Recipes

Cozy Friday

October 4, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

When I began this blog, I was quite sure that my Mexican food eating days were behind me. Hello boiled potatoes, salmon and rye bread…goodbye tacos and guacamole. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that many Scandinavians spend their Friday nights getting cozy at home and eating chips and tacos! Known as Fredagsmys in Swedish (Cozy Friday) or Tacofredag in Norwegian (Taco Friday), this unlikely tradition began in the 1990’s with an ad campaign for chips. This genius marketing concept glorified the idea of spending Friday nights at home munching on tacos and hanging out with your friends and family. Cozy Friday quickly became a popular ritual in modern Scandinavian culture and continues its reign as the thing to do on Friday to celebrate the beginning of the weekend.

Tips for Creating Your Own Cozy Friday Ritual

1. Find some delicious, easy taco recipes. I’ll get you started with this one for THE BEST ground beef tacos (it’s important to master the basics after all), but consider branching out from this good old stand-by. There are so many interesting taco recipes out there these days featuring chicken, fish, beans or roasted vegetables in place of the predictable ground meat. Get creative!

2. Chips and dip. Whether it’s salsa, guacamole or something more exotic, you’re going to want something crunchy to munch on while you prepare your tacos.

3. Beverages. Whatever your festive beverage of choice might be. I am a beer and tacos kind of girl but also love a good margarita now and then.

4. Convince your people to stay home with you. You don’t need to ask this homebody to spend Friday night in. But here in the U.S., we are more likely to go out for a bite to eat on Friday nights that our Scandinavian counterparts. Make Cozy Friday a festive occasion, a reason to stay home in and of itself.

5. Find something fun to watch. Scandinavians typically gather around the television and watch something together as they munch on their tacos. Find a movie or show that everyone can agree on (sometimes this is the hardest part) and snuggle in for dinner and a show.

Swedish Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor)

October 1, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

This recipe was brought over from Sweden by my great-grandmother, Emma, when she immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. Emma was known for hosting legendary afternoon fika gatherings, and these ginger snaps were one of the signature cookies she would serve.

I know there are a lot of ginger snap recipes out there but I’m telling you, these cookies are really something special. They are thin, REALLY thin, as many Swedish style ginger snaps are. But instead of being hard and crispy all the way through, these are slightly chewy on the inside with just the right amount of crispness around the edges. These ginger snaps are melt-in-your-mouth buttery and have just the right amount of spice…perfect for an afternoon fika treat.

Secret Weapon: Pastry Flour

The unique texture of these gingersnaps is thanks to the inclusion of pastry flour in the dough. Pastry flour is a very soft, low-protein flour that produces exceptionally tender baked goods (pastry flour has approximately 9 percent protein while all-purpose flour has closer to 11 percent). While pastry flour is not something you might normally stock in your pantry, these cookies are reason enough to pick some up.

In an effort to make your life easier, I tried making these gingersnaps over the weekend with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, a common substitute for pastry flour. I was really hoping to avoid asking you to buy a specialty flour just for these ginger snaps. While this batch was indeed soft and tender, they did not have that thin, crispy-chewy quality of the original. If you are dying to make these and don’t want to pick up a bag of pastry flour, go ahead and use the all-purpose flour/cornstarch combination. They are still delicious, but they will be slightly thicker and have a more chewy texture throughout than the pastry flour version.

Tips for Ginger Snap Success

Use pastry flour. The texture of these cookies when made with pastry flour is sublime. It is well worth the investment.
Chill the dough thoroughly and keep it cold as you roll the cookies. Because pastry flour is so soft, this dough can be sticky and a bit difficult to work with. Make sure your dough is good and cold before you begin rolling it. I like to take just a portion of it from the fridge for rolling, leaving the rest in the refrigerator until I need it. If you find that the dough is becoming too soft to work with, put it back into the fridge or freezer and let if firm up before working with it again.
Roll small balls of dough, no more than 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and leave plenty of room between ginger snaps. These cookies spread as they bake and if you don’t start with a small portion of dough, the ginger snaps will run together as they bake. I am usually able to get 5 rows of 4 cookies on each sheet.
Dip the bottom of your glass in sugar before flattening each cookie. As I said, this dough is sticky and if you don’t have a protective layer of sugar on the bottom of your glass, it will stick to the ginger snap. Also, that outer layer of sugar helps contribute to the delightful texture of the finished product.
Don’t over bake. The cookies will rise slightly in the oven and then fall becoming flat. This is when they are done. In my oven that takes about 8 minutes per batch.
Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the pan. This helps them release cleanly without any sticking. If you try to remove them too soon, the ginger snaps have a tendency to stick to the parchment paper.

I really hope you try these ginger snaps. They are truly one of a kind. Please let me know if you do in the comments below!

