An Edible Voyage

September 2019 I fell in love with Rosendahls Tradgard at first sight.  This beautiful farm to fork garden harvests their own vegetables, herbs and fruits to create delicious offerings bursting with seasonal flavours in their garden cafe and wood-fired bakery.  The setting is idyllic, accessed by a path winding through flowering gardens, and you will be spoilt for choice by the array of open sandwiches, light snacks, hearty meals and decadent cakes, and that's just in the cafe! On site they also have a wood-fired bakery with the most delicious cardamom buns and loaves of bread warm from the oven.   Take a book and enjoy the tranquillity, the fresh air and the glorious aromas of flowers and baking bread.    

September 2019 Wandering the streets of Stockholm, I passed a building which looked like one of the Scandi design shops filled with beautiful homewares that are dotted along the streets of the city, so in I went.  I discovered that it was actually a cafe, specialising in plant-based drinks and snacks, with an airy, tranquil vibe - a calm haven from the hustle and bustle of the capital.  Hot drinks are served with your choice of plant-based milk, and there are several flavours of smoothie bowls to get your fill of nutrients. In true hipster cafe style, I couldn't find it's name anywhere, but find it around Drottninggatan 28 in Stockholm.

September 2019 Weekend brunch at Drop Coffee is an exciting affair - you won't find your standard brunch items that appear on every cafe's menu here.  Instead there are interesting twists on favourites.  I struggled to choose between Avocado 1.0 and Avocado 2.0 because 1.0 came with a sous vide egg, and I do love a sous vide egg... But I went for 2.0 as it sounded like a delicious combination of flavours.  Avocado and pickled carrot with garlic cream on toasted sourdough - bags of fresh flavours highlighted by the kick of garlic. A guilt-free yet totally delicious brunch. Find it at Drop Coffee, Stockholm, and enjoy alongside one of their own roasted coffees. 

September 2019 You can't go more than a few steps in Sweden without coming across a cinnamon and cardamom bun - and that's no bad thing!  In fact, my favourite cinnamon bun was at the Kebnekaise STF hut on the Kungsleden, maybe because I'd had to hike for it and wait for a helicopter to bring it in!   This was a great example of a cardamom bun - the softest dough on the inside, a slight crunch to the outside, and lovely layers to pull apart.  The spicy, herbal, fragrant cardamom, a perfect match to the sweetness. Find it at Drop Coffee, Stockholm, and enjoy alongside one of their own roasted coffees. 

September 2019 Sweden is a great place for sweet treats, and having hiked on the Kungsleden, I felt I could justify trying a fair few! I was a little sceptical about Princess Cake - it looks so sickly and heavy, but that couldn't be further from what it is actually like.  Layers of the lightest sponge, pastry cream whipped to clouds of air, and raspberry jam, encased in green marzipan.  Nothing was too sweet or overpowering, the tartness of the raspberries shone through, and it was like eating flavoursome mouthfuls of air - divine! Find it at Vete-Katten, a Stockholm institution.