Baking Day

Earlier this month, my family and I took our first trip downstate in over 18 months. There were a few bumps in the road (including a car accident on our anniversary—we’re all ok), but overall the trip was filled with family and memories made. While Ollie spent plenty of time with Grandma and Grandpa, I had the chance to spend the morning on the family farm with great Aunt Betsy and Uncle Runo. Here’s an excerpt from my journal entry for the day:

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I’ve long admired the rye bread rounds Aunt Betsy put out on the table during our visits to the farm over the years. Kaka, as she refers to it, is their daily farmhouse bread, which is often served with fresh-churned butter, honey, and plenty of coffee. Many of the ingredients are freshly-milled and/or directly from the farm including today’s addition of ground painted mountain corn.

This week I had the chance to learn how to make it. My “baking days” with Betsy began on my trips to the farm in med school. She taught me how to make pepparkakor and cardamom coffee cakes filled with homemade jam. She shared stories about my husband’s family history, including her time in Sweden, and I shared what I was learning in med school. Food, particularly fresh food from the farm, often served as a bridge between the two.

Food is a conduit for connection.

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I’m already looking forward to our next trip downstate and another baking day on the farm. If you’d like to learn more about the farm, visit the website here. Betsy publishes a weekly newsletter, which I adore.