"MID-SUMMER SUN, MID-SUMMER-BUN"

This is the brightest time of the year.  White nights call for white bun, naturally.
In winter time pulla, the bun, is filled with cinnamon butter... But right now the heart of the bun is made out of vanilla and milk.

Also almonds and fresh strawberries are a must in "kesäpulla", summer bun.

MID-SUMMER BUN

dough:
500 ml milk
1 organic egg
2 dl caster sugar
1/2-1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
200 g softened butter
22 g dry yeast
1 kg+ (about 15 dl) organic wheat all purpose flour (cake flour)

filling:
500 ml whole milk
1 vanilla pod
6 organic egg yolks
125 g caster sugar
40 g corn starch
25 g softened butter

plus one lightly beaten egg to glaze,
 and almond flakes (+ fresh strawberries) to decorate

Mix +42℃ milk with the egg, sugar, cardamon, salt and dry yeast,  (blended with a little amount of flour). Leave the mixture in a warm place for a half an hour. Then add the rest of the flour, little by little, mixing it first with a wooden spoon... Until you need to use your hands... And finally knead the dough on a working surface until it becomes elastic and smooth. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for one hour, (or until it has doubled in size).

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, until light and fluffy, then add the corn starch. Split the vanilla pod, and dip into the milk, bring to boil, but after the first bubble, turn off the heat. Remove the vanilla, and pour the warm milk slowly on to the egg mixture, whisking constantly.

Pour the mixture into a pot and keep whisking over a moderate heat, until it thickens. (Whisk constantly and be careful with the heat... You do not want to burn it, or turn the yolks into scramble).
Let cool and refrigerate for an hour before using.

Put the dough on a floured work surface and divide into two portions. Use rolling pin and roll out a rectangle, spread half of the filling over the dough with a palette knife. Roll up to make a long dough stick, pinch the edges together. Do the same with the rest of the dough and filling.

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Pinch the ends of two dough strips together, then braid them (lifting one after another on top), to a wreath. Pinch the ends to seal. Let rise on a baking tray for half an hour. Brush the wreath with beaten egg to glaze, and sprinkle with sugar and almonds.

Bake in 200℃ oven for 20-50 minutes, until golden brown. (Check also the bottom). Cut into slices, decorate with fresh strawberries just before serving... And enjoy the taste of the summer!

BAKING THE SUMMER BUN IN A CAKE TIN TURNS IT INTO A BUN CAKE. 

HELLO SUNSHINE

Spring-sun is here!
Trees have the freshest green leaves, birds sing brightly all day long... And days are long. Sun rices at 4, and won't set down until 23.30.

Just before the temperature turns into the summer-mode (no promises so far), it's the best time to pick the wild horsma, chamaenerion angustifolium. The shoots taste amazingly asparagus-like. That's why it's called the "poor man's asparagus". Slightly sweet flavour gives horsma another nickname "trackside pineapple".

POOR MAN'S ORGANIC ASPARAGUS.

But actually; it's not a bad choice, at all! Delicious, organic, rich with vitamin C and provitamin A, and; free of charge... Just waiting for you to pick them up!

ALL ASPARAGUS RECIPES WORK FOR HORSMA, AS WELL.

Horsma might be unfamiliar for many, but farm animals have been waiting for this delicacy all winter long. Feed the cows with horsma, and you'll become instantly their favourite human. 😊

"CINNAMON BUN & TURMERIC COCOA, WITH LOVE"

FRIEND'S DAY TREAT: HEART SHAPED CINNAMON BUN AND A CUP OF HOT TURMERIC-COOCOA.

Finns do not "love things", we rarely "love doing something" nor talk casually about love. When we're  seriously feeling for someone or something, we just "really truly like" or we're "addicted" or "inseparable". Love is a sacret word for us. Therefore we also do not have a Valentine's day in Finland, at all. Instead we have so called "Friend's day", the day that you send a card to your friends telling how important they are to you. You bake cakes for your work-buddies and give your best friend a call.

At friend's day you might see trees marked with snow hearts...

... And a picnic set in the woods, at the sunset... Smile, if you get an invitation like that... In Finnish it means "SWEETHEART, will YOU be MY Valentine?!"

HOT TURMERIC COCOA

Flavour your hot chocolate-drink with a pinch of sea salt, sip of espresso coffee, vanilla pod (split into two) and grated organic turmeric. Bring to boil, serve with love... And organic whipped cream, whipped coconut cream or marshmallows. Share with "THE ONE".

💛HAPPY FRIEND'S DAY, DEAR READERS💛

________________________

"PIECE OF CAKE"

SOME 10 000 FANS GATHERED TO LISTEN SAARA @ THE HELSINKI-CATHEDRAL.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet THE GIRL, who made the whole Finland dizzy.
Her name is SAARA AALTO. "X-factor-UK- 2016" was the stage, and our Saara was the only foreign competitor. She's a fighter; not only did she survive, but got honourably all the way to the finals, and became the first runner up! Now all the doors are wide open for this multi talented, yet  modest, super star.

