Edvard Grieg: The Death of Åse (1875)

Peer before the King of the Trolls.

1936 illustration by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939).

Those who are immersed in deep thoughts stumble easily. So says Ibsen in Peer Gynt. Pity the wistful philosopher. Pity more the unwitting victim of rumination; those drawn into their deepest candlelit and solitary chamber by accident of fortune or artifice. It is for such souls that Grieg’s Åses død was made.

The Death of Åse is a strings lament which rakes at the soul like tortuous winds. It suppurates with melancholy and menace. To allow it in, is to “war with trolls in heart and soul” and go hand in hand with the funereal into oblivion.

“So unspeakably poor can a soul then return

to nothingness in the misty gray.

You lovely earth, do not be angry

that I trampled your grass to no avail.

You lovely sun, you have squandered

your shining sprinkles in an empty cabin.”

~ Peer Gynt: Henrik Ibsen ~

It was in this unwitting state I attended the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on 2nd December 2021. Emerging bleary-eyed from the isolation of pandemic, and complying with bag checks, mask-wearing and social distancing, we cringed at every stray cough amplified in the auditorium. The evening was entitled Finlandia, a celebration of Scandinavia at the threshold of the winter solstice. The rainswept darkness of the evening was beautiful and totally enveloping.

Edvard Grieg: The Death of Åse (1875)

Finlandia, a selection of Scandinavian repertoire was meticulously performed by students of the Royal Northern College of Music, and included:

Sibelius - Finlandia
Grieg - Piano Concerto
Alfvén - Swedish Rhapsody No.1, ‘Midsummer Vigil’
Sibelius - Valse triste
Christine Hals - Calling the Aurora (Northern Lights Kulning)
Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite: selection

To quote the Bridgewater Hall:

Perfect for winter, this concert celebrates the mystery and beauty of the far North. Two of the most famous pieces by Norwegian Edvard Grieg feature: his musical tableaux for Peer Gynt and his stunning Piano Concerto, with its beautiful central Adagio, which will be performed by BBC New Generation Artist and Terence Judd-Hallé Award recipient, pianist Elisabeth Brauß. Film composer and vocalist Christine Hals, known for her Scandinavian herding call in Disney’s Frozen, brings the unique sound to her ‘Calling the Aurora’. Hugo Alfvén contributes his light-hearted Midsummer Vigil, a symphonic rhapsody that gets right to the heart of his homeland’s folk music, whilst Sibelius is represented by his haunting and melancholy Valse triste and his stirring tribute to his homeland, Finlandia.

Haunting indeed.

Hortus Plantae: Autumnus

A late-season collection of photos by my own hand, to celebrate the autumnal equinox.

Bleaklow Hill & Higher Shelf Stones

Ideal day for a walk up Bleaklow Hill in the Peak District to see the site of the remains of the USAF Boeing RB-29A Super Fortress plane which crashed into a grough just below the summit of Higher Shelf Stones in 1948, leaving all 14 crew dead. The wreckage is strewn over the hillside, loose and available to anyone who is capable of carrying it away. Many of the families find this unacceptable, although there is a memorial and a tasteful plaque. The fact that such an horrific tragedy lies open to time and the elements in this way, gives the site a further desolate beauty, as if it needed it.

In spring, with the larks singing high in a brilliantly clear sky above the subtle reds, browns, purples and yellows of the moor, or in winter under a covering of snow, the peat iron hard beneath ones feet and long blue shadows cast by the low sun, Bleaklow is magnificent. Even when after weeks of rain one ploughs knee deep through clinging black ooze with little to see but the grey mist, there is still satisfaction in the wilderness and the wet, but love it or loathe it, Bleaklow cannot be ignored. 

