Preparing af feast

The great feast

I am preparing for the great event this weekend; we are having a 2 day party at a vacation home in Rørvig, by the beach. We are going to be about 40 familymenbers and friends celebrating Mathildes first 15 years on the planet earth and we are going to have some good food and drinks to celebrate with.

So I have prepared a big batch of elderflower syrup to use for lemonade and drinks:

Elderflowersyrup

40 heads of elderflower

4 organic lemons in thin slices

3 TBSP cream of tatar

2 pounds sugar

2 pounds dark cane sugar

2 quart water

Layer the cleaned flowers with lemon slices and cream of tatar in a big jar or bowl.

Boil sugar, cane sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.

Pour it over the flowers and lemon and put a plate or something on top to keep the flowers under the surface.

Cover the jar/bowl and put it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Pour it through a sieve and into clean bottles.

Keep in the fridge and serve in cold water or wine.

I also made some jam for the big breakfast on the second day:

Rhubarb and elderflower jam

1 vanilla bean

2 pounds fresh rhubarb in 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup water

2 pounds sugar

10-15 heads of elderflower

Slice the vanilla bean open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Put the bean and seeds in a large pan together with the rhubarb and water.  Cook it while stirring about 5 minutes and add the sugar. Cook it rapidly while stirring about 5 minutes. Add the elder flowers and cook a couple of minutes. Ladle the jam into clean jam jars and seal them immediately.

I am also adding to my sourdough, so it will be big enough to produce fresh bread both days. I am feeding it with organic flour and water; rye flower every other day and wheat flour every other day.

I will be deboning some fresh lamb legs to marinate for the barbecue, preparing pie crust for 5 strawberry pies (the strawberries are ordered at our neighbor at the summerhouse – he is also going to deliver fresh potatoes for a salad). And of course I will be making a batch of RØDGRØD with rhubarb, strawberries and red currants (hope they will be ripe).

We are going to have some fish; I am planning on making some fish terrines – I might post them here, if I get the time – along with more salads, some smoked LAX and some good Italian prosciutto – all Mathildes favorites.

Elderflower syrup

I made elderflower syrup twice this summer.
The flowers were blooming late and long this year.

Elderflower syrup

20-30 heads of elderflower
2 organic lemons in thin slices
11/4 cup sugar11/4 cup cane sugar or brown sugar
1 quart water
2 tsp citric acid

Layer the cleaned flowers with lemon slices in a big jar or bowl.
Boil sugar, cane sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.
Take it off the heat and add citric acid.
Pour it over the flowers and lemon.
Cover the jar/bowl and put it in the fridge for 4 days.
Pour it through a sieve and into clean bottles.Keep in the fridge and serve in cold water or wine.

Use the mush in the sieve for a tasty jam.

Chop it in a food processor and pour it into a pan. Add same amount sugar and boil it rapidly for 5 minutes. Ladle the jam into clean jam jars and seal them.