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Summer is a beautiful season in Scandinavia, and the word that embodies it is “abundance”. The midsummer night doesn’t really get dark, the light is beautiful and it is only the sound of the blackbirds singing that indicates the day is ending. In stark contrast to the dark winter months, summer is all about the light, so your temperament is different and you long for different things: to be outside, to eat lighter meals and to enjoy as many fresh vegetables as possible. These two recipes would make a perfect summer’s evening meal (beach house optional but recommended): cold cucumber soup followed by a fresh and tasty tart with raw tomatoes on top of a smooth cream and crusty pastry. Velbekomme!
Tomato tart (pictured top)
At home in Denmark, I make this with rygeost, a fresh smoked cream cheese that’s often homemade. It’s almost impossible to find in the UK, though, so here I’ve used ricotta instead. This tart is for a warm day, when you feel like something light that carries the flavour of summer.
Prep 20 min
Rest 1 hr
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4
For the rye pastry
125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
125g coarse stoneground rye flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
75g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
75g full-fat natural yoghurt
For the filling
200g ricotta
100g creme fraiche
10 tomatoes, ideally in a range of colours, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
1 spring onion, trimmed and finely sliced
2 dill sprigs, roughly chopped
Begin with the pastry. Mix both flours and the salt in a large bowl, then, using the tips of your fingers, rub in the butter until the mixture looks like crumbs. Mix in the yoghurt, then knead the dough lightly with your hands, either in the bowl or on a work surface, just until the ingredients come together. Alternatively, pulse everything in a food processor. In both cases, if the dough doesn’t quite come together, mix in a splash or two of water to help things along.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to 4-5mm thick. Butter the insides of a 28cm-ish pie dish, use the pastry to line the dish, then leave it to rest in the fridge for an hour.
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Cover the pastry case with a sheet of baking paper, then fill this with baking beans, dried beans or raw rice to weigh it down. Blind bake for 15 minutes, then take the dish out of the oven, lift out the paper and beans, and bake for a further 15 minutes.
While the pastry case is in the oven, mix the ricotta with the creme fraiche. Take the pastry case out of the oven, put the dish on a rack and leave to cool for about 15 minutes. Add the cheese cream mix, spread it out evenly all over the base, then arrange the tomato slices on top – I like to do this in a circular pattern.
Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then scatter the spring onion and dill on top. Sprinkle with more pepper, slice and serve.
Chilled cucumber soup
I take issue with people who say cucumbers don’t have much flavour. I love their refreshing, light green taste that has about it a hint of peas: it’s like eating a summer’s day. They are extremely versatile and deserving of more attention, be that in a simple sweet-and-sour dressing, in yoghurt with goat’s cheese or, as here, in a cold soup. This is great everyday food for hot summer days, though, to be honest, I could eat it every day. You’ll need to start at least eight hours before you plan to eat.
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Chill 8 hr+
Serves 4
3½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
2 cucumbers, roughly chopped
200ml white wine
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
Sea salt and black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon, plus extra to serve
To serve
200g full-fat natural yoghurt
Crispbread
Put a large saucepan on a medium heat, add a little of the oil, then saute the shallots for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the cucumbers and wine, leave to bubble for a few minutes, then pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Take off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
When the soup has cooled, blend it with the remaining olive oil, all the fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a large bowl and season again to taste with the lemon juice and more salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least eight hours, or overnight.
Before serving, taste and season again with lemon juice, salt and pepper, if need be. Serve chilled, with yoghurt and crispbreads.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Midnight Sun: A Scandinavian Cookbook for Long Summer Days, by Trine Hahnemann, published by Quadrille at £25. To order a copy for £22.50, go to guardianbookshop.com
