Twarożek (Polish Cottage Cheese Spread)

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At the heart of the Polish brunch board is a spread called twarożek or gzik, depending on the region of Poland. Traditionally made with farmer's cheese, this version uses cottage cheese along with crunchy radishes and cucumber and fragrant dill. Serve it with hearty rye bread, raw and pickled vegetables, slices of kielbasa, Polish cheese and mustard or horseradish.

a recipe photo of the Twarozek
Photo: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Servings:
12

As a daughter, you can often feel the weight of your mother's work at home. There is a clear second shift—after working all day, many mothers are expected to take care of and feed their families too. My mom was and still is a generous host—there's so much love in her food. But I always loved when she made Polish brunch (szwedzki stół). It was not only a meal that pleased everyone, it freed up my mom from doing so much cooking and then overseeing a massive cleanup effort. It allowed her to sit down with us. The food was colorful and the conversation bright. We were all present together.

My mom excels at creating a nourishing Polish brunch (szwedzki stół) out of nowhere. It features sturdy Polish rye bread that can handle the weight of salmon spread or liverwurst, along with a mix of sliced vegetables, including cucumbers. She tosses sliced tomatoes and onions with salt and pepper and lets them sit, covered at room temperature, until they take on the seasoning fully. Sometimes there's preserved fish, like herring in cream or oil. On Easter, she adds hard-boiled eggs and thick slices of kielbasa, along with mustard and horseradish. In the days between Christmas and New Year's Day, there would be leftover ham, turkey or fish to make little open-faced sandwiches known as kanapki. But it was also her go-to for weekend brunch, in which she leaned into seasonal produce and what was available at the Polish market.

And at the heart of szwedzki stół is a spread called twarożek, which is made with farmers' cheese in Poland, but is more often made with cottage cheese in the United States. My mom likes to add scallions to the spread. It's simple and herbaceous, and a crowd-pleaser for kids and adults alike.

There is no right or wrong way to do szwedzki stół, and every family has their own way of making twarożek. For instance, I mix radishes, scallions, cucumbers and dill into the cottage cheese for color and flavor. But the constant is that the spread is cooling and bright, whether it's spread on that rye bread or used as a dip for vegetables. There is even a sweet version, with cottage cheese seasoned with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to serve with apples and berries.

There is ease and joy in being able to build out your meal according to your particular taste. My father, for example, might be the only one to eat herring in oil, my sister would opt for a more American approach to eggs with mayo and a little bit of horseradish, and I loved eating liverwurst with Polish mustard and sour pickles on rye as a child.

When I serve Polish brunch, I like to make sure the five tastes are present: sour from Polish pickles or sour cherries, spicy horseradish, sweet strawberries or gooseberries, saltiness from the herring or river fish, and savoriness from kielbasa slices or slices of fresh porcini mushrooms from the farmers' market. Now as I host meals at my home as an adult, I find myself turning to szwedzki stół too, especially on weekends, hot days or when friends with kids come over. The simplicity of being able to sit around the table and talk while building new flavor profiles is something I appreciate, and it brings me back to those easy days at my mom's table. It's a tradition I hope to keep alive for my family, with my own unique style.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces whole-milk small curd cottage cheese

  • 1 medium cucumber, finely diced

  • 2 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish

  • 5 radishes, finely diced, plus more for garnish

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

  1. Combine cottage cheese, cucumber, scallions, radishes, dill, salt and pepper. Gently mix. Top with more scallions and/or radishes, if desired.

To make ahead

Refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, July 2023

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

41 Calories
2g Fat
3g Carbs
4g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Serving Size 1/4 cup
Calories 41
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g 8%
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 8mg 3%
Vitamin A 126IU 3%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Vitamin D 13IU 3%
Folate 4mcg 1%
Vitamin K 9mcg 8%
Sodium 160mg 7%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Magnesium 4mg 1%
Potassium 49mg 1%

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

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