If the weather is nice and warm I serve this soup cold.
Serves
4 people
SOUP
2 medium size leeks
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
700 g shelled peas (or frozen peas)
1.2 l organic vegetable stock
10 leaves mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper
BRUSCHETTA
8 small slices of bread
A little olive oil
6 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp lovage
30 g almonds
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
100 g feta
RINSE THE LEEKS THOROUGHLY IN COLD WATER and slice them, including the green top. Sauté leeks and onion in the olive oil, add peas and vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
BRUSH THE BREAD SLICES ON BOTH SIDES with a little olive oil and put them in the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 5 minutes.
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS FOR THE HERBS MIX, except for the feta, in a small blender and blend, or chop them finely with a sharp knife. Add olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chop the feta roughly and mix into the herbs mix. Spread the mix over the bread slices, put them back in the oven, and bake for another 5 minutes.
WHEN THE SOUP IS DONE ADD MINT. Blend the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Served hot or cold with the bruschetta.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
TIP Organic vegetable stock can be bought in health food stores.
One of my classics where you get the most out of the carrots. It is also delicious cold on a slice of rye bread.
Serves
4 people
600 g carrot, grated
1 small onion, grated
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp chopped terragon leaves
200 g skyr
4 eggs, whisked together
Salt and freshly ground pepper
100 g breadcrumbs
25 g butter
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
PEEL THE CARROTS AND GRATE THEM. Peel and grate the onion finely. Mix all ingredients – except for breadcrumbs and butter – together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
BUTTER THE INSIDE OF NON-STICK ROUND OVENWARE 24 cm in diameter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
POUR IN THE CARROT MIXTURE, sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on top, and then spread small lumps of butter. Bake the gratin in the oven for 40 minutes.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
This gratin can also be made as a real «leftovers dish» where you can use whatever fish a vegetables you have in the fridge. You do not even need to have the exact amounts as stated in the recipe.
Serves
4 people
500 g fresh spinach
600 g boiled potatoes
600 g cod (or other white fish)
100 ml white wine
100 ml single cream
1 tsp grated zest of organic lemon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
25 g butter
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
RINSE THE SPINACH THOROUGHLY, wilt it 1 or 2 minutes, and leave to dry in colander. Cut potatoes and fish in cubes.
MIX TOGETHER SPINACH, POTATOES, AND FISH in a mixing bowl. Add white wine, cream, lemon zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
PLACE THE MIX INSIDE A BUTTERED OVENPROOF DISH about 25 × 35 centimetre, sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top, and add small lumps of butter on top.
BAKE THE GRATIN IN THE OVEN for 25 minutes and serve it steaming hot.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
Serves
4 people
DOUGH
25 g yeast
300 ml lukewarm water
300 g rye flour
150 g or plain flour
1 tsp. salt
TOPPING
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
800 g potatoes
200 g feta
Needles of 5 rosemary stems
Salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR SERVING
Green salad
DISSOLVE YEAST IN 50 ML OF LUKEWARM WATER, then stir into 2 tbsp of the rye flour and 1 tbsp plain flour, stir it into a paste, let it rest under a tea towel for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, then stir in rest of the water, add the rest of the flour, and salt.
NOW KNEAD THE DOUGH WELL until it is smooth, place in a big bowl, cover with a tea towel, and leave to rise for 1½ to 2 hours. After 2 hours the dough is ready to use for the pizza.
PREHEAT THE OVEN to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH VERY THINLY in 2 squares about 35 × 35 cm. Place them on a buttered baking tray and brush the dough with olive oil.
CLEAN THE POTATOES IN COLD WATER and cut them in super thin slices, which is easiest to do using a dicer mandolin. Place the slices on the dough, and brush again with olive oil.
CRUMBLE THE FETA and sprinkle it and the rosemary over the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
BAKE THE PIZZAS in the oven for 20–25 minutes.
TO BE SERVED with green salad.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
When you buy a big bag of kale it lasts a long time, so you can make several kale dishes during the week.
Serves
4 people
300 g kale
1 onion, chopped
300 g potatoes
300 g celeriac
200 g bacon
A little olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 l organic vegetable stock
3 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
FOR SERVING
Horseradish, freshly shaved
Bread
RINSE THE KALE IN SEVERAL CHANGES OF COLD WATER and leave to dry in a colander. Tear off leaves from stems and chop the leaves coarsely with a knife. Peel potatoes and celeriac and cut them in cubes.
FRY BACON UNTIL GOLDEN IN A POT then add oil, garlic, onion, potatoes and celeriac, and sauté for a few minutes. Pour over the vegetable stock, and add bay leaves, salt and pepper.
BOIL THE SOUP FOR 10 MINUTES, and then add the kale. Let the soup simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve steaming hot with horseradish on top and some crusty bread on the side.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
It takes some time to cook pork cheeks, but the meat is fantastically tasteful. My grandmother used to put the cheeks in the sylte she made from an entire pig’s head.
Serves
4 people
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 fennels
3 sticks celery
10–12 pork cheeks, about 600 g
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
200 ml white wine
10 sprigs thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
150 g pearled spelt
300 ml water
FOR SERVING
200 g beetroot
50 g horseradish
CUT THE FENNEL IN HALVES and thereafter in slices. Cut the celery in slices.
TRIM THE PORK CHEEKS and brown them on both sides in olive oil in a pot. Add garlic, onion and fennel into the pot and add white wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Let simmer under a lid for 40 minutes, and add a little water if the water boils dry.
RINSE THE PEARLED SPELT IN COLD WATER, leave to dry in a colander, and add it thereafter to the pot with the pork cheeks. Add water and celery. Again bring to a boil and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.
MEANWHILE, grate beetroot and horseradish and mix it in a bowl.
SERVE STEAMING HOT with beetroot and horseradish on top.
PHOTO BY Lars Ranek
