Rosemary Rhubarb Yogurt Parfait(left); Tomato Jam & Cheddar on Archipelago bread (right)

Tomato is a fruit and Rhubarb is a vegetable.  !?  This is what I pondered today while I was cooking them into preserves.

This always confused me a bit as kid.  Tomato was most frequently experienced through tomato sauce over spaghetti, and tasted anything but fruity to me.  Rhubarb, on the other hand, was piled deep into pie shells, combined with sugar and flour to make a thick delectable filling for Rhubarb pie or Strawberry-Rhubarb pie served up with ice cream, or else made into a jam.  Nothing about Rhubarb made sense inside of my understanding of the vegetable world.

Not that this was something I spent a lot of time mulling over – typically I was happy to dig in to whatever great food was on offer.

Turns out that I wasn’t the only one who was confused – and New York courts didn’t help matters when it came to providing a clear answer:  in 1947 it was ruled that Rhubarb, long considered a vegetable, was actually a fruit, because that was how it was used in the USA, cooked primarily into sweet dishes.  The change in designation meant that lower duties and tariffs were paid on the import of rhubarb – a boon for consumers – as tariffs were lower on fruits than vegetables.  This corresponded with my consumption of rhubarb – always in sweet dishes.

Rhubarb’s red, pink & green stalks – tart & delicious

But it turns out that New York got it wrong.   Rhubarb, according to botanists, is indeed a vegetable after all, regardless of what it is cooked with.  At the end of the day, when standing in the kitchen, it’s up to you how you want to cook it.  Bring on the pie!

Recently, though, I’ve had rhubarb in an unexpected way:  Stuffed into the belly of a whole pike fish (hauki) along with steamed nettles, chopped onion and salt and pepper.  The brain child of Finnish chef Kenneth Oker-Blom, the stuffed fish is baked in the oven for 30 minutes and comes out moist and tender with a flavor reminiscent of saffron – a flavorful and elegant dish.  If you make this – use a pike/hauki of no larger than 2kg for the best results.  The recipe is published in his book 101 Haukireseptiä.

Today I had a pile of rhubarb stalks to use up and cooked it into very simple compote with the hint of rosemary lingering at the back of the palate.  We’ll eat some now as dessert and freeze some for later.  If you do this with the recipe below, here are some ways you can use it:

• Rosemary Rhubarb Yogurt parfait
• over ice cream
• in baked tartlette shells with a spoonful of whipped cream
• over oatmeal
• over pancakes, french toast or waffles
• along side a bowl of rice pudding
• Or go savory with this link from TheKitchn

Tomato Basil Jam – look at the glorious color!

Tomato Jam & Cheddar on Archipelago bread with fresh lettuce and basil leaves

A summer cake worth waiting for:  Brita-kakku

If you’ve lived in Finland, visited Finland, had/have a Finnish friend, or have been to a formal Finnish celebration of any kind, chances are good you’ve had a täytekakku (filled cake). The cake is made of eggs, sugar, flour and baking powder, baked as one large cake, sliced into three layers, and then filled.  Each layer is then soaked in either milk or fruit juice.  Upon each layer is spread a generous portion of whipped cream, topped by a variety of fruit:  strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, pineapple, peaches…followed by another layer with more whipped cream and fruit until you run out of layers, and then the whole thing is covered in a layer of whipped cream and is a beautiful thing to behold.

Would you look at that?   Brita-kakku.

But the truth is, täytekakku is not my favorite thing in the world.  It’s not bad; it’s just not amazing either.  There’s a lot of cream and not a lot of substance, and I’m perfectly fine with one small piece and a cup of strong coffee.  This is very unusual for me:  that one small piece of cake is perfectly fine.  Usually I want a “reasonable” size slice of cake – on the slightly larger but not huge side.

Summer cake for a summer day.

What I have discovered is that Finns have another card to play – one they don’t pull out very often. It’s a delicious and beautiful cake, which I’ve never seen on the menu at any restaurant or in any coffee shop, but I’m not sure why since it’s excellent. It’s a summer cake – and summer happens to coincide with someone’s birthday around here.   The question “what kind of birthday cake do you want” receives the same answer every time:  “ahhh – a Brita-kakku (Brita cake) would be nice…with raspberries!”  Brita-kakku.   This is the one to get excited about.

Summer’s first strawberries along with thyme flowers make for a happy cake

Raspberries are definitely the berry of choice with this cake.  If you don’t have them, freshly picked strawberries won’t disappoint.  You can use all whipped cream for the filling, or you can lighten it up and add a nice tang by subbing half of the whipped cream with Greek yogurt or quark (rahka), which I much prefer.

I used thyme flowers as garnish, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the flavor of thyme worked with the strawberries and the cake overall.  Give it a try – and let me know what you think!

The cake can be made on a large cookie sheet / jelly roll / oven pan which has been lined with parchment paper, or you can grease and flour two cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and divide each portion of the batter between them.

Happy Birthday.  Happy, happy any day.

You don’t have to reserve this cake for summer days only, but there’s a lot to be said for sitting at a picnic table with the wind blowing off of the lake or the sea, enjoying a “reasonable” size chunk of Brita-kakku topped with the best of Finland’s summer berries and a strong cup of java.

