes jewelry and hand paints every single bottle of alcohol and their rakia shot glasses.
TASTING MENU
This incredible 6 course meal was 2400 dinars ($24)! I normally don’t drink, but since he makes his own wine, I of course drank the wine because I wanted the full experience (the other option was the rakia, but that’s a hard pass). Dinner was so lovely. Dragan and his wife are so kind and so attentive.
COURSE 1
Bruschetta:
Hummus
Eggplant, sunflower seeds, garlic, olive oil
Homemade dried tomato + cow cheese from a friend’s farm (similar to mozzarella)
Ajvar: 70% grilled sweet pepper, 30% grilled eggplant, chili pepper; cooked ~4 hours with olive oil and salt
COURSE 2
White traditional Serbian bread, homemade whole wheat bread without yeast
Beef ham, ham, traditional pork & beef sausage from this region
Cream cheese with chives from garden, roll cheese
Tomato from garden
COURSE 3
Pumpkin soup with organic carrots, zucchini, and tomato paste
Grapes from his vineyard
COURSE 4
Reminds me of dolmas
Sarma: grape leaves, rice and beef topped with homemade cream
COURSE 5
Beets
Radish leaf salad with parsley, dandelion, lemon juice, olive oil
Fermented grapes
Paprika (grilled pepper), garlic, olive oil
Duck, beef, baby goat, potatoes, carrot, rice
COURSE 6
Bermet (dessert) wine; a 400 year old recipe first made by a Hungarian king; made of 20 different herbs including wormwood
POST-LUNCH READING
After 6 delicious courses and 5 glasses of wine, I sat in the front lawn on the recliner chair reading Eat, Pray, #FML and eventually fell asleep under the sun and took a brief nap. I thought, this is the life.
“I took a deep breath and acknowledged how amazing this day was; how grateful I am to be here, in Serbia, traveling alone, living my dream.”
PRE-SUNSET HIKE
Then I went on a little hike up to a beautiful view of Novi Sad and the Danube River. As I stood there at the top, I took a deep breath and acknowledged how amazing this day was; how grateful I am to be here, in Serbia, traveling alone, living my dream.
SERBIAN HOSPITALITY
So adorable; it really felt like taking leftovers from someone’s home
The hosts are so cute; they clearly don’t do takeaway (to-go) because they used what they had to wrap my leftovers. This is Serbian hospitality. I’m so grateful because I didn’t want to waste any of this goodness.
SUNDAY WELL SPENT
So that was my Sunday. From the moment I woke up to the moment I got home, I took my time with everything. I met some super sweet Serbians, ate some of the best local food I’ve had yet, relaxed, and enjoyed Serbian scenery. These are the days that I live for. I hope I never forget how beautiful today was.