Exploring The New Nordic

  Today we got to embrace nature and go for a Swedish hike with Patrick, our Green Trails guide . Sweden continues to stun me with how amazingly beautiful its nature is. At the beginning of our hike Patrick explained how much the Swedish people value nature. For much of the year Sweden is quite cold and dark, which is not very suitable for hiking activities. This is very similar to Minnesota, where many of us will maximize outdoor activities during the late spring up until the early fall.      Here is a little lake we stopped at on our hike. I didn't even edit the colors, this is just how insanely beautiful nature is in Sweden.     Though the entirety of this hike was absolutely stunning and the most enjoyable nature activity we've done so far, there was one part, in particular, I was quite nervous about. At the beginning of the hike, Patrick had explained that we would be having a bonfire to heat up some food for lunch, but that we would be using a me...

 Today I was able to dine both from the forests of Denmark as well as a Michelin star restaurant. Sounds like opposite ends of the spectrum, but the offerings are more alike than you would think. We first arrived to a castle built in the 13th century called Dragslom . Our guide, Keld, walked us through the forest, farmland, and beach to forage for different plants that are edible along the path (a natural trial mix!). Keld pointed out that most wildflowers are edible, many of them offering honey and sweetness with bites of bitterness. There were also wild garlic plants lining the castle that he told us really stunk up the area when in bloom. Keld showed us plants like sea beets along the shoreline that all had a saltiness that I really appreciated.  My favorite was a typical weed called Goosefoots, formally known as Chenopodium , which is a plant grown as a crop in India. Part of the spinach family, Goose Foot had a very similar look and in my opinion, tasted better. With all ...

 Today I felt especially grounded to the earth and my surroundings. After spending the last few days in Copenhagen, visiting the castle at Dragsholm Castle , which included listening to the birds and feeling the sea breeze on my face, was a refreshing reset to our travel experiences.   After a morning foraging expedition around the castle, we journeyed to a local vineyard and winery. The Dragsholm Castle wall giving way to a garden space and farming land beyond. Nina and Niels are the owners of the vineyard and winery, and were also our hosts for the afternoon.  What began as simply an opportunity to retire to a home on a hillside with a beautiful view has now turned into a full-time experience of growing and harvesting grapes on their property.  After arriving, Nina walked us through the vineyard to describe the grape growing techniques that they are employing as an organic farm in Denmark climate that is farther north than traditional grape producing areas in ...

Mussel Soup One of the most important skills in life is the ability to be curious and willing to try new things. Throughout the travel portion of our course, our comfort zone has been pushed, whether it's been with being away from home, or trying new foods, we are constantly pushing our boundaries and exploring ourselves at the same time as we explore Denmark. This is one of the most important things in life as curiosity allows you to grow and become a better person. Today an example of this was trying mussel soup. We were able to sort mussels and chop vegetables, and then make a mussel soup for everyone to try. Being willing to try things that you haven't done before is important. One of the most interesting comments during the soup tasting was about school children that come to the same organization,  Havhøst . Our guide said that the biggest problem with kids trying mussels for the first time was their parents or teachers being around, and that given their own opportunity to...

 Today's experiential learning was all about foraging! Although we were limited in how much we could find, based on the seasonality of our search, our guides brought along two in season plants for us to sample that one could find if foraging deeper into the forest. The first sampled herb had a hint of spiciness to it while the second herb had more of a citrus/sour taste. Both of these plants went quite well with our sandwiches for lunch but also with some cooked mushrooms that we had as a snack. These mushrooms we prepared can be found in Denmark in the fall or early spring. Making these mushrooms we did not require much ingredients at all; for me, as a vegan, there simply was lemon, salt, pepper and tomato pesto, which was enough to make this meal tasteful. We also prepared a side of asparagus to completing our foraging snack.     Ever since making the decision to become a vegan I have pushed myself to explore more recipes, more vegetables ,and more ways I would be ...

Meet David, owner of  Rensaft Winery ! Although this winery will not be producing wine for about five years from now, it was inspiring to hear his story about moving to the island of  Samsø from Copenhagen and pursuing his aspirations of a biodynamic vineyard. David shared a story with our class about his search to purchase a parcel of land (in hectares of course) from a local farmer and envisioned it as the ideal area for grape-raising (southern facing, on a hillside, with some wind protection). As we stood on the uncultivated hillside, my classmates and I began to imagine returning to a full vineyard in five years time and sample discussed Rensaft Winery's *eventual* masterpiece. David and I after a great day of learning  about all-things organic on Samsø. As an American involved in agriculture, this particular learning experience focused my attention on organically food is organically created in Denmark. In the U.S., it can be viewed by some who are unfamiliar with or...