Give Me Some Wine Monday

       Monday makes a good day to have people over for wine and repast. Monday basically sucks. After a wonderful long weekend, I was at work at 5:00am today, and did get tons of work done, but that’s NOT where I wanted to be!  I wanted to be home, finishing cleaning up the front garden areas, planting the new rose bushes, working on quilts, and making great dishes from my new cook books. And spending time with Mitch, my grandson visiting from Huntington Beach, CA. So when they picked me up from work, we went straight to the YMCA and it's fabulous swimming pools.  Mitch's favorite parts of the pool--the diving board and the big spiral slide.  He loved it, and it was so much fun watching him have fun and laughing and doing amazing jumps and corkscrews off the board. Mitch is an amazing kid and just knows how to have fun. 

       So when I got home, I decided it was Monday Whine Day…only changing it to Wine Day.  John, KC, Susie and others were invited to come partake in an impromptu happy hour. I fixed Romanian inspired sliders, teriyaki chicken wings, a piece of beautiful blue veined brie was served along with dill havarti, an assortment of crackers, cookies, olives—green olives with garlic in oil, kalamata, and giant green Italian olives stuffed with blue cheese--and of course, wine. Chocovine dessert wine….a smooth red wine mixed with Dutch chocolate that has a very nice kick; a sweet iced white Moscato; an Argentinian Camanere full bodied and rich on the tongue with a bit of tannin bite; a basic white Chardonnay with no pedigree but good taste; and a pitcher of margaritas blended with ice and cold and refreshing on this 98 degree day.

       The sliders were a real treat, as I used spices and ingredients that I’m learning about in a Romanian cookbook.  I found the cookbook at a local used book store, Anchor Books. When we sold the Diamond Valley house and moved into the RV, we took our books to Anchor and received tons of credit. So since grandson Mitchell is here visiting, we took him there and let him go wild. A book on sports cars from around the world, 2005 issue of the Guinness Book of World Records, a guide book of Western Birds, and the novel Eclipse for his mom were the scores for Mitch. Roy found a tome on Albert Einstein, and I, of course, gravitated to the cook book section. I found the Café Beaujolais cook book from the restaurant of the same name in Mendocino, CA; a beautiful encyclopedia on gardening; The Pink Adobe Cookbook from the Santa Fe NM  restaurant; the Art of Spanish Cooking—recipes from Spain not Mexico with a completely different taste and flare; and last but certainly not least, The Romanian Cook Book.

       So now you’re saying..Romanian Cook Book?  Why?  Well, I have no knowledge or experience with Romanian cooking. Italian, Mexican, French, American….yes.  Romanian…no!  This little book is filled with anecdotes, history, and the whys of Romanian cooking and tradition. I love it! And the herbs, spices, and techniques are different from anything I have used before.  While I am very used to the Mediterranean spices—oregano, marjoram, basil, garlic, etc.---I am finding Romanian recipes use dill, parsley, thyme, white pepper and paprika in abundance, along with onions, leeks, fennel, and chives.  Basically good “peasant” foods, used by people of small means, but enhanced with spices and herbs to make it fabulous.

       The book was written in 1951, but the introduction sounded as if it was written last week. “It is more than ever important in our troubled world for peoples of different countries to understand and know each other. And why better way is there to bring people together than through food?”   I believe a truer notion has never been written. Sit at a table with people from any country, eat the dishes they love and prepare with love, pride and true artistry, and you will learn more about the peoples and of their country than through days and months of talking. Break bread together and makes friends forever…it’s a simple idea that I believe in whole-heartedly.

       So, in the spirit of this amazing cookbook, I prepared the meat for the sliders. I added finely chopped onion, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce, A-1 sauce, a panade of bread soaked in milk (this is a wonderful addition to hamburgers as it keeps them moist and juicy while cooking), parsley, garlic, and my own touch…a bit of Cajun Spice. They were amazingly good, using fresh baked biscuits for small hamburger buns, and a mixture of onion, ketchup, mustard, Swedish horseradish sauce, and A-1 for the spread.  As a testament to their deliciousness, there were none left on the plate!!

       But the lesson today is not the recipe, but the thought that sharing food with others builds friendships, knowledge, and could change the face of the world by building a culture of joy, sharing, and peace.  Try any recipe, from anywhere, just try something new and by all means SHARE IT! My neighbors love being “guinea pigs” to my recipes. We all laughed that they now know when they come home and find a dish of food sitting on their outside table, stoop, or kitty planter, they know Jane The Food Fairy has been busy and brought them a gift from her kitchen…and they love finding these little packets of yumminess!

Cabbages, Collards, and Crucifers

Gardening is a hit n miss proposition as far as I’m concerned. This year I planted many different seeds and plants to get an idea what would be a good profitable crop and what would be better purchased in bulk at low season prices and canned, dehydrated or otherwise preserved to enjoy throughout the winter and keep the food budget down. I estimate the cost of food has gone up approximately 20% in the last year—so much for economists saying recover is in the air. Roy was shocked to hear this, as I do couponing,make most of our food from scratch (healthier and less costly) but it’s still not been easy on the budget. The weather has been less than inspirational. A prolonged winter, with freezing temps well into the end of May, curbed the growth of many crops and actually ruined others. And then there are the squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, rabbits and other furry little monsters that nibble away growth and my hopes for a bountiful harvest.

