June

It is early summer at Fäviken and, after a rainy second half of May, we finally have some warmth that has brought greenery with it. It’s amazing, the fields are flourishing, the sheep are back on the farm and the morel mushrooms are growing in the felled areas around us.
 
In the kitchen, we have focussed a great deal on various ways of presenting goat kid, and wild plants and ground elder, cowslip and ferns have had a prominent place on the plates as well. We gather ferns just before the fronds unfurl, then lightly salt them and cover them with whey. The whey helps to preserve the leaves and also contributes to developing the texture of the plant into something very pleasant.
 
We have also made a large batch of old-fashioned juniper drink, in which we marinate and braise the shoulder cuts from the goat kids. These are then served with last summer’s preserved tomatoes and small drops of freshly-picked and liquidised juniper shoots. Enjoy the slightly sparkling, low alcohol juniper drink with the dish of cooked meat and tomato conserve, which is absolutely vibrating with umami.
 
At Peter’s, the Brahma chickens are growing well; they seem to be enjoying their fine outdoor surroundings and the opportunity to more or less run free in the farmyard and the forest’s edge. It looks like our idea about producing the best chicken in the country is well on the way to success. Healthy, slow-growing birds, large areas outdoors and plenty of high quality food seem to be producing the right results so far.
 
If everything goes as planned, we will be receiving yet another fantastic ingredient at the end of the week, namely grayling. This fantastic fish which, when it is freshly caught and still stiff, has a scent of thyme and cucumber. Normally we store our fish for a few days until the rigor has disappeared and its flavours have had time to fully develop, but with grayling it is important to act quickly – there are only a few hours from when the fish is caught to the time when the most delicate aromas are lost. It will be served in all simplicity, with tender green leaves, a few drops of cream and a few drops of vinegar. Klick here for pictures »