Swedish Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor)

A truly special Swedish ginger snap with a crispy outer edge and a pleasantly chewy center. The perfect fika treat!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour + chill time
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 80–90 cookies 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 cups pastry flour OR 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

To Roll Out the Cookies:

1/2 cup granulated sugar (more if needed)

Instructions

Whisk pastry flour (or all-purpose flour and cornstarch), baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This will take longer if you are mixing by hand. Reduce speed to low and add the egg. Mix until fully combined.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Using a spatula, transfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to one day or, alternatively, place dough in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will be easier to work with if it is well-chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a small bowl and find a drinking glass with a flat bottom.
Remove a portion of the dough from the refrigerator. Tearing off one small piece at a time, roll dough between your palms into a small ball about 1/2 -3/4 inch in diameter. Dough will be sticky. Place dough ball in the bowl of sugar and roll it around until it is completely coated. Place ball on prepared baking sheet.
Continue with remaining dough until baking sheet is filled, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball on the baking sheet. Dip the bottom of the drinking glass into the bowl of sugar and press down on each ball flattening it into a disc approximately 1/4 inch thick. Be sure to dip the glass in the sugar before flattening each cookie.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are just set. Do not over bake if you want the center of the cooke to remain slightly chewy. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough, rechilling the dough as necessary if it becomes difficult to work with.

Easy Overnight Danish Rye (Rugbrød)

September 24, 2019 by Kristi 2 Comments

In the world of Nordic cuisine, this dense rye bread is an absolute essential. It serves as the base for most open sandwiches, and is an integral part of the Scandinavian diet, not just in Denmark but throughout the region. Rugbrød can be difficult to find here in the United States. Unless you live near a good Scandinavian bakery, it’s likely that the only rye you are able to find is something more like pumpernickel or a deli rye which are definitely not the same thing as rugbrød. If you want an authentic Danish rye, you are probably going to have to make it yourself.

What is Rugbrød?

Rugbrød simply means “rye bread” in Danish. It is a sturdy, dense loaf that is comprised of rye flour, chopped rye grains and is often studded with sunflower, pumpkin and/or flax seeds. It is almost always baked in a 13 x 4 inch pullman pan with a lid. This helps the rye bread bake properly and gives it its characteristic square shape.

Rye breads, particularly those baked here in America, often have a variety of ingredients added to them to enhance their color (making them darker in appearance) and flavor. Common additions include caramel coloring (no thank you), stout beer, cocoa powder, espresso powder and molasses. Rugbrød, in contrast, has very little additional flavoring, perhaps just a little molasses for sweetening. It is meant to be a very straightforward bread so that it can serve as a neutral base for a variety of different sandwich toppings. Sometimes I will come across a rugbrød recipe that calls for flavor enhancers such as caraway, fennel or anise seed in the dough, but this seems to be more of an exception than the rule. Again, simple is the name of the game here.

When it is served, Rugbrød is typically sliced thin (a little less than a quarter of an inch) and buttered liberally with salted butter. There is actually a word in Danish, tandsmør, which means “tooth butter”. It refers to buttering your bread generously enough so that when you bite into it you can see your teeth marks in it. You butter lovers know what I’m talking about. It may be enjoyed as is, simply slathered with butter, or it can be piled with additional ingredients to form the base of smørrebrød, the famous Danish open sandwich.

What Makes Rye So Special?

Rye has many unique qualities that make it quite different from wheat, both as a whole grain and in flour form:

Rye has historically been important for the Nordic region as it is a hearty plant that can tolerate poor soil and weathers cold and wet conditions better than most grains. It was the primary grain relied upon for bread-baking in the north for centuries and is still popular today.
Rye flour has less gluten than wheat flour. Gluten strands form the structure of bread and trap gases produced by the yeast so that your bread leavens properly. Because gluten doesn’t form well when rye flour is mixed with water, rye breads are always more dense in structure and have a closer crumb that wheat breads.
Rye flour holds more water than wheat flour and contains certain enzymes that convert starch to sugar. This can cause rye breads to be overly moist and have a gummy texture if not handled and baked properly.
Rye breads get better with a little age. Unlike wheat breads which are best eaten shortly after cooling, both the texture and flavor of rye bread improves after a rest of 24-36 hours.
An interesting fact: There is a fungus called ergot that can attack rye plants causing the grains to become highly toxic to humans and trigger hallucinations if ingested. Some historians believe that ergot-infested rye was the cause of the hallucinations that led to the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts in 1692. Fortunately, modern industrialization has all but eliminated any risk of ergot-infected rye as any diseased grains are removed prior to processing.

Rye’s unique qualities can make it challenging to use in a bread recipe. When I make Danish rye at home, I use a sourdough starter which is the traditional way to make it. The starter contributes certain acids to the dough which help neutralize some of the negative effects of the enzymes that can cause the bread to have a gummy texture. But I know a lot of people don’t keep starters and may not be up to the commitment that it involves. So I really wanted to find an easy rugbrød recipe, one that relied solely on commercial yeast rather than a sourdough starter for leavening.

