Though strictly speaking a vegetable, rhubarb is most often used in the manner of fruit, and in that category it is rather useful, providing the first fruit of the year long before the earliest of the summer soft fruit. Rhubarb is easy to grow with few problems. It appreciates a sunny spot with a rich… Continue reading Forcing rhubarb
Category: Recipes
Finnish Christmas recipes – dill sauce
Dill sauce – a dressing prepared with lots of mustard and dill is a common accompaniment to the gravad lax – cured salmon – and other cured and smoked fish that are an essential part of the first course of the Finnish Christmas meal. It is easy to prepare provided one has suitable mustard. Those… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – dill sauce
Finnish Christmas recipes – Riitta’s dill cucumbers
This post is, for this blog, uncharacteristically unseasonal. Fresh dill cucumbers are more properly prepared in the summer months, when cucumbers are naturally in season, and one would turn instead to the gherkin at this time of year. However, mother-in-law Riitta prepares such delicious dill cucumbers that we make this one unseasonal concession here and… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – Riitta’s dill cucumbers
Finnish Christmas recipes – beetroot salad
This beetroot salad is my version of a dish widely available ready prepared in Finnish stores. It is one of those elements of our Christmas table that is not an established part of the traditional menu, although the salad is widely consumed throughout the year. It is one of my favourites, and something I often… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – beetroot salad
Finnish Christmas recipes – Italian salad
In Finnish stores one can find a prepared salad known as Italian salad. It is one of my favourites, and something I always like to have when we visit Finland. Although it is not a traditional part of the Christmas menu, it is something we have always served alongside the very traditional rosolli, and another… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – Italian salad
Finnish Christmas recipes – rosolli
Rosolli is the classic salad accompaniment to the Finnish Christmas meal, going particularly well with the cured herrings. Some add herring to the rosolli, when it is then known as sillisalaatti – herring salad. This variant is particularly common in Sweden. We, though, prefer to serve the salad without adding herring, and serve several different… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – rosolli
Finnish Christmas recipes – Riitta’s herring
Although most of the cured herrings served at the Christmas table come essentially ready to serve, one can also buy whole fillets of herrings preserved in salt and sugar that can be further prepared in various ways. These strongly flavoured fillets are the basis of many dishes, and here I provide the recipe for the… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – Riitta’s herring
Finnish Christmas recipes – rullasyltty
Rullasyltty is a spiced rolled pork belly, available year round, but also a popular part of the Finnish Christmas table. The dish is particularly well known throughout Denmark and Sweden. Whilst in Finland one can readily buy the prepared dish, here we have to make it ourselves. Recipes vary as to the herbs and spices… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – rullasyltty
Finnish Christmas recipes – cured and smoked fish
Cured fish is, for me, the highlight of the Finnish Christmas table. Along with the ubiquitous gravad lax, we also prepare gravad sea bass, which turns out rather similar results to a fish known as siika, which is not available here. Curing and smoking is a strong part of Finnish culinary traditions, and they produce… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – cured and smoked fish
Finnish Christmas recipes – glögi
Glögi is the Finnish version of mulled wine, popular through the winter months and essential at Christmas. Although one can readily buy various preparations from which glögi can be made, it is easy enough to make at home. The essential ingredients are cloves, cinnamon sticks, citrus peel, a little sugar to sweeten to taste, and,… Continue reading Finnish Christmas recipes – glögi