LET’S HYGGE AUGUST 2022

Let's hygge Lindbjerg Graphic Journal Blog

[definition of hygge]

a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Add a little hygge to each month

Ciao Bella! I’m sending you a little greeting from Italy this month, where we are visiting my oldest friend Charlotte and her Italian family. I have known Charlotte since the third grade and we are like sisters. She met Andrea, her husband, when we were 16 years old and I have been coming to his family home in Tuscany ever since. Our sons are like cousins; we all have a special bond and long history together – the joy of reunion is great. We walk in the steps of the past with immense gratitude and admiration.

As you may have guessed, the theme of this month is Italy so I am sharing with you my SALSA DI POMODORI – the base of so many great recipes. There’s also our lock down project – a newly built pizza oven and outdoor kitchen as well as several Italian hits enjoyed since my time as an au pair in Florence. This month is a flashback to the past so I hope you enjoy the journey!

Having four months in lock down in our house at Turon Gates called for some projects to occupy our time. As a couple we have always been driven to have projects and create things together. Our biggest project by far was building our house, The Barn. Now that the house is complete, we have moved to outdoor projects. Recently we connected the deck and the outdoor kitchen with some great sitting stairs which has created an outdoor lounge area, perfect for watching the sun going down while eating pizza. Press the images if you want to see where we purchased the build-it-yourself pizza oven!

This sauce is always in our fridge. I make huge batches at a time and keep it in glass bottles to use as a base on our pizzas and in pasta. Salsa di pomodori is the go-to solution for a simple meal.

SALSA DI POMODORI

2 small or 1 large bottle

2 carrots
2 red onions
3 stems of celery
1 kilo of good quality tomatoes, diced
olive oil
1 clove of garlic
salt

Roughly chop the vegetables. Crush the garlic and sauté quite briefly in a little olive oil – it should not take on any colour. Remove the garlic and add the vegetables to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes without browning. Pour over the tomatoes, stir well and let it all simmer for 15-20 min. Remove celery and carrots and then blend the sauce. Season with salt. Pour into sterilised bottles and store sauce in refrigerator.

I am lucky to share a love for Francesco De Gregori with my local greengrocers at Fourth Village. They very often play the album “Bellamore” and it immediately takes me back to my time as an au pair in Florence in 1993. Another Italian artist that does the same is Eros Ramazzotti. Warning!! If you long for Italy this could make the longing worse! Press images to listen.

I can recommend watching the Danish film TOSCANA on Netflix. It’s good entertainment and the locations and scenery are beautiful. The story is sweet and light – like tiramisu!

For me, the smell of Italy is Rosemary. I remember seeing it grow everywhere along the small winding roads in Tuscany, in between all the pretty stone walls and fencing. I have been successfully planting rosemary from cuttings. The plants are very hardy and grow well in the very poor soil we have at The Barn. I have planted some beside the pizza oven and imagine that it will one day grow so big that we can start harvesting it right there…