PW's pasta salad, sort of

not too long ago, i had seen PW make a pasta salad with tomatoes and gouda. lazy that i was, i didn't even look at the recipe, just boiled some pasta and went from there...final product here, with teriyaki salmon.







i used spelt pasta, these are good, they're whole grain and organic.







got some mini tomatoes and gouda...







got some parsley and basil, added some olive oil and white wine vinegar, black pepper, mixed and there was it. the taste was right, but something was missing...and maybe too much gouda...

i should have at least checked the recipe before starting, the original sald was called spicy pasta salad with smoked gouda and basil. i now see the "spicy" part would have made all the difference...there was some left over from yesterday's lunch, will add some chili powder and maybe cukes, and maybe some more pasta...and will try this salad again with proper ingredients!

summer medley, of nature

it's summer. well, it was, only for a brief moment, it seems. the temp this morning was 12C and it will rain today. anyway, during the few very warm days the dog got to go under the apple trees to enjoy the shade.







he also got to smell the flowers! just kidding, he's eating grass...







this bunch was the lovage growing in a huge planter. it was getting out-of-control-big, so i decided to cut it down. all this went to the compost heap.







i did leave a few sprigs to be used in soups, etc...







...and what do you know, a week later the bugger was already this big! yes, i was warned that lovage would take over everything else. i now have a plan, next time i'm going to the cottage, i will dig all of it up, place it into a bucket and take to the cottage. let's see how it survives semi-arctic conditions!







ah, the peonies. my biggest worry every summer is that i miss their blooming. this summer it seems to take for ever for the buds to open. could it be all the rain...







back at the cottage, the lingonberries were blooming, looks like they will be plentifull again this year.







the blueberries were starting to ripen and to tell the truth, the nature at the cottage was crying for some rain. it was cracking dry and any careless spark would have spread furiously...







a bad shot? hmm, i was trying to get a close-up of the lily of the walley and the dog thought there was something interesting and got his nose in...







it started as a warm and sunny sunday, the lake was nice and calm. then the winds started to pick up volume and clouds gathering into huge pillows. at this point i was sitting on the deck admiring nature's play in front of me.







thunder storms don't usually hit the cottage, the hills around it steer the strom away, which is something we, as kids, didn't like, we thought thunder storms were fun...this time i thought that i'd miss yet another storm, but no, oh no...this hit right on us! the rain started very suddenly and by the time i had run from the deck to the cottage porch (50 meters), i was wet...







i got the full show, lightning, rumbling thunder, icy hail and it lasted for a good few hours. the downside with the storms is that the electricity goes very easily. a tree falls down on a powerline and there you have it, luckily, no fallen trees this time.







back at the shack, certain someone has got a new tenant...right by the door, right in front of your eyes when you open the door. while we were away for a week, someone had built a nest on a sill by the door (on the dog's toy-rope...)







the someone is a spotted flycatcher (muscicapa striata), notorius for making its nests in unconventional locations (shoes, hanging planters...) we think there are eggs in the nest and that the birds don't seem to mind us, or the dog, that much. we are concerned that once the babybirds hatch and start screaming for food, the dog will show a loud interest in them...will keep you posted, the birds don't seem to mind posing for pics!

smoked perch

as mentioned i was on leave for a few weeks and have now been back to work for a couple of days. it seems that there is a pile pictures needing sorting, and posting...bags and laundry all over at the apartment...bear with me, getting back to a schedule is taking longer than i thought, but i will get there. eventually.

at the cottage, the fish was plentifull...here a bucket-full of perch waiting...







...to be smoked. i might have posted about hot-smoking fish before, but here goes again. the fish are beheaded and gutted 8yes, a very messy business), rinsed and placed on a stand and the stand then droppen into the smoker itself. this was "custom made" for dad eons ago. on the bottom of the smoker dad puts alder shavings and a few sugar cubes. a tight lid is placed on top.







a fire is lit under the smoker and kept going...until the fish are done, says dad. for how long depends what kind and how much fish you have in the smoker.







when the fish are done, the stand is lifted out of the smoker...







...and the fish are left to cool a bit before...







...stacking into a container and salted...







...salted generously. the container is wrapped tightly and the fish are then left to suck in some of the salt for a few hours, or overnight, in the fridge.







smoked perch are finger food, you do need a small knife for the tiny bones.







i did cook a fair bit at the cottage, but there seemed to be so much going on that i forgot to take pics of the food. this grilled eggplant-tomato-basil-mozzarella tower managed to get photographed...







...as did this pancake with strawberry jam and whipped cream...

from garda to päijänne & bouillabaisse

i'm spending the last days of my summer leave at the cottage. the lake was amazingly calm on yesterday morning.

peculiarly shaped tree along the path in the forest.

the dog enjoys a dip in the lake after a walk, it's getting too hot for all his fur...

the nieces and nephew spent a couple of nights at the cottage as well. the dog never had so many adoring fans rubbing him all day long...

...but he did need his rest at the end.

the fish has been plentifull, perch here.

i had wanted to make bouillabaisse for a long time. decided to try a simplified (what else!) version with just one kind of fish and shrimp. dad here de-boning the perch filees.

i did the fancy-pansy mis-en-place getting everything ready, and the second i had dumped the last ingredienst into the pot, i remembered that i had forgotten to take pics...

for the soup i used:

1 liter of fish stock (that mom made yesterday with zander bones)
2 dl white wine
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried tarragon
3 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
2 carrots, diced into 1cm cubes
1 parsnip, diced into 1cm cubes
1/4 celeriac, diced into 1cm cubes
1 bulb of fennel, diced into 1cm cubes
1 can (400gr) crushed tomatoes
½ dl lemon juice
300 gr perch filees or any other fish or combination of fishes
250 gr shrimp, slightly thawed

brought the fish-stock to a boil, added the first 5 ingredients and let simmer briskly for 10 mins, then added the veggies, cooked them for 10 mins, then added the fish, cooked for 5 mins, then added the shrimp and lemon juice and turned off the heat and let the pot sit for 5 more mins.

for the garnish i mixed (with immersion blender, all together)
1 egg
1 dl rape-seed oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 cloves of garlic (grated)

i knew certain someone would like this soup, but i wasn't so sure about my parents...my mom did pic out the shrimp but dad was brave enough to try the garlicky garnish as well.

after lunch, certain someone took me out on the lake in the row-boat.

malcesine, part one

lago di garda, malcesine, from the walls of castello scaligero







one of the harbours







alpine snack, on monte baldo







everyone seemed to be drinking this so we had to try it, it being aperol spritzer. at the hotel pool...







spaghetti frutti di mare







dessert, gelato (what else?!). my current favourite flavor is bounty, on the left, certain someone tried banana.