Spring is inspiring for delicious Berry pie´s.

My family loved berries.. IN finland we have thing called every man´s rights, it means anyone can just walk in to forest and start picking berries they see and take them home from there.. We have had a problem of having too much berries left in to forests so it gives you an idea how much we have them..

My Mum used to love going to forest and picking berries ( I hated it by the time.. would love it now though..)  and we would put them to freezer so that we have berries for whole winter, all natural Bilberries, Cranberries and what ever we found.

My Grandmother had huge bushes of Black Currant (which I did not appreciate when I was child but would love them now..) and she made us juice by boiling them in hot water, using her special juicing machine.

So lot of berries.. in baking, juicing anything really.. or just eating them raw just like that.. they are fantastic. It has given me a habit of always having a frozen berries in my freezer, almost like having my secret "just in case" berries ready if I need them for anything. obviously we where using berries through the whole winter and in spring started doing more and more pie´s and everything from them to actually use all the last summers berries!

I did fantastic Berry Pie just yesterday and this is how it happens..

Start by putting your oven on 160c and Put big spoonful of butter to dish before you put it in oven to allow it to melt there so that when you take it out, it is hot and when you pour in dough your pie is starting to cook right away.
Put  dish you are using to make your pie int he oven to heat and melt the butter.

You need:

For pie base:
- 2 Big Eggs
- Sugar (as much as Eggs.. you brake eggs to glass and take second glass, same size and pour in sugar to same level.)
- Gluten Free, Self raising flour (1.5 times the mount of Sugar.) 
- 2 tbs salty butter soft
- Ground Cardamum (small spoonful)
-Vanilla Sugar (small spoonful)

For topping:
- Berries (any kind of but I like to use mix of little everything, smaller the better)
- 1 Big Egg
- 250g Quark (it is one plastic cup you can buy from any super market)
- Vanilla Sugar
- Ground Cardamum

Pie Base:
Start by whisking eggs to smooth foam and add sugar in and whisk more so that it forms a nice thick light yellow foam, add cardamum and Vanilla sugar. Fold in the flour, you should in the end have mashed potato looking dough where you then in the end mix butter. ( it it is too loose add little more flour) Pour your dough in to cake mold you are using and even it out gently.

Sprinkle on top of dough your chosen berries

BAKE, till dough has raised nicely and you can see that it keeps it´s form.

When cake is baking in the oven, you make topping:
Mix 1 Egg and Quark add 1small spoonful of Vanilla sugar and similar mount of Cardamum.
Mix all together really well, so that it is nice light yellow custard type of thick sauce, and pour it on top of pie that you have taken from oven and put it back to oven to bake the Quark too. You may add few more berries on top of Quark if you wish, just for the look.

Bake till Quark looks baked, it may have to cool down before it is set more steadily but shoudl be fine if it looks little golden brown from here and there, or that it feels it is set when you gently try it with your fingers.

Enjoy your pie!

Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace Orangery

My Better half took me to Surprise afternoon trip and we went to Kensington Palace Orangery.
I had wished to visit there for long time and had rather high hopes it will be amazing.. Look, it is Kensington Palace after all.

We had done booking, and where taken to very nice table, calm location, not noisy, warm, and all nicely waiting there us to arrive. We made our Order, I took Gluten free Royal Afternoon Tea with Pim´s and my hubby took Royal Afternoon tea with Champagne. I wanted especially taste Kensington Earl Grey.
Tea arrived, it was fantastic, and I liked the taste of bergamont in my tea a lot and Pim´s was nicely done too.. but then arrived rest..

What is going on in cooks head in Kensington Palace Orangery??

Instead of nice normal sandwiches (that person next to me got 4 pieces) I got one bred roll that was spilt half. It was VERY dry, and almost like trying to eat foam mattress ( not that I have ever tasted one but I assume it is much like that) with very little filling, so all you actually tasted was miserable bred. WHY don´t they get just normal toast from Waitrose or where ever and use it and make same sandwiches as normal ones? It would not be great effort.. then Scones.. My better half got 2 of those and I had one that was hard as a rock, it had too much sugar as it was so sweet that eventually I was eating those upper half of my left over bread with Jam and clotted cream rather than Scones and bread was horrid may I remind you.. ( and yes, I am still taking about Kensington Palaces Orangery Royal Afternoon Tea)
So basically I we payed full price from tea, and got half a mount of bread and one that was served was horrible, as well as scones where so bad that when tried to split it it went to pieces and then when try to taste it it was so sweet you can possibly not eat it. ( It was sweeter than desert cakes) Thing that is worth of mentioning where cakes. I had marvellous chocolate cake and Orange cake and they where fantastic.. so anyone with Celiac.. Just order cup of tea and cake.. as anything else is not worth of eating. It is sad as with very small changes gluten free tea could be equally appealing than normal one.
(Hint for the cook, do not use as much gluten free flower when you bake, 80% of normal mount is enough, other wise you end up things that are VERY dry, and hard.. also.. if you can´t make scones, go and by proper ones from supermarket)

Orangery started to quiet down in the evening

My company was best possible, it was lovely surprise from him, and place is wonderful and he said he´s sandwiches where fine and tea was tasty. Service was polite ( like it should be) and My tea and cakes where marvellous.

