North Wild Kitchen

Category: Occasion

  • Rømmegrøt with Homemade Sour Cream

    Rømmegrøt with Homemade Sour Cream

    Rømmegrøt with Homemade Sour Cream (Norwegian Sour Cream Porridge) Rømmegrøt with Homemade Sour CreamMy visit to Slettastølen Seter introduced me to the Norwegian Seter Life, or mountain farm life. Sonja treated me to a banquet of homemade delights with various cheeses (including her recipe for farm cheese), fruit jams, and her homemade rømmegrøt made from her own sour cream using her cow’s milk.

    There’s nothing quite like homemade sour cream. There’s a certain softness to it that is unlike any store-bought sour cream. It’s smooth and not as thick. It’s very enjoyable and it makes for the best rømmegrøt (sour cream porridge) you could ever have.

    Sonja’s rømmegrøt is by far the best I have ever tasted and I believe it is because of the quality of her rømme (sour cream). She uses raw milk that she has milked from her dairy cows. The cows graze among the mountain pastures all summer long, making the milk taste even better. She separates the cream from the milk, then adds in her starter of sour cream from a previous batch and lets it sit overnight until it has reached the desired sourness. It’s a simple process and one that Sonja repeats throughout the summer, which sustains her family and guests. (more…)

  • Chanterelle & Goat Cheese Skillet (Kantareller og Geitost)

    Chanterelle & Goat Cheese Skillet (Kantareller og Geitost)

    Skillet Chantarelle and Cheese Fondue (Kantarelle med Geitost) Skillet Chantarelle and Cheese Fondue (Kantarelle med Geitost)

    The forest is full of gold this time of year.  Skogens gull. The time of year when mushrooms can be found by anyone desiring to look. And the mushrooms seemingly worth their weight in gold are the chanterelles (kantareller). With their bright, golden hue and curved caps, they are easily identifiable and almost give themselves away against the green, mossy forest bed.

    Last week, we went on a sopptur, or mushroom hunt, to find these delicacies that grow all over this mountainous region. These hunts are one of life’s little pleasures and Norwegians view this time as a great way to combine fresh air, exercise and a good meal following a successful pick. This was our first hunt. The first of many to come. As we came along the path, not far from where we parked our car, we spotted the first chanterelle. My son had the honor of the first pick and quickly took to becoming one of the best chanterelle spotters and pickers around. We felt like we had hit gold that day. After an hour, we had filled all of our containers to the brim and even came across the biggest spoil right before returning home. Even without the copious amounts of chanterelles the evening still would have been a success as we laughed, chatted, snacked on wild blueberries and took in the serenity of the babbling brook as the sun’s rays shone through the elegant branches of the trees.

    Skillet Chantarelle and Cheese Fondue (Kantarelle med Geitost) Skillet Chantarelle and Cheese Fondue (Kantarelle med Geitost) (more…)

  • Kari’s Ostekake (Cheesecake)

    Kari’s Ostekake (Cheesecake)

    Norwegian Cheesecake (Ostekake) Norwegian Cheesecake (Ostekake)My mother-in-law, Kari, makes one of the best cheesecakes (ostekaker) around. It’s her most requested dessert, and I, of course, was incredibly pleased when she shared with me the recipe on one of her latest visits so I could share it with you. It’s a fluffy and light variation on what can be quite a heavy dessert. Her recipe has a subtle touch of lemon and the base has a buttery, sweet and salty taste that literally melts in the mouth. It’s a variation that I have never come across before, being more accustomed to the American style of cheesecake. Yet, this is the genius of a recipe when it spans across countries and cultures and time. The ingredients are tweaked. The taste becomes accustomed. And the style is in the eye of the beholder. Variation. The spice of life. And what a sweet spice this is.

    Norwegian Cheesecake (Ostekake) (more…)

  • Viking Plankefisk and Rugbrød (Plank Fish and Rye Bread)

    Viking Plankefisk and Rugbrød (Plank Fish and Rye Bread)

    Viking Plankefisk and Rye BreadViking Plankefisk and Rye BreadViking Plankefisk and Rye BreadThe woods, blending well into the deep valley, are welcoming on this day. Edged against the great river, a short distance from the main road, and yet well hidden, lies the Medieval Forest. An emerging area dedicated to the preservation of history, culture, and traditional skills. A way to step back into time, learn authentic crafting and become more aware of nature and personal strength.

    It is here that I meet up with Kjell and Maj-Lis for a glimpse inside the eating habits of the Vikings. The husband and wife team are passionate about their country’s history and the area of Numedal. Every year, during July, they, and other enthusiasts, put on a week-long festival featuring local music, courses on textiles, leather, blacksmithing, archery (to name a few) and other festivities centered around the Middle Ages / Viking Age. The week’s festivities held in Stave churches and historical buildings, among other places, create an atmosphere true to Norway’s history for all ages and all types of interests. It’s an opportunity to step back into time – and even ride in a copy of a Viking ship from 850AD.  

    The valley, known as Numedal, is a glimpse into life during the Middle Ages. A place to experience how Norwegians once lived. Today, Numedal has named itself the Medieval Valley of Norway (Middelalderdalen). They can safely make such a proclamation because within the valley lies the largest remaining collection of houses and buildings older than 1537 AD. In Rollag, Nore og Uvdal municipalities, there are between 50-60 buildings including 4 stave churches, dating back to the 1100s. The predominance of so many medieval buildings still intact may be due, in part, to the wealth local people gained from the extraction of iron. They could then afford such high quality materials and craftsmen to build enduring structures. The valley has also acted as a pathway and crossroads for trading between the east and west for as far back as one could imagine. Knowledge, culture, religious beliefs and other outside influences most likely came through this area because of this important pathway. It also offered locals a way to barter and trade for what they could not produce.