I tried several. Some were total disasters and inedible. I’m talking sunken, raw in the center, straight into the trash bad. A few came out okay, but they were not even close to the quality of my sourdough loaf which I consider to be the gold standard. I knew I could come up with something better. I worked my way through several pounds of rye flour, testing and tweaking, until finally finding a consistently successful loaf that had the look and texture of authentic rugbrød. The keys turned out to be a mixture of wheat and rye flour in the dough (in order to help create a gluten structure to hold the bread aloft and keep it from sinking in the center) AND a method of baking that relies on using a few different oven temperatures during the course of the baking time. This helps prevent the enzymes that produce a gummy texture from developing by keeping the bread from spending too much time in the temperature zone where their formation is the most favorable.

If you make your own smørrebrød at home or would like to, please give this bread a try. Bursting with rye, whole grains and a variety of tasty seeds, it is one of the most delicious and nutritious breads out there. And using it as a base for a Nordic open sandwich will give you a true taste of authenticity. If you are new to smørrebrød, there are several open sandwich recipes on the blog to get you started:

Easy Overnight Danish Rye (Rugbrød)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

An easy overnight version of classic Danish rye bread with no sourdough.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 12 hours resting time
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time: approximately 14 hours, largely unattended
Yield: One 13 inch loaf 1x
Category: Bread
Cuisine: Nordic, Danish, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Soaker:

2 ½ cups 7 grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill brand or rye chops (see note below)

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup flax seeds

2 ⅔ cups cold water

For the Dough:

2 cups dark rye flour (I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand), plus more for dusting the pan and loaf

2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon instant dried yeast

1 ½ cups cold water

4 teaspoons salt

¼ cup molasses

Butter for greasing the pan

Special Equipment Needed:

Stand mixer

13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan with lid

Instructions

For the Soaker: Combine all the ingredients for the soaker in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, approximately 8-12 hours.
For the Dough: Combine both flours, yeast and water in a separate bowl. Stir to combine as best you can (mixture will be thick), and then knead briefly with your hands until you have a cohesive mixture. Dough will be very thick and clay-like in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, about 8-12 hours.
Grease a 13 x 4 inch pullman loaf pan with butter and dust with rye flour, including the lid. Set aside. Combine the soaker, flour mixture, salt and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until everything is thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture will be quite sticky.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Smooth out the top and sift a thin layer of rye flour over the surface of the dough. Place lid on pan and let the dough rise for 1½ -3 hours at room temperature or until it is about ½ inch from the top of the pan. The time that it takes for your dough to rise will largely depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Bake loaf with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully slide the lid off. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake, uncovered, for an additional 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately turn loaf out onto a metal cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 3 hours. Rye bread is even better a day after baking. If you can wait until the following day, let the bread sit uncovered at room temperature overnight before slicing. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days loosely wrapped in foil. Freeze for longer storage.

Notes

Rugbrød is traditionally made with rye chops, uniformly cut pieces of rye grain. They are available through King Arthur Flour’s online store at www.kingarthurflour.com. Because rye chops are difficult to find, I call for using a whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill’s 7 grain cereal mix. These mixes contained a variety of coarsely milled whole grains, including rye, and make a fine stand in for rye chops.

Adapted from The New Nordic by Simon Bajada

Keywords: Danish, rye, bread, rugbrød, smørrebrød, Scandinavian, Nordic

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

September 17, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Swedish pancakes are one of the most well-known Scandinavian delicacies, and rightfully so. Tender, buttery and most likely served with a generous spoonful of lingonberries and a dollop of whipped cream, there is much to account for their popularity. Other Scandinavian delicacies may take a little getting used to (I’m looking at YOU, pickled herring), but the Swedish pancake poses only deliciousness. No hardship whatsoever.

How are Swedish Pancakes different from American Pancakes?

Unlike American pancakes which are prized for being tall and fluffy, Swedish pancakes are thin, delicate and crepe-like. They are traditionally made in a special pan called a plett, which has thin 3-inch round indentations designed for cooking the pancakes. The Swedish pancake batter itself has many similar ingredients to American pancakes (milk, butter, eggs, flour, etc.), but the consistency of the batter is much thinner, and it does not contain any leavening agents. Most Swedish pancake recipes also recommend a brief rest of the batter prior to cooking which helps ensure a uniformly thin and tender pancake.

When served, American pancakes are often buttered, stacked and drenched generously in maple syrup. Swedish pancakes, on the other hand, are traditionally rolled or folded and served with lingonberries, butter and/or whipped cream.

American pancakes are almost always eaten for breakfast. Swedish pancakes, however, are traditionally served on Thursday evenings as a dessert following a meal of hearty pea soup. According to Food’s Ready, a cookbook put together by IKEA food services, this tradition harkens back to when Sweden was a Catholic country and it was customary to fast on Fridays. People would fill up on pea soup and pancakes the night before to help them get through that long day ahead without food.

When I was growing up, Swedish pancakes were strictly for Christmas morning. My mother made giant platters of the them, heaped high with lingonberries and butter. Not a present would be opened until my brother and I had singlehandedly cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast while the adults lingered over coffee and cookies. While I have fond memories of these special Christmas morning breakfasts, I see no reason why Swedish pancakes should be relegated to a once a year meal. So simple and delicious, why not enjoy them all year round?