Look at the china.. I loved them! 

Great-Grandmothers Salmon Soup

Great.Grandmothers Salmon soup

 This recipe is my favourite of all that I have done, ever.

It brings me childhood memories and it has great story behind.

Most important, My dear dear Grandmother taught me how to do this, as I have been cooking this so many times with her, and she had learned it from her mother, Aina-Augusta Lindgren, who was daughter of fisherman born in Jyllviken, small island on front of the Ekenäs, in south Finland. 

Here is my Grandmother Helvi 

My Great-Grandmothers mother has made soup same way,  and has cooked even for P.E.Svinhufvud (he was later President of Finland) who returned from  imprisonment in Siberia, after “February´s Revolution. He returned to Finland on March 1917 and train that brought him back home, stopped at Riihimäki, city near Helsinki, where he was received home as a hero, and welcome dinner was cooked by my Great Grandmother, Aina-Augusta. Young Swedish speaking Aina-Augusta made Fish Soup for him and what I heard from my Grandmothers stories, he was moved to tears from such a great food.  He thanked my Great Grandmother in person, giving flowers that where laid on the table and said: I don´t have anything else to give, but these flowers and my humble gratitude, and bowed to her.

It has been great story, but also amazing dish in my family and here is the recipe!

You need;

 Big Saucepan!

8 big potatoes

3 big carrots

1 big onion

good bunch of dill

5dl Double cream

2 Fish Stock  cubes( I used 2 stock cubes)

Salt

Whole Black peppers

Butter

Fresh Salmon ( I normally by half a fish, big filet)

1 small pack of Cold smoked Salmon ( those thin slices that are sold in supermarkets)

1. Peel carrots, and cut them in to thin slices/coins, (about 5mm thick max.)

put them in to BIG  saucepan and put just that much water that carrots are covered and let them boil in mean while , when you do next step.

2. Peel potatoes and cut them in to nice “mouthful” size of pieces.

Add them in to water where carrots have been boiling for a while already.

It is important you add  everything in given order as some of the ingredients needs longer time to be done.  Add more water,  try to use as little water as possible meaning: use just that much that all the veggies are under water, not more.

3. Peel onion, and cut it in to think rings and spread on top of the other ingredients, add  1 Fish stock cube first, about 8 whole black peppers, or more if you like peppers, and cut small pieces half of the dill you have. ( save other half for later.

4. When potatoes are starting to be done, you add first those thin slices of cold smoked salmon, to give your soup lovely smoky aroma ( that is key ingredient in this soup) and then, add salmon, that you have cut in to nice size pieces, that are nice on a spoon, with piece of potato or carrot when you eat..

5. Add in good big spoonful of salted butter and, whole of the double cream.  

Let the soup boil as long as potatoes, and  salmon is cooked, serve  with fresh dill on top.

TIP

Waitrose is selling thing called “Finn Crisps” they go really well with the soup, just add salted butter on top!

Nice Crip whitewine goes really well with this creamy soup.

Serafiina´s Apple Cake

 Serafiina´s Apple cake

You need:

3 eggs

1 cup of brown &white sugar

1 cup of white baking flour

Small tea spoon of ground cardamom

Small tea spoon of Vanilla sugar

Half a tea spoon of Cinnamon

Grated lemon peel, as small texture as possible.

2 big apples.

These type of tools I used.. 

Peel the apples, cut first one in to thin slice to put on top of the cake, and cut the other for thin slices by using the peeler, these thin slices you are going to hide in to cake.

Take a cake mold, and depending on what material it is, pre prepare it well, so that cake does not get stuck on it.. I use silicon mold and add little bit salty butter in to it, it gives a cake nice taste without extra fat on it. 

Put oven on, pre heat it to 160c

Take 3 equal drinking glasses.

-Brake 3 eggs to glass and note how much eggs do you have in glass. 

( idea is to have equal mount of everything..)

-Brown sugar, white caster sugar to second glass.

- Fill  your third glass either  with Self raising gluten free flour of normal white baking flour if wish add pinch baking powder

( I did not  as I use d gluten free flower.. )

-Whip the eggs until they are nice light foam, add all sugar in and whip until nice light brown foam and add all spices in, as well as grated lemon.

Then pour in the flower, and just fold it in, try not to work the dough too much as other wise it will loose it´s nice and fluffy texture.

Pour half of the dough in to mold and add those thin slices in to cake that you have cut with peeles they are filling if the cake,  there should be cake dough inbetween each slice so don´t fill it in too much.

Pour rest of the dough to cover all the apple slices that you have put in earlier.

Decorate your cake with nicely cut Apple slices, sprinkle cinnamon and Caster Sugar on top and put in to oven. 

Bake until no dough get´s stuck to your “test stick”!

Tastes great with tea or coffee! 

Enjoy with great appetite, and share with your friends in good company. 