    And so here we are today, meeting at a crossroads, to delve into Norway’s past. Kjell starts a fire in-between the stone walls of the hand built oven. The dough has finished rising and a locally-caught trout lies on a wooden plank near the fire pit. We are making a small feast of plankefisk (plank fish) and rugbrød (rye bread with barley grains). Kjell is also showing me a fun way to cook eggs over an open fire. (more…)

  • Rømmegrøt Ice Cream

    Rømmegrøt Ice Cream

    Rømmegrøt Ice Cream - Norwegian Midsummer TreatRømmegrøt Ice Cream - Norwegian Midsummer TreatSankthans, or Midsummer, is a celebration of both folklore and Christianity in Norway and across Scandinavia. An old tradition of celebrating the summer solstice which then blended into a newer tradition of commemorating the birth of John the Baptist. While in Norway the name still reflects the Christian view of the day (St Hans), it is the non-Christian elements, such as the midsummer bonfire, which has held fast over the years. And while less and less Norwegians celebrate this day, it still is seen as a welcome to the arrival of summer.

    No other dish is regarded quite so heavily with Sankthans than rømmegrøt, a porridge made of sour cream, especially in Northern and Central Norway. In fact, there are three traditional summer holidays, Sankthans (23 & 24 June), Olsok (29 July) and Barsok ( 24 August), which are associated with the serving of rømmegrøt. When friends and family once gathered for these summer feasts, rømmegrøt became the highlight of the menu, for it is possible that during this time the milk was at its best as the cows grazed in the abundance of summer’s grass. Also, the summer weather would most certainly cause fresh milk to curdle, making it convenient to make porridge for large groups when they had plenty. (more…)

  • Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst’s Kling (Lefse)

    Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst’s Kling (Lefse)

    Norwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven TradisjonsbakstNorwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven TradisjonsbakstMy second visit to Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst is underway and as I draw nearer to the bakery, I pass the Nore og Uvdal Bygdetun with Uvdal’s  stave church towering above the hill; a reminder of the days past and the history of this place. The horses have come to graze nearby and I stop for a moment to take in the surroundings. There’s a peacefulness in Numedal, in the towns which lie throughout. Enriched by gentle people, the structures of their labor and their heritage amidst a landscape of pure, unadulterated nature. I’m reminded how food has shaped and been shaped by the culture, and how certain delicacies remain as pure as the landscape. One such iconic product, which is so commonplace and at the same time ensues such nostalgia and longing for, is kling.

    My second visit to Uvdasleieven is underway and as I draw nearer to the bakery, I pass the Uvdal Byggdetun & Stave church, a reminder of the days past and the history of this place. The horses have come to graze nearby and I stop for a moment to take in the surroundings. There’s a peacefulness in Numedal, in the towns which lay throughout. Enriched by gentle people, the structures of their labor and their heritage amidst a landscape of pure, unadulterated nature. I’m reminded how food has shaped and been shaped by the culture, and how certain delicacies remain as pure as the landscape. One such iconic product, which is so commonplace and at the same time ensues such nostalgia and longing for, is Kling. Hanne and Hanne K greet me with smiles as they carry on mixing, rolling and baking. Their day started at 5.30 this morning, and I’m only now joining them as they carry on working until the work is done. No clock to follow, only the work of their hands counting down the minutes. Today, they are making kling. You and I might call it lefse, but to anyone from these parts, it is kling. Whether with a smear of butter and sugar or served plain, this is kling from Uvdal. Hanne’s recipe has won over many fans, boasting a light and delicate kling, with my favorite being sugar and butter sandwiched between two kling and cut into large triangles. Rolling each kling by hand is a practice not suitable to the demands of production. These days, a machine aids in the rolling, but in no way is an indication of the process being easy. Each dough must go through the machine a total of 14 times, and each time through, the ladies must flour, turn, adjust and observe. There is an unspoken synchronization at work. It is second nature to them, but I can see it clearly. One makes the dough, the other rolls the prepared dough and when enough kling has been rolled out, one will make their way toward the takke. If cooking one at a time isn’t hard enough, they cook two simultaneously. Alternating and flipping. And this method carries on, with each task being traded off between the two of them so there is a balance. For both body and mind. The recipe is from her grandmother. And as each one begins to bubble and brown, they are placed on top of each other and wrapped in a blanket of plastic and fabric. Stored overnight, they will be prepared the following day. Some will be given a coating of butter and sugar, while the rest will be left plain. Hanne tells me that the plain kling goes well with warm beta soup, or topped with some butter and eaten with rakfisk. She reveals that her custom is to eat it with a bowl of risengrot (rice porridge), although this is not common practice. A habit she indulges in at home on the rare occasion. There’s a quietness today. Hanne is quick to explain that on kling days they generally keep conversation to a minimum. They work in auto-mode and move to the beat of the radio playing in the background until it’s time for a short break. Coffee, served black and taken on the front steps. We reminisce over the area and the history of the place. We discuss kling and markets. We agree that tradition is strong in these parts and that everyone is proud of their heritage, their recipes and the hard work that goes into every morsel. I’m not from here. I’m only a guest, but I feel closer to this valley and the people, because of these conversations and people like Hanne and Hanne Karine. Hanne is a great example of the labor and love that goes into maintaining tradition and running a business. Her products speak for themselves in quality and flavor. And in an area where everyone makes their own version of her products and swears by their family recipe, she certainly has to work even harder to standout. And she does so gracefully. She is a great advocate for Uvdal and the traditions of the community. She’s not the only one, but she is a voice and her products carry a certain weight of importance as they tell the stories of the area’s food culture to those passing through and they can also inspire others to see the value in local products. Norwegian Kling (Lefse) from Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst (more…)