New Nordic and Me

This spring I will be teaching a class for Ingebretsen's tentatively called "New Nordic Kitchen" with the intention of showing fellow Minnesotans how easy it is to bring a Nordic philosophy into your pantry and life. Not familiar with this trending food, health, and sustainability lifestyle? It is the Scandinavian love child of Italy's Slow Food movement, and emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients, clean and simple flavors. Chef Claus Meyer's manifesto says it best.

As I was researching recipes and ideas I realized how I've fallen off the Nordic wagon and have been crawling through miles of takeout containers and spending far less time, especially on weeknights, preparing decent meals for T and myself.

Armed with this awareness I vowed to clean up my act, and for the past week and a half we have been dining on much healthier fare. Our new menu plan includes eating fish at least twice weekly and lots and lots of vegetables, including local, seasonal, and pesticide-free whenever possible. Simplicity isn't too bad, and with some careful planning dinner practically cooks itself. Breakfast and lunch for me means leftovers and smörgås (open-faced sandwiches) made with a rye sour dough that takes three days to rise but is worth every minute of waiting.

I won't become a Nordic Food tyrant. In fact, I am planning a decadent menu for a visiting friend this weekend, and tomorrow is the big Yelp Du Nord at the American Swedish Institute. I won't turn down a single thing offered at that event. But I am embracing what I preach, mostly.
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Continuing the New Nordic them, this week in Called to the Table is a recipe adapted from the Pear Apple Crumble in Trina Hahnemann's "The Nordic Diet." Pear Blueberry Crumble is a great way to start the day, snack at noon, or treat yourself to dessert at night.