North Wild Kitchen

Tag: cream

Multekarameller (Cloudberry Caramels with Sea Salt)

This recipe is not one that you can just make at any time and anywhere. It’s a special recipe featuring Norway’s golden berry. A berry that grows in the mountains and gets the nickname fjellets gull (mountain’s gold) because of its color and the fact that finding them is like discovering hidden treasure. The season is short and those who manage to get a hold of them will usually freeze them and save them for a celebration or a holiday such as Christmas. These berries, known as multebær or cloudberries, are, in short, one of a kind.

With this in mind, it is possible to substitute the berries with another berry of your choice, however, the flavor will not be the same at all. I do hope this recipe will evoke a sense of curiosity and a desire to one day try these berries if you have not been able to do so. They grow in North America and Scandinavia around early August. They have a unique and very aromatic taste; a combination of sweetness and acidity. (more…)

November 9, 2016
Rømmegrøt with Homemade Sour Cream

My 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…)

September 16, 2016
Russedessert & Blåbærsaft

Some days need a little nostalgia to brighten up the table and connect us to another time and place. Or perhaps we just need days to remind us that the table is an evolutionary setting, changing and ever expanding. Sometimes dishes get forgotten or dismissed. Sometimes they remain. I suppose the outcome of any dish is left up to the one in the kitchen. (more…)

September 2, 2016
Chanterelle & Goat Cheese Skillet (Kantareller og 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.

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August 16, 2016
Kari’s Ostekake (Cheesecake)

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.

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July 19, 2016
Rømmegrøt Ice Cream

Sankthans, 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…)

June 23, 2016