Autumn harvest in Hovdala

M. was here, for most of September. We traveled all over Scania, the southernmost province of Sweden, and took occasional outings a bit further to the north.

What we came to discover is that Sweden is an incredibly beautiful country. Most people will say that this is weather-dependent, i.e. everything is more beautiful in the sun. However, I beg to differ, not the least because the few times we were caught in the rain while exploring the nature reserves deep in the forest were some of the best: that's when we tasted the most delicious apples, sighted does, were invited for cookies and tea in a castle-turned-hotel, and had some of the deepest naps, soaking wet on the bus heading back home.

As part of our roaming of the countryside, some time in late September we visited Hovdala - the site of a 16th century castle, for an autumn fair where locals showcased and sold their organic produce. Autumn is such a great season, one where we get to reap the rewards of our hard labor. Pumpkins and gourds, mushrooms of all shapes, colors, and sizes, and local apples were on display. I was particularly impressed by the locally produced honey, courtesy of the Adopt a Bee initiative. They recognize that bees are the key for maintaining biodiversity, due to their important role in pollination, so they work to raise awareness of the role of bees, increase their numbers, and make possible for the larger community to take part and contribute. We bought a jar of their honey and it was gone in the blink of an eye (I blame G. - she loved it and ate it all).

It was a really great and eventful day (G. got to feed and pet the animals, watch tent pegging competition, learn about ancient Swedish handcrafted toys), and we learned plenty about how passionate locals work to preserve their local food and crafts. Porcini soup with homemade bread and a merengue, almond paste, caramel and cream Hovdala cake, really sweetened the day. It all made me miss my garden and got me dreaming about all the new and exciting produce we will grow next year.

M. je vecinu septembra proveo ovdje sa mnom. Obisli smo citavu Skane regiju (jug Svedske), uz poneki izlet i nesto sjevernije.

Svedska je zaista lijepa, a nista to ne potvrdjuje vise od obilazaka manjih gradova i upoznavanja sa zivotom 'obicnih' ljudi. Neki kazu da je Svedska lijepa samo kad je lijepo vrijeme, ali, slucajno ili ne, neki od najljepsih nasih momenata desili su se dok smo kisnuli u sred prirodnog rezervata ili setajuci sumom. Tada smo probali najukusnije jabuke, posmatrali srne, bili pozvani na kafu i kolace u nekadasnji dvorac (sada hotel), i spavali snom djeteta, mokri i umorni u autobusu koji nas je vozio nazad kuci.

Pri jednom od takvih obilazaka posjetili smo i dvorac Hovdala - zdanje iz sesnaestog vijeka (tako dobro ocuvano i restaurirano da bi se postidio svaki nas historijski spomenik), u vrijeme odrzavanja jesenskog sajma domacih proizvoda. Jesen je divno godisnje doba u kojem napokon ubiremo plodove naseg napornog rada. Raznobojne tikve, gljive svih oblika, boja i velicina, i domace jabuke ukrasavale su brojne standove. Posebno me dojmila Adopt a Bee inicijativa koja ukljucuje lokalnu zajednicu u borbu za zastitu pcela, nudi domaci med i podize svijest o bitnosti pcela za ocuvanje biodiverziteta. Kupili smo teglu njihovog meda koji je bio odlican, i kojeg je G. pojela u tren oka.

Dan je bio zaista divan, sa mnogo raznolikog sadrzaja (G. je hranila domace zivotinje, gledala takmicenje sa konjima, ucila o starim, svedskim rezbarenim igrackama). Posvjedocili smo trudu i nastojanjima domacih proizvodjaca da ocuvaju svoje lokalne proizvode i zanate. Uzivala sam i u corbi od vrganja sa domacim hljebom i Hovdala torti od meringue kora, badema, karamele i kreme. U svemu tome meni je nedostajala nasa basta i radovala sam se svemu sto cemo saditi iduceg proljeca. Jos samo da M. pristane da izgradimo jednu staklenu kucicu (kao na slici).

The Joy of Foraging and a Porcini Risotto

Foraging. That's exactly how we spent most of late August/early September.

It was the perfect time of year for porcini mushrooms. A 70-year old friend and an experienced forager showed us around Hässeholmsgården, the forest near our house. In preparation, I also spoke to my father, an avid forager, and got instructions on how to tell poisonous from safe mushrooms, how to best pick them, and which recipes to try out.

But my first outing to the woods was disastrous. I came back home with a single porcini in my hand. The reason was that it is really necessary to train your eye to see the porcini on the ground as they are the true masters of disguise. Their cap is of brownish to gray color, which tends to blend perfectly with the color of fallen leaves. I even found some that literally looked as if they had purposefully used the leaves for cover and shade.

Very clever.