Between the flanking cities of Manchester and Sheffield, Bleaklow is within an hours drive for several million people, yet this wild upland moor is well named, a wilderness of black peat, bog, and weirdly eroded gritstone. To the north is the trough of the A628, the Woodhead pass, with its chain of five reservoirs supplying Manchester. When built in the mid nineteenth century, this was the largest stretch of man-made water in the world and the two railway tunnels constructed about the same time were the longest anywhere. Southwards the plateau is incised by the lovely Alport Dale and the Derwent Valley whose waters are impounded in Sheffield's reservoirs of Derwent and Ladybower. From the foot of Ladybower, the A57 climbs to the Snake Pass, the first road to be blocked every year by snow heralding the onset of winter. The Snake Pass takes its name from the Snake Inn which was built in 1821. Originally called Lady Clough House, the name was soon changed as a compliment to the Duke of Devonshire, whose coat of arms features a snake.

The walk back to Glossop is down Doctor's Gate which was named after Dr. John Talbot a rector of Glossop, who lived from 1494-1550. The illegitimate son of the Earl of Shrewsbury, he probably used this road to visit his father who had a castle in Sheffield. The gate or way, which was used by packhorses until the new turnpike was built in 1821, followed the line of the old Roman Road which linked the front of Navio at Hope with Melandra at Glossop. The upper section with its intersection with the Pennine Way is the best preserved with upright paving slabs set between kerbstones, though the paving was probably done by seventeenth century quarrymen rather than being of Roman origin.

From: John and Anne Nuttall, 2003. The Mountains of England and Wales. Volume 2: England (2nd Edition). Cicerone. (Walk 13.1 Bleaklow). 

Baked Courgette in Miso, Mirin, Coconut Oil & Spices

The sources of my inspiration for this recipe were 1. A glut of garden courgettes which were growing at about the rate of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, I am not kidding here but within a few of days from flower to marrows, and 2. As mentioned in my Methi Shalgam post, Amy Chaplin's Whole Food Cooking Every Day. I adapted her Spicy Miso-Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant recipe to accommodate my burgeoning courgette crop, and ate my way out of the gourd forest.

Ingredients:

1 large courgette (1 pound, 455 g), cut into 1 x 3-inch (2.5 x 7.5 cm) wedges
4 medium (1½ pound, 680 g) tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each 1 medium (8 ounces | 230 g)
Yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices
3 tablespoons (45 ml) melted extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons (1 ounce, 30 g) unpasteurized sweet white miso
2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin (or substitute 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, grated or pressed (see the sidebar)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
¾ cup (4 ounces | 115 g) cooked chickpeas,
Well drained Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or coriander leaves for garnish
Thick coconut or whole-milk yogurt for serving.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and put the eggplant, tomatoes, and onion on it.
• Combine the oil, miso, mirin, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, red chili pepper flakes, turmeric, and salt in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
• Pour over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated.
• Spread the vegetables out on the pan; they should almost be in a single layer, with just a few overlapping.
• Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are browned on the bottom.
• Remove the vegetables from the oven and turn them over as best you can; you may end up just stirring them, as they will be juicy.
• Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are completely soft and browned in spots.
• Scatter the chickpeas over the vegetables, sprinkle with a little more salt, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes to warm the chickpeas through.
• Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter and top with the herbs.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, with yogurt on the side.
• Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Serves 4-6 as a side dish. 

Chicken Madras in Yoghurt & Kolonji Sauce

The idea for this recipe started when I had a good crop of Chinese greens and Pak Choi and wanted something warming alongside it. I adapted my Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Madras recipe for chicken, and things took shape nicely. One thing I have noticed about Pak Choi in particular is how well it grows in its early stages, then all of a sudden gets eaten by insects. This has tended to happen every time I have grown it, under different circumstances and locations, including under cover.  So, making up a big batch of Chicken Madras and steamed greens is a good way to steam-roller your way through a sudden glut of Chinese garden greens with enthusiasm. 

1 Tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp fennel seeds 10 fenugreek seeds 1 tsp kolonji seeds 4 cloves 2 hot dried red chillies.	Put the spices in a small, cast iron frying pan, and stir over a medium heat until they are a shade darker and give off a roasted aroma. Leave to cool, then grind or partially grind.
3 Tbsp ghee 2 onions, finely chopped 1 tsp grated root ginger 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped. 2 hot fresh green chillies, finely chopped 1 butchered chicken, skinned, chopped and boned.	Pour the ghee into a wide pan, and set it over a medium high heat. When hot, fry the onions until they turn brown at the edges. Add the other ingredients and fry until the chicken is superficially browned.
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 1 ½ tsp Himalayan salt 400ml Greek yoghurt 200ml water 1 Tbsp Garam masala powder.	Stir in the tomatoes, ground roasted spices, salt, water and yoghurt, and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan, simmering gently for 30 minutes. Adjust consistency accordingly with water, or by removing lid and evaporating excess.

