Happy new year!

I know, the new year is now three days old but time flies and I haven´t had time to sit down with this- I have been busy with a puzzle, sleeping, reading and taking walks in the glorious winter weather. Today I planned on skiing, but the lock to the back compartment in our car is frozen so I can´t get the skis in there. That´s life. I have also had my first ever blog-date with one of my readers, if you don´t count the readers I already knew. Thanks Maiko for a lovely evening!

But back to the New Year. We live on the 10th floor and decided to ask some friends over on New Year´s Eve to celebrate and watch the fireworks from the balcony. Very convenient! We crammed eight people in our kitchen and fed them as follows:

For a starter in the living room by the Christmas tree (no needles so far!!!!????!!!): Martini and grissini which I had plans of making myself but decided against (lack of time)

Antipasti my way, with prosciutto crudo, salami and bresaola in very thin slices, crostini with home made tapenade and knäckisar with home made red pesto and crostini with a piece of feta cheese and a slice of roasted pepper

Pork loin filled with basil and sundried tomato, sliced on a plate and baked with a cover of mozzarella, basil, tomato and walnuts - with arborio rice and a nice sauce and sugar snaps

Crema catalan with caramelized sugar and pomegranate seeds

Home made fresh cheese with chives and brie cheese with the top mould layer shaved off and sprinkled with dried fruit (dates, apricots, green raisins). Biscuits and biscotti.

Our dear guests practically rolled out of the door when they were getting home and that´s the way I like it.

Before I go for a little walk I want to share with you the recipe for red pesto, which was my favourite on the table. And those of you who are able to, try knäckisar with sesame seeds, they were really tasty. The recipe is from the always reliable Bonniers kokbok and is definitely a keeper!

You need ten sundried tomatoes in oil, I used the ones I bought in a bag a couple of months ago. First I soaked them in boiling water for about 20 minutes, then I drained them and poured a little olive oil over them, covered and put in the fridge over night. They turned out perfect, even without any spices. You can also of course use ready tomatoes in oil from the shop.

In a bowl or food processor, combine the tomatoes and 25 grams of grated strong cheese like parmesan or Västerbotten (I used Svecia because I wanted Swedish cheese and the shop was out of Västerbotten). Mix in food processor or with a handheld mixer until everything is chopped. Add 1 clove of garlic, 25 grams walnuts and a handful of fresh basil leaves. Mix again. Then add olive oil, very little at a time and stir or mix to absorb the oil. Continue doing this until the texture is nice and smooth and creamy, about 100 ml oil. Serve as you please and enjoy!