Over time, I got much better though. Soon, we were coming home with bags full of mushrooms after only a couple hours in the woods. I made porcini omelettes for breakfast, porcini risottos for lunch, and puff pastries with porcini mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes for dinner.

G. always went with us as well, but even though she learned a lot about telling which mushrooms are poisonous or inedible, she rarely helped with foraging. Her fascination lay with baby frogs, which she would catch, play with, name, use to scare our aunt, plead to bring home, etc.

Veci dio druge polovine augusta i pocetka septembra proveli smo u sumi tragajuci za vrganjima.

To doba godine je idealno za branje mladih vrganja. Poznanica koja sa svojih 70 godina i dalje vrlo aktivno skuplja jestive plodove sume, nas je uputila gdje i kada da trazimo vrganje u sumi pored naseg grada. Prije prvog branja razgovarala sam i sa ocem, strastvenim ljubiteljem i dobrim poznavaocem gljiva, te dobila savjete o raspoznavanju otrovnih od jestivih gljiva, njihovom branju i, kako on kaze, lovackim receptima.

Medjutim, moje prvo branje zavrsilo je neslavno. Dosla sam kuci sa samo jednim vrganjem u ruci. Potragu nam je otezalo vec opalo mokro lisce koje su vrganji vrlo spretno ''koristili''. Kapica vrganja je sivkasto-smedje boje i izvrsno se stapa sa jesenjim pokrovom lisca, tako da je za njihovo primjecivanje potrebno izuzetno iskusno i trenirano oko. Kasnije sam nalazila i neke koje kao da su namjenski koristile lisce kao zaklon.

Veoma mudro.

Nakon nekog vremena (i dosta naprezanja ociju), popravila sam se. Uskoro smo se vracali kuci da korpama prepunim vrganja, i to nakon samo par sati setanja sumom. Iz dana u dan pravila sam omlete sa vrganjima za dorucak, rizoto za rucak, i lisnato tijesto sa sa vrganjima i cicokama za veceru.

G. je uvijek isla s nama, i iako je naucila mnogo o razlikama izmedju otrovnih, neotrovnih i nejestivih gljiva, nije nam znacajno pomagala u samoj potrazi za gljivama. Fascinirale su je male zabe kojih je suma bila prepuna. Ona bi ih hvatala, igrala se s njima, davala im imena, njima plasila nasu tetku, molila da jednu ponese kuci, i tako ukrug.

I am sharing the risotto recipe with you since it was my family's favorite for this autumn. It is based in part on Mario Batali's risotto recipe. Since most of our foraging trips were in late afternoon, the light was not very good for on-the-spot mushroom photography, but you can find one here on my Instagram page. I am thrilled and thankful that our early autumn was blessed with the porcini feast. Another one of nature's gifts to cherish.

*****

S vama cu podijeliti recept za rizoto - omiljeno jelo s vrganjima u mojoj porodici. Djelimicno je baziran na rizoto receptu americkog kuhara italijanskog porijekla (Mario Batali). Zaista sam sretna i zahvalna sto smo ove rane jeseni uzivali u gozbi od vrganja. Jos jedan nesebicni dar prirode.

Risotto al Porcini

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
500 g porcini, cleaned and cut lengthwise
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, hot (I use plain hot water combined with 1/8 tsp of mixed herbal spices)
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Regiano, plus more for shavings
salt, black pepper


Method

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and fry the garlic bits for 30 seconds (do not let them burn). Add sliced porcini, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoons black pepper. Fry until the liquid that porcini releases has all but evaporated. Remove from heat. Transfer porcini in a cool bowl to prevent further frying in a hot skillet. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in the same skillet. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add two cups of rice and stir until opaque and translucent.

Add 1 cup of hot chicken or vegetable stock and salt, and cook until almost all water is absorbed. When the final 1/2 cup of stock has been added, stir in the fried porcini. Add butter, and stir until melted. Finally, ad parmigiano cheese and stir. Rice should be creamy but firm. Warm up serving plates in the oven. Serve risotto alongside fresh parmigiano shavings and herbs.

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Risotto al Porcini

Sastojci

2 cesnja bijelog luka
1/4 mjerice + 2 kasike maslinovog ulja
1 luk srednje velicine
2 mjerice Arborio rize
500 g vrganja, ociscenih i narezanih po duzini
3 1/2 mjerice pileceg ili povrtnog temeljca
2 kasike maslaca
1/2 mjerice narendanog svjezeg parmezana
sol, crni biber


Priprema

Zagrijte ulje u dubokoj tavi i proprzite nasitnjeni bijeli luk. Dodajte vrganje, 1/4 kasicice soli i 1/8 kasicice crnog bibera. Przite dok tekucina koju vrganji puste u potpunosti ne ispari. Przene vrganje prebacite u zdjelu. Ugrijte 1/4 mjerice maslinovog ulja u tavi u kojoj ste przili vrganje. Dodajte luk i przite dok ne postane providan. Dodajte dvije mjerice Arborio rize i mijesajte drvenom kasikom dok riza ne postane sjajna i kristalasta.