Forget the täytekakku.  This cake is where it’s at.

Summer.

Brita-kakku

There are so many posted recipes for this cake out there.  I couldn’t figure out who the original author is, anymore than I know to whom we can give credit for the täytekakku.  You can find it through Valio, maku.fi, Martat, and any number of blogs.  It pops up in magazines occasionally and in newspapers as well.  Here’s the version I typically use after a few modifications, and it’s very close to the version I found on the Martat website.  Some people top the meringue layer with slivered almonds; I don’t – but you can add them if you wish.  And one more note:  use real butter here.  There are very few ingredients and each of them has to shine.  Most recipes call for margarine – that is just a bad idea anytime in my opinion – but especially bad with this cake.  The recipe looks long, but this comes together really quickly and puts a smile on everyone’s face.

Prep:
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.  If using a sheet pan, line it with parchment paper.  If using cake pans, butter and flour two pans and line the bottoms with a round of parchment paper.

Separate two eggs:  put the whites into a stainless steel bowl, ready for whipping.  Put the yolks into a little cup – you’ll need them soon.

For the cake layer you’ll need:
125g / 4.5 oz / 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon butter
1 dl / 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (preferred) or vanilla sugar
2 egg yolks
1.5 dl / 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 dl / 1/2 cup milk

In a medium bowl, using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light in color and fluffy.  Add the remaining ingredients and beat until well combined.  Spread the mixture evenly out onto your sheet pan, or divide evenly between your two cake pans and spread it evenly.

For the meringue layer you’ll need:
2 egg whites
1.5 dl / 3/4 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until they start to fluff up and form a frothy mass.  Add the sugar all at once, and continue to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and you can turn the bowl upside down with out any movement from the egg whites.  Spread the meringue over the top of the cake layer – carefully so that you don’t mix the layers.

Bake the cake in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature on/in the pan.

For the filling you will need:
1.5 dl / 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
1.5 dl / 3/4 cup greek yogurt or quark (rahka)
2 tablespoons sugar

In a cold, stainless steel bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until it is fluffy but not at all stiff.  Add the greek yogurt or quark and the sugar.  Beat again briefly to combine.

Assembly:

In addition to the above, you’ll need about 3 cups / 6 dl of your fruit or berry of choice.  I highly recommend strawberries, raspberries, or if you can find them, blackberries.

For the garnish:
Reserve 10-12 berries 
Lemon balm, mint or thyme flowers for garnish

Once the cake is cool, cut it in half lengthwise (if you have used a sheet pan.  Cutting is unnecessary if you have made two layers already using cake pans).  Place one layer onto a serving plate of the appropriate size and shape. Spread all of the filling over the bottom layer.  Top with fruit so that the filling is completely covered.  Lay the second layer on top.  Sprinkle over your reserved berries and your herb garnish of choice.

Serves 8.  Recipe works well when doubled.

Letting the magic happen over open flame

On the Fourth of July, dreaming of grilling parties in America, as people celebrated Independence Day and waited for the fireworks to begin, I had thoughts in my head of burgers grilled over an open flame, and a few people to share them with.

I hadn’t had a “real” Fourth of July grillout since I moved to Europe from Seattle eight years ago.  So JJ called up H & R and hatched a plan to have a grill out near a little harbor in Lauttasaari.  I had a few hours on my hands, this ketchup from last week, and this hamburger bun recipe on my mind and started prepping for the feast.

Whole wheat burger buns and sharp cheddar cheese

When an American is somewhere overseas and feeling a little homesick, there are some things that help to ease the pain a bit:  namely, in this case, great grilled burgers, Cool Ranch Doritos, wonderfully renamed “Cool American Doritos” here in Finland and in other parts of Europe, and an ice cold can of Coca Cola – something I normally never drink since I’m not really a pop/soda fan, but when offered up by H on a warm summer evening on the Fourth of July by the grill – who would bother trying to resist?

Getting closer…

A few notes:

• Make the ketchup!  It’s just so good.  H ended the evening dipping Cool American Doritos into the stuff – it goes with a lot more than just hamburgers.
• If you make those hamburger buns, and I highly recommend that you do, divide the dough into 20 equal rounds, not 10 as the recipe says.  If you make only 10, they’ll be HUGE, and you’ll feel sick trying to make it through one.  Also, I made mine 3/5 whole wheat on my second go-around, and preferred that to the lighter version
• If you use a hamburger basket / halstari to cook these – brush or spray the frame with olive or vegetable oil, otherwise they’ll stick like crazy
• Warm and toast your burger buns over the grill too – they are just better that way.  And butter them lightly if possible – don’t be scared! A little real butter goes along way and is so good here.  Also, the butter keeps the ketchup from soaking into the bun – a very good thing.
• Use sharp cheddar cheese, and lay it on the bottom of the bun, place the searing hot burger on top, and proceed with dressing up your burger as you wish…
• …speaking of which, I like:  ketchup, pickled red onion, dill pickle, and very crisp lettuce on mine
• This probably goes without saying – but enjoy them outside!  Nothing like having a good burger in hand and feeling the fresh air around you as you enjoy.

Happy Moments.  Big Burger.  Cool Ranch Doritos.  Coca Cola.  Some days are like this.