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August 20, 2011 | 10 Comments

Brösarp steam train (Brösarp Ångtåget)

For anyone following this blog, you are well aware that this summer in Sweden has been cold, wet, and well, pretty depressing. But a couple of weeks ago there was a beautiful, sunny day that even fit into the category of being hot. And fortunately for us it happened to be the day that we […]

August 17, 2011 | 2 Comments

Crawfish bisque

It’s kräftskiva (crawfish time) in Sweden and after celebrating at home with our family I couldn’t bring myself to toss out the shells. There is such a minimal amount of meat in those little crawfish bodies and such a vast amount of flavor in the shells that it seems a waste to just bin them.

August 17, 2011 | 7 Comments

Crawfish time (kräftskiva) – boiled crawfish with dill

In case you haven’t heard, crawfish are a big deal in Sweden, but only in August. There is a long-standing tradition of cracking open these bright red crustaceans at parties where paper crawfish decorations, goofy party hats, and smiling moons decorate festive outdoor parties. Masses of crawfish and aquavit (snaps) are consumed between the first Wednesday in August and the […]

August 15, 2011 | 3 Comments

Mina första 1000 ord (my first 1000 words)

We had only lived in Malmö a few days when my sister-in-law Margareta stopped by for a visit and brought Mina Första 1000 Ord by Jan Lewis. It was a gift to my then one year old daughter, Elsa, and was also intended to help me with my Swedish. The book was an instant hit with […]

August 9, 2011 | 5 Comments

Black currant sorbet (svartvinbärsorbet)

One of my favorite things to order when we go out for ice cream is cassis sorbet. In my efforts to avoid freezing the rest of the black currants I picked at my in-law’s I decided to try making it myself. Well, I guess I technically still froze them, but you get the idea.

August 6, 2011 | 11 Comments

Swedish pancakes with wild raspberries

This is still a favorite recipe from my childhood and now my kids can’t get enough of them. The recipe came from my Swedish grandmother but unfortunately I can no longer ask her the true source. The pancakes I have tried in Sweden are not quite the same since this version seems to have a higher […]

August 2, 2011 | 13 Comments

Saft – Black currant drink/cordial (svartvinbärssaft)

I had a bit of a hard time coming up with a title for this post because Swedish saft isn’t exactly a syrup, or a drink, or just juice. It is fruit and/or berry juice boiled with sugar to create a concentrate that becomes drinkable when water is added. In British English it is squash or […]

July 30, 2011 | 6 Comments

Jam session

Clockwise from top: strawberry-red currant, wild raspberry, cherry-rhubarb, gooseberry-elderflower, and black currant I have a friend with a truly amazing garden that I swear should be in ads for Miracle-Gro. There are cascades of red and black currants, a plethora of perfect cherries, gargantuan raspberries, and substantial globes of red and green gooseberries. It’s like […]

July 18, 2011 | 0 Comments

Crème de cassis (black currant liqueur)

It’s black currant time in Sweden and I have eagerly been awaiting this moment. Last year I tried my hand at making crème de cassis (black currant liqueur) and it was so tasty I couldn’t wait for the next black currant season to arrive.

July 15, 2011 | 4 Comments

Rhubarb cherry spread

This is the time of year when I am faced with a challenge. Everything seems to be coming into season at the same time and with my berry picking addiction I can tend to go a little overboard. I have some wonderful friends and family who generously share the bounty of their gardens and in the […]

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