Dodajte 1 mjericu vruceg temeljca i 1/2 kasicice soli, i kuhajte uz mijesanje dok se sva voda ne upije. Nastavite dodavati jednu po jednu mjericu temeljca, cekajuci uvijek da se voda upije prije dodavanja naredne mjerice. Nakon sto dodate zadnju 1/2 mjerice temeljca, umijesajte przene vrganje. Dodajte maslac i mijesajte. Na kraju dodajte i parmezan. Riza treba da bude kremasta ali cvrsta. U toploj pecnici zagrijte tanjire. Servirajte rizoto sa parmezanom i svjezim biljem.

The Tree House

Walking in the woods can simultaneously be calming and exciting. I often get overwhelmed by the grandeur of nature; the sense of other things out there that are larger than I makes me turn inward and ponder my role in it all. At the same time, the potential for adventure (will we see any animals?, will we discover new plants?, or, in particularly extreme cases, what if we get lost?) pushes me forward to walk the new grounds with a racing heartbeat.

The forests are beautiful, simple yet grand, and it is easy to experience a sense of belonging among the trees.

*****

Setnja sumom moze istovremeno biti i umirujuce i uzbudljivo iskustvo. Suma (i sav zivot koji vrvi u njoj) je odusevljavajuce grandiozna. Spoznaja da je svijet prepun stvari koje su vece od mene ucini da se zapitam koja je moja uloga i sta zelim da bude moja uloga u svemu tome. U isto vrijeme, vodi me osjecaj uzbudjenja: hocemo li naici na divlje zivotinje?, hocemo li otkriti nove biljke?, ili, u ekstremnim situacijama, sta ako se izgubimo?

Suma ocarava svojom jednostavnoscu. Ja svaki put osjetim da joj pripadam.

On a lovely, warm summer day, just a few days after I arrived back to Sweden, my family suggested that they take me out for a hike. We'll show you the tree house, G. promised, excitedly. I accepted, excitedly. I believe she would love to live in a tree house, if only it were possible.

We set out for a hike and the road takes us to the shores of Finja lake (Finjasjon). We take in the sight of the calm, dark blue lake, and proceed to walk up a small hill. G. chases butterflies as we climb. The south of Sweden is stubbornly flat, and yet I was surprised with the view at the top: endless green and golden valleys and hillocks spread far in the distance (You can see entire Sweden from here, M. would later joke).

*****

Nekoliko dana nakon sto sam se vratila u Svedsku, moji su predlozili da napravimo izlet u prirodi. Pokazat cemo ti tree house!, obecala mi je G., sa uzbudjenjem. Ja sam prihvatila sa vjerovatno jednakim uzbudjenjem.

Na dvadeset minuta voznje biciklima od naseg grada nalazi se Finja jezero. Odmorili smo se na obali mirnog jezera i nastavili do obliznjeg brda. G. je trcala za leptirovima dok smo se peli uzbrdo. Jug Svedske je tvrdoglavo ravan, i, iako sam to znala od ranije, kad smo stigli na vrh ipak sam bila zatecena: beskrajna zelena i zlatna polja prostiru se u nedogled (M. ce kasnije u sali prokomentarisati: Odavdje vidis citavu Svedsku.).

The tree house was almost at the top of the hill, right at the entrance to the forest. It doubles as a restaurant, blending well with the surrounding nature. We walked in the woods behind it; the sun was peeking through the tall tree branches. Finally, we ended at a flat, sun-kissed hilltop.

G. ran around, her laughter echoing in the stillness around us. She is calling for us, telling us that she has discovered an apple tree. It is perfectly ripe and we pick some of its fruit. Delicious and refreshing. There are also blackberry bushes all around. An unexpected feast.

We rest here, munching on apples and watching the sun set. On our way back home, I realize I have left my jacket behind. G. remembers I dropped it on the ground when I was helping her reach for the apples. We drive back and I climb the hill alone while they all wait for me at the bottom.

*****

Tree house se nalazi na samom vrhu brda, na ulazu u sumu. Koristi se kao restoran, i svojom gradnjom ne narusava prirodni ambijent. Setnju smo nastavili kroz sumu i izasli na osuncan plato na vrhu brda.

G. trci uokolo a njen osmijeh odjekuje u tisini koja je oko nas. Doziva nas, otkrila je drvo jabuke sa savrseno zrelim plodovima. Uberemo nekoliko plodova, socni su i osvjezavajuci. Otkrivamo i grm zrele kupine u blizini. Neocekivana gozba.

