The farm is exceptionally lush after a heavy rain. What once was a sparse and navigable terrain has turned into something of a throbbing Norwegian jungle. Complete with honey bees and energetic insects. And this is only the beginning. The next weeks will lead into summer and this will bring more and more life back into the surroundings. And lucky for us, this means more wild edibles. (more…)
Centuries ago, a group of fishermen mounted their horses early in the autumn and began their trek deep into the mountains of Norway. Lakes abounding, the fishermen spent their days in much success. Preservation of the bounty would have included much salt, but to their dismay they had not brought enough on this journey. They used all they had with nothing left to spare. They began their long journey back down the mountain in the hope that the fish would still be preserved. Days turned into weeks and the fish began to ferment. Upon returning home, and in anticipation that the fish had not gone to waste, the fisherman discovered something quite unusual. The fish had gone through a process in which had preserved it in a different way. They had stumbled upon something so delightful that it took hold and became a traditional delicacy across the land.
This is the story I am told when asked how rakfisk came to be. A legend? Most certainly. But what we do know is that the process of fermentation has been known and popular across the world for thousands of years. Whether tales of accidental fermentation are true or not, is it certain that once the method of fermenting fish arrived in Norway, it became a significant part of the diet and an old tradition which is still upheld today. In fact, rakfisk is considered one of the most culturally important and iconic Norwegian recipes. And while many will never have the opportunity to make it themselves, this is certainly a dish you should try at least once. (more…)
A celebration. A feast. A coming together. Signifying an homage, a compliment if you will, to Numedal’s landscape, its people, its past and its present. A gleeful and relaxed dinner to crown off the day’s festivities. For two evenings the candles are lit, flowers are placed in glass jars, the place settings are arranged and rows of white-clothed tables line up under a large, white tent. A stage, which will be the platform for many laughs and traditional music and dance, overlooks the tables. Waiters, dressed in formal attire and frilly aprons, will begin to scurry around, taking drink orders, filling cups, and, at times, chiming in with song. The nights are centered around food and theater. The Numedalsgruppen, under the charge of Chef Micke Bergvall, have created a 7-course menu to entice the tastebuds and challenge the thinking of traditional Norwegian food. They base each course on local products and ingredients; some plucked and picked from nature only hours beforehand. This is the celebration; an acknowledgment of those who create and cook and utilize what Norway has to offer. The dinner will begin. Drinks will be poured. Plates will start flowing. Music will sound. Conversations will echo. A performance will begin, and laughs will proceed. More drinks, more food, more laughs, more merriment. The whole tent will retire outside where coffee, cooked over flaming logs, will be served from a coffee master’s hand. Cakes will be passed around. And then the dancing will commence. A concert will start. The sun will still give its light, even though the hour is late. This is the Matfestival in Numedal.
Brød og Smør / Bread and Butter
(Homebaked bread, flatbrød from Uvdalsleiven, butter from Håvardsrud Seterliv)
Spekemat Fjøl med det beste fra Numedal / Cured Meats from the best of Numedal
(Fenalår from Spælsau lamb, Smådølkurv from Kirkebygda Produkter and Nabosnabben from Nabokjerringan, Flatbrød from Mollas bakery and sour cream from Håvardsrud Seterliv)
Varmrøkt Sik med Eggerulle og Jordskokk / Smoked White Fish with Egg & Jerusalem Artichoke
(Sik fish from the waters of Norefjord, egg fra Prestmoen Farm and Jerusalem Artichokes from Årud Farm)
Vente Pølse i Brød / Sausage in Bread
(Matopplevelser’s lamb and wild garlic sausage served with pickled red onions from Holm Farm, course mustard and tyttebær ketchup and bread from Veggli Bakeri)
Fjellvitt-Gravet Ørret / Cured Trout with Aquavit
(Trout from the Låkåsetvann, cured in Aquavit from Numedal and served with troll-potato croutons, whipped sour cream from Håvardsrud Seterliv and trout roe from Hadangervidda rakfisk)
Fritert Troll-Potetskrell / Fried Troll-Potato Skins
(Served with sour cream from Håvardsrud Seterliv)
Brassert Storfe Bryst av økologisk Telemarks Kalv fra Uvdal / Organic Braised Beef Breast from Uvdal
(Served with carrot purée, carrot pieces from Lågen, onion, and salt-roasted Troll potatoes)
BlåKu med bærbrød / Blue Cheese with Berry Bread
(Blue cheese from Thorbjørnrud, served with dried berry bread, honey from Gardås forest and rhubarb marmalade)
Tjukkmjølk-Pudding med Skogens Syrlige Bær / Thick Milk Pudding with Forest Berries
(Thick milk from Håvardsrud Seterliv and berries from the local forest)
Bålkaffe og Bakst / Campfire Coffee and Baked Goods
(Coffee made by Ola Hov, snipp from Mollas Bakery, kling and rømmebrød fra Uvdalsleiven Tradisjonsbakst)
Brød og Smør & Spekemat / Bread and Butter & Cured Meats
Numedal is a valley, nestled in the belly of Norway, on route between Oslo and Bergen, with an enormous variety of excellent ingredients and products. This is a valley where culture, history, tradition and food collide. A gem; hidden among the towering mountains, lush forests, and winding rivers. Summertime brings a handful of activities which highlight the area’s natural environment, creativity and people. One of these events brings together a variety of food producers and artisans from the valley to entice locals and visitors alike. Now on it’s fourth year, the Numedal Matfestival is an annual two-day event featuring a local food market, cafe and pub, concerts, food courses, competitions and a nightly creative restaurant headed by a group of young chefs.
Here is the first part of the festival – the day’s activities – which I’d like to share with you. It’s the heart of the festival, where local food and local producers are showcased.
Today is the longest day of the year for those living north of the equator. The summer solstice. A day when the sun seems to stand still; when the earth is actually farthest away from the sun. It arrives just days prior to the celebration of Sankthans in Norway, or Midsummer. And this year, there will also be a full moon, making it quite a special occurrence.
Interestingly, folklore refers to the June moon as the Strawberry Moon, among other names, as this was a way to signal when fruits were ready to be picked. In Norway, strawberries and midsummer come hand in hand. There’s nothing quite like strawberries to mark the start of the summer season, especially Norwegian strawberries. They are vibrant, sweet and highly prized as the cooler climate allows the berries ripen much slower, developing a more intense and sweet taste. The small and sought-after wild strawberries, which grow abundantly in our area, will also start to appear around this time.
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