 

Hortus Plantae: Aestas

 A collection of floral photos by my own hand, to celebrate the summer solstice. 

Annular Eclipse and a Rainbow

Following the stunning success of my solar eclipse photography of April 2015, I keenly embraced the possibility of catching the 2021 Annular Eclipse. However, it proved difficult and instead I ended up with a bunch of cutting room floor shots, which I gave a psychogoggelieic treatment. Rainbow turned out OK though. 

Methi Shalgam Roasted Duck with Spicy Beetroot Puree

 

Methi Shalgam prep

Roasted duck, greens, and methi shalgam with a side of 

Greek yoghurt and spicy beetroot puree.

First of all, a few general notes. Although this meal has several components, it is not so formidable to prepare since the methods and ingredients are mostly simple, so take courage; it can be done quite easily. 

Secondly, with appropriate sequencing, this could be a meal substantially prepared by fresh garden ingredients in autumn. Preferably you would want your swede and beetroot to grow until the time of the first frosts, which means you would have to keep some young fenugreek growing on in a pot, ideally indoors or under cover in a greenhouse. The other greens (baby leaf greens and French beans) is just a matter of harvesting at the right time. In this case, I made the recipe in May and used home-grown fenugreek only. The other ingredients were from the supermarket. 

So, roasting the duck, steaming the greens and dolloping Greek yoghurt are straightforward tasks and needs no further instruction. I shall concentrate on the methi shalgam (fenugreek & swede) and spicy beetroot puree for the remainder of this blog. 

In choosing the fenugreek leaves, young (2-3 week old) plants are better than the older stuff, for flavour but also texture. After 4 weeks or so, the fenugreek becomes quite tough and stringy, particularly the stems, so avoid if possible. 

Methi Shalgam

Ingredients:

Medium swede (shalgam), peeled and diced into 2-3cm cubes
Fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) leaves 2 large handfuls
Ghee 2 tablespoons
Dried red chillies, chopped 4
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Ginger finely chopped 1 tablespoon
Garlic finely chopped 6-8 cloves
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
Dried mango (amchur) powder 1 teaspoon
Himalayan salt to taste.

Method:

• Heat ghee, adding dried red chillies and cumin seeds and sauté till fragrant.
• Add ginger and garlic and sauté till golden.
• Add diced swede and mix. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes.
• Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur and salt and mix well.
• Sauté for a minute. Add methi, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or till methi is cooked.

Spicy Beetroot Puree

This recipe is taken from Amy Chaplin's wonderful book; Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar. Artisan (2019). 

Ingredients:

1 small-medium (6 ounces, 170 g) cooked and cooled red beet 

¼ cup (60 ml) filtered water 

3 tablespoons (1½ ounces, 45 g) raw cashew butter, coconut butter, or tahini 

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (35 ml) raw apple cider vinegar 

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 

One ¼-inch (6 mm) slice of a large garlic clove 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste 

1 small (1 ounce, 30 g) red chilli, seeded and chopped

Method: 

• Put the beet, water, nut or coconut butter or tahini, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, chilli and salt in an upright blender and blend until completely smooth. 
• Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend again. 
• Adjust the seasoning to taste and blend again. 
• Use immediately, or store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Shake well before using. 
• The dressing will thicken once chilled; thin it out with a little water if needed.

Furikake

Here isn an exchange I had after posting this image on social media:

Me: Furikake

MP: @Me thought they were condoms! 😂😂

Me: @MP if they were condoms they'd be called fukikake 😂

Hortus Plantae: Fons

 A collection of floral photos by my own hand, to celebrate the spring equinox.