Sankt Hans---a pretext for more gammeldagsmat

     The longest day of the year is Sankt Hans, otherwise known as Midsummer's Day (June 24). There are still many people who build bonfires on the evening of June 23, which is traditional. At the Heggstads, we celebrated with more gammeldagsmat including a dish that I had never had before: potete båller.

From top clockwise: mørpølse (two kinds), kålrabistappe (mashed rutabaga), boiled potatoes, bacon, and pinnekjøtt (rack of lamb cured in brine, etc.). Potete båll in the center. It's made mainly of potatoes and barley flour with a little piece of mørpølse (a kind of sausage cured in salt). Not pictured: a glass of buttermilk. Prepared by Johanne Heggstad.

Happy eaters of potete båller. From left: Ragnhild, Kenneth, Cornelia, Camilla, Asbjørn, and Annette.