French toast with wild raspberry syrup and greek yogurt

“Good Morning!” “Hyvää Huomenta!  “Guten Morgen!”

Those who know me we well know that I am not a night owl.  Not at all.  If given a very strong cup of coffee at an appropriately late hour, and if the stories are excellent, I can usually stay strong until about 10 PM.  Then I start to peter off.  I’ve fallen asleep on the couch of more than one friend while visiting. When I was in college, I’d fall asleep on the living room floor after coming home from work, feet propped up over the couch and the rest of me sprawled in front of the living room stove.  Nothing like a good power nap to give you the energy needed to go to bed.

But –  I love mornings.  Especially in the summer as the sun rises so early.  I typically get up around 5:00 these days, woken by the filtered sunlight through the blinds and the happy chirping of the busy birds outside my window  At this hour, there is little other noise.  No metro, little traffic, and presumably, no people either as most of the world is in bed.

Most days I start with a cup of coffee:  a large Americano with two shots of espresso and a bit of cream with hot water poured over to fill the cup.  Then I sit, steaming cup in hand, staring out the window and contemplating the day that lies ahead.

And then there are some mornings that I wake up because my stomach is growling already, and I am dreaming of something specific for breakfast.  That would be today.  I pulled on a bathrobe and paced to the kitchen, flipped on the espresso machine, put a cast iron pan over medium heat on the burner and got to work.

It had to be French toast.

I had picked up a loaf of Coquus bread on Tuesday from the Herttoniemen ruokapiiri.  We had sandwiches last night, but the bread, on day 3, was begging for a long soak and a good pan fry to make a mighty fine breakfast.  You can’t serve great French toast and not have syrup to go with it, and as summer is approaching, we’re working our way through the last containers of frozen berries in the freezer.  One of my favorite French toast toppings is raspberry maple syrup, so I got that bubbling while the French toast soaked and fried.  Easy peasy.  Fabulous start to the day.  Breakfast ready by 5:30 AM.

It’s gonna be a good day.

French toast with wild raspberry syrup and greek yogurt

French toast with wild raspberry maple syrup & greek yogurt
This recipe is as easy as could be, but makes the perfect quick breakfast that just happens to wow company (and me!) every single time.  The raspberry maple syrup is really something.  You could also substitute another berry:  blueberry, bilberry, blackberry, strawberry…

1 loaf of rustic sourdough bread, cut into slices
4 eggs
1.5 cups / 3 dl milk
2 cups / 4 dl wild raspberries (or really any raspberries are fine)
1/2 cup / 1 dl maple syrup
1/2 cup / 100 g greek yogurt

1.  Place a cast iron frying pan on the stovetop over medium heat.  Turn the oven on to it’s lowest heat (50°C is what I use).
2.  Combine the raspberries and maple syrup in a small pot and place over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer while you cook the French toast.
3. Whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium sized bowl
4.  Slice the sourdough bread into thick slices.  If the slices are long, cut them in half so they will fit into the bowl and the pan better.  Put two or three slices of bread at a time into the egg mixture.  Flip the bread over a couple of times to soak up the liquid.
5.  Put 1 teaspoon of butter into the frying pan and stir it around with a flat-ended spatula to cover the bottom of the pan.  Place the soaked bread slices in the pan and fry until both sides are golden brown.  Place the finished slices on a dinner plate in the oven to keep warm.  Repeat until all of the slices are done.
6.  Divide the finished French toast onto plates.  Pour the raspberry syrup over and top with a few large spoonfuls of greek yogurt.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6.

Tabbouleh

I’ve talked in a previous post about my favorite little corner store just down the street from me.  Every now and again there’s an unusual culinary find – something I would never expect to see there.

On a recent trip, I spotted a bag of organic bulgar wheat.  I’ve been wanting to experiment with Tabbouleh recipes for a while, so I popped it into my basket.  Jyrkki smiled when he saw the package, and told me it was the Herttoniemen ruokapiiri’s gift to me.  Apparently they’d had it hanging around in the shop for a while – unsold because nobody knew what to do with it.  So here’s my gift back to the folks at my favorite corner shop, and to you, dear blog perusers:  Tabbouleh.  The best way to utilize the wonder that is bulgar wheat.   Now is a great time of year to make it, too, especially if you have a garden, because fresh herbs are at their finest right now.

Tabbouleh is a traditional Arab dish, often served with meze.  It is traditionally made with bulgar wheat, though some recent variations use couscous.  I’ve seen tabbouleh recipes using quinoa, and I’ve tried it with couscous as well – it works as a stand-in, particularly if you can find whole wheat couscous, but really, sometimes the real thing is what you need to make a recipe stand out, and this is one of those times.  Seek out bulgar wheat if you can find it, as the texture really is better in this recipe.

According to our friends over at Wikipedia, tabbouleh is originally from Lebanon and Syria and has since grown in popularity and is now loved throughout the Arab world.  Homemakers in Baghdad originally scoffed a bit at the dish, apparently thinking it was the cheapskate’s way to use less meat.  Now it definitely holds its own in the culinary world:  the dish has made its way to other parts of the world along with Arabs who have settled beyond their native countries, and through world travelers who have brought as souvenirs the flavors and food experiences home with them.  So beloved is this dish, there is even a series of World Records held by those who have made the largest quantity of tabbouleh at one time.  The current honor is won on November 13, 2009 and is held by Yaldy Association at Alaayen Elementary School in the Arab town of Shefa’-Amr in Israel.  It weighed 4,324 kg or 9,532 lbs 12 oz.  Now that’s a lot of salad.

