July 17, 2012

A MINI SMöRGåSBORD


It's been a bit quiet lately here on the blog front due to the rest of my life being insanely manic. I hate this end-of-school time of year when there is so much to do, and so much sort out ready for the summer break. But amidst the chaos i took some time out & I went to visit my two oldest girlfriends this weekend (Hi  Kel! Hi Jem!).
It was a loooong overdue catch up as the last time was almost 3 years ago (3 years!!) but then i guess that's what happens when you throw re-locations to Spain, new babies & general life stuff into the mix. Time has a habit of flying by. 
It was such a lovely sunny visit; we had good chats, we drank good wine, we danced around the living room until 3:30am & I learnt a valuable lesson about offering to cook for 7 people in a kitchen I didn't  know, whilst slightly inebriated. Hmmm. 
Anyway, the night before I went off on my child-free adventure, I made this lovely Swedish mini-feast for me & the mister. It was gorgeous & as there's no actual cooking involved, it's a sinch to knock up. 



So, for a feast for two (you will have leftovers...maybe) you will need:

Potato salad
500g of baby new pots - washed & quartered
1 un-waxed lemon - rind, and juice
Fresh thyme - 2 sprigs, leaves picked
Fresh dill - 1 small bunch, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil

Smoked Salmon salad
100g watercress - washed & drained
225g smoked salmon* cut into rough strips
2 un-waxed lemons
3 heaped teaspoons of creamed horseradish
1 punnet of cress

Beets salad
1 x 250g vacuumed pack of beetroot
1x 250g tub cottage cheese
Balsamic vinegar
Greek basil (or basil) - 1 small handful of leaves only
Fresh thyme - 2 sprigs
1 un-waxed lemon
Extra virgin olive oil

To serve
1 x loaf of rye bread
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
salted butter

And you will need to do this:
1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, and add your potatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Add in a few strips of lemon peel, and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme. Put the lid & cook for about 10 minutes, or until soft.

2. Meanwhile, make your smoked salmon platter
Scatter the watercress over your serving dish/board & adding your smoked in strips over the top. Squeeze over the juice from 1 lemon, and season with freshly ground black pepper.
Decanter your creamed horseradish to a small bowl & add to the platter with quarters of your other lemon.
Take this platter to your table.

3. Check your potatoes are cooked through, then drain. Pop them back into the empty pan & allow them to dry & cool slightly.

4. Next up, make your beets salad
Put your cottage cheese into a bowl & finely grate in the zest from 1/2 a lemon. Tear in the thyme leaves & season with salt & pepper. Mix well & set aside.
Chop the beets roughly into fair sized chucks and place in a serving bowl.
Add a couple of splashes of balsamic vinegar and a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Add most of your basil leaves, season with salt & pepper & mix well.
Add your cottage cheese mixture on top of the beets, in small dollops. Scatter over the remaining basil leaves, and add some ground black pepper.
Take this platter to your table.

5. Time for the potato salad
Mix together your warm potatoes, chopped dill, juice from half your lemon & a small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt & pepper & mix again.
Take this platter to your table.

6. Gather your sides
Snip the tips off of the cress & add to a small bowl & take to the table take with the rye bread & a bread knife.
7. Tuck in before it's too late!

Recipe adapted from Jamie's 30 minute meals

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