CHEERS TO SUMMER

TASTE OF MY FINLAND has been quiet for a while. Well... I've been waiting for a good reason to post someting nice and pretty. Waiting and waiting, as the matter of fact I'm still waiting.

So, I decided to tell you the ice cold truth; it's bitterly cold here in Finland. The midsummer (midnight sun) celebration is only a week ahead, yet the temperature is like in autumn, just before the first snow! And now the cold weather has even delayed the strawberry-harvest from the usual beginning of june to further of july.

WOOD SORREL GAVE OUR PICNIC SALAD "THAT SPECIAL" FLAVOR.

We're disappointed with the weather, but nature is amazing. Rhubarb never lets you down, and wild herbs pop out despite of the postponed summer. Spinac-like stinging nettle is now at it's best season, before it starts blooming. So is the wood sorrel (in Finnish it has got two names; käenkaali = cabbage of cuckoo, and ketunleipä = bread of fox). Equally delicious dandelion can be eaten also with eyes as it paints the landscape bright yellow. We do have some signs of summer, after all.

JAPAN IN MY MIND- SALAD DRESSING

Just mix all the ingredients;
2 desiliter olive oil
1 desiliter sesame oil
1/2 desiliter Ketjap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy)
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
a hint of white pepper powder
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴

We were told in the childhood that "there's not such a thing as a bad weather - there's only bad clothing". That's still true! "So, what the heck", I thought, and started the picnic season with two of my bravest friends.

FINNISH SUMMER IS NOT A SEASON, IT'S A DECISION!

Our cool (!!!) picnic season was toasted with rhubarb-mojitos, the hunger was extinguished with traditional salmon soup, and for a dessert I made double layer puddings. To tingle both Japanese and Finnish taste buds; I added some matcha-powder to the milk pudding, and strained the rhubarb pudding to make it silky (Finns normally don't do that, we just love the junks of rhubarb in our desserts). As it turned out, rhubarb and matcha make a perfect companion! (Just like Japanese and Finns in the arctic-Finn-picnics!)

TINY WILD VIOLA TASTES LIKE VANILLA.

RHUBARB MOJITO

Rhubarb puree:
chopped rhubarb stalks
sugar
water

mint leaves
white rum
elder flower juice (preferably homemade, but even IKEA-juice will do)
soda water
(sugar to your taste)
(ice if it's a warm weather)

Start making the puree: wash and cut the rhubarbs, add sugar as much as you like (fists a little, then some more after tasting) and some water. Let simmer until it's all pureed. Store in a jam jar.

To build the rhubarb-mojito: spoon a teaspoon of the rhubarb puree in to the class, add mint leaves and a hint of sugar. Then add a splash of rum and some elder flower juice and ice cubes (not in Finland) and soda water.

RHUBARB-MATCHA PUDDING

Rhubarb pudding:
1 liter water
1 desiliter granulated sugar + some extra to sprinkle on top
250 g fresh rhubarb, cut into bite size pieces
4-5 tbsp potato starch
1/2 desiliter cold water

Matcha pudding:
1 vanilla pod
5 desilitre  milk (full fat)
3 tbsp corn starch (Maizena)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2-1 desiliter matcha-teapowder

In a stainless steal saucepan; heat the water and sugar to boiling, stirring occasionally. Then add the rhubarb. Simmer uncovered until rhubarb is tender, about 10-20 minutes. Mix cold water with potato starch, whisk it into rhubarb-mixture. Bring back to boil, stirring constantly. Take the saucepan off the heat once you see the first bulb. (If you let it boil wildly, you'll end up with a gluey type of structure). Strain if desired. Sprinkle with sugar to prevent skin from forming, allow to cool.

Split the vanilla and place in a saucepan, add the sugar and pour the milk into the pan, mix well and bring to boil, (while stirring continuously). Meanwhile; mix the corn starch with cold water, and pour into the milk mixture, let boil for couple of minutes, until mixture thickens. Add match-powder, mix and let cool. Pour the mixture in individual bowls, refrigerate until slightly set, then top with the rhubarb pudding and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled and decorate with wild edible flowers.