Barley “Risotto” with Chanterelles
Spelt “Risotto” with Asparagus and Shrimp
Karelian Rice Pastries (Karjalanpiirakat)
Danish Rye and Beer Porridge (Øllebrød)
Danish Oatmeal Porridge (Havregrød)
Bornholm Rye Porridge (Rugmelsgrød)
Jutland Buckwheat Porridge (Tarregrød)
Multigrain Buttermilk Porridge (Kærnemælksvælling)
Barley Porridge with Pears (Byggrynsvaelling)
Swedish Brown Beans (Bruna Bönor)
Spelt berries, available at most organic food markets, are simply splendid when used in this side-dish salad. Far more nutritious than pasta, they have a sweet, nutty flavor and the perfect al dente crunch. For best results, make this salad a day ahead of time and place in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6–8
11⁄2 cups spelt berries
41⁄2 cups water
11⁄2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, scrubbed and sliced
1⁄4 cup red onion, chopped
1⁄2 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon lingonberry vinegar (or substitute white balsamic)
1 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup Hushållsost (farmer’s cheese), cubed (or substitute mozzarella)
1. Cover the spelt berries with the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour or until the grain is tender and most of the water is absorbed. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
2. Toss the spelt with the vegetables. Whisk together the vinegar, oil, and thyme in a small bowl; stir into the salad.
3. Fold in the chopped cheese and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving (overnight is better).
Spelt berries, rather than rice, work beautifully in this baked casserole, plump with the forest and cultivated mushrooms beloved by J. R. R. Tolkien’s heroes.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
1 ounce mixed dried mushrooms (chanterelles, morels, porcini)
Hot water, as needed to cover dried mushrooms
1 cup button mushrooms, quartered
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄4 cup celery, diced
1⁄2 cup butter
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary)
1 cup spelt berries
21⁄2 cups chicken broth
1. Cover the dried mushrooms with hot water and soak for 30 minutes. Drain, then pat dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauté the button mushrooms, onion, garlic, and celery in the butter until the onion is opaque and the mushrooms begin to brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle with herbs.
3. Place the spelt berries in the bottom of an ungreased casserole dish. In a medium saucepan, heat the broth to boiling, then pour over the spelt berries. Stir in the sautéed vegetables and the mixed mushrooms.
4. Cover the casserole dish and bake in oven for 1 hour or until the broth is absorbed and the spelt berries are tender.
By using the same cooking methods you would for Italian risotto, you can make a Nordic barley dish so creamy and decadent (yet inexpensive!) that you may never splurge on pricey Arborio rice again.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
1 cup pearl barley
5 cups water
2 ounces dried chanterelle mushrooms
1⁄2 cup hot water
41⁄2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1⁄4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup grated Våsterbotten cheese (or substitute Parmesan)
1⁄4 cup low-fat sour cream or crème fraîche
1. Immerse the pearl barley in 2 cups of water and allow to sit overnight.
2. Place dried chanterelles in the hot water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the water.
3. Pour the chicken stock in a small saucepan and warm over low heat.
4. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the vegetable oil together in the bottom of a spacious pot. Sauté the onion at medium heat until opaque, about 10 minutes. Drain the barley and add it to the pot, stirring to cover it with the oil. Cook for 5 more minutes.
5. Pour in the white wine and reserved mushroom water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to cook, uncovered, until the liquid has been reduced, about 10 minutes.
6. Pour 1⁄2 cup of the chicken stock into the barley and stir. Cook for 40 minutes or until barley is tender, adding more chicken broth in 1⁄2-cup increments as each addition simmers off.
7. In a separate pan, briefly sauté the mushrooms, garlic, and parsley in the remaining tablespoon of butter. When the barley is tender, fold it together with the mushroom mixture, grated cheese, and sour cream. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the barley is warmed through.
8. Serve with artisan bread and a fresh green salad.
Celebrate spring’s first tender asparagus with this creamy whole-grain “risotto.”
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4–6
5 cloves garlic
5 teaspoons olive oil
41⁄2 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1⁄4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup asparagus spears, sliced in 1" pieces
1 cup spelt berries
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
1 cup grated Våsterbotten cheese (or substitute Parmesan)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place garlic cloves on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil, seal the foil into a packet, and roast in oven for 40 minutes. Cool and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from the peels; finely chop.
2. Bring the vegetable stock to a steady simmer in a large pot.
3. Melt the butter and canola oil together in the bottom of a large pot, then sauté the onion and asparagus spears over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the spelt berries and roasted garlic, then add enough of the simmering stock to cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, then repeat the process for 40 minutes (adding more stock in 1⁄2-cup increments as each addition simmers off).
5. Once the spelt is tender, fold in the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the chopped dill and grated cheese and serve.