Tabbouleh:  Lots of bits and chunks.  Full of fabulous fresh herbs.  A tang of lemon.  Oh my.

There are many, many variations of Tabbouleh out there.  Some include tomatoes, some include cucumbers and some include both, as mine does.  Some use more herbs than bulgar wheat – I actually like the texture, flavor and balance provided by putting a substantial amount of bulgar wheat in this salad.  There is garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs – definitely parsley and then some complementary herb like mint or basil (I prefer the former).  My herb pots on the balcony are overflowing with herbs right now, so a little trim will only do them some good.  Add a little pepper and some ground cumin if wish (highly recommended – it adds a subtle depth).  I used chicken broth instead of water, which is definitely not traditional, but do as you like.  You can serve it up immediately, or let the flavors blend together overnight.  It makes a great picnic or potluck dish and is great as a side dish or a main course.

Let’s get chopping.

Tabbouleh

Step 1:
2 cups / 4 dl chicken broth or water if you prefer the more traditional way
1 cup of bulgar wheat
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a small pot.  Turn off the heat, add the bulgar wheat, put the lid on it, and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Step 2:
Meanwhile prepare the remaining ingredients:
4 medium size tomatoes, chopped, to equal 1.5 cups / 3 dl
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped, about 1.5 cups / 3 dl
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
juice of one lemon to equal 1/4 cup / 1/2 dl
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Step 3:
Transfer the cooked bulgar wheat to a medium size bowl and fluff with a fork.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss well with a fork to fully combine.  Serve immediately if you wish, or for the best flavor, wait at least an hour or up to overnight before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Serves 6.

Toulouse Sausages with Beluga Lentils, Fennel & Herbs

There is a magical place not too far from Helsinki city center that everyone who visits the area should really go and see.

Note the huge boat coming in beyond this seaside cabin

It’s an island just off the coast, in view of Länsisatama (west harbor) where the boats come and go between Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia. Pihjalasaari is a small island, which is best reached by ferry (€5.50 for an adult round trip ticket) which leaves every 15 minutes from the dock just behind Caruselli Cafe.  Grab yourself an ice cream cone from Jäätelotehdas in front of Caruselli and sit in front of the harbor to watch the boats come and go for a while.  Then grab the ferry and enjoy the 10 minute or so ride through the archipelago, out past the beaches where the wind surfers take off, right up to the shore of the island.

Pack a picnic lunch: you’ll want to stay awhile.  If you’ve forgotten a lunch, there’s a small cafe in the middle of the island toward the back.  Take a right onto the trail near the beach that runs up the coast and it’ll take you past the small, charming beach shacks that are individually owned by a lucky few.  The day we went, in late May, there was an elderly couple enjoying afternoon tea inside the shack with the Finnish flag flying out in front.

Tea for two.

If you’ll be on the island between 11:00 and 14:00, bring something to grill!  The grill is hot during those hours and open for use.  There’s a sauna for rent on the backside of the island, or you can just warm up to a nice sweaty temperature on the rocks by the sea and then jump into the mild salty but very refreshing waters.  Continue your trek around the island, past the bilberry and wild raspberry bushes.  You’ll pass by the caretaker’s cabin and if you happen to glance beyond (which of course you will now), don’t be alarmed if there’s a little more skin on display than usual…

Beautiful views

Continue on over the bridge and you’ll reach the camping area where you are welcome to stay overnight.  In which case, you’ll really need some snacks.  It’s a place that feels miles away from the city, but is really right in the backyard – giving locals and tourists alike a quick taste of the charming archipelago life and the beautiful Finnish nature.

When you arrive back home after a day out in the sun and a vigorous trek around the island, what you need is something hearty and tasty to sustain you.  Give my version of a cassoulet a try.   It’s not quite a cassoulet, I’m afraid:  any good French country wife would let her cassoulet cook for hours and hours to let the flavors really combine and soften.  However, something must have gone right, because we were halfway through dinner and JJ asked for the recipe.  Not bad for something that will take a mere half hour out of your day in order to get it on the table.

Bon Appetit!

Let’s get started, shall we?

Toulouse Sausages with Fennel, Beluga Lentils & Herbs

Step 1:
Get the lentils started first as they take the longest.  In a medium size (2 liter/2 quart) pot, combine
1 cup beluga lentils 
3 cups water

Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Step 2:
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan heat:
2 tablespoons olive oil

Add:
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 Fennel bulb, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Simmer for 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized.

Step 3:
After the lentils have cooked for 10 minutes, add
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons each of finely chopped fresh herbs:  sage, parsley, thyme and oregano

Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the vegetable mixture and allow the mixture to continue to simmer.

Step 4:
Heat the frying pan you used for the vegetables over medium heat.  Don’t add any more oil.  Add:
2 Toulouse sausages, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/2″ / 1,5 cm pieces

Fry the sausages in the pan until cooked through and slightly browned and crispy.  Pour the lentils over the sausage and stir.  Add:
juice of 1/2 lemon.  
stir and simmer for 2 more minutes.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

Toulouse Sausage with Beluga Lentils, Fennel & Herbs