Fat-Tuesday / Fettisdagen = Semla

This post Fat-Tuesday was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius-Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgård/ Tyra's Garden

Finally it is here! The day I'm been longing for, Fat-Tuesday or Fettisdagen as we say in my native to tongue.

This is the day we eat "Semla" This wonderful bun made of wheat flour and flavoured with cardamom. After it is baked and cool, you cut the top of the bun and fill it with soft almond paste. Now you whip some delicious cream and add it nicely on top of the bun, gently put back the lid you cut off earlier and dust over some icing sugar. Voilà - a SEMLA!

You can eat it just as it is together with your coffee or tea…or even better perhaps with a cup of hot chocolate. We however, usually, on this day anyway, eat it on a plate this hot milk. Then it is called “Hetvägg” translated to your lingo, it would be something like “Hot Wall” A bit odd, but there you go, this is a very old tradition…I’m sure it there is a good explanation somewhere. 

Swedish Semla - more than just a bun

 Fat Tuesday...Mardi Gras...well that is a completely different thing, we do not party at all on this day.

Fieldfare - Björktrast, Turdus pilaris

This post "Fieldfare - Björktrast, Turdus pilaris" was originally uploaded by Tyra Hallsénius Lindhe in the blog Tyras Trädgråd/ Tyra's Garden

Every morning I find him there sitting 'en Guard' with his apples. At first he sits on top of his apples and I think he is warming them up. I mean it has been frightfully cold here for the last week and all his food is deep-frozen. The only way he could possibly get some bits and pieces off the apple is to get it warm first. Clever guy! We usually have a lot of blackbirds  Turdus merula here around the bird-tree but not as long as the bossy Fieldfare is there, no one has got a chance then he’s there. 

and now somthing in my native tongue...

Jag hittade det här receptet på Svensk Jakts sida

äta Turdus pilaris...det hade jag ingen aning om att man kunde göra.

Tja det låter inte så dumt  - men då var det ju det där att man måste först fånga en, döda den, plocka den...och det verkar inte vara så hemskt mycket kött på en sådan där lite rackare.

Sallad på björktrast med grillad sparris och rödvinsmörsås

4 personer

4–6 trastar
8 sparris
1 rödlök
2 dl rödvin
50 g smör
sallad och brödkrutonger
salt, peppar

Plocka fåglarna och stek dem i ugnen i 200 grader i sju minuter.
Låt dem svalna under fuktat smörpapper.
Skala och koka sparrisen i 3–5 minuter, kallspola eller lägg den i isvatten.
Hacka rödlöken och stek den i lite smör, häll på rödvin och reducera till hälften återstår.
Vispa in resterande smör lite i taget och smaksätt med salt och peppar.
Skär upp fåglarna, grilla sparrisen och servera med sallad, brödkrutonger och rödvinssås.

RECEPT: Staffan Lindström

Early morning i the month of February - Tidigt en morgon i februari månad