Gud Yul Farnham style

I had planned to fill our dining table with Swedish delights for our (now) traditional Julbord. With thoughts of last year’s effort firmly centre stage and with weeks of planning under my belt, I worked steadily through the day until, at 7pm, it was ready. And it was a success.

Looking at the photograph, it doesn’t look like much so, in order to accurately record our Swedish feast, here’s the list of food:

• Christmas ham
• Eggs with caviar
• Herring
• Beetroot salad
• Marinated cheese and olives
• Gravlax
• Salad
• Crispbread
• Shortbread
• Jansson’s Temptation

I was very pleased with my beetroot salad. We bought ours from ICA last year but this time I decided to make my own. The fact that I couldn’t buy any at Waitrose may have been a factor. For whatever reason, I made it this morning then put it in the fridge to chill. And, it was delicious. Not to mention the wonderful colour.

I was also very happy with my Jansson’s Temptation. Last year I used a different recipe. For instance, I used smoked salmon in 2020 and anchovies today. Mind you, because I couldn’t find Swedish anchovies, I had the strange task of soaking the little fishies in milk for a few hours. This is supposed to reduce the salt. And it worked.

Of course, there was way too much food and we’ll be finishing it up over the next week.

And I realise that shortbread isn’t exactly Swedish. It was to be our dessert. I made a dozen instead of mince pies today.

It’s a tough call which one I prefer – shortbread or mince pies – but I think the shortbread just edges it. Though, actually, perhaps it depends on what’s on offer. And today it was shortbread.

Overall, it was an excellent Swedish Christmas Eve.