A Shared Success

Our recent interview in the Finnish Moda-magazine.

Volt's Designers Of The Month

You can read our latest interview this weekend in Hufvudstadsbladet's monthly Volt- magazine.

Last but not least

The last soup for this soup month is maybe my favorite - a creative vegetable soup. It's always a bit different, sometimes a pleasant surprise, sometimes an opportunity to learn from your errors... Basically, you can use almost what ever vegetables you have in the fridge. Potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, peas and onion for example. Anything that can be boiled and liquidized. It's usually nice to have at least couple of potatoes, this will make the soup a bit thicker. Clean, peel and chop the vegetables, fry in oil gently for few minutes, then add vegetable stock enough to cover the veggies, and simmer until the vegetables are done. Then liquidize, add cream and reheat gently. Season with salt and black or white pepper to taste.

The cream you can of course leave out, or substitute it with cream cheese, sour cream or milk. You can add some toasted nuts, seeds, croutons, fresh herbs, crumbled feta, blue cheese or goat's cheese on top to make it a bit more interesting.

So simple, cheap and good! Go experiment! Now!

Potato and leek

This potato and leek soup we had the other day at our weekly meeting. A classic, with lots of comforting starch. We had it nice and hot, but it you were to make this during summer, you could have it cold, and it would be called vichyssoise.

1 onion
1 white part of a leek
5 floury potatoes
enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables in pan
1 dl cream
butter or oil for frying
salt and pepper

garnish with toasted sunflower seeds or nuts, fresh parsley or croutons.

Soften the chopped onion in butter or oil. Add cleaned and sliced leek and peeled potato in cubes. Fry gently for few minutes. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables, and simmer until potatoes are done. Liquidize, and if you want a really smooth soup, pour through a sieve. Add cream and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can also have this chunky, without liquidizing. Then its best to use firm potatoes meant for boiling, and you can also omit the cream.

As the soup is not that lively in colour or texture, it's nice to decorate it a bit. The nuts, seeds and croutons add a lovely crunch, and herbs even more flavor.

Keittokuu-kausi

Looks like this month is turning out to be a month for soup recipes. Suppose there’s something very comforting about a steaming hot bowl of soup when It is A Dark And Stormy Night outside. Here’s one of my favorite recipes, creamy and velvety soup of Jerusalem Artichokes, which are also in season at the moment.

1 clove of garlic
1 onion
500 g Jerusalem artichokes
2 potatoes
thyme
1 liter vegetable stock
2 dl cream
salt and black pepper
butter or oil to fry

to garnish: hazelnuts or sunflower seeds

Soften the chopped onion and garlic in a large pan, then add the peeled and chopped artichokes and potatoes, and fry gently for few minutes. Add the stock, thyme, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Liquidize, for a really smooth result pour through a sieve, add cream and reheat. Season to taste. Garnish with toasted nuts or seeds.

(A footnote warning: Some people call them Fartichokes. Appropriately, I think)

More mushrooms

Even though we've already seen the first snowflakes, the black chantarelle can take few minus degrees easily, and it's still worth hunting. They're also easy to dry and can be used through out winter. A big thanks to auntie Leila, who has taught me everything I know about black chantarelles, where they live and what to do with them. The best places to pick them are also best kept secrets, but this recipe from her I can share.

1 liter black trumpet chantarelle (You can use this recipe for any other kind of mushroom soup too)
1 onion
1 carrot
app. 8 dl vegetable stock
1 tbsp flour
1 dl cream
butter or oil
salt and pepper

Fry the cleaned and chopped mushroom in butter or oil few minutes, so most of their liquid evaporates. Add chopped onions and roughly grated carrot and soften for a while. Add flour and mix, then add vegetable stock. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley, if you likes.