Chanterelle Soup

Chantrelle Soup

Summer is slowly fading away here:  the days are still sunny and long, but there is a crispness to the air that means Fall will soon take over.  Yes, I know that it is only early August.  I’m having a hard time accepting that the hot warm days are over.  I am just not ready for this.  Summer was good to us with long, relaxing days at the cabin – the quintessential “mummon mökki” or “grandma’s cabin” in central Finland.  Late nights, sleeping in, sauna & swim, fishing, berry picking, relaxing in the sun & rain.  Yes, it has been a good summer.

Lupine growing in front of the log cabin, painted the traditional red

Views of the buildings in the yard: traditional smoke sauna behind the apple tree on the right

And even though the best of summer is behind us now, there is a perk to the change in weather:

Top to bottom:  Chanterelles, white hedgehog,  red boletus

There are mushrooms everywhere.  And their arrival is coinciding with harvest time in Finland, which means that I also have loads of fresh vegetables:

Harvest from the cabin garden:  Swiss Chard, beets, potatoes

Lake views and dining under the pines

Lake Päijänne pike and chantrelles picked behind the cabin

Hot plate with a view

There aren’t many meals simpler than a one-pot meal made of stuff growing in the garden or in the woods behind the house served with bread, cheese, and garden lettuce.

Table set for a simple supper

Fresh herbs add flavor and color

Chanterelle Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion + onion greens if you have them, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Heat the oil in the soup pot and add the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is tender and beginning to turn golden brown.  Add:

6 dl / 3 cups hot water (preheat in a kettle)
500 g / 1 lb new potatoes, chopped small, skin on

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and let the mixture bubble until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Using the back of the fork, mash the potatoes roughly.  Don’t worry about a smooth mixture:  you are aiming for rough chunks of potatoes.  Add:

1 liter / quart of fresh chanterelles.

If the chanterelles are small, leave them whole.  If they are large, pull them apart with your fingers or chop them roughly with a knife.  You want bigger pieces of chanterelle.

Let the mixture bubble for 5 minutes to allow the chanterelles to cook.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then add:

1 tablespoon each fresh chives, oregano and sage, diced.  
1/2 dl of ruokakermaa / 1/4 cup half & half

Stir the soup to incorporate the herbs, remove from heat, and let it sit for a minute or two to infuse the soup with the flavor of the herbs.  Serve with fresh bread.

Serves 4 for a light supper.

Eat local.