SAARA IS ALSO THE TABLOID-QUEEN.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN "Saara & Adam Lambert"

This real life Cinderella story is an inspiration to many. Saara herself is a charming combination of hard worker, positive thinker and "suomalainen sisu" (= Finnish guts=never giving up FINN-attitude).

"Taste of my Finland" kept in mind Saara's affection for Disney princesses, pink colour and lush finish. The upshot: SAARA's victory-cake; crunchy meringue, roasted chestnuts filling, rose-scented cream-cloud and dark CHOCOOLATE. CHEERS SAARA 🏆

🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀

SAARA'S VICTORY CAKE

meringues:
2 organic egg whites
white caster sugar to your taste
1 teaspoon corn starch
(1 tablespoon cointreau)

chestnut puree:
2 dl chestnuts
3 dl water
1 dl sugar
1 vanilla pod

rose-scented whipped cream:
double cream
sugar
rosewater
red food colouring

dark chocolate for finishing touch

MERINGUES:
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then whisk in the sugar and corn starch (and cointreau). Using a large serving spoon, drop spoonfuls of meringue onto baking sheets lined with baking paper. Bake in 50℃ oven for an hour, or until the meringues are crunchy.


CHESTNUT PUREE:
Cut a cross in the chestnut shell. (It's easiest to lie the flat side down on the table and to cut the X on the rounded side). Roast chestnuts in a 200℃ oven for 20 minutes (until you see the skin peeling off). Peel the chestnuts, one at a time, (remember to remove also the inner skin). 

Place the peeled chestnuts into a saucepan, cover with water. Add halved vanilla pod and sugar. Let boil until the chestnuts are tender. Then discard the vanilla, and puree the chestnuts with syrup. 


ROSE-SCENTED WHIPPED CREAM:
Whip the cream to soft peaks, then whisk in the rosewater and sugar. Colour the cream with red food colour. 

ASSEMBLING:
Top each meringue with chestnut puree, and whipped cream. Drizzle with melted chocolate. 

🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀

🏆

BALTIC HERRING MARKET

Helsinki has hosted the BALTIC HERRING FAIR, silakkamarkkinat, ever since 1743. Marinated herring, dark and sweet archipelago style bread and sea buckthorn juice are the selling points. But the cool autumn wind grows also the popularity of anything that keeps you warm, like traditional hand- knitted clothes made of island sheep's wool...

Fisher boats from other seaside towns and all the way from the archipelago of Åland gather together in front of the Helsinki Market Square. All docks are reserved for the fishers, every year for one full week, starting always from the first Sunday of October.

TERVETULOA- sign welcomes visitors for a bowl of salmon soup.

Archipelagans sell fish and homemade bread directly from their boats.

Baltic herring is the star of the week, but salmon and vendace are popular snacks, too.

Some find sizzling muikku (vendace) far more delicious than the baltic herring itself.

Yesterday was the opening day of this year's herring fair, so, you'll have the whole week time to
enjoy the fish-feast. C U @ the DOCK.

"BEATS POKEMON"

May I introduce my new jogging-buddy: Mr. Foxy.

We meet every evening, at the same spot at the same time. He crosses the road (patiently waiting on the sidewalk for the cars to pass by first).

He doesn't mind human companion, although vole burrows excite him much more. When you talk to him, he lifts up his head and listens, like good friends do.

Pokemon Go, is so last season. Fox Go is way more fun!

AUTUMN TREASURES

It's harvest time. Mushrooms, lingonberries, plums, crayfish, apples, beetroots, sunflowers... You name it, nature is just waiting for you to pick them up.

This year has been an amazing "mushroom year". Traditionally July is sunny and dry, but, this year, well, just the opposite. Pity for the holiday season, but good for the mushroom lovers.

THE MATSUTAKE FAMILY TRAVELLED 13 HOURS ACROSS THE WHOLE FINLAND. 

My dear friend was having her holidays in the Northern Finland, village called Inari. And she brought  along a special treat; MATSUTAKE mushrooms! (Männyn tuoksuvalmuska in Finnish). Chanterelles and Trumpet mushrooms are the more common delicacy, but Matsutake is a rare find.

The Matsutake-family travelled 13 hours on road, so, for the starters I took them out for a visit to the near by forest. To catch some fresh air... Then I made a pizza.

MATSUTAKE-PIZZA; FROM FOREST, WITH LOVE.

The unique scent of an Matsutake is at the same time spicy and nutty, pine resin- like. With a hint of a wet wool, but in a good way. It's hard to explain. The texture is more like a root vegetable than a regular mushroom. And the taste does need much salt at all, it's pure umami. Isn't nature just amazing?!

I cooked Japanese style Matsutake rice with combu dashi (seaweed stock), tamarin soya, sake, mirin, and nori powder.

Matsutake onigiri, the triangle shaped rice treat, matches quite well with another delicacy, which is  now on season, too. It's again the time of the year when Finns sing and dance, and celebrate crayfish parties. White nights have turned into dark evenings and candlelight dinners. Mother nature is in charge of planning the MENÙ.

CRAYFISH IS IN SEASON, TOO.