Eat your greens

So much prettiness at the allotment right now.

The anemones are blooming.

The first zinnia.

This bunch of summer flowers have gone nuts with blooms.

Pretty pink potato flowers.

Peas have such pretty flowers too.

But the best part is that the blooms mean this:

I picked my first potatoes, thinned some carrots and beets.

The beets are about the size of golf balls.

There's also salad, spinach, sage and some peas.

I have quite a bit of spinach.

The best thing I can think of doing with it is a soup. A creamy Finnish style spinach soup.

I'll show you how.

You will need:

50 grams of butter

4-5 tbl  flour

1 liter of whole milk 

150-200 grams of spinach

white pepper to taste

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Now, you really need to use whole milk to get the taste. Mine is 3%, I wouldn't go lower than 2,5%. Trust me. You will end up crying in your soup as it will not have the taste it should. And don't even think of using skimmed milk!! Also butter is preferable to margarine.

This is not one of those recipes you should skimp on the calories.

My spinach leaves are quite big already so I cut off the thick middle and stalks.

Roll them up and slice and then chop. chop, chop.

Melt the butter in your pot, add the flour and whisk for a minute or so.

Then slowly add the milk while whisking, so you won't end up with clumps in your soup.

Heat to almost boiling, add spinach and let boil  on low heat for  five minutes.

Add seasoning.

Enjoy with a nice boiled egg on top.

PS. I really garden for the flowers.

Courtney's got a garden update for you too :)

Sometimes...

..you have to test your sanity by baking something special.

It went so far that I had to math to finish the cake as my pans were a different size than the ones in the recipe..

But I saw this recipe a year ago and decided it would be the perfect 50th birthday present to my closest colleague of nearly ten years.

I cannot tell you how nerve wrecking it was to cut the first piece to see if it had worked out.

But hurray! There it was, the Norwegian flag all decked out in cake.

It was a red (and blue) velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and it was absolutely delicious.

Sven was super pleased too.

Rhubarb, rhubarb and then some more rhubarb

Last year I split and replanted my rhubarbs and consequently got none.

This year they are coming up like crazy.

Plus there's the rhubarb from the allotment.

I've been trying out several rhubarb pie and muffin recipes.

This one with apples was pretty amazing.

I'm freezing a bunch, so that once strawberry season arrives (it will take a while, it's been a cool June), I have some ready for jam.

Even so.

It's coming in the windows and doors as the saying here goes.

So my cousin tipped me off on rhubarb infused vodka.

Oh hello!

What you need are glass jars, rhubarb, sugar and vodka.

Chop it up.

Add to jar, every 4cm (1½ inch) sprinkle lightly with sugar. 

Then fill with vodka.

Screw on the lid and let sit in room temperature, but not in direct sunlight, for a month.

Turn the jar occasionally.

After a month, strain, bottle and chill.

I'll let you know how this turns out.

Mine have been brewing for two weeks now.

I'm thinking that left over strained rhubarb might be pretty good on (adults only) ice cream...

Oh dear good bread...

I tried a new recipe.

I have never baked bread this good.

It is bakery bread good.

The crust is to die for.

And you wouldn't believe how easy it is.

The only thing is, it does not come fast. You need to preplan this.

Plus you need a dutch oven, or other lidded oven pot.

The recipe has been going around in the Finnish baking blogs like wildfire, so I have no idea who to credit this deliciousness to. 

A genious baking goddess I'm sure.

-Dutch oven bread-

You need: 

7 dl flour

2 tsp salt

0,5 tsp dry yeast

3,5 dl lukewarm water

Yes, that's it!

This is easy enough to make into anything you want.

In mine I used 6dl of flour and 1dl of rolled oats.

Feel free to throw in wholegrain flour, seeds etc.

Mix the ingredients with a spoon.

Do NOT knead.

I know, it sounds wrong, but trust me, don't do it.

Instead cover your bowl with plastic wrap and leave it for 12-18 hours.

Go enjoy your evening and have a good long sleep.

Warm your oven to 225C. Mine was set to 200C, worked beautifully.

Put your dutch oven in the oven to heat up.

Sprinkle some flour on your table and empty the dough on top.

Roll it around gently in your hands to form a round loaf.

Resist the urge to knead.

Cover loosely with the plastic wrap and leave it for 30 minutes.

Put the dough into your pot, cover it and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Then take the lid off and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Pop your amazing bread out of the pot and just admire the crusty perfection.

Let it cool and devour it.

Or just cut into it while still steaming hot like I did since I had used up all my patience during that long wait :P

 

My new staple weekend morning bread for sure.

Only next time I'm making two doughs.

spiral

 A veggie tart, in a slightly different way.

 Carrots and zucchini, sliced lengthwise.

Yes, it took a ridiculously long time, but it sure looks pretty.

As crust I used a readymade frozen rye-oats dough, it's new and tasted lovely.

I sprinkled salt, pepper and thyme on top.

After 30 minutes at 180C the veggies were perfectly cooked al dente.

Totally worth the effort.

men...

 This hubby of mine...

He likes all things to be top of the line.

But sometimes all I can do is shake my head.

This coffee machine now resides in our kitchen.

 Yup.

I know exactly what you are thinking... 

I thought that too.

It's huge.

It grinds the beans and makes individual cups of coffee.

Makes a nice capuccino.

Come by, I'll treat you to a cup :)

Added bonus?

You can check your make-up on it :P

baked lime custards

This was our dessert, I got the recipe from here.



Yum, is all I can say...

And just so you know, I don't always get it right in the kitchen...
This is what happens when you double the muffin recipe, but accidentally quadruple the baking powder..

Yup.
Bang you head to the stone countertop kinda moment that one :P

And for dessert...

A nice apple crisp.
I can never make enough of this at our house :)

Start with buttering a pan.

Then peel and cut eight juicy apples.


And throw them in the pan.

In a bowl you will mix:

2+ cups of rolled oats (I eyeball the plus part)

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup flour

1½ tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

if you like you can also add a little nutmeg in there.

Once mixed cut in 150g which is about a stick and a half of softened butter.

If it seems a bit dry feel free to throw in some more.
This recipe is not exact science :P

Knead, cut, put in some elbow grease until it all resembles this:

Spread evenly over the apples and put in the oven 180C/375F for 40-45 minutes.
It will smell divine...

Plop some in a bowl with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Be prepared to fight for more.

Trust me.

This is why I've increased the original recipe..

My favorite tomato soup

You will need:

2 cans of crushed tomatoes (I know.. the brand I got isn't in cans per say)
2 dl of water (that's 3/4 cups or so)
2 vegetable fond cubes
2 slices of toast (mine is oats)
4 cloves of garlic
200 g of cream cheese with red pepper and chili flavor (I've also used garlic flavor)
½ tbl oregano

The tomatoes go into the pot along with the water. I like using hot water.


Then you add the fond. The one I use is gel like, the dry cubes work just as well :)



Cut the crusts off the toast. I ended up using three slices as they were small.

Tear into crumbs and add to soup.

I crushed my garlic cloves, you can slice them, dice them.. whatever floats your garlic boat :D

Then sit down with a magazine while the soup simmers for 15 minutes.

Add the oregano. Now at this point you have the option of adding a little sweet chili sauce in there. I like the little kick it gives on a cold day. This time however, I was out of it.

I know.. *gasp* the horror of it...

Finally add the cream cheese and let melt.

Then you take your handy-handheld-mixer-thingy and pureé until the soup is lovely and smooth.

Really it looks much better than this horrid picture taken in the darkness of November.

Enjoy a bowl (or two) with fresh bread.

Or throw some croutons on top.
I guarantee it'll warm your toes too :)