But today, at last, I was able to do some harvesting. The Chinese cabbages, collards, kohlrabi greens, and a few spring onions were actually harvested.  Also, much needed weeding was done in the cucumber, basil, jalapeno/green bean, and cabbages beds.  Way past due, but now they look fabulous!  Also gathered more oregano, thyme, lemon balm, and even a few red luscious tomatoes…nothing tastes better fresh from the garden…along with another small bag full of snow peas.  This makes me happy. In no way does it make up for the costs of soil amendments (all organic), planters,  compost, seeds, plants and especially water, but I know where it came from, how it was grown, what was (not) put on it, etc. And hopefully there will be more to come as poblanos, jalapenos, garlic, onions, leeks (getting munched badly by the bunnies), red peppers (for roasting), peas, beans, cilantro, coriander seeds, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, Asian greens, radishes, dill, fennel and other crops ripen and are harvested to enjoy fresh and crisp, and put away for their delicious tastes in mid-winter.

So the experiment continues. I’m not sure I can draw conclusions from this year’s plantings, due to weather conditions/extremes, and having to spend quite a bit getting the beds built up and amended with good soil, but if we stay here for 2 more years at least, and I continue to plant, compost, and keep the beds going, I’m hoping for fresh delicious vegetables at a fraction of the cost of this year.  Plus, the assurance that if the economy truly takes a dive, we have a home that is mortgage free, and a bit of land where we can grow at least a little bit of our own food to supplement our lives. And that of the fat little squirrels which live in the boulders at Spiaggia nel Massi!  Ciao.

Mid-Sommer Smorgasborg

Mid-Sommer, a traditional Swedish holiday celebrating the Summer Equinox, took me by surprise this year.  Not that I didn’t know it was coming, but after being down with phlebitis for the first two weeks of June, the date just kind of crept up on me. So Sunday I woke up, realized Tuesday was mid-sommer, and decided we needed to have a celebration. Pagan holidays are so much more real (in tune with nature, the natural rhythms of the earth, seasons, etc.) than Hallmark holidays, that I truly believe acknowledging and celebrating them brings us closer to our own natural rhythms and instincts, no matter what religious bent you may have.

We called our cousin Bo in Lur Sweden, I told him we were going to be doing a mid-sommer celebration, and he said they would celebrate next weekend. Oh well, I’m a little early, but it’s a good thing to celebrate anyway.  I talked of the dishes I would be making and he was very happy so many traditional Swedish items would be on the menu. If I had been more aware of the date, and had planned ahead more, I would have made Limpa Bread, Finnskapinner, and Agg Oust, but alas, not this year. After the conversation, the cooking began in earnest, Roy went around to the neighbors’ homes and invited people, and I made some phone calls and invited more.  Being Father’s Day and a last minute impromptu get-together, some were celebrating with their children, some were out of town, but we eventually had a descent number of people saying yes, and I had a kitchen filled with pots and pans and bowls and dishes and great smells!! Yes, I’m in my glory!!!

First in the oven was a pork roast. I used ground allspice and seasoning salt generously on the top, covered it with aluminum foil, and popped it in the oven for 2 ½ hours at 370.  At that time, I uncovered it and poured some of my Cherry Rum Preserves (recipe follows)  from last year’s canning sessions and that I had diluted with a little water, over the top, put it back into the oven, and left it uncovered to cook another 45 minutes. Delicious, moist, fabulous….and the smell was unbelievable!

Next, Fish Pudding. Now this IS a traditional Swedish dish. Made with rice, milk, eggs, and fresh white fish, it may not sound appetizing, but just try it and you'll be amazed at the hearty, light but filling, and comforting flavors. The recipe is included.  I always think of Annie Johannson when I make this dish and her daughter, our cousin Lisbeth Runesson. It is Annie's recipe, served to us on our first trip to Sweden. Neither Annie nor Lisbeth are with us any longer, so when I make this dish, I remember them with love and delight, and bring home two wonderful women whose communities and families remember them with pride and love and treasure them, as I will the rest of my days. And I thank Lisbeth for getting this recipe prior to Annie’s passing, and sharing it with me, so I now have it, along with the memories of her showing me how to make it right in her kitchen in Lur.

