Earlier this year while the frost was still on the ground in Gothenberg, we went to Gunnebo slot, a castle and gardens just outside the city. The castle is famous for it's large gardens which provide the restaurant on the grounds, with an abundance of fresh produce throughout the year. The restaurant, Kaffehus och Krug, which serves lunch daily, has won many awards for its excellent standard of food and its menu which changes every week with different specials every day.
Buffet's are quite common for lunch in Swedish restaurants but Kaffehus och Krug have a particulary interesting selection of food. Homemade breads, desserts, and salads are all on the menu, and they also have a great emphasis on healthy fresh ingredients.
I was thrilled to see that the castle has its on blog which focuses on the progress of the gardens throughout the year. It seems a lot of work has been done since our visit, so check out the blog to see some great pics of the gardens and the vegetable patch. We are heading over to Gothenberg next week and I am really looking forward to seeing the gardens for myself, it might give me a bit of inspiration for my own little vegetable garden!
Saffrans Pankkakor (Saffron Pancake)
Recipe from "Swedish Homecooking" by Catarina Lundgren Astrom and Peter Astrom.
I'm told this is a traditional Swedish recipe from one of largest islands off the coast of Sweden. It's an extremely distinctive dessert, full of flavour which is definitely worth a try.
60g of Japanese rice.
240ml of water.
1/4 teaspoon of salt.
480ml of whole milk.
120ml of cream.
2 tablespoon of sugar.
1/2 teaspoon of saffron.
4 eggs.
50g blanched almonds.
Boil the rice with the water and salt in a covered saucepan until the water is absorbed.
Add the milk and cream and let the rice mixture simmer over a low heat until soft, about 30-40 minutes. Stir every now and then so it doesn't catch at the bottom. You may need to add a little extra milk if needed.
Let the mixture cool a little. Stir in the sugar and the saffron. Preheat the oven to 220oC. Add the eggs to the rice, one at a time. Then add the almonds. Pour the rice mixture into a buttered oven-proof dish.
Bake on the lowest rack of the oven for approx. 30 minutes. Serve the saffron pancake lightly cooled, with whipped cream and blackberry jam.
If you ever find yourself in Gothenberg definitely give the place a visit. For more info check out:
www.gunneboslott.se
www.gunneboslott.wordpress.com
