Nearby an old rock wall, sturdy but aged and covered with greenery, lies a handful of rhubarb plants. I like to imagine these were purposefully planted so many years ago on our farm when the original house stood on the very hill which those old stones continue to hold up. A house garden, perhaps, providing the old house with a wonderful supply of this springtime favorite. I discovered them intermixed with an overgrowth of nettles and ferns last year when we first moved to the farm. And while preparing the area this spring, I discovered the rhubarb plants were many and even found a couple of berry bushes nestled in front of the stones as well.
Tag: baked
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Rhubarb & Juniper Pie (Rabarbrapai med Einebær)
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Vannkringler (Bergen Pretzels)
Kringler. Nordic pretzels of various forms of sweet, salty, filled, crispy and soft. But one kringle stands out as one of the most well-known in Norway and it hails from Bergen. It also happens to be a permanent fixture on the 17 Mai (Grunnlovsdag) table, as it finds its place alongside spekemat (cured meats) and rømmegrøt.Bergen is known in Norway for their vannkringler, a traditional pastry still consumed today. The recipe is simple: flour, water, yeast and salt. The technique is masterful, as the dough is rolled out thinly and then tossed and twisted around before being sealed with a gentle blow. Before being baked until a golden brown, they are placed in a hot water bath, hence bestowing them the name vannkringler, or ‘water ring’.
This tradition is thought to be influenced heavily by Dutch and German salesman operating in the area of Bryggen, the old trading wharf of Bergen. Being easy to store and with a long shelf-life, vannkringler was purchased by many fisherman, who would take them along their journeys. It is said that empty caskets would be used as storage for the vannkringler by northern Norwegian fisherman as they headed back home. (more…)
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Nettle & Honey Cake (Brenneslekake)
Sprouts of stinging nettles and wood nettles (brennesle) have unearthed across our farm following an indecisive spring which left plenty of water and a sudden transition from frosty earth to vibrant patches of green. In only a few short days, they have begun a siege to take over; relentless, swift and full of surprise positioning. While their dominance and sting may prompt many to take up battle, it is their nutrition and use in cooking which have many people, including myself, welcome the voracious growing with open arms.Behind the bite of this so called weed, is an incredibly nutritional and diverse super plant. Nettles can be handled and tamed (with some good gloves and boiling water) and have long been valued for their medicinal and health benefits, as well as their textile properties. Even the Vikings understood their value, as nettle fibers were discovered during the Oseberg find; a Norwegian Viking burial ship dated around 834 AD. During World War 1, the German army used nettles as a substitute for cotton when there was a shortage of textiles. And aside from being greatly fibrous, nettles are rich in vitamin C, magnesium and iron and other antioxidants. Ancient Egyptians used infusions of nettle for arthritis and the Romans carried it with them for stimulating circulation for tired legs. Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.) and his followers reported 61 remedies using nettle. Native tribes across America, Ecuador and Canada were also discovered to use nettle for its medicinal properties. And today, it continues to be used for multiple remedies, including allergies, eczema, iron deficiency, and so on. (source)
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Knekkebrød (Norwegian Crisp Bread)
A Norwegian breakfast and lunch is never complete without a slice of bread or a type of knekkebrød. These ‘crisp breads’ or ‘breaking breads’ which are flat and dry, resembling a cracker, probably originated in Scandinavia close to 500 years ago. Some sources say that crisp bread was a staple of the Vikings as they could store them for long periods of time. These crisp breads would have been baked on hot stones, while today’s knekkebrød is baked in the oven. Baking them in the oven is what makes these crisp breads so different from the Norwegian flatbrød, which is baked on a flat griddle, much like lefse.Once considered a poor man’s diet, knekkebrød has become widely popular boasting a healthy lifestyle with numerous variants from slightly sweet to nutty to herby & salty. They are easy to make, forgiving, and require only a few ingredients, which can be interchanged depending on what you have available in your cupboards. All one needs is a little imagination and water.
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Snipp
My sister recently collated and copied my Great Grandmother’s recipes as gifts for the whole family. Reading through the recipes brought back so many wonderful memories. Her cookies were always a highlight of our holiday traditions. Cookies that, today, seem classical and perhaps a bit vintage. Something our grandmother grew up with and baked for us in our childhood, but we rarely, if ever, bake in our own kitchens.Not long ago, I was visiting a friend here in Numedal, and she served me coffee with a side of snipp. I certainly had never come across it and neither had my Norwegian husband. It’s one of those pillowy & soft sugar based cookies, with a sweet cloud of cardamom and cinnamon aroma surrounding it. It’s simplicity at its best and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.
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Wienerbrød with Orange & Vanilla Custard
The smell of melting butter amidst flaky dough fills the room. A slight hint of orange and vanilla. As I wait for the minutes to pass, I cozy up to my chair and read more about the famous pastry known in Norway as wienerbrød, or translated to viennese and commonly referred to as danish in English. The aroma is well-known across bakeries in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia. It’s a pastry that was indeed created from bakers in Denmark, but not solely by their own efforts. It was a result of inspiration and the borrowing of techniques, like most recipes today. By standing on the shoulders of others, they were able to create a new, inspired pastry.It is said that during the 1850s, a strike broke out amongst bakers in Copenhagen. This forced bakery owners to seek help from bakers in Vienna. The help was given, as it was usual for a baker master’s son to take up an apprenticeship in Vienna, the baking capital, and therefore they had good relations. The bakers from Vienna had a long tradition of lamination, where dough is layered with fat and rolled out several times. The Danish bakers were inspired and they began to develop the techniques, adjust to own their tastes and increase the amount of rich butter. The fillings and shapes were only left to the imagination and the creation of the Danish pastry or ‘Viennese Bread’ was born.
I came across an article about the historic town of Nusfjord, situated on Flakstadøya in Lofoten. The bakery, which no longer is in use, was built prior to 1877. It produced breads and pastries to both fishermen and locals. When fishermen would come from the fisheries to supply fish, they often had to take upon debt for shelter, food and tools as they could not pay in cash. The second squire of Nusfjord, known as ‘Old Bernhard’ would hang out a little bag filled with wienerbrød to every fishing crew as a small reward for their work, despite the debts. (Source)I like to think that, sometimes, it’s just the simple, kind gestures, like hanging bags of wienerbrød for the taking, are what brings us closer as a community. Filling the belly. Satisfying a need. Doing the unexpected. Showing kindness. Those are the measures which create good relations. And so, perhaps when we bake, we should consider to double the amount. A great excuse for taking a moment to sit down, converse and share something sweet and special. (more…)