Napravimo pauzu ispod jabukovog drveta, uzivajuci u jabukama i posmatrajuci zalazak sunca. Pri povratku kuci, shvatim da sam negdje zaboravila jaknu. Gabi se sjeti da sam je spustila na tlo kad sam joj pomagala da ubere jabuku. Vozimo se natrag do podnozja brda, i dok one ostaju u podnozju, ja se sama penjem uzbrdo.

The sun has already set and a bluish shadow is covering the grass. It is eerily quiet and I hear nothing but my footsteps in the grass; the nature is getting ready to rest for the day. As I am walking to where the apple tree is, I spot my jacket from the distance and breathe a sigh of relief. Someone has found it and hung it on a nearby bush. My heart warms at the thought of a kind stranger.

My jacket in hand, I run down the hill.

Thank goodness you found your jacket, says G. while showing me the photo of the moon that she just took. Thank goodness for this lovely day, I think to myself.

*****

Sunce je vec zaslo i plava sjena prekriva travu. Jezivo je tiho; priroda se sprema za pocinak. Iz daljine ugledam drvo jabuke i na grmu pored, okacena na grani bijeli se moja jakna. Neko nepoznat ju je nasao i okacio na granu grma. Nasmjesim se na pomisao o ljubaznom strancu.
Sa jaknom u ruci, sjurim niz brdo.

G. je sretna jer sam pronasla jaknu. Smijesi se i pokazuje mi fotografiju mjeseca koju je upravo napravila. Ja sam zahvalna na ovom divnom danu.

Apple and Walnut Bundt Cake


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 vanilla bean
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups grated apples
1 cup roasted, chopped walnuts


Method

Preheat the oven to 200 C (325 F).

Roast walnuts for 5 minutes in a warm oven, stirring occasionally. Whisk oil with sugar, and add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla seeds. Sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, and baking soda). Add to the mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts.

Coat the bundt pan with oil, carefully greasing every nook and cranny. Sift the flour all over the bottom and the sides of the pan. This will help the cake not stick and come out of the pan easily when baked. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and serve. Note: I used mini bundt cake pans, and one medium size pan. The measurements in this recipe are meant for a standard size bundt pan.

*****

Bundt torta sa jabukama i orasima


Sastojci

2 1/2 mjerice brasna
1/2 kasicica soli
1/2 kasicice sode bikarbone
1 stapic vanilije
3 jaja
1 1/2 mjerice secera
1 1/4 mjerice maslinovog ulja
3 mjerice narendanih jabuka
1 mjerica przenih, nasitnjenih oraha


Priprema

Zagrijati pecnicu na 200 C (325 F).

Proprzite orahe u toploj pecnici (oko 5 minuta, uz povremeno mijesanje). Rucno umutite ulje sa secerom, i dodajite jedno po jedno jaje, uz mijesanje. Dodajte i zrna vanilije. Prosijte, ili pomijesajte, suhe sastojke (brasno, sol i sodu). Dodajte ih prethodnoj smjesi i umutite. Umijesajte jabuke i orahe.

Pazljivo nauljite posudu za pecenje bundt torte, prekrivajuci uljem citavu povrsinu. Nakon toga pobrasnite nauljene dijelove. Na ovaj nacin torta ce se nakon pecenja lakse odvojiti od posude. Pecite tortu 45 minuta. Ohladite je 30 minuta prije vadjenja. Pospite mjesavinom cimeta i secera, i servirajte. Napomena: Ja sam koristila manje kalupe i dobila osam manjih tortica i jednu tortu srednje velicine.

Chokeberries and a Day at the Beach

Sweden is having the most gorgeous summer.

I have been biking outside every day, just soaking in the beautiful weather and nature. We live in a small town with a forest five minutes away from our house, a lake fifteen minutes away by bike, and green fields pretty much everywhere.  I am loving it.

And with all the time we spend outdoors, a little bit of foraging was inevitable. That's how we stumbled upon chokeberries.

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Ljeto u Svedskoj je savrseno.

Svaki dan sam u prirodi, vozim bicikl, lutam nepoznatim poljima, odmaram. Zivimo u malom gradu sa sumom na pet minuta od nase kuce, jezerom na petnaest minuta voznje biciklom, i zelenim livadama svuda okolo.

Zaljubila sam se.

Setajuci sumom, nailazimo na njene brojne jestive plodove. Danas pisem o aroniji, a u narednim postovima o vrganjima, jabukama, bobicama zove i kupinama.

Unusual name, I agree. I assume it comes from its somewhat dry texture (It makes you purse your lips, my friend Ana says). That feature comes as an even bigger surprise since they look a lot like blueberries, but turn out not to be quite as juicy. 

Having read about them, however, I've learned that supposedly chokeberries might be some of the most powerful superfoods out there (there's even been some actual scientific research done to investigate their properties).

