Oslo...Late Summer Dinner In An Enchanted Garden

Summer in Oslo 

is beautiful.

Long days and short nights.

Warm but not hot with clear blue sky

&

 the entire city is 

out & about.

Flowers bloom everywhere, reaching to

the heavens in all their colorful

glory.

Even the city looks

  green & energized.

While the Oslo fjord is

a brilliant inviting blue,

sail boats in all sizes cruise by

&

the precious weather

is never taken for granted.

The truth of the matter is...

a good thing is never enough!

Recently on one such day,

our good friend

Bjorn Lapstun

invited us for dinner at his

communal garden,

right in the 

heart of the city.

The 30 minute walk 

along the 

Akerselva...

a charming river that was used for 

various purposes during

the Industrial period,

was totally picture-perfect.

Wild ducks floating on the clear water,

illuminated with shafts of sunlight

seeping through the trees above,

gave the impression of 

the "joys" of 

the season.

Although the invitation was for 

late,

 the day was not lost.

This was after all summer.

The sun was still bright

&

 as the photos show,

the sky was a tempting 

shade of blue.

A communal garden,

as the name suggests,

is run by a collective of different owners,

on a lease-hold basis.

It was devised more than a 

hundred years ago,

primarily for the working class.

It provided an opportunity to enjoy

the wonders of gardening 

&

to escape from the confined

quarters of urban living.

While it gave the populace a

chance to work with the

"soil",

these projects also put

food on the table.

Parcels of land was set aside.

Nowadays,

it's extremely trendy to

own such gardens

&

the waiting list is rumored to be in the hundreds!

There are many such plots all over 

Oslo.

Fortunately they were never built upon.

This one is called

"Egebergloekka"

&

has 60 parcels within

20,000 square metres.

Each with it's own distinct

look & feel.

Basically,

you cultivate it according 

to your own 

whim & fancy.

Hence,

you're only limited to your own

imagination!

This is our host for the day...

Bjorn Lapstun.

And our 

"farm-to-table"

meal was only minutes away.

All around us, 

we were surrounded by

fruit, vegetables 

&

flowers

flowing in abundance.

Busy bees everywhere,

flying

ecstatically from

flower to flower, drunk with joy.

This place is precious

& 

such an experience...priceless!

The table all set & ready!

While our host was busy

grilling over hot coal,

we ventured around taking in the

beauty of this "paradise-like"

garden.

The plots spill over onto each other

without any fencing.

Everywhere you look,

juicy apples, pears, cherries & plums hung

heavily,

while wild raspberries & red currants

suspended in delicious clusters on delicate vines.

Flowers large & small,

added that burst of color.

 The land was full indeed!

Greetings all around!

As we wandered between the gorgeous plots,

each neighbor eager to show off

the bounty of their handiwork,

invited us over.

Home made marmalade 

of

squash & ginger!

An unusual & tasty

combination which was a perfect complement

to our meal.

Christian Sommerfelt & Gunnar Fon
enjoying chilled white wine
under the Norwegian sun.

Fish wrapped in foil

with garlic potatoes warming above.

Bjorn is a clever & innovative chef!

There's always an unusual twist to his

recipes.

Sweet plums ready for the plucking.

Since there's so much of everything,

you're invited to taste as much

as possible.

Many fruits will eventually end up as jam.

A photo of Christian Sommerfelt
cutting vegetables
from the plot in the quickest way possible!
All grown within arms reach.

We sat down for dinner in a manner as

civilized as one possibly could in such a setting.

Little else was required in terms of props.

We were literally surrounded by

lush fragrant vegetation

in the most intense green!

Flowers in all shapes & colors 

made it

 magical & alluring.

I firmly believe the happiest moments
are invariably the simplest!
A group of friends enjoying
good weather
&
farm fresh produce...tough to beat!

Gunnar, Morten, Bjorn & Jacob

amidst the lush beautiful garden.

Potatoes from the land awaiting consumption.
Organic at it's best!

The first course was grilled scallops

on a bed of squash,

drizzled with a home-made

light orange balsamic sauce!

And honey harvested from the hive a few

feet away!

How great is that!

Sitting here with these intense colors as backdrop

&

far from city interruptions,

we shared summer holiday stories.

This could possibly be the best

meal I've had in the last few months.

Garlic potatoes giving off
the most delicious smell!

The fish was brushed with a light egg wash,
seasoned
& 
foiled-wrapped.
It was then placed over the hot coals 
& 
steam cooked.
 In this manner, it preserved
the moisture,
while retaining the flavors.
 Intriguingly
tasty & satisfying!
A job done well Bjorn!!!

Dessert was an abundance of fresh red currants served
with vanilla sauce.
The currants exploded with every bite
soothed by the creamy sauce.
In their quest for greatness,
more chefs should return to the basics!

The garden was the perfect setting

for our

excellent dinner party.

There were no prized crystal glasses

nor bone china 

or

heirloom flatware,

yet this meal was beyond anything

any downtown restaurant could offer.

These establishments are so occupied

with interior decor that

they seemingly forget

that one important point:

the food.

Our late afternoon get together

was a no frills affair.

However, within it's 

simplicity & honesty,

we came away feeling truly

blessed to have enjoyed 

such hospitality.

Bjorn Lapstun

has spent long hours

working on this land

for many years.

His yield is plenty

&

his generosity 

holds no boundaries.

"Tusen Takk"

Bjorn

for an absolutely

unforgettable experience!

"A Thousand Words

Will Not Leave So

Deep An Impression

As One Deed."

Henrik Ibsen