One of Finland’s most famous dishes, Karelian Rice Pastries can be served either as a snack or, when accompanied with a salad, as a light supper.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 20
1 Cup Short-Grained, Glutinous Rice (Like Pearl, Sushi, or Calrose Rice)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
11⁄2 teaspoons salt, divided use
4 cups milk
11⁄2 cups rye flour (Bob’s Red Mill works well)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1⁄2 cup milk plus 1⁄2 cup butter
5 hard-boiled eggs plus 2 tablespoons softened butter
1. For the rice porridge filling, rinse rice well and drain. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt to a rapid boil over high heat. Pour in the rice, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low, stirring rice until boiling is reduced to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes until rice has absorbed most of the water.
2. Stir the milk into the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil once again, stirring constantly, then immediately reduce heat to low. Once boiling has reduced to a simmer, cover the pot and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Remove pot from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 475°F. For the pastry crust, whisk together the flours and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the warm water to make a stiff dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter, knead it a few times, then roll into a long “snake” 2 thick. Cut into 20 equal portions. Roll each portion into a thin circle 6 in diameter.
5. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the rice porridge in an oval shape in the center of each crust. Pull up the sides of the pastry just to the top edge of the filling and crimp (the rice should show in the middle). Place on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet.
6. Melt the remaining 1⁄2 cup milk and 1⁄2 cup butter together, then brush the tops and sides of each pastry well with half of this mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from hot oven and brush the pastries with the remaining half of the milk-butter mixture. Transfer pastries immediately to a few zip-top bags and allow to cool for 1–2 hours (stacking them in the bags will help to soften the rye crust).
8. While the pastries cool, chop the hard-boiled eggs and fold into the 2 tablespoons softened butter. To serve, top each pastry with this egg butter. Karelian pastries can also be frozen, without the egg butter, for later enjoyment.
September is harvest season for apples and lingonberries, and nowhere are these two better combined than in this slightly sweet, slightly tart porridge from Finland.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
5 cups water
2 cups apple, cranberry, or cranapple juice
2 cups lingonberries or cranberries
1⁄2 cup sugar
2 apples
2 cups instant rolled oats
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Combine the water, juice, berries, and sugar in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a low boil. Maintain the boil for 10–15 minutes until berries start to burst.
2. Meanwhile, peel, core, and grate the apples.
3. Add the instant oats to the saucepan and cook for 5 more minutes, until oats are creamy. Stir in grated apples, salt, and vanilla; remove from heat.
4. Taste for sweetness and, if preferred, add additional sugar. Serve warm with extra milk or cream on the side.
Øllebrød, a traditional breakfast porridge enjoyed by Danes of all ages, is rich enough to also be served as a dessert, accompanied with whipped cream. If you dislike beer, it works well to use an equal amount of undiluted apple cider instead.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
5 cups leftover seedless rye bread, cubed
3 cups water
1 cup low-alcohol beer or undiluted apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 orange
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
1. Place the rye bread cubes in a medium-sized container with the water. Cover, and allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large pot and add the beer, cinnamon stick, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, whisking steadily, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick from the porridge and transfer to a food processor; blend until velvety smooth. Return to the pot, stir in the sugar, and heat at medium-low until the sugar has dissolved and the porridge has warmed through.
Oatmeal isn’t just beloved by the Scots. Soften this oatmeal overnight for an easy and nourishing breakfast.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup steel-cut oats
1⁄2 cup milk
5 teaspoons butter (optional)
1. Combine the water, cinnamon stick, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the oats, then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow to sit undisturbed overnight.
2. In the morning, stir the milk into the oats and bring to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the oats are cooked through.
3. Transfer to 4 bowls and top each with 1⁄2 teaspoon butter, if desired.
This is a rustic but oh-so-delicious rye porridge from Denmark’s island of Bornholm.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups coarse rye flour or rye flakes
Light syrup (in Swedish, ljus sirap) or Lyle’s Golden Syrup, to taste
Whipping cream, to taste
1. Combine the water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a low boil.
2. Add the rye flour or rye flakes, stirring to incorporate.
3. Reduce heat to low; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
4. To serve, drizzle with light syrup and whipping cream to taste.
5. Alternatively, rye porridge is delectable when topped with a spoonful of Lingonberry Jam (see Chapter 7) or strawberry jam.
Danes in Southern Jutland start their morning with a bowl of steaming buckwheat porridge, a foodway they adopted from Russia (tarregrød translates roughly as “Tatar grain,” or grain from Russia).
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups whole milk
3⁄4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons butter
4 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar
1. In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a steady simmer over medium heat.
2. Stir in the buckwheat flour; cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk the salt into the porridge. Transfer to 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar.
