One of my favorite summer breakfasts at the country house is to eat a wild strawberry toast. The red little pearls grow around the garden so in the mornings, I tend to take a little bowl and pick some for my morning toast. During this early hour of the day, Siena takes her first stroll around the property, listening to sounds of nature around her. Usually everyone else is asleep and I’m enjoying the nature to myself picking away the sweet wild strawberries along with some blueberries. We have blueberries and lingonberry growing all over our forest, which is a common wild berry in Finland.
To make this delicious bread, you need to toast some rustic bread and let it cool. Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on top, squeeze a little bit of lemon juice and pour the berries on top. I usually garnish with a bit of thyme and it’s ready to be indulged. It really is a simple toast and maybe it tastes so delicious with the handpicked berries or the atmosphere I eat it in, but it really does remind me of the best of summer mornings. I boil my tea into a little thermos, take a few baskets with blankets and freshly picked flowers and stroll down to the pier to set up a little breakfast spot. I used to do this with our old dogo Bella, who always accompanied me where ever I went, so I’m glad Siena is learning to do the same thing. She swam in the lake as I sipped my tea and at that very moment, I felt grateful about life. The two little seagulls you see in the photos, are the same pair that always come back to our country house when we arrive there. They have almost become like pets to us, they walk all over our garden almost to the front door, sit silently waiting for a slice of bread. My mom feeds them on occasion, which is why they keep returning to us. They also joined us for breakfast, waiting at the end of the pier, for a little bit of bread. These Finnish lakes are so beautiful; they are clear, basically drinkable in this region which makes it such a refreshing experience to swim in them. A few boats glide by and the day begins to get hotter as the sun rises, as I finish my slow breakfast and cup of tea.
