First chanterelles popping up

Thanks to the rains in June, the chanterelles have started to pop up, actually one week earlier than normally. I found the first small chanterelles on 24th June. However, they were so few that have to wait a couple of weeks until we get enough for a meal. Behind our house there’s a forest with plenty of chanterelles.

There are also some flowers that have been placed under protection in Finland, such as Lesser Butterfly-orchid (valkolehdokki) which was in blossom right after Midsummer.

In the garden the Iris pseudacorus (kurjenmiekka) is the most handsome flower at the moment.

On a cool rainy day we drove with my sister-in-law Rose to Söderlongvik gardens  to buy some chili and tomato plants as well as more flowers…

Summer soup

Once in the summer we cook the so called ‘summer soup’ from the first small carrots, cauliflower, peas and Siikli potatoes. This was the day. We found all the ingredients along the road in small stalls where you can pick what you need and leave the money in a box. You get fresh and often organic grown vegetables - and support local farmers. There's a proverb on Kemiö, in Swedish:  'Håll pengarna på ön!' which translates 'Keep the money on the Island!'

The spinache leaves are normally hard to find, but this year the local S-Market surprised us. Without spinace the soup is not as it should be.

The summer soup requires dark rye bread, and Kemiö bakery has definitely the best rye bread in Finland. They have won awards for that. You just have to go before noon to buy it, otherwise the shelves may be empty. With warm bread and butter, this milky soup becomes a delicacy.