Category: Drinks

  • Fireweed Juice (Geitramssaft)

    Fireweed Juice (Geitramssaft)

    Fireweed Juice (Geitramssaft)
    Fireweed Juice (Geitramssaft)

    Rows of purple-pink geitrams, also known as fireweed, rosebay willowherb, and great willowherb, line the landscape at this time of year. Their shoots emerge in the spring and by late summer they blossom. By the autumn, they become tall, wooly-looking stalks of seeds with silky hairs to be spread by the wind before the winter arrives.

    Fireweed is one of those incredible wild plants that is both beautiful and edible, but might not get a second glance as it is generally referred to as a weed. Yet, like a phoenix, fireweed rises from the ashes. After a forest fire, they are one of the first plants to return, hence the name fireweed. They are able to quickly colonize an open area; their buried seeds able to germinate after a fire or disturbance in the land. Thus, making them an important part of managing the land and encouraging regrowth and revitalisation.  

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  • Aquavit, Orange, and Juniper Cocktail (Akevitt-cocktail med appelsin og einer)

    Aquavit, Orange, and Juniper Cocktail (Akevitt-cocktail med appelsin og einer)

    Aquavit, Orange and Juniper Cocktail (Akevitt-cocktail med appelsin og einer) Aquavit, Orange and Juniper Cocktail (Akevitt-cocktail med appelsin og einer)As a follow up to my previous recipe post, Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel Braided Swirl Bun, I’m sharing this simple and refreshing cocktail that I like to make when I have leftover orange syrup (from all those candied orange peels) around. I especially find this to be a great drink to serve during påske (Easter), right after a good, long trek in the brisk mountain air.

    I use a local aquavit called Fjellvitt Akevitt “white mountain aquavit”  that has a rich characteristic of caraway and other spices, and just a hint of sherry. The orange adds a nice sweetness and the juniper berries offer a subtle earthiness. To me, this drink captures the essence of the hytte (cabin) lifestyle and can easily be made indoors or outdoors. If snow and ice are still gracing the landscape, then pack your bag with some empty cups, a flask, a small jar of the syrup, and instead of ice cubes, use what nature readily provides. (more…)