Pearl barley, steel-cut oats, and cracked rye provide a rich contrast of texture in this hearty, vitamin-rich breakfast porridge.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
1⁄4 cup pearl barley
1⁄4 cup steel-cut oats
1⁄4 cup cracked rye kernels
3⁄4 cup water
4 cups buttermilk
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of 1 small lemon
Sugar or brown sugar, to taste
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the grains in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in the buttermilk, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest. Loosely cover pot and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer to bowls. Sweeten to individual taste with sugar or brown sugar.
Do you have a slow cooker? Then it’s easy to wake up to a nourishing breakfast each morning—simply combine the elements of Byggrynsvaelling in your cooker the night before and let breakfast cook itself.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups water
1 cup pearl barley
1 cinnamon stick
3 pears, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Whipping cream (optional) to taste
Sugar to taste
1. Combine all of the ingredients except whipping cream and sugar in a 5-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
3. In the morning, remove the cinnamon stick and transfer porridge to bowls. Drizzle with whipping cream and sweeten with sugar to taste.
Swedish immigrants brought their native brown beans to the Midwest in the nineteenth century, and their descendants have been enjoying them ever since. Seek out Swedish brown beans in Scandinavian markets; their unique sweetness and tenderness far excel that of American bean varieties.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
4 cups Swedish brown beans (or substitute navy beans)
5 cups water
1⁄2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses (or Swedish dark syrup)
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup water plus 1⁄4 cup potato starch flour (or cornstarch)
1. Rinse the beans in a colander under flowing tap water, picking through them to remove any stones or discolored beans. In a large pot, cover the brown beans with 2 cups of water and allow to soak overnight.
2. Next day, add 3 more cups of water to the pot. Simmer on low heat for 2–3 hours or until tender.
3. Once beans are tender, stir in the brown sugar, molasses, apple cider vinegar, and salt. If beans are watery, whisk in potato starch/water mixture to thicken. Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
4. Serve warm as an accompaniment to pork or bacon.
Swedish brown beans star in this vegetarian goulash, inspired by suggestions provided in a beautiful brochure distributed by the Association of Brown Bean Growers of Öland.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
5 cups Swedish brown beans
4 cups salted water (2 teaspoons salt)
4 cups fresh cold water
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
2 unpeeled potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
11⁄2 cups vegetable stock
1⁄2 cup red wine
1⁄4 cup sweet or hot Hungarian paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
Sour cream, to garnish
Sweden’s unique brown beans, grown on the island of Öland and sold since 1885, have become endangered as demand has decreased due to the import of cheaper non-native bean varieties. Farmers are increasingly devoting their fields to other, more financially lucrative crops (like, believe it or not, pumpkins!). Here’s hoping international demand increases for one of Sweden’s national culinary treasures.
1. Rinse the beans in a colander under flowing tap water, picking through them to remove any stones or discolored beans. Soak the brown beans in the salted water for 14 hours. Rinse thoroughly, then place in a large pot with 4 cups fresh cold water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender (60–90 minutes).
2. In a large pot, sauté the onions, mushrooms, chopped pepper, and garlic in the oil until onions are opaque.
3. Add the beans, diced potatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock, red wine, paprika, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Bring to a steady simmer, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste.
4. Cover and cook for 30–45 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
5. Serve garnished with dollops of sour cream, if desired.
While many Swedes emigrated to America in the 1800s, some returned to their homeland, taking with them American recipes for things like chili con carne. Here, native Nordic root vegetables are substituted for the meat to provide a Scandinavian flair to this healthy vegetarian entrée.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
4 cups Swedish brown beans
4 cups salted water (2 teaspoons salt)
4 cups fresh cold water
1⁄2 cup celery root, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1⁄2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (141⁄2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 cup Hushållsost cheese (or substitute Monterey jack), shredded
Sour cream, to garnish
1. Rinse the beans in a colander under flowing tap water, picking through them to remove any stones or discolored beans. Soak the brown beans in the salted water for 14 hours. Rinse thoroughly, then place in a large pot with 4 cups fresh cold water. Bring pot to a low boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender (60–90 minutes).
2. Combine the beans, chopped vegetables, undrained chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable stock, and the spices in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook for 8–10 hours on low or for 4–5 hours on high.
3. Transfer to bowls and garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream.
Instead of serving hummus with crackers or fresh vegetables, try this savory alternative using Sweden’s brown beans.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1 cup Swedish brown beans
3 cups salted water (1⁄2 teaspoon salt)
3 cups fresh, cold water
4 cloves roasted garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
1. Rinse the beans in a colander under flowing tap water, picking through them to remove any stones or discolored beans. Soak the brown beans in the salted water for 14 hours. Rinse thoroughly, then place in a pot with 3 cups fresh cold water. Bring pot to a low boil, reduce heat to a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender (60–90 minutes). Rinse and drain.
2. Combine the beans and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor; pulse until smooth and creamy (if the spread is too thick, thin with water to taste).
3. Serve on rye crispbread or as a dip for fresh vegetables.