Day 81 Swedish Smorgasbord

Have a mentioned yet how much I adore strawberry season in Israel?  I've never had yummier strawberries in my entire life.  This morning my better half and I shared these beauties:

Strawberries, Bananas, Orange and Flax.

Then there was a rainbow:

Tonight was Bookclub.  We read the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo this month, so our feast was Swedish-inspired.  Despite the fact that I'm the only wild and crazy vegan in the bunch, these grand ladies continually amaze me with their willingness to prepare and enjoy some seriously delicious vegan food!

I made Yellow Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes.  OK, so the authentic Swedish version called for pork and I substituted sweet potatoes somewhat randomly, but it was really good.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

drop of olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

500g yellow split peas

cinnamon

smoked paprika

salt and pepper

8 cups water

Saute onions, sweet potatoes and garlic.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 mins or until everything is soft.

It was difficult to refrain from adding Hawaij, as you all know how I feel it is the one spice necessary in almost every dish.  But the world might not be ready for a Yemenite-Swedish food trend, so I held back.

Our lovely hostess Tzippi prepared the following delicacies:

Four Mushroom Medley and Cucumber Salad

Lentil Radish Salad

Beets

Vegan Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry Jam

Tzippi, you're a rock star!!!! Thank you so much!

Oh and Oran made a delicious vegan semolina pudding but by then I was 2-sheets to the Aquavit wind and the camera was long forgotten.

Lovely evening with some very lovely ladies, xo to all of you!