*****

O aroniji sam ranije cula ali je nisam nikada do sada imala priliku probati. Cvrsta na dodir i slicna borovnici, za aroniju kazu da je mozda najzdraviji plod koji postoji. Slicnost sa borovnicom ne ide dalje od izgleda, jer je aronija mnogo manje socna od borovnice, cak i trpka.

Bilo je uzbudljivo otkrivati ovu novu biljku, citati o njoj, ispitivati njen okus, njena svojstva. Zapravo sam odusevljena da nesto sto se tako jednostavno bere, cisti, ne kvari brzo, i sto nam nudi toliko dobrog u svom sastavu, zapravo uopste i postoji. Inspirisana sam.

So far, I have foraged around five kilograms. Some of it we ate, while most of it I cleaned, packed in portion-size mini plastic bags, and froze. We are looking at a winter-full of chokeberry muesli, chokeberry smoothies, and an occasional dessert.
And we will be going back for more.

I struggled researching for a recipe that uses chokeberries. There is quite a few out there, but I wanted to find one that does not require thermal processing, as I wanted them to retain their healthful properties. This recipe in part fulfills that condition.

It was adapted from a local store magazine (it used blueberries where I use chokeberries, and there are a few other adjustments). Swedes use deciliters instead of cups, so I am posting it just as I first read it. You can use one of the many scale convertors online to help you adjust the recipe to your preferred measurements, so it should not be a problem.

*****

Do sada sam ubrala oko pet kilograma aronije. Nesto smo odmah pojeli, a vecinu sam ocistila, spakovala u mini vrecice i zamrznula. Ove zime obogatit cemo muesli i vocne sokove aronijom (mozda cak i poneki dezert).

Naravno, uskoro idem nabrati jos.

Nije bas bilo lako naci recept za desert sa aronijom. Zapravo, postoji dosta recepata ali u vecini se aronija termicki obradjuje. Ja sam htjela da to izbjegnem kako bih sacuvala njena hranjiva svojstva. I recept koji sam odabrala tek djelomicno zadovoljava ovaj uslov.

Prilagodila sam ga na osnovu recepta sa borovnicama koji sam nasla u lokalnom magazinu.

Citrus Cake with Quark and Chokeberries

Ingredients

210 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 spring of lemon balm (Melissa)
1 lemon
3 eggs
3 dl sugar (I used 2 dl of stevia and 1 dl plain sugar)
11/2 dl olive oil

quark cheese
chokeberries

Method

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine half a cup chokeberries, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp water. When chokeberries begin to soften and the sugar has dissolved, mash them with fork until they resemble jam. Cool in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 175 C.

Cover the bottom of a springform pan with baking paper and dust it with coconut flakes. Coat the sides of the pan with butter. Set aside.

Sift flour and baking powder. Finely chop lemon balm leaves and grate the zest of the lemon. Whisk the egg and sugar until fluffy. Add lemon balm, lemon zest, milk and olive oil, and mix. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into the springform pan.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until the tester inserted in the middle is dry. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Squeeze 1 tbsp of lemon juice, combine it with half a cup of quark, and stir. Spread this on top of the cake and layer over the cooled jam as well. Sprinkle fresh chokeberries and lemon balm over top. Serve with tea or a drink of your choice.

Citrus kolac sa kvark sirom i aronijom

Sastojci

210 g brasna
2 kasicice praska za pecivo 
nekoliko grancica melise
1 limun
3 jaja
3 dl secera (ja sam koristila 2 dl stevije i 1 dl obicnog secera)
11/2 dl maslinovog ulja

kvark sir (ili krem sir)
bobice aronije
kokosovo brasno

Priprema

U manjoj serpi pomijesajte pola mjerice bobica aronije, 1 kasiku secera i 1 kasicicu voe. Kad bobice omeksaju a secer se otopi, viljuskom izgnjecite bobice dok smjesa ne pocne liciti na dzem. Ohladite u frizideru.

Ugrijte pecnicu do 175 C.

Prekrijte dno posude za pecenje sa masnim papirom i po njemu pospite kokosovo brasno. Maslacem namazite strane posude za pecenje.

Prosijte brasno i prasak za pecivo. Usitnite listove melise i naribajte koricu limuna. Rucno umutite jaja i secer. Dodajte melisu, koricu limuna, mlijeko i maslinovo ulje, i pomijesajte ih. Dodajte suhe sastojke i umutite smjesu. Uspite smjesu u posudu za pecenje.

Pecite kolac 30 minuta i ostavite da se ohladi. Pomijesajte jednu kasiku limunovog soka sa pola mjerice kvarka. Premazite povrsinu kolaca sirom, a preko njega stavite komadice zagrijanih i izgnjecenih bobica aronije. Ukrasite svjezim bobicama aronije i listicima melise. Servirajte uz caj ili neko drugo toplo pice.

