MAKE YOUR OWN ROWAN BERRY JELLY

Outside our house in the Stockholm Archipelag you can find a lot of Rowan Berry Trees. In this country (Sweden) we make jelly from the lovely orangie-red berries and serve it with game, especially Venison, Elgh and Pheasant. It is very easy to make, but be aware, the jelly is not for you who do not like a bitter taste....

You need

2 liter of Rowan berries (put them in the freezer for a couple of hours before cooking them, makes them sweeter, you can cook them from frozen).
500 ml water
600 ml sugar

Clean the berries and cook them with the water vigouresly for 15 minutes. Let them "sieve" slowly through a sieve cloth (an old teatowel with "loose" weave will do the trick)
for about 30 minutes. Measure the juice and boil it for 2-3 minutes, then add the sugar in portions (use 900 ml of sugar per liter juice). Cook the juice with the sugar vigouresly for 10 minutes. Do the jelly test (pour a little of the jelly on to a cold plate, if the jelly does not run together when you draw a line in the middle it is ready!). If not cook a bit longer and test again. When ready pour into clean and warm jars immediately and put the lid on. Leave to set.

CRAYFISH PARTY IN THE ARCHIPELAGO

Crayfish parties are traditional in August in Sweden. "The red gold" are a very longed for seafood and most people love the happy parties with snaps and beer. We had this years party last Saturday.
To avoid letting the strong alcohol get to you too quick we serve cheese pie. This time I made one mixed with chantarelles (wild mushrooms). Lovely and seasonal.
Sitting outside is a must (unless it is raining) and we were lucky, there was no wind and warm!
The desert pie made from handpicked blueberries and rasberries (wild, growing on the island and picked by myself, Charmaine and Yvette). Instead of sugar we used light brown moscovado sugar which gives it a taste of toffee! Yummy....the party went on until 3.00 AM....

SALADE NICOISE AT GÅSÖ

A late lunch at Gåsö on the deck! Salade Nicoise. On a bed of green salad (what you fancy) put lightly boiled haricot verts (green beans), tomatoes, boiled eggs, boiled new potatoes, and tinned tuna (in water). Drizzle some homemade vinagrette, and sprinkle some capers on top. Anchovies if you have it! (We didn´t). Fresh and summery! We enjoyed it with a cool beer...