Autumn, and it´s inspirations

Ah, how I LOVE Autumn, it is nice and dark and yet not too cold.
I can burn candles and eat soups and winter foods, and do my hand crafts, without feeling that I am forced to enjoy "nice sunny weather".
In the end I realised that I am not big fan of heat.. some how this summer was just too much for me.
15 weeks of at least +24c and our bedroom was like stove.
No, I don´t like it.

I feel very inspired, not least because of pinterest, that is my new addiction.
I have found some great crafts I want to try out this winter, but it has also given me a great ideas and itis amazing source of inspiration, my word of the day.

Knitting, sewing, painting and also dog collar making, cooking, baking, writing, and learning music and teaching. This is what my winter is made of.
This will be nice winter as my good friend from Finland has rented an apartment with her husband from our area, it feels cosy that I can walk and pop in with fresh made cup cakes and have a cup of tea and chat like back at home in Finland. She is also musician and loves hand crafts, so we will see what kind of crazy ideas we get together and start doing things in here.. we never tend to calm each others down.. opposite. If one get´s some rather bold idea, we encourage for more!

We have also plan to put together such a stage show that never seen before.. that will still be secret what it is but more will follow.. as well as Christmas decorations.. those will be coming too!

So, keep eye on my blog!!

Would you like recipe for rhubarb pie?? 

Organic Beetroot Soup

I LOVE AUTUMN!

It really is my favourite time of the year, and I like soups.. and they go well together.. Will show you few nice ways to make easy home made soups, and.. they end up being organic if you use organic veggies, and what ever you need for cooking. 

Beautiful beetroots! 

You need: 

Disposable gloves

5 Good size raw Beetroots

5 Good size Potatoes ( there should be just equal mount of potatoes and beetroot, what ever the size..) 

1 Vegetable Stock cube

Small chunk of salted butter

Black pepper

Salt

2dl Cream

Junk of Goat Cheese

1) You start with peeling the beetroots and Potatoes and cut them in big chunks so that they boil easier. 

If you boil them in whole it takes whole lot longer.. use disposable gloves for your own comfort.  

2) Put them all in to kettle and fill water about 1cm above beetroots and potatoes, add pinch of salt, black pepper and add in Vegetable stock cube. Let them boil un till beetroot is also soft, and not much water left. be careful that you don´t bake them in kettle.. Add Butter.

3) When they have cooled down a little, use Blender to smash everything in to smooth nice puree, and add Cream in, and use Blender again. 

4) Heat the soup again, so that it is boils ( carefull not to burn it now with cream) 

Look at this amazing colour! 

Serve hot, with crumbled Goat Cheese and use some herbs as a decorative element. 

I like Basil and Mint! 

Beautiful food. 

White wine is a good companion with it, and nice bread with garlic and herbs! 

Organic Cabbage Soup

In my last posting I told you that we visited our friends who has amazing Kitchen garden.
We got an amazing gift from Jonathan and Christina when we left home on monday, Bank Holiday.
Bags full of crop from their garden.. ah I am just planning what all I will cook from all beautiful things that I have sitting on my work top now!

My forever favourite autumn and winter food is:

Cabbage Soup

It always reminds me about my childhood in Karelia, eastern Finland. It is still warm and nice weather but I will give you recipe for this easy and amazing soup so that when weather get´s soon cooler, you know what to do!

You need:
1kg Cabbage chopped very thin slices and those slices cut on size that is easy to eat.. ea. fit in to your soup spoon..
800g Lean mince meat ( beef or even better lamb)
1 big Onion
2 Beef stock cubes.
1 vegetable stock cube
3l of Water
5 Garlic cloves
Salt
Black pepper
Parsley

You can use normal green Cabbage, I use red as I love colour and got this as a gift!

Put big kettle on gas, add stock cubes, chopped garlic cloves, and some black pepper already in to water.

Chop Cabbage in to think slices, and chop those slices in to nice size so that soup is easy to eat.. if you have too long cabbage slices it will be difficult to eat with spoon if you see what I mean..  when chopped, add cabbage on to water that has already some spices, and stock cubes etc. let it boil when in mean while you deal with mince meat.

Fry Mince meat on a frying pan, add chopped onions, again tiny bit of black pepper, salt and fry it well with salted butter.

Add fried mince meat in to kettle ( see it has to be big to accomodate all this!) and add also good junk of salted butter in to water, and let it boil as long as cabbage becomes soft. Try the taste, you might need more black pepper or salt.

You might need to add water in the middle of everything.. as we are trying to do very thick soup here.. There should be liquids more than cabbage and mince meat in the end, so that liquid levels comes above them, but not so much that there are few sad peaces of cabbage and mince meat in one HUGE bowl of water..

Some people like adding also one carrot sliced for "coins" in to soup, to give it a colour, but as I had red cabbage I wanted to keep colour theme simple.

Put on your plate, decorate with parsley, and enjoy!

This is real food.. can´t get any better, and all from organic materials. 

"This soup is especially great on cold autumn and winter days and is very typical traditional dish in eastern Finland, where I come from. "