“On the shelves, there are different teas and cups. Inside the kitchen cabinet are forks, knives and spoons, salt and other supplies. Sparrows made their nest near the drain pipe outside the kitchen. Also there are always a lot of spiders inside. The main house is separated from the kitchen by a narrow three-metre pathway, and is only used for sleeping, well, I guess the fridge is there! But it is the summer kitchen that is used for cooking food for family members. In the hall, as I mentioned, small chickens live. But only in the summer. Next to the summer kitchen, we have a garage, and a barn which is used as a cowshed and pigpen. Right by it all is our vegetable patch, and then there’s the allotment. The other, bigger allotment, is a 30 minute walk away. My brightest memory comes from a summer’s day. Hail started and everyone appeared in the summer kitchen. The big dog was lying on the floor, five cats were sleeping on the bench. My granny was cooking something for supper. I was sitting and listening to the radio. After that the sun came out and the view of the garden from the window was enchanting.”

Words

Sofia Vozniuk

Extract from

‘Summer Kitchens: Recipes and Reminiscences
from Every Corner of Ukraine’
by Olia Hercules