A taste of Skogfjorden — stick bread — yum!
Concordia Language Villages share a recipe for camp favorite pinnebrød
Photo: Mari Svenningsen / Matprat
Pinnebrød—stick bread—is a simple dough wrapped around a stick and baked over the glowing embers of a campfire and a favorite Skogfjorden experience. You can add different flavors, like this chorizo-inspired one from Matprat.
KELSEY K. LARSON
Special to The Norwegian American
While COVID-19 has naturally restricted the ability of summer camps to welcome participants in person, Skogfjorden has moved to the digital world to offer a fun experience from your own home.
Dean of Skogfjorden Tove I. Dahl says, “Skogfjorden is Skogfjorden, no matter where we meet, as long as we meet you. Where we are meeting this summer is in our brand-new digital home. And who we are meeting are a whole bunch of deltakere and ledere who are going to prove, once again, that it’s ultimately the people and the things we do together that truly make Skogfjorden, Skogfjorden.”
Skogfjorden offers a variety of language-learning experiences. Credit villagers earn high-school language credits in a four-week session, while the one-week sessions are split into fun themes. The last one-week session of the summer, friluftsliv, will focus on outdoor life, a very important Norwegian cultural concept and a great excuse to enjoy nature before the school year begins again. While outdoor life and digital learning may seem like a classic dichotomy, you can always count on the exceptionally creative educators at Skogfjorden to deliver a fun and innovative experience.
Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB scanpix
Pinnebrød is the perfect summer culinary project for families: fun, simple, and delicious!
In Dahl’s words: “Our digital village is not a day of screen time. Our digital village is a launchpad for fun, friends and learning norsk. It’s a launchpad for living the language and culture of Norway in your very own home with friends, new and old, from around the country and around the world. It’s also a launchpad for bringing what you love most about Skogfjorden right into your very own Skogfjorden space, however you create it, however you live it. Here, there, anywhere. Her, der, hvor som helst!”
The friluftsliv session will explore and identify the natural elements around you: weather, dressing and packing for success, uansett vær (regardless of the weather), turmat (food for your outdoor adventure, like the recipe I’m about to share!), places to go (at home and in Norway), games to play and songs to sing outdoors.
When I was a leder at Skogfjorden back in the summer of 2009, one of my favorite outdoor learning sessions was making pinnebrød over the fire. This is a super fun cooking experience that was always a hit with the ledere and deltakere alike. Make a simple dough, light a fire in the fire pit, and enjoy a little taste of a classic Skogfjorden summer.
“We hope to spread the word that this summer is a summer like no other—at Skogfjorden in the best of ways,” says Dahl. “We are keen to make this, with you, a summer of a lifetime. It is going to be a summer we are confident you will be glad you got to spend with your Skogfjorden venner in this pioneering way.”
For more information about this summer’s five sessions, check out the Skogfjorden Norwegian Language Village Facebook page. There you will find a regularly updated slideshow with session information. You can also visit www.ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org.
Pinnebrød — Stick Bread
Adapted from Meny.no
1 ²/³ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking power
2 tsps. sugar
Pinch of salt
¹/³ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda.
Add the oil and water, and stir together into a smooth dough. Add a bit more flour if the mixture is too wet.
Add a little oil to the outside of the dough with a brush to keep it from sticking. Store the dough in a plastic bag or in a plastic container with a lid.
To cook, roll the dough out in sausage shapes. Twist it around a stick, and bake over hot embers. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the bread is baked through, taking care to turn the stick frequently to ensure that the bread doesn’t burn.
Here are some Norwegian words and phrases you can try while you cook!
pinne (stick)
brød (bread)
pinnebrød (I don’t have to explain, right)?
bål (fire)
stek (roast)
deig (dough)
snu (spin)
turmat (food made for your outdoor adventure!)
Pass deg! (Be careful / watch out)
Vær så god! (You’re welcome)
Smaker det? (How does it taste?)
Kos dere! (Enjoy yourselves!)
This article originally appeared in the July 10, 2020, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