Making Easy and Delicious Swedish Pancakes at Home

Use a blender to mix your batter ingredients. This creates an incredibly smooth, lump-free batter every time and couldn’t be easier. Just put everything in, let it whirl about and you’re done.
Rest the batter for at least two hours or up to two days. As I mentioned above, this will help ensure that your pancakes are uniform in texture and as tender as they can be. I recommend mixing the batter the night before so that it’s ready when you are.
Use a 10 inch nonstick skillet to make your Swedish pancakes. While those little 3 inch pancakes made in a plett are charming, they are small and somewhat insubstantial. It is just as common these days to see Swedish pancakes in a larger form, more like a small crepe. Choosing this modern, bigger pancake shape also means you have one less piece of special equipment to buy….a small nonstick skillet will do the job just fine.
Brush the skillet with melted butter prior to cooking each pancake. This imparts delicious flavor and just the right amount of browning to the pancakes.
Lift and swirl that skillet! Lift the heated skillet off of the burner before you pour the batter into the skillet. Once you pour the batter in, swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Then return the skillet to the heat. This technique may take a little practice but it makes for a pancake that is nicely browned and uniform in thickness.
Place a dollop of lingonberry butter inside each pancake. This is a little trick I learned from my mother. She would mix lingonberries and butter together and place a bit inside each warm pancake as it came off of the heat. Just a little bit of lingonberries and butter on the inside of the folded pancake makes a big difference in flavor.

This recipe for Swedish pancakes is quite easy and forgiving. Several of the recipes I tried during the testing process were fussy and often ended with fragile, torn pancakes. Not pretty. These, on the other hand, are delicate and tender but still easy to maneuver without any ripping or tearing.

So don’t wait until Christmas morning….go forth and make Swedish pancakes with confidence and ease. On any day of the week! They do not disappoint.

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

An easy and delicious recipe for a true Scandinavian classic. Tender and delicate pancakes served with lingonberries, butter and whipped cream.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours resting time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: approximately 10 pancakes
Category: breakfast, dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Ingredients

For the Pancake Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan

½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Lingonberry Butter:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon lingonberry preserves, such as the Felix brand

Pinch of salt

To Serve:

Lingonberry preserves

Butter (optional)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Make the Pancake Batter: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to rest for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, make the Lingonberry Butter: Combine lingonberry preserves, butter and salt together in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place an empty heatproof tray or baking sheet inside. Heat a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir the batter briefly to recombine. Brush skillet with melted butter. Pick the skillet up off of the burner and quickly add ¼ cup of batter. Immediately begin swirling the batter around the skillet so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Return skillet to the burner. Cook until the pancake is golden brown in spots on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Use a thin spatula to loosen the pancake, flip it over continue to cook on the other side for about 20 seconds. Transfer to a plate and add a small (about ½ teaspoon) dollop of lingonberry butter to on the top of the pancake. Fold into quarters. Transfer to oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter, wiping out skillet in between pancakes with paper towel as needed.
To serve, top pancakes with lingonberry preserves, additional butter and/or whipped cream.

Keywords: Swedish, pancakes, lingonberries, Scandinavian

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

September 13, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The high temperature in Omaha yesterday was 91 degrees. 91! It’s September, for goodness sake! Where are those cool, crisp fall days I ordered? I guess it’s not technically fall for a couple more weeks yet so maybe I can’t officially complain until then. This in-between-seasons time can be difficult. What do I wear? Is it too early to get out my fall decorations? What about setting pumpkins on the porch?

And most importantly, what do I eat? Fortunately THAT is one question I can answer. The farm stand near my house is still brimming with ripe beefsteak tomatoes. Roasted with red bell peppers and aromatics, they make a fantastic end-of-summer soup. Pair a bowl of this with a grilled cheese sandwich and you’ve got yourself an easy weeknight meal.

This simple recipe was inspired by a roasted vegetable soup that I’ve been making for years and originally found in Martha Stewart’s now defunct Everyday Food magazine (the best food publication EVER in my opinion…don’t get me started). I’ve switched it up a bit by swapping red onion for leeks and red peppers for carrots, but the basic idea is the same: place six beefsteak tomatoes that have been cored and cut in half in a roasting pan with the rest of the vegetables. Toss with olive oil. Roast for an hour. Remove tomato skins with tongs (they slip off quite easily at this point). Purée in a blender. Add broth. Done. Easy, nutritious and delicious! Oh, and it’s just as good if you make it a few days ahead of time so go ahead and prepare the soup on Sunday afternoon and serve it on a busy Tuesday evening when cooking from scratch seems out of the question. It even freezes well for long term storage.

When my kids were small and wanted nothing to do with vegetables, puréed soups like this one were one the few ways that I would be able to sneak them in. No one had any idea that this creamy, delicious soup was chock full of healthy goodness! It also happens to be vegan (if you make it with vegetable broth), gluten-free and dairy-free.

For the record, I did set out my fall decorations last week and a few small pumpkins indoors. The cozy sweaters, however, will remain in storage until this heatwave passes. Whatever the weather is like where you are, give this soup a try! It’s just the thing for this in between time.

