The Russians have never heard of it, but no Bulgarian celebration is complete without it. In Russia it is popular as Salad Olivier and it is similar, usually made with boiled chicken. It involves a lot of slicing and dicing, a good way to practice your knife skills and patience. Roll a spoonful of the salad in a slice of ham and make a Czeckl Roll
2 lbs potatoes
1/2 lbs carrots pieces, frozen
1/2 lbs peas, frozen
1 big jar of pickled cucumbers
3 eggs, hard boiled
1 jar (24 oz) mayonnaise or homemade
1 lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb ham, optional
Boil the potatoes until soft, peel and dice to 1/8-inch cubes. Boil the peas and carrots and drain. Boil the eggs for 10-12 minutes, peel and cut to same size pieces. Dice the pickles to 1/8-inch cubes, then press in your hands to drain the excess brine. Mix all of the above ingredients in a big bowl with the mayonnaise and the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the diced ham, if using.