The photographs from this post come from both our chokeberry-picking day and a bike trip to the beach. My niece takes part in all our activities, she learns and has fun (All the creatures love me, she says. Bugs, bees, butterflies, frogs. That must be 'cause they can see that I am such a good person.). Her boundless energy is truly captivating. When we're biking, she always wants to go first (we compromise depending on how safe the road is at any given moment).

And whatever we're doing, she wants to help.

Pictured with her in the photo are two of the three ducks we've been feeding at the lake. She named them Smiley, Eatey, and Surprisey (elaborate explanations for name choices, however unnecessary, do exist). There is also Swimmy who usually dives in the distance while we watch intently, each hoping to be the first one that spots Swimmy when it comes up for air. Not sure how much of all this I would notice if she weren't around, so I cherish it.

*****

Moja mala sestricna G. vrlo aktivno ucestvuje u svim nasim avanturama u prirodi. Uzivam posmatrati je dok uci i gradi svoj odnos sa prirodom (Sve zivotinje me vole, kaze ona. Bube, pcele, zabe, leptirovi. Mora da je to zato sto prepoznaju da sam ja dobra osoba.). Njena energija nema granice. Kad smo na biciklima, ona mora biti prva (uglavnom pokusavamo naci kompromis), a sve oko nas popraceno je narativnim sadrzajem.

Na slici iznad sa njom su dvije od tri patke koje smo hranili pri odlascima na jezero. Dala im je imena u skladu sa njihovim najistaknutijim karakteristikama. Cetvrta patka je uvijek na pucini; mi je posmatramo kako roni i takmicimo se ko ce je prvi primijetiti kad se pojavi na povrsini vode. Ne znam koliko bih primjecivala sve to da G. nije sa mnom, zato cijenim svaki trenutak s njom.

Summer savory

I owe you the photo story of one of our last trips to the mountains before I returned to Sweden.

I don't even know how I got M. to come, which is, when I think about it, how it happens most of the time. But he always enjoys it and keeps telling me it was a good idea to go hiking and such.

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Dugujem vam foto pricu naseg posljednjeg planinarenja prije nego sam se vratila u Svedsku.

Kao i obicno, ne znam ni kako sam uspjela nagovoriti M. da odemo do Umoljana, jer su dani bili dugi i topli, a obaveza i previse. Ali, nekako je pristao i mislim da mu je bilo lijepo.

Originally, I wanted us to go and get some more elderflower. The joy of it was that we ended up discovering two more elder trees (we laughed about not having spotted them earlier, even though they are sort of difficult to miss).

We picked a few flower heads and kept on walking to the nearby spring. All along the way we were stumbling upon trees of wild cherries. M. climbed up one tree and filled up half of a paper bag with cherries. People usually don't eat them but I don't really see why (not). They are more sour than the ordinary ones and not as meaty, but they do have their own special something.

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Ideja je bila da idemo brati jos zove na istom mjestu gdje smo brali i ranije. Na nase iznenadjenje, na samom pocetku puta naisli smo na jos dva drveta zove (smijali smo se kako ih nismo ranije primijetili, jer, vjerujte, ova dva je bilo jako tesko promasiti).

Ubrali smo nekoliko cvjetova i odlucili prosetati do obliznjeg izvora. Citavim putem nailazili smo na neobrane, divlje tresnje. M. se popeo na jedno drvo i nabrao pola fiseka, da probamo. Znam da se one inace ne jedu ali ne razumijem bas zasto. Da, kiselije su od standardnih tresanja i nisu previse mesnate, ali definitivno imaju svoj sarm.

Once you walk further away from the village, the nature takes over the sounds and smells completely. Nothing but the buzzing of bees, wind in the trees, and an occasional bird. And, oh, the fragrance that is in the air. The smell of multiple flower heads awash in the warmth of the sun.

We came upon a meadow filled with summer savory and yarrow. Working as a team, we sat down and filled up our bags. I always leave amazed at how much the nature gifts us with.

*****

Kad se tako udaljite od naseljenog mjesta, u jednom trenutku ne cujete nista vise od vlastitih koraka i zvukova prirode. Zujanje pcela, vjetar u krosnjama, poneka ptica. Meni su vrlo dragi mirisi, a planine Bjelasnice u ovo doba odisu raznovrsnim biljem koje je svuda uokolo. Tako smo naisli na livadu prepunu cvjetova kunice i cubra.

Sjeli smo u travu i brali, u drustvu sa skakavcima i pcelama koje su zujale oko nas. Uvijek me dojmi velikodusnost s kojom nam priroda daruje svoja blaga.