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

An easy and delicious roasted vegetable soup with tomatoes, red bell peppers and aromatics. Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Category: soup
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

6 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut in half and core removed

2 red bell peppers, cut into ¾ inch pieces

1 small red onion, sliced thin

4 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1-2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

To Serve:

Chopped fresh basil

Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place tomato halves cut size down in a roasting pan. Add peppers, onions and garlic. Toss vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper Transfer pan to oven and roast for an hour.
Remove pan from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Using tongs, slip the skins off of the tomatoes. Transfer half the vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan. Repeat with remaining vegetables.
Add enough broth to give the soup a nice, creamy consistency. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you think the soup needs a little more zing, add the second teaspoon of vinegar. Serve topped with basil and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

Can be made up to three days ahead. This soup also freezes well.

Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine.

Keywords: soup, red pepper, tomato, summer, roasted, vegetable, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, creamy

Swedish Apple Cake

September 9, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The fact that it is time to bake with apples again brings me great joy. We’ve made some wonderful treats over the summer with berries, rhubarb and peaches, but there is something so homey and cozy about apple desserts, cake in particular. There are many, MANY delicious recipes for apple cake out there in the world, but today we will be focusing on the Swedish Apple Cake.

Nearly all of the recipes I found for Swedish Apple Cake were comprised of a very basic cake (which may or may not include cardamom) topped with circles of cinnamon and sugar-coated apple wedges. I tried a few of these and they were good, but I wanted to take the apple topping to the next level. I LOVE caramelized apples so I figured why not cook the apples on the stove in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon before they go on top of the cake? That way they would have a chance to get golden and caramel-y, something that wasn’t happening when they went into the oven raw.

This worked to some extent. I had delicious, caramelized apples to put on top of my cake, BUT the first time I went to bake it, the center of the cake collapsed. Definitely not what I was going for. I retooled the batter slightly and dialed back the amount of apples I was using. Much better! Now I had a sturdy, moist cake that was capable of holding the apples aloft as it baked.

I was almost ready to declare the recipe ready to go when out of the corner of my eye I spotted the leftover apple/butter/brown sugar mixture in the pan. What if I made a quick syrup out of this deliciousness to brush over the cake when it came out of the oven? This was the best version yet, and the syrup gave an attractive sheen to the apples making the cake even more eye-catching than it was before.

Tips for Apple Cake Success

Use a sturdy apple such as the Granny Smith. Because we are sautéing the apples slices before they go on top of the cake, it’s important to choose an apple that can withstand a bit of cooking without falling apart or turning to mush. Granny Smiths will do just that.
Take the time to grind your own cardamom. I know I say this a lot but it really makes a big difference in the flavor of your baked goods. It’s worth the extra five minutes that it takes to get the seeds out of the pods and crush them yourself.
Don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour. Vigorously mixing a cake batter after the flour is added activates the gluten and can cause your cake to be tough in texture. Mix so that the flour is JUST incorporated, no more.
Create your circles of apples so that the slices just touch one another rather than overlap. This should give you just the right amount of apples to fill the space of the cake with two circles of slices. Save the smaller apple slices for the center circle and leave the center of the cake empty.
Don’t skip the step of making the quick syrup and brushing the top of the cake after it has baked. This step really takes this cake from good to great and gives it a gorgeous shine at the end.

As we begin the transition to fall baking, let this apple cake be one of the treats that makes it into your rotation. It’s simple, elegant and delicious…the perfect fall fika treat!

Swedish Apple Cake

An easy and moist cake baked with a hint of cardamom and topped with caramelized apples. The perfect fall fika treat!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: One 9 inch cake 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Apple Topping:

3 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch thick wedges (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Make the Apple Topping: Heat butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and saute until they are lightly caramelized, about 5-8 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are evenly coated, about 1 more minute. Remove apples from the heat and set aside.
Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk sugars and eggs together in a large bowl until fully combined. Slowly add melted butter to sugar and egg mixture and continue whisking until uniform in texture. Add sour cream and vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter just comes together.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and even out the top with a small offset spatula. Arrange apples over the top of the batter in two concentric circles. The apples should just touch each other but not overlap. Reserve the butter and sugar mixture that remains in the skillet. Transfer cake to the oven and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 40-50 minutes.
Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the skillet along with the reserved butter and sugar mixture leftover from making the apple topping. Cook over medium heat until warm and syrupy in texture, about 1-2 minutes. Brush syrup over the top of the cake, particularly the apples. Cool cake for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack and serve.

Notes

Adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and Fika by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall

Keywords: Swedish, apple, cake, fall, baking, fika, Nordic, Scandinavian, cardamom

Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

September 3, 2019 by Kristi 4 Comments

grilled summer squash salad wit rye berries and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette — *Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette*

I can’t believe it’s September already! This might go down on record as the fastest summer in history…gone in the blink of an eye. But before I get ahead of myself trading in tomatoes and zucchini for butternut squash, I’ve got a delicious grilled vegetable salad for these late summer days. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, red onions and rye berries drizzled in a tangy, flavorful sun-dried tomato vinaigrette….so easy and filling enough to be a meal in and of itself.

