As we approach our one-year anniversary in our Idahome, we are beginning to see some of the perennials at Five Element Farm come back for the first time. Daffodils are already trumpeting the return of the sun, tulips and hyacinths are on their way…

My heart always delights in seeing nature come back to life, but the joy in seeing life rekindled, especially in kitchen perennials, is especially profound this year. At the point that some of the established fruits and greens were waving at me last year on the farm, I was buried in boxes, furniture, pictures, and STUFF to unpack, organize, and put in place. This year, the emerging flowers, fruits, greens, and bushes have my undivided attention. Inevitably, I am already plotting how to best use them in my now well-established kitchen/pantry–and looking for ways to honor and celebrate my roots in utilizing our farm’s bounty.

I am, as I often say, a Danish-American at heart. Over time, my Beloved has come to cherish many Danish traditions as much as I do–and he is keenly aware of my significant emotional connection to things that remind me of my Danish family in particular. Since my mormor (aka, my grandmother on my mom’s side) was a bit of a whiz in the garden and the kitchen, many of my favorite family traditions center around slow foods whose ingredients were sourced on the family farm. When I look for ways to leverage my gardens’ blessings, I often look to the recipes she taught me…

To wit, today’s recipe honors my mormor’s beautiful gardens and delicious kitchen with a simple Danish favorite: red fruit pudding with cream, also known as Rød Grød med Fløde. (Even though he can’t yet say “rød grød med fløde” with any semblance of confidence (and he sends me into fits of hysterical laughter when he tries), my Beloved enjoys rød grød no less than I do…)

While you can typically make rød grød with any “red” berries, today’s version relies solely on homegrown strawberries and rhubarb for flavor and tang.

Five Element Farm’s Rød Grød med Fløde

• 4 cups fresh, organic strawberries–rinsed and capped
• 1 cup organic rhubarb–leaves removed, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• whole, organic cream and sugar for serving

Danish rød grød, which roughly translates as “red porridge”

Enjoy!