Lani Kingston

On the Road: A Swedish Midsummer.

After a weekend in Stockholm, my friend Stina and I jumped in the car to drive out to the countryside. We were headed for Örebro, Stina’s university town, and the countryside surrounding it. We were to spend the week by Lake Hjälmaren, Sweden’s fourth-largest lake.

Our first stop, Sigtuna: Sweden’s first town, was founded in 980, and is filled with Viking runestones. Stora Gatan, said to be Sweden’s oldest main street, dates back to the time of 10th-century King Erik the Victorious.

Tant Brun (Aunt Brown). They claim that the coffeehouse was opened in the 17th century.

chokladtårta and coffee at tant brun, sigtuna, sweden

Onwards we drove until we reached Örebro. We fill the week leading up to midsummer day with walks in the countryside, dinners of potatoes and herring and cheese, visiting friends, and alternating between the lakeside Finnish sauna and swimming in the freezing cold lake.

Stina had a styled wedding to shoot in a barn, so we spent a lot of time picking wildflowers in the woods and making flower crowns. Oh, and picnicking in barns.

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Bag and spade of Gotlunda Potatoes
Playing music in the kitchen on a Potato Farm, Midsommar, Sweden

The table was decorated with flowers, and filled with pickled herring, bread, cheese, and of course, freshly dug potatoes. Someone had made Gubbröra (jump to recipe), which roughly translates as ‘old man’s mix’ – a Swedish classic egg-mayo-potato-fish-herb mix to spread on dark bread.

After lunch, we kicked off the Midsummer Olympics, filled with games such as ‘identify this piece of wood by smell and touch only’, potato races, and croquet.

Playing Croquet with a glass of Sherry
Two women sitting on the steps of a farmhouse in rural Sweden
Midsommar Table

We drank schnapps late into the night. The sky was still a dark shade of blue, everyone in the kitchen got out their instruments, and we played and sang in the new day. We sat there on the kitchen floor for hours, listening and tapping along to folk, blues, and Swedish songs. Deep voices singing Cash were punctuated by the occasional female voice singing songs in Swedish, known by all in the room but me.

In between each song, the room returned to the deep silence of nighttime in the countryside. We drank coffee and ate raspberry pie, listening to our own private concert, miles from anyone else. As we left the farmhouse, the wail of the accordion bade us goodbye.

The 3 a.m. sky is still light, and the sun decides not to set at all, and just skip straight to rising.

Goodnight Sweden.

Gubbröra

Category, DifficultyBeginner

Gubbröra (roughly translates to “old man’s mix”) is a classic Swedish dish. Just like a potato salad, there are many variations on this dish, but the base ingredients are always egg, sprats, herbs, red onion, and gräddfil (Swedish soured cream). Served atop a slice of dark rye bread.

gubbrora on toasted rye bread slices

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time8 minsTotal Time18 mins

 2 hard boiled eggs
 6 mini new potatoes
 100 g pickled herring
 1 ½ tbsp butter
 2 tbsp crème fraiche
 2 tbsp fresh dill
 Sliced Dark Rye Bread

1

Boil the eggs for 8-9 minutes. Boil the potatoes until soft, let cool. Peel the eggs.

2

Finely chop the cooled eggs, potatoes, herrings, and dill.

3

In a pan over low-medium heat, melt butter and stir sporadically until the milk solids brown.

4

Mix the butter into the crème fraiche.

5

Add together the potatoes, eggs, herrings, dill, creme fraiche mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

6

Lightly toast thin slices of rye bread and serve topped with gubbröra.

Ingredients

 2 hard boiled eggs
 6 mini new potatoes
 100 g pickled herring
 1 ½ tbsp butter
 2 tbsp crème fraiche
 2 tbsp fresh dill
 Sliced Dark Rye Bread
Gubbröra (Swedish Egg Salad)
IngredientsDirections
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One response

  1. Stina Avatar
    Stina

    Awww I MISS MIDSUMMER! Thank god there's another one in not too long! x

    Reply

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