I am a big fan of whole grain salads like this one. Just a handful of rye berries (or barley, wheat berries or farro) brings welcome texture and heartiness that turns this otherwise side dish into an easy vegetarian main. It would also make a nice accompaniment to grilled chicken or addition to the neighborhood potluck. The choice is yours!

This recipe comes together quickly with the exception of the cooked grains. If you plan to use rye berries I definitely recommend soaking them overnight. They will cook more quickly and evenly that way. I made this a few times over the last week and tried cooking the rye berries without soaking them first and they took well over an hour to become tender. With an overnight soak it was more like 50 minutes of cooking time. If you really want to get a jump on things I would suggest making the cooked grains the day before you plan to serve the salad. They will happily wait in the refrigerator for you until you are ready to use them.

Before the season for cozy sweaters, football games and ALL things pumpkin spice begins in earnest, make the most of that late summer produce. Give this salad a try!

Grilled Summer Squash Salad with Rye Berries and Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

A hearty grilled vegetable salad with zucchini, summer squash, red onions and rye berries.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: salad
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups cooked rye berries (see below)

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick rounds

3 medium zucchini and/or yellow summer squash cut on the bias into ½ inch thick slices

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing vegetables

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives

¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus whole basil leaves for garnish

¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

Combine garlic and vinegar together in medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil and combine. Add 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette to the cooked rye berries and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the grill. Place the onion rounds, zucchini and summer squash on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
When grill is heated, clean and oil the grates. Place vegetables on the grill and cook until grill marks appear and vegetables are tender, about 3-4 minutes per side.
To assemble salads, place a few slices of summer squash on the bottom of the plate and spoon on a little vinaigrette. Follow with a spoonful of rye berries. Add a few more grilled vegetables on top. Drizzle with a little more vinaigrette. Sprinkle almonds on top, garnish with basil leaves if desired and serve.

Notes

To cook rye berries: Place 1/2 cup rye berries in a bowl with plenty of cold water. Cover and soak overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse. Bring a medium size pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Add rye berries. Simmer vigorously until grains are pleasantly tender but still have a little bite to them, about 50-60 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.

*Feel free to substitute farro, barley or wheat berries for the rye berries if you can’t find them. Cooking times will vary.

Keywords: zucchini, summer squash, grill, salad,

Rustic Tomato Tart with Rye Crust

August 26, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Every summer when tomatoes are plentiful, I think about making a tomato tart. There is something very appealing about the idea of ripe, juicy tomatoes encased in a flaky, buttery crust. Add a salad and a glass of wine and you have a simple, elegant dinner. I’ve tried a few of these tarts over the years, and while they are almost always pleasing to the eye with their golden brown crust and concentric circles of ripe red tomatoes, there is always the issue of keeping the crust from becoming soggy. Tomatoes are, after all, 90% water.

Imagine my delight when I came across a recipe for a Rustic Tomato Tart in the August/September issue of Cook’s Country magazine that claimed to have solved the soggy crust dilemma! I had to give it a try for myself. Indeed, this was the best tomato tart I have made to date thanks to a few tricks designed to keep the crust crisp and flaky:

Brush the surface of the crust with dijon mustard prior to adding then filling. This creates a moisture barrier between the tomatoes and the crust and imparts a little extra flavor to the finished product.
Use a dry cheese. Some of the tomato tart recipes that I’ve made in the past have called for a soft cheese like mozzarella which has a comparably high moisture content. The original version of this recipe called for Gruyère which is drier in texture but still melts well. I used an aged Danish Havarti for my version.
Put the tomatoes on top of the cheese layer. The cheese adds yet another layer between the wet tomato filling and the crust which again helps keep things crisp.
Salt and drain your tomatoes prior to baking them. This helps draw moisture out of the fruit and ultimately leads to a drier filling and a crisper crust.

One of the other things I love about this recipe is its charming rustic appearance…no tart pan required! Simply leave a border around the edge of the tart and fold it up and over the filling, folding pleats into the dough as you go. So easy and no special equipment.

In the interest of bringing my own Nordic vibe to this recipe, I replaced some of the all-purpose flour from the original recipe with dark rye flour and loved the results….just a hint of that slightly sour, earthy flavor of rye really added to the tart’s rustic nature. As I mentioned above, I also used an aged Danish Havarti for the cheese rather than the Gruyére that was originally called for.

If you are looking to put those late summer tomatoes to use in something really lovely and delicious, I highly recommend giving this stunning tart a try.

