"FOREST VISIT"

Early morning is the best time to visit the forest.  The strong scent of the trees is leading the way, and bird-choir is welcoming visitors with a loud concert.

SUOPURSU

SUOPURSU, marsh tea, grows only at swamps, but is one of the most characteristics scents of the Finnish summer. It's like a mixture of mediterranean mountain herbs and the pine resin, but so much stronger, and wilder. You just have to experience it once, and that scent-memory will never fade.

Blueberries are blooming right now. It's the most delicate time of the berries lifeline; if it gets bitten by a frost, that's: "bye-bye blueberries". It HAS been snowing in Northern Finland, but these babies in the picture are blooming safely in the Middle Finland. In South we already have small green berries developing in the blueberry twigs.

RYE BREAD, COLD SMOKED SALMON, HARD BOILED EGGS AND RADISH-LEAF-PESTO, YAM!

This is also the time to enjoy the first local radish. Most Finns throw away the leafs, but they're actually just as delicious as the root itself. And, the radish-leaf-pesto makes a harmonic company for the cold smoked salmon.

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PESTO OF RADISH LEAVES AND ROASTED SUNFLOWER SEADS

100 g radish leaves
80 g grated parmesan cheese
50 g roasted sunflower seads
1 garlic clove
100 g extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon organic lemon juice
dash of black pepper

Rinse and pat dry radish leaves. Grate cheese, roast sunflower seeds and peel garlic. Put all the ingredients into the blender and make a puree. Add oil if you wish. Use instead of pesto genovese.

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