Our tour of Sweden is almost over...

Well our study of Sweden for the month of February is almost over! Although our study is starting to focus more on the foods of the country rather than the culture. This month was an example of that...other than watching a 15 minute DVD about the country, we haven't discussed anything else of interest. Although, my husband has started really getting interested in what we are going to make each month for our meal. He helped me research this meal, which was funny...I was exploring meals online at home and he was doing it at work and we were on the phone with each other asking how this dish or that dish looked. We've come to the realization that they are a meat and potato (and fish) country!...we had a lot of difficulty finding vegetable recipes.
Can't study Sweden without making Swedish meatballs: 1 lb. ground pork, 1 lb. ground beef, 3/4 c. bread crumbs, 1/4 c. milk, 1 egg, 1 small onion, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Mix and make 1-inch meatballs. This recipe says to bake them at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, but I fried mine. Take meatballs out and with 3 tablespoons of drippings make a rue by stirring in 3 tbsp. flour. Cook over low heat until smooth and bubbly then add 1 c. half-and-half, 1 tsp. instant beef bouillon, 1/2 tsp salt and boil 1 min. Boil 1 min., take off heat and add meatballs, and stir and top with minced parsley.

Hasselbeck Potatoes (okay, but not my favorite, would have been just as good if I'd boiled them): peel 6 potatoes and cut in slices without cutting through the potato forming a fan shape. Brush with butter and salt and pepper, bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Mix together 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp dry bread crumbs, sprinkle over potatoes, sprinkle with paprika and bake another 20-30 minutes.

The Swedish have access to the fruits of the sea, which I do not here in the middle of the US, so I had to make substitutions and guesses. On the right you see the wheat bread, smoked salmon and Havarti cheese I put out.

On the left I have dill pickles, sweet pickles, lingonberry jam. And on it's own little plate is the Herring that was canned in oil.

Our local Homeland has a nice International foods section so I was happy to be able to find Lingonberry Jam! It was good, different...but not bad!

We have a very scientific method of choosing which country we will choose next (I've put 30-40 countries on little sheets of paper and placed them in a brown lunch bag to be drawn each month!). My husband got the honor for this month so it looks like we are off to France for March!