When we arrived home, I washed the savory (and yarrow) under the gentle stream of water, patted them with a soft towel and spread on a clean cotton towel to dry. I kept them in a cool place until they were fairly dry and then I packed them in small bags to have for the winter teas and spicing up of our summer meals.

I have used summer savory to flavor cooked green beans, and have discovered a delicious recipe for an herb, summer savory sauce to serve along grilled portobello mushrooms. Savory is a great replacement for pepper and I have enjoyed using it in my cooking. 

Yarrow tea was favorite of M.'s paternal grandfather. M. likes preparing it, and every time I drink it I feel a strong connection to the man I never knew but who, like I, loved yarrow tea very much. 

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Kad smo stigli kuci, ocistila sam stabljike i cvjetove cubra, kao i kunicu. Oprala sam ih pod tankim mlazom vode, lagano posusila mekanim rucnikom i rasirila na cisti, pamucni stolnjak. Cuvala sam ih u hladnoj i prozracnoj sobi dok se nisu dovoljno osusile, a zatim sam ih spakovala u male vrecice. Zimi cemo od njih praviti mirisni caj, a ljeti cubar stavljati u jela sa povrcem.

Zapravo, svaki put kad sam pravila buraniju ovih ljetnih dana, dodavala sam dvije do tri smrvljene stabljike cubra. Nasla sam i ukusan recept za biljni sos od cubra koji se servira sa vrganjima. Cubar daje aromu slicnu biberu, a dobar je i jer, za razliku od bibera, nikada ne uznemirava probavne organe.

Caj od kunice bio je omiljeno pice M.-ovog djeda sa oceve strane. M. ga voli pripremati a ja se svaki put kad ga pijem osjetim povezanom sa covjekom kojeg nikad nisam niti poznavala, ali koji je, kao i ja, volio caj od kunice.

Of course I already miss the beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina, but there is also so much going on in Sweden and I cannot wait to tell you all about it. We are finishing up the blog redesign too, and new recipes are coming up soon. 

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Naravno, prelijepa Bosna i Hercegovina mi vec jako nedostaje. Ali i u Svedskoj se u ovih nekoliko dana otkako sam se vratila toliko toga desavalo da jedva cekam da vam sve pricam. Zavrsavamo sa redizajniranjem bloga (kako vam se cini?), a spremam i nove recepte, pa vise o svemu u narednim danima.

Elderflower Picking and a Summer Tradition

Running off to the mountains and foraging for the edible gifts of wild nature has come to be one of my favorite things to do. Early July is just perfect to go hunting for one of our favorites - elderflower. We did it last year and I was excited that that time of year has come again.

Elderflower blooms somewhat later in the high mountains, but we patiently wait in order to get to the most fragrant flowers, blooming away from the urban impurities. M. is already used to enjoying the refreshing syrup we make from the flowers - he says that it is second only to water. 

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Uvijek se radujem ideji bjega u planine i potrage za jestivim plodovima divlje prirode. Rani juli je savrsen za branje zove koja u to doba cvate u planinskim dijelovima. Njeni cvjetovi su veliki i bijeli, cesto tesko dostizni. Brali smo je prosle godine i sa radoscu smo docekali (i planirali!) i ovaj put. M. je vec navikao da se osvjezava sokom od zove u vrucim ljetnim mjesecima. Po njemu je sok od zove, nakon vode, najukusnije pice. 

I thought to play around and use the syrup to flavor some mini cakes. I found and worked around a lovely, simple recipe for elderflower flavored mini cakes. I separated about four large flower heads and mixed them in a tightly closed jar with 500 g of sugar. I let it sit for a couple days, removed the flowers and was left with elderflower-flavored sugar to use in cooking. 

Most of the cake flavor comes from adding the elderflower syrup into the mix (you used way too much, M. said with a pretend frown). But, he loved the cakes. Honestly, I was unsure if he would like the subtle elderflower aroma in a cake, but he said that they were perfect! The cakes are very soft and buttery, while the cream cheese and elderflower syrup in the icing provide for a sweet and citrus-like, cooling combo. I often mention that he lacks the sweet tooth, so I get very excited when he gets very excited over something sweet I made.

*****

Nekoliko dana prije nego cemo ici da beremo zovu, nasla sam i prilagodila jednostavan recept za tortice sa okusom zove. Odvojila sam i cetiri velika cvijeta zove i cvrsto ih zatvorila u teglu sa 500 g secera. Nakon dva dana izvadila sam cvjetove i dobila secer sa blagom aromom zove koji cu koristiti u pripremi kolaca. 