Also served was  pickled herring and Swedish horseradish sauce; Kalles caviar and Crab Pate (these come in tubes, something Americans equate with low quality, but when we were in Sweden I found that they had a fantastic assortment of items in tubes---the delicious creamed caviar brand Kalles, with different types and flavorings, pates of shrimp, crab, salmon, chicken, vegetable & more; cheese spreads [no, not like the spray cans here] of amazing creamy texture and full-bodied flavors of havarti, bleu, and others; tomato paste, dill paste, basil paste---so many items and all of top quality and taste and so simple to keep in the refrigerator); kennekebrod---a large round flat crisp bread make of rye; and even a gluten free crisp bread-- all staples on my pantry shelves. When they start to run low, I go to Ikea and stock the shelves yet again.  A must on any Swedish party table, gravlax, the traditional thin sliced salmon, was served cold and with a light sprinkling of fresh dill.  I sliced tomatoes and cut dill & fennel from the garden and sprinkled it over the top with some kosher salt; boiled potatoes were drained, with sour cream, sea salt, white pepper, dill, and butter stirred in while still hot; and I even made Swedish Meatballs, making both the meatballs and the sauce from scratch, the sauce being something I had only done with a mix prior to today. It turned out perfect!  The secret?  You MUST find Gjetost cheese, and I was able to find some a few weeks ago in our local Fry’s market.  You cook the meatballs in a pan, remove them, add a bit of beef broth and bring to a boil, removing the yummy brown bits from the bottom of the pan, add sour cream, grated Gjetost, a pinch or 2 of allspice, some freshly chopped dill, white pepper, and salt to taste and pour it over the meatballs. So delicious, and don’t forget to serve them with lingonberry jam, also an Ikea staple.

I also cooked some brats, cut them into bite size pieces and put a little sauce made with lingonberry jam, Dijon mustard, and a little water to thin it over the top.

Vegetables were then needed. I sliced 2 cucumbers and covered them with seasoned rice vinegar, dill clippings , sea salt and some whole allspice with a little water to dilute and put them in the refrigerator. I am so delighted to be able to walk outside, barefoot with a pair of scissors, and clip fresh herbs, greens, and even pick a tomato or two from my organic garden, that I have to pinch myself to make sure it's all for real!  On to the beets. No descent Swedish buffet would be without this traditional fare.  A can of beets was drained, a little seasoned rice vinegar sprinkled on, and put into the refrigerator to chill. That should do for the vegies.

Next on the agenda, some open faced shrimp sandwiches. Spread with a mixture of cream cheese and Swedish sweet horseradish sauce, then some fresh greens from the garden, butterflied cooked cold shrimp, and a slice of cucumber and then sprinkled with a bit of fresh dill, these are served at homes across Sweden. When we were there, both Annie Runesson (our cousin Bo’s mother), and Marta, another cousin, served these to us when we visited, along with delicious home made cookies—finskapinners, a butter cookie cut into rectangles and sprinkled with coarse sugar granules. No matter what age, it seems the Swedish women basically make their own cookies to serve to guests, and they are fantastic. Now this was in the country, so I'm sure in the cities they are purchased, but we didn't have anything but home made, and these women were in their 70's and 80's!  It is unheard of not to serve food to guests coming to your house in Sweden, along with good strong coffee!  That last tradition delighted Roy, as he loves strong black coffee. I accuse him of not liking coffee unless it removes the enamel from your teeth!

Last but certainly not least, dessert. I didn’t have time to make the Finskapinners or Agg Oust, so filled some little phyllo tart shells with lemon curd with a dab of lingonberry on top, and a plate of crispy ginger snaps on the side.  Quick, easy, delicious and believe me there were none left at the end of the meal!

So the table was set with plates of delicious cold foods, the hot foods were kept in the warmer on the counter, and an array of beverages and ice set on the table. Flowers, candles, and a table runner I had purchased in Sweden on our 2nd trip, were all the table needed.  Guests arrived, and an afternoon of food, fun, conversation, laughter, jokes, music, and celebration came together.  The best things in life are always friends, family and food...the 3 Fs!!  Next year I promise I'll plan ahead, and invitations will be sent early. There will be more people to enjoy the celebration and we'll dance the pagan night away!

Fish Pudding

1 ½ lb. cod chunks or fresh whole cod cleaned and skinned

5 c. rice porridge (previously cooked rice with milk)

5 eggs          1 c. milk      1/2 t. ground allspice     
1 t. fresh dill, chopped fine

Butter...approximately 5 T.       White Pepper       Salt

Cook cod in salted water just til tender. Cool and flake into large chunks.

Mix rice porridge, beaten eggs, milk, allspice, dill, salt & pepper. Gently stir in cod. Put into large casserole well greased with butter. Dot top with butter generously. Cook in 350 degree oven until heated through and browned on top.

CHERRY RUM PRESERVES

4 pounds dark sweet cherries (can be frozen)

1 pound granulated sugar

¾ cup dark rum

Prepare six 8 ounce jars

Wash, stem and pit the cherries

In a heavy saucepan, combine cherries and sugar and cook over low heat for 1 ½ hours. Watch carefully and stir often. You need to cook until you see them thickening quite a bit. The time depends on the juiciness of the cherries, altitude, etc., and I had a little trouble getting it to set to had to recook it to get it to gel. You could also add pectin to the mixture and thus not have to worry about it not setting up. Remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes and stir in rum.  Pack cherries into prepared jars. Cover and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Store in cool dark place for 1 month before using.