Midsummer and Crepes

During midsummer it seems as if our internal clock goes into a summer mode. Usually the kids are in bed at 8.30 pm and the wake up is at 7 am during the school year. But once school is out it takes about three days to go into summer schedule where bedtime is closer to 10 pm and wake-up around 9 am for the kids. During midsummers bedtime tends to go even a bit later. Mom, however prefers an earlier bedtime for the kids and after the weekend we try to aim for the 10 pm bedtime.  It is so easy to lose track of time when the day is so long and light. This midsummers we were at home enjoying our new little Hugo, who has been a super baby. We made crêpes on a couple of occasions, as they seem to go hand-in-hand with summer, spending time together and have won the “kid’s choice” award in our house. Making crêpes is somewhat of a whole family affair. In Finnish crêpes are called lettu, lätty or räiskäle, depending on the region or the dialect.

Our little fisherman had gone fishing with Dad one evening. He was quite proud coming home with two rainbow trout.
fishing
We had oven-baked fish one evening and for the next evening we made savory nettle crêpes and rainbow trout filling with the leftover fish. Smoked Salmon could be easily substituted in and would also make a wonderful filling.
lohi crepe

Rainbow Trout filled savory Crêpes

Crêpes

1.5 l/6.3 c milk
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 dl/ 1/2 c wheat bran
2.4 dl/1 c dried nettle
11.8 dl/5 c flour
4 eggs
1/2 dl/1/4 c oil

Mix the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fry on medium hot griddle with a little oil. This is a fairly large batter so you may prefer to halve it to better fit your needs. Serve warm with the Rainbow Trout filling.

Rainbow Trout filling

160 g/5.6 oz Rainbow Trout or Salmon
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
200g/7 oz sour cream
handful of fresh dill, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
black pepper
salt
little mustard according to taste

A couple of evening after having our Rainbow Trout-filled crêpes, I was trying to think of a evening snack/supper after a long day of being outdoors and swimming. Since my husband had just gotten our summer kitchen fixed up we decided to give it a try and so Crêpes or lettuja won the popular vote. This time we made the sweeter version.

letun paisto

Sweet Crêpes

1.5 l/6.3 c milk
1 dl/ 1/2 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1 dl/ 1/2 c wheat bran
11.8 dl/5 c flour
4 eggs
1/2 dl/1/4 c oil

Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fry on a medium-hot griddle until golden brown. Serve warm. Feel free to halve the recipe if making for a smaller crowd. Serve with a topping of your choice, berries, whipped cream, jams or preserves, ice cream or a simple sprinkle of sugar.

lettu

40 Comments

  1. I love that you have a summer kitchen! Crepes are so versatile. Love them but I really don’t make them very much anymore. Silly me. What a treat I am missing out on.

  2. That trout is almost as big as your little fisherman, what an adorable photo. The crepes are wonderful, both the savory and sweet. I love a crepe any time and either or both ways.

  3. The Young Man and His Fish! That is a great pic! That’s definitely a family keepsake. Your crêpes look delicious and I declare a tie. Both are too good for 1 to be considered 2nd place. 🙂

  4. Aww! That fish is as big as he is! Great shot and always treasure that one as one day when he is grown up and has kids of his own he will treasure it even more. Great little savory crepe and sweet one to. I think you should have one for dinner and one for dessert. Take Care, BAM

    1. Yes, it nearly is as large! He was a proud little chap coming home after that expedition. His eyes were full of excitement when he told me his “fishing tales.” Thanks for stopping by Bam!

  5. I’m really enjoying your blog.. beautifully shared with us! Your son is adorable.. and I will have to try your savory crepes, that’s just the sort of recipe I love for lighter mid-summer suppers! Thank you sharing it with us! I don’t have a crepe-pan so will try this on our skillet. xxx

    1. Thank you Barbara so much for your kind comment! I really like having lighter fare as well for supper when the days are warm. I’m sure your skillet will work fine for the crêpes!

  6. Aw…i love trout. your recipe is simple and good. i am just curious, how did you manage to fall asleep during summer when the daylight does not end at all? I’ve seen this film insomnia which is filmed in Finland during summer. It really seems impossible to sleep at all.

    1. The light is probably the reason why people lose track of time in the summer in Finland…that and the fact that nearly the whole country is on vacation from midsummers to the end of July!
      I personally do not have a problem sleeping even if it is fairly light outside. But I do notice that in the summer I get by with less sleep and I tend to feel more energized. It is a neat feeling to wake up in the middle of the night and notice that the sun is rising in the horizon. Some people use special window shades/curtains that do not let light in to darken the room.

  7. What a little fisherman. How nice that you have your summer kitchen where you can enjoy the very long days outside. I have not been to Finland but have been to Norway at the time of the year when you go to bed with the sun still up. I can see why sleeping schedules would be a little different.

    1. I’m quite sure that the “nightless night” causes for very similar reactions amongst the people in all of the Nordic countries. Everyone wants to enjoy the light as long as it lasts. It comes to a quick end in August when the temperatures decrease and the days become shorter.

  8. We follow the same pattern here. During winter, bedtime is at 8:30, and during the summer it’s more like 10:00/10:30. Lovely crepes!

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