"PUMPKIN TIME"

This time of the year nature dresses up in yellow.  It's the season of morning mist and falling leaves.

It's also the most perfect time to tuck your lunch in a backpack and go hiking in the woods. Everything tastes better outdoors, but a flask of something warming is a must... For example some pumpkin soup... (And it matches the surrounding colors, as well). The wood sorrel oil and the rye croutons are a Finnish twist of an old favorite. Aromatic wood sorrel can be picked until the first snow... But if you cannot find wild wood sorrel, basil leaves will do.

FINN-STYLE PUMPKIN SOUP

1 1/2 kg peeled, deseeded and chopped pumpkin (I used sweet Hokkaido pumpkin)
250 g finely chopped onions
1000 ml vegetable (or chicken) stock
100-200 ml double cream (or soy/oat/almond/coconut cream)
sea salt
ground black pepper
ground nutmeg
4 slices wholemeal seeded rye bread
extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
handful of fresh wood sorrel leaves (or basil leaves)

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan, saute finely chopped onions for couple of minutes, until soft, but not colored. Add peeled, deseeded and chopped pumpkin to the pan, and cook until it starts to soften. Pour hot vegetable stock into the pan, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (Taste first, and be careful with the amount of salt.) Let simmer until the pumpkin is very soft. Pour the cream into the pan, bring to boil and puree with a hand blender. (If not as smooth as you wish for, sieve the soup). Taste, and season more, if needed.

Cut the seeded rye bread slices into small croutons. Smash the garlic cloves with a flat surface of a knife, discard the peel. Heat some oil in a pan, add the garlic and croutons, and fry until they start to turn crisp.

Use the garlic for the herb oil; combining garlic cloves, wood sorrel leaves and extra virgin olive oil, and running the mixture smooth with a hand blender.

Reheat the soup, serve scatted with croutons and drizzled with herb oil.

SEASON OF RHUBARB AND DANDELION

Dandelion paints the fields bright yellow, rhubarb takes over the garden plot and stinging nettle spreads all over.

In the old times Finns picked various wild herbs to cure diseases and to keep fit. Nowadays we just hunt the unique wild flavor. Stinging nettle (URTICA DIOICA) has a flavour similar to spinach, and the leaves of dandelion (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE) remind of wild rocket (RUCOLA). Rhubarb leaves (RHEUM RHABARBARUM) contain poisonous substances, but the stalks make a delicious pudding and the most aromatic juice.

Summer is already knocking our northern door, spring dresses the nature in yellow, pink and green. Wild flowers arise like mushrooms in a rain, and the air smells like honey.
HELLO SUNSHINE,
BYE BYE COOL WINDS,
WELCOME FRESH GREENS!

DANDELION, TRAXACUM OFFICINALE, Finns call it VOIKUKKA (=the butter flower)

Dandelion is rich in Cancium and vitamins A,B1,B2,B3,C,D,E,P. Dandelion flowers taste slightly sweet, and the leaves give an exiting kick to the ordinary salads.



WOOD SORREL, OXALIS ACETOSELLA, Finns have two names for it: KÄENKAALI (=cabbage of cuckoo) and KETUNLEIPÄ (=bread of fox)

The acidic fresh flavored wood sorrel is rich in vitamin C and contains the same oxalic acid as rhubarb does.


WOOD SORREL PESTO

1 dl (= handful of) pinenuts
2 cloves of garlic
4 dl (= about 3 good handfuls of) freshly picked wood sorrel
2 dl roughly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Roast the pinenuts on a dry pan for a minute or so, not too long, set aside, once the color turns light brown. Peel and chop garlic roughly, then place pinenuts, garlic, wood sorrel and grated cheese into a food processor. Pulse to puree, pour in oilive oil and pulse again, continue, until you get the consistency you wish for. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.



SPRING SALAD

mixed greens
young dandelion leaves
wood sorrel
young radish
crunchy cucumber
halloumi cheese
olive oil

Wash the greens, dandelion leaves and wood sorrel, arrange on a serving tray. Slice radish, cucumber and halloumi. Fry halloumi slices until lightly browned, let cool.

Spread radish, cucumber and halloumi on the salad bead, sprinkle with olive oil.




STINGING NETTLE, URTICA DIOICA, Finns call it NOKKONEN

Stinging nettle is rich in vitamins; A,C,E,K,B1,B2,B3 and folic acid. It also contains calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc and lots of antioxidants. Young leaves make a tasty soup and can be dried for later use.



STINGING NETTLE SOUP

300 g boiled stinging nettle (if you cannot find, use frozen spinach instead)
1 onion
50 g butter
4-5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 litre milk
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of sugar
pinch of black pepper


Bring a large pot of water and 2 teaspoons of sea salt to a boil. Drop in the stinging nettles and cook for 2 minutes, until they are softened. Drain and rinse with cold water. Chop coarsely.

Peal and chop the onion, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent and softened. Pour in the milk, constantly stirring. Bring to boil, add the stinging nettle, then reduce the heat to medium.

Season with sea salt and black pepper. Serve with hard boiled eggs.


RHUBARB, RHEUM RHABARBARUM, Finns call it RAPARPERI

RHUBARB JUICE

young, pealed and chopped rhubarb stalks
vanilla bean
water
sugar

Place the chopped rhubarb into a pot, add a split vanilla bean, cover with water and boil until the rhubarb is soft. Strain out the pink juice, season with sugar.

➪ HINT FOR ADULTS ONLY: a dash of vodka, carbonated water and lots of ice turn rhubarb juice into a luscious spring cooler

➪HINT FOR ALL: leftover rhubarb pulp and Greek yogurt make a tasty breakfast

➪HEALTH HINT FOR ALL: rhubarb contains oxalic acid, which "eats up" the calcium, therefore it's advisable always to accompany rhubarb with a milk product to maintain the calcium balance

RHUBARB PUDDING

1 litre water
1 dl sugar
4 dl pealed and chopped rhubarb stalks
1/2 dl cold water
2-3 tablespoons potato starch
whipped cream and cinnamon to serve with

Bring the water to boil, add sugar and rhubarb. Cook until the rhubarb is soft, almost mushy. Mix the potato starch into cold water, pour in top of the rhubarb, constantly mixing. Let the precipitated pudding cool, serve with whipped cream, top with cinnamon.