Dill is an herb that I rarely encountered before moving to Finland. Here, and across Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltics, dill is a go-to herb, popping up on servings of fish, garnishing freshly boiled new potatoes or in a potato & egg salad, boiled in the pot along with crayfish (jokirapu), or picked fresh from the garden and tossed into a green salad, where its distinct flavor blends well with whatever other fresh, green ingredients you can find.
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| Radishes straight from the garden. |
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| Fresh Dill |
On our rooftop in Ruoholahti, there is an abundance of dill. It is growing so happily and vigorously that it is beginning to shade the lettuce, so it was time to give the dill a little haircut. I cut myself a generous pile and then came home to do a search on the Internet for a dill recipe that didn't involve fish or potatoes, because, while I love that combination, a large part of the joy in cooking for me comes from trying something new and creating a combination that I otherwise wouldn't have considered and wouldn't likely run into anywhere.
Also abundant in the garden: the radishes are so ripe and ready they are popping up out of the soil, so finding a use for them as well was a bonus.
My search brought me to Heidi Swanson's blog 101 Cookbooks and her recipe for Leek Soup with Dill Oil. Sounds delicious altogether, but it was the potential of the Dill Oil all by itself that had me pulling out the immersion blender to create a mess in the kitchen.
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| Goat Cheese and Radish Sandwich with Dill Oil |
Oh, the places this can go! Dill oil brushed onto whole grain bread and topped with a slice of pepper turkey, edam cheese, and a thick leaf of ice lettuce. Or - because Heidi mentioned Dill Oil with goat cheese on a cracker, and because I had some, I tried soft goat cheese spread roughly across Whole Grain Bread with seeds, topped with fresh radish slices and a generous drizzle of Dill Oil.
Try this. And if you have some Dill Oil left over, you could even try it on fish. Or potatoes. You'll be very happy. Enjoy!
Goat Cheese & Radish Sandwiches with Dill Oil
For the Dill Oil from 101 Cookbooks:
2 dl / 1 cup fresh dill, rinsed, dried and chopped
9 RL / tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Combine the dill and the olive oil and process in a food processor or with an immersion blender until the mixture is bright green and well combined. The dill will be chopped into very short bits.
To make the sandwich:
Firm, fresh bread of your choice, sliced into thin slices (Ciabatta, Pugliese, or a seedy, whole grain are all good)
150 g / 5 oz Chèvre or other soft, spreadable goat cheese
small bunch of fresh radishes, washed and sliced into thin rounds
Dill Oil
Spread a spoonful of goat cheese roughly across each slice of bread. Drizzle with Dill Oil. Top with radish slices and drizzle with more Dill Oil. Serve.
Serves: this one is so easy to make - put together as many as you want! I ate three...
Labels: appetizer, Dill, Lunch, Radish
For the Dill Oil from 101 Cookbooks: