Skankynavia: Hiker's Kitchen
Cooking at home in your kitchen is so housewifey. Real men cook in nature.
Especially when it's summer, and your garden is full of edible food which is the case with my friends C&A. I blogged about our Sunday Forest Lunch last year with them, and a few days ago I took a trip with a friend again to visit the hermit gay couple for dinner. These guys have just returned home from a two-week adventure into the wild Norwegian mountains, camping and cooking daily across the grass ridden plains.
C&A normally live north of Copenhagen in a small hidden village far into the forest. A bus leaves twice a day so biking there under the warm sun was a perfect alternative.
On the way my friend and I stopped at a beach and took a swim in the icy Scandinavian waters full of seaweed. We've had only about seven days of sunshine since June 1st and all the Danes agree that this has been the worst summer in decades. So to everyone's surprise, last week was a complete turnaround with hot temperatures and blue skies--so wonderful.
A small yellow cottage has been transformed into a cozy little restaurant. I had a Danish specialty, hindbærbrus (raspberry fizz).
My friend had a latte in a cute glass.
After drinking and commenting on people's amusing swimwear fashion choices, we jumped on our bikes and headed into the forest towards the village.
Arriving in the late afternoon was a perfect time for a stroll in the fading sunlight. The long shadows make dramatic scenes and beautiful contrasts, and as usual I fell completely in love with this place. It's a small village built around an old knife factory which is now closed. However the many houses is now reserved for artisans, craftsmen, foresters and artists, and of course I've signed up to rent an apartment. I am currently number 1113 in line which means I'll probably become part of the community on my 437th birthday. Can't wait. I'm now crossing an extra finger for science fixing the Age Gene before then so I can have a fabulous garden party on my 438th birthday.
There's a beautiful lake in the village and my friend A's office desk is right next to it inside the old knife factory. Not bad really.
We take a walk into the forest before dinner. Everything is unusually spring green since it's been raining for two months.
Back in the backyard garden behind the house we set up the cooking space.
C&A recently took over this garden and have already planted a lot of stuff in just two months--lots of edible herbs, flowers and a few vegetables. I can't image what it will be like next year.
The special thing with this evening was that even though these guys have a nice kitchen inside the house, everything was prepared in the garden. Chopping on the little white table, cooking on the Trangia, barbecuing right next to the dinner table--it was super nice being with together all the time instead of running back and forth to the kitchen. And eating stuff that was growing in the soil five minutes before was a very refreshing experience--far away from supermarket plastic wrapped industry food.
Pink Harvest Anemone.
Agapantus flower, a species created at Vedelsborg Castle on the island Funen in the middle of Denmark.
Different species of mint. The Grape Mint in the front actually smells like grapes when you touch it.
A plant of mini chilis. Super evil.
We enjoy some chilled lemonade with lemon, ice and mint leaves.
And snacking on rosemary roasted almonds.
The table is used for chopping and snacking.
To stay true to the naturific scene we use real Norwegian daggers to chop and slice, no gay marble kitchen table shit here.
Picking fresh parsley for the salad.
Lighting the Trangia. A Trangia is a cool device - just a small gas tank which you light and then you're ready to cook: on a windy mountain top, in a desert valley, in the line for tickets to a Bon Jovi concert. It's cheap, super flexible and non polluting.
Prepping the couscous.
I like the design of trangias - one minute it's a bowl, the next it's a pan if you put on the detachable handle.
A quick walk in the garden and the rest of the couscous salad ingredients are mixed in. Parsley, tomates, cucumber, herbs, et voila!
A plate of chili roasted aubergines with mint has been placed on the table. Phew, they're super spicy hot!
Meanwhile the barbecue is lit and sticks with herb marinated pork are grilled.
After 10-15 minutes they're crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
The marigold is edible and grows in the garden. It's leaves are beautiful on anything, even couscous.
See?
Homemade cold tzatziki with olive oil and mint leaves, very salty and very Greek. It matches the juicy pork perfectly.
A great meal!
Later fresh fruits are cut up with marigold, mint and served with expensive dark chocolate.
For tea we just walk to the mint bush, pick a handful of leaves, pour hot water over them and there, fresh mint tea.
By now the mosquitoes had spotted our little gardenparty and decided to join for snack or two. My body was already sucked half dry after an outdoor, rainy wedding last weekend where the little skeeters had a party on their own.
Luckily they do not enjoy open fires and what is a late night garden party without a romantic bonfire anyway? Sitting outside in the bright August night, drinking wine with good friends and loolking into the fire, well that's what real men like.
A toast to the Hiker's Kitchen!
