GETTING WILD

Despite of the coooool and wet summer, nature is not complaining. It's producing all kinds of goodies as there was nothing wrong... And teaching us a lesson in the meanwhile: there's really nothing wrong, this IS Finnish summer... Extremely unpredictable,  but at the same time gutsy and  beautiful.

"KUUSENKERKKÄ-FETA-CHEESE & WATERMELON SALAD IS AT THE SAME TIME TANGY, SWEET, SALTY AND FRESH IN TASTE"

So, we have been picking the wild herbs, mushrooms (that's the benefit of a wet summer!) and trying to ignore the summer flue that goes hand-in-hand with the constant wind and rain. Nature's own cure comes from the spruce tree, KUUSENKERKKÄ in Finnish. In the beginning of each summer the needle-tree grows a tiny soft bright green "extensions". These shoots are "spruce-babies", and are forbidden to pick without the permission of the forest owner. (According to the law called "every-man's right" everyone has got a right to pick berries and mushrooms, but to pick any part of the tree you need  a permission of the owner.)

"THE WONDERS OF SUMMER: STRAWBERRIES, DIGESTIVE-COOKIE CRUMBLE, HOME MADE ICE CREAM AND KUUSENKERKKÄ-SYRUP"

Spruce shoots can be eaten just like that, they've got a nutty resin flavor, lots of antioxidants, and vitamin A & C. We also cook tea out of them, (best cure for a sour throat and a useful coughing medicine) and turn the shoots into pesto, mayonnaise, juice and syrup. The syrup's unique taste go well with meat, fish and poultry dishes, and gives a nice tangy flavor even for ice cream. That is, if you like the aroma of resin.

SPRUCE SHOOTS SYRUP

a bucketful of spruce shoots (=spruce tips)
lukewarm water to cover
☛ let soak in a room temperature overnight

In the morning:
Bring slowly to boil and let simmer on a low heat for 2 hours.
Sieve the shoots out of the liquid, measure the amount and add 50 g of sugar for each liter of liquid. Simmer on a low heat 3-5 hours, uncovered, until the mixture becomes syrupy and dark. Pour into sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator.

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SPRUCE SHOOTS PESTO

a handful of spruce shoots (=spruce tips)
handful of toasted pine nuts
2 pealed garlic cloves
100 g of grated parmesan cheese
olive oil (as much as you need to get the consistency you desire)
1 tablespoon of lemon (or lime) juice
sea salt
black pepper

Rinse the spruce shoots, drain and place all dry ingredients into the food processor bowl, process until the spruce shoots are finely ground. While the machine is running, add olive oil in small amounts, until you have the consistency you look for. Let flavors blend for at least 1 hour before serving.

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