Veci dio arome zove u torticama dolazi od dodavanja u smjesu sirupa od zove (previse si potrosila, rekao je M., djecije se mrsteci). Srecom, bio je odusevljen torticama. Nisam bila sigurna kako ce se konzervativcu kao sto je on dopasti okus zove u kolacima, ali on je rekao da su savrseni! Tortice su mekane i rahle, a kombinacija krem sira i sirupa od zove osvjezavala je i hladila. Vise puta sam pisala da on nije ljubitelj kolaca, tako da se svaki put odusevim ako njega odusevi neki kolac koji sam pravila.

The nature was lovely, and our elderflower picking turned into a leisurely walk through the peaks and valleys of Bjelasnica. I was yet again amazed at the incredible richness of nature's beauty. The same valley will look completely different in a different season, even at the different times of a day. Different flowers bloom, different animals are heard and/or seen (we spotted an eagle!), and sun and the shadows play its own game. There is always, always, something new to be seen.

*****

Priroda je bila ocekivano divna, i nase branje zove pretvorilo se u opustajucu setnju brdima i dolinama Bjelasnice. Jos jednom me odusevila raskosna ljepota divljine. Jedna ista udolina izgledat ce potpuno drugacije u razlicitim sezonama, cak i u razlicitom dobu dana. Drugaciji cvjetovi ce cvjetati, druge zivotinje se se oglasavati (ovaj put smo vidjeli orla!), a sunce i sjenke vodit ce neku svoju igru. Uvijek, uvijek, moze se vidjeti nesto novo.

This time, it was the smell of freshly cut tall grass and meadows in full bloom, and the sight of villagers working hard in small groups to build haystacks. Everyone smiles, everyone says hello back. We carry our paper bags filled with elderflower heads back to our car, stop many times on the road back to admire the sight of a shepherd, his dog, and several sheep, grazing at the edge of the hill, take in the beauty of the yarrow field, and laugh at a lone donkey moving funny next to a single tree on a steep, green hillside.  

July, we are looking forward to you, again.

Ovaj put, bio je to miris svjeze pokosene visoke trave i livada u punom cvatu, te prizor seljaka koji su napornim radom u malim grupama pravili plastove sijena. Svi se smijese, svi toplo uzvracaju na nase pozdrave. Mi nosimo vrecice napunjene cvjetovima zove natrag do automobila, zaustavljamo se na putu za grad diveci se prizoru pastira, njegovog psa i nekoliko ovaca, koje pasu na samoj ivici brda, uzivamo u bjelini polja kunice, i smijemo se smusenom magarcu koji luta zelenom padinom u blizini usamljenog drveta.

Juli, vec ti se, opet, radujemo.

Elderflower mini cakes (makes 12)

Ingredients

175 g butter (room temperature)

175 g elderflower or regular sugar

175 g plain flour

3 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

5 tbsp elderflower cordial

1/8 tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Cream together butter and sugar (around 5 minutes if the butter has softened). In a different bowl, gently combine the eggs and the elderflower cordial. Add one tablespoon of flour to the butter and sugar mixture, while mixing on low, and then add the eggs and cordial mixture while mixing constantly. Slowly add the remainder of the flour sifted with the baking powder and salt. Mix until incorporated.

Fill the muffin/cupcake tins about 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cakes are golden on top and they bounce back when touched. Serve dusted with sugar or decorated with icing (recipe follows).

The Icing

Ingredients

110 g softened, unsalted butter

200 g icing sugar

2 tbsp elderflower cordial

50 g cream cheese

Method

Cream butter and icing sugar for around 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and elderflower cordial, and beat by hand until the mixture is incorporated. Decorate the cupcakes.

Tortice sa aromom zove (za 12 tortica)

Sastojci

175 g maslaca (na sobnoj temperaturi)

175 g zovinog ili obicnog secera 

175 g brasna

3 jajeta

1 kasicica praska za pecivo 

5 kasika sirupa od zove 

1/8 kasicice soli

Priprema

Zagrijte pecnicu na 180 C (350 F). Mikserom umutite maslac i secer (oko pet minuta). U odvojenoj zdjeni, lagano rukom umutite jana i sirup. Seceru i maslacu dodajte jednu kasiku brasna, a zatim jaja i sirup,  muteci konstantno. Postepeno dodajite ostakat brasna koje ste prosijali sa praskom i soli. Mijesajte dok se smjesa ne sjedini.

Napunite kalupe za tortice do 2/3 i pecite 18-20 minuta. Tortice ce biti zlatnozute boje i mekane na dodir. Servirajte posuto secerom u prahu ili ukraseno kremom (recept ispod). 

Krema (Icing)

Sastojci

110 g omeksalog, neslanog maslaca

200 g secera u prahu

2 kasike sirupa od zove 

50 g krem sira

Priprema

Mikserom mutite maslac i secer u prahu oko pet minuta, dok smjesa ne postane prozracna i blijedozute boje. Dodajte krem sir i sirup od zove, te mutite dok se smjesa ne sjedini. Ukrasite tortice po zelji.