Rustic Tomato Tart with Rye Crust

An easy rustic tomato tart with a rye crust. A stunning way to use up those end-of-summer tomatoes!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 45 minutes + 1 hour and 15 minutes chilling time
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes
Yield: 1 9-inch tart 1x
Category: tomatoes, summer
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup dark rye flour

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch squares

6 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

1 ½ pounds garden tomatoes (a mix of any variety is fine), cored and sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, divided

1 medium shallot, sliced thin

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, minced

Freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 ounces aged Danish Havarti cheese (or Gruyère if you can’t find it), about 1 cup shredded

2 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese

To Assemble and Serve:

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Make the Crust: Combine flours and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Scatter butter cubes over the top of the flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter here and there, about 10 pulses. Add ice water, 2 tablespoons at a time and continue to pulse until dough just comes together, about 8-10 additional pulses.
Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Gather into a ball and press into a disk, about 5 inches in diameter. Chill for at least one hour or up to two days before rolling.
Make the Filling: Using your hands, gently toss tomato slices in a large colander with 1 teaspoon salt. Set over a sink to drain for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Transfer dough round to a piece of parchment paper. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and roll dough in between the two layers of parchment paper into a 12 inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet leaving parchment paper in place. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to firm up slightly.
Meanwhile, shake colander to get rid of any accumulated water. Combine tomatoes, shallot, oil, thyme, garlic and few grinds of freshly ground pepper and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Remove dough round from the refrigerator. Peel off top layer of parchment. Spread mustard over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1 ½ inch border around the edges. Sprinkle Havarti cheese in an even layer over the mustard.
Using your hands, arrange tomato mixture on the bottom of the tart in concentric circles, continuing to leave a 1 ½ inch border around the edge. Leave any accumulated juices behind in the bowl. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Fold the border of the dough inward over the tomato mixture so that it covers the filling by about 1 inch, overlapping the dough every couple of inches. Gently press dough so that it adheres. Brush with beaten egg.
Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 50 minutes. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with basil. Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

Adapted from the August/September 2019 issue of Cook’s Country magazine

Keywords: tomatoes, rustic, tart, rye, summer

Zucchini Barley Cakes with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta

August 23, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The zucchini gets a bad rap sometimes, largely because of its prolific nature. If you plant zucchini in your vegetable garden, you know what I mean. They tend to come in fast and furious, getting larger by the minute. The next thing you know, they are taking up precious counter space in your kitchen demanding to be cooked or baked into something delicious. Even if you don’t personally grow zucchini, chances are you’ve been “gifted” a bag or two by someone who does. It is nearly impossible (or desirable for that matter) to eat one’s entire harvest of zucchini alone. Some of it must be shared. Know that you are doing a great service to your zucchini-growing friends when you graciously accept their home grown offering. You’ve taken a bit of the burden of preparing and consuming these bountiful summer squash off of their shoulders and they are grateful for it.

If you are currently experiencing your own glut of zucchini, either as a gardener or as the recipient of a well-meant gift, I encourage you to spare one or two for a batch of these Zucchini Barley Cakes. They make a fantastic vegetarian dinner served alongside a simple sauce of summery Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with olive oil, garlic and basil and a dollop of creamy ricotta cheese.

Salt Your Zucchini

shredded zucchini in a colander — *Salt your zucchini!*

One important thing to know about zucchini…they are about 95% water. So when you want to make something crispy from a zucchini it is wise to salt it beforehand in order to draw some of the moisture out of the vegetable prior to cooking it. This is easily done by tossing the shredded zucchini with coarse salt and letting it drain in a colander for 10 minutes or so. Transfer the salted zucchini to a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as you can before continuing with the recipe. What looked like 4 cups of zucchini when you started will shrink down to about 1 cup after salting and wringing it out thoroughly. Know that I am, deep down, a lazy cook. I would not ask you to take this step of salting and wringing if it weren’t absolutely necessary. Believe me, I’ve tried. You will end up with soggy cakes that don’t hold together well if you skip this step.

Chill

Your Zucchini Barley Cakes will greatly benefit from a quick chill time in the fridge, just 20-30 minutes will do. This helps the mixture hold together as you transfer the cakes into the skillet. Better yet, do your future self a favor and make a batch of these the day before you want to cook them. Cover them with plastic wrap and pop them in the fridge. Won’t you feel clever and prepared when dinner is practically done tomorrow night!

When you’ve had it with zucchini bread and are ready for something new, pull a zucchini or two from that pile on the counter and give these a try. Let me know how they turn out in the comments!

Zucchini Barley Cakes with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta

Delicious and hearty cakes made with pearl barley, zucchini and fresh herbs served alongside roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh ricotta cheese. A delicious late summer vegetarian dinner!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour (including chilling time)
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 12 cakes
Category: vegetarian
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Ingredients

For the Zucchini Barley Cakes:

1 pound zucchini

1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, divided, plus more for sprinkling

2 cups cooked and cooled pearl barley (see note below)

3 large eggs

3 scallions, minced (Both white and green parts)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

For the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes:

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes

3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Whole milk ricotta cheese for serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Shred zucchini on the large holes of box grater. Transfer to a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow zucchini to sit for about ten minutes and then transfer it to a clean cotton kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Set aside.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients except oil. Combine thoroughly.
Using a large ice cream scoop or a metal measuring cup, transfer a ¼ cup portion of the mixture to a baking sheet. Press down and shape gently to create a cake that is about ¾ inch thick and 3 inches wide. Repeat with remaining mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to a day. You should have about 12 cakes.
While cakes are chilling, make the Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Combine all ingredients except vinegar and basil in a 9 x13 baking dish. Stir to combine. Transfer to the oven and roast until tomatoes are soft and beginning to burst, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and add vinegar and basil.
Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to a large nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat until just shimmering. Using a thin spatula to help you, carefully add 6 cakes to the skillet (they may be a little fragile). Cook until golden brown on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip each cake over and continue to cook until golden brown on the opposite side and cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with additional coarse salt. Carefully wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and add remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Repeat with remaining cakes. Serve with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and a generous dollop of ricotta cheese.

