Food Studio

As most of our Get Aways it started with a friendship. Our Swedish link started with a connection between people in Hoddevik where we were cleaning beaches. Even though none of us had ever been in Steninge, we trusted that this wonderful person Linn Ekberg, the founder of Nordic Ocean Watch Sweden and one of the gardeners behind “Odlada” had to be at a magical place. It truly was. Teaming up with NOW meant connecting sea, land and woods, and to the whole.

We gathered in Linn’s garden, at Solbackan, “the hill of the sun” and were welcomed with a true taste of summer and sun, homemade rhubarb lemonade with ginger and mint. Together we were then guided up in the woods for mindfulness in nature, and a “bathe in the woods”, with Felicia from Force of Nature. We stopped in the midst of a slope and, in silence, brought awareness to our surroundings. Picking up wood sorrels (Oxalis acetosella) , looking, sensing, listening, smelling and tasting, bringing all of our senses to life again. Further along, laying down under the crowns of the trees on the soft forest ground, closing our eyes and listening to Felicia’s words. We continued up to a viewpoint over the sea.

On our way back, we foraged edible plants to add some greens of the wild to our coming meal. After indulging in fresh bread from Solhaga stenugnsbageri and cheese from Kvibille, we started the process of preparing our shared meal, harvesting onion, asparagus, and lettuce from the garden. – Is that how an asparagus grows?, one of the guests burst out in wonder.

Our table was set underneath the apple trees, seeking shade from the warming sun. We had pollock with zucchini and wood sorrels, reindeer loin with garden and wild veggies, strawberry salad and bernaisse sauce with eggs from Ullarps gård, Kalvdans “calf dance” made with colostrum from Mats Pålsson’s cows, strawberries and elderberry sirup. And to top it all of, rhubarb kompott, wood sorrels and edible flowers.

After our meal, we climbed down the cliffs for a dip in the cooling blue sea, followed by a warm cup of boiled coffee from Slöinge kafferosteri. As the sun went down, we had an evening snack before setting up the lavvo on the beach, and then enjoying a bonfire until hitting the sack.

Awakening slowly to a clear blue sky and a mirror like sea. A refreshing morning bathe before breakfast “Steningegröt”, “Steninge’s porridge”, with rolled oats and coffee right there on the beach. Our weekend could not have been wrapped up in a more beautiful setting.

Thank you to Linn Ekberg for hosting this body and mind awakening gathering and to Felicia Eckersten from Force of Nature for reminding us that, just being, can be one of the most precious acts of life. Thank you to all the fantastic producers for getting up every day to make delicious crafted food and beverage with local ingredients, we know it’s incredibly hard work! And thanks to you all for your generosity in supporting this event, Solhaga Stenugnsbageri, Kvibille Mejeri, Slöinge Kafferosteri, Hallands Bär, Ullarps gård, Milk farmer Mats Pålsson, Jacob Andersson for hunting and preparing the reindeer and fish, Richard Fransson for giving us home-made beer and Åpent bakeri. And thank you again to Arctic Lavvo who once again made it possible for us to comfortably camp outside in the most mind-blowing environment.

Photography Johannes Tegner

Words by Rita Paltiel