Danish chef Trine Hahnemann has presented a selection of simple Scandinavian recipes designed for late summer, focusing on fresh, seasonal produce. The collection, featured in her book "Midnight Sun," includes dishes ranging from a quick tomato salad to a more involved marzipan cake.
Among the featured recipes is a tomato salad with goat's cheese dressing, described as an assembly rather than a complex cooking process. It calls for ripe tomatoes, served with a dressing made from goat cheese and natural yogurt, drizzled with lightly toasted coriander seeds and fresh herbs.
For a heartier option, Hahnemann offers Scandic porchetta, or "Rullesteg," a rolled pork joint stuffed with herbs, garlic, and lemon. This dish is prepared by seasoning a slab of pork collar, spreading it with an herb and olive oil mixture, rolling it tightly, and roasting until an internal temperature of 58C is reached. It is recommended to rest the meat for 15 minutes before carving.
A summer frikassé, reimagined without meat, is also detailed. This vegetable-focused stew combines new potatoes, fennel, asparagus, and pak choi in a white wine and cream base, flavored with tarragon and chervil. The recipe suggests that available vegetables and herbs can be substituted to personal preference.
The collection also includes a courgette filo tart, made with layers of filo pastry, courgette slices, spring onions, and thyme, baked until crisp. This tart is suggested to be served hot with a salad or enjoyed cold the next day.
A classic marzipan cake with strawberry cream is presented as a personal favorite from Hahnemann's childhood. The cake itself is made from grated marzipan, sugar, butter, eggs, and flour, topped with a chocolate glaze. It is served with a cream whipped with vanilla seeds and fresh strawberries and raspberries.
Other recipes include a crunchy herbed chicken salad, utilizing leftover chicken and fresh vegetables like asparagus and cucumber with a lemon-Dijon dressing, and Skagen toast, a Scandinavian classic featuring Greenland prawns mixed with mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, and dill, served on butter-fried bread.
For a refreshing option, a chilled cucumber soup is provided. The soup requires overnight chilling to allow the flavors of cucumber, shallots, white wine, vegetable stock, and fresh herbs to meld. It is served cold with yogurt and crispbread.