Notes

To cook pearl barley: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add 1 cup pearl barley. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 30-35 minutes. Drain and chill. (If you are in a hurry and want the barley to cool quickly, spread it out on a baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator.) This makes about 3 cups of cooked pearl barley which is a little more than you will need for this recipe.

Adapted from Megan Gordon’s Whole Grain Mornings

Keywords: barley, zucchini, cakes, vegetarian, summer, cherry tomatoes

Easy Garden Tomato Smørrebrød

August 19, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It is both a wonderful and anxiety-producing time of the year. The tomato vines are bursting with fruit and everything is ready at once. Tomatoes begin to pile up on the kitchen counter. Something must be done and quickly. These perfectly ripe, luscious garden tomatoes are something we wait for all year long. Not a morsel should go to waste.

The solution to this glorious dilemma in my own kitchen is multi-fold. Some of these tomatoes will find their way into a tomato sauce, soup or pasta, maybe sliced thin atop a pizza crust slathered with basil pesto. But some must be eaten in sandwich form. Because there is possibly no better way to celebrate the harvest season than with a garden-fresh tomato sandwich. BLTs are a given and probably make a weekly appearance on our table during July, August and early September. But this is a Nordic food blog. What are the options for turning these rare summer beauties into an irresistible open sandwich situation?

Thankfully we have many delicious options to choose from, each one easy and doable for a quick August lunch or dinner. I’ve put together three simple favorites here for your late summer consumption. A tomato sandwich should never be complicated, but simple does not have to mean boring. Each of these sandwiches has a little something special to help elevate it to extraordinary status:

Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Skyr Sauce (pictured at the top): Buttered Danish rye topped with sliced avocado, tomatoes and a deliciously simple cucumber sauce made with Icelandic yogurt (skyr) and fresh dill. Greek yogurt can always stand in for the skyr if you can’t find it.
Basil Mayonnaise and Tomato (pictured to the left): The easiest of the three….Danish rye spread with an herby mayo (equal parts chopped fresh basil and prepared mayonnaise) and topped with sliced tomatoes. Simple summer perfection.
Egg, Tomato and Basil Pesto (pictured at the bottom): Buttered Danish rye topped with a little baby arugula, a sliced hard-boiled egg, chopped tomatoes and a generous dollop of basil pesto (prepared or homemade). By the way, I just bought this egg slicer and I can’t believe I lived without it. A serious game changer for gorgeous egg slices on your smørrebrød.

I hope these sandwich ideas help make a delicious dent in your tomato supply. September is just around the corner and it is our right, our obligation even, to see that we are sick of tomatoes by the time fall rolls around.

Easy Garden Tomato Smørrebrød

Three easy ideas for delicious Nordic open sandwiches starring the garden fresh tomato!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 open sandwiches 1x
Category: smørrebrød
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Danish

Scale

Ingredients

For the Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Skyr Sauce:

½ medium cucumber

½ cup plain Icelandic skyr or greek yogurt, preferably whole milk

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

4 thin slices of dense rye bread

Salted butter for spreading

1 avocado, sliced thin

Sliced ripe garden tomatoes

Chopped fresh chives or dill for sprinkling (optional)

For the Basil Mayo and Tomato:

½ cup prepared mayonnaise

½ chopped fresh basil

4 thin slices of dense rye bread

Sliced ripe garden tomatoes

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For The Egg, Tomato and Pesto:

4 thin slices of dense rye bread

Salted butter for spreading

A handful or two of baby arugula or other baby lettuces

4 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Ripe garden tomatoes, chopped medium

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup homemade or prepared basil pesto

Instructions

For the Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Skyr Sauce: Shred cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a medium bowl. Combine with skyr, olive oil, dill, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to use (can be made up to 1 day in advance). Arrange slices of bread on a clean work surface. Spread butter on bread. Artfully arrange avocado and tomato slices on top. Top with a generous spoonful of Cucumber Skyr Sauce. Sprinkle with fresh chives or dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
For the Basil Mayo and Tomato: Combine mayo and basil together in a small bowl. Arrange slices of bread on a clean work surface. Spread basil mayo on bread. Top with sliced tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
For the Egg, Tomato and Pesto: Arrange slices of bread on a clean work surface. Spread butter on bread. Top with a handful of arugula leaves. Attractively fan out a sliced hard boiled egg on top of the arugula. Top with chopped tomatoes and a generous dollop of pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from Trine Heinemann’s Open Sandwiches

Keywords: Nordic, open sandwich, smørrebrød, smorgås, Danish, tomato, summer, basil, easy, simple, lunch