It would be a shame to let a healthier agenda get in the way of sensory celebration with family and friends. For me such gatherings create the best food memories. The recipes ahead aim to give you this with a nod to the North, while attempting to avoid the rich, failsafe ingredients we usually bring to the dining table on such occasions. It seems silly to make food for many individual serves, so many of the dishes are share plates or sides to share.
Almost all Nordic celebrations offer up a buffet known in other countries as smörgåsbord. Because the assortment is normally so large, the offering is rarely on the actual dining table but at another table nearby where you take as many visits as you want to fill your plate. It’s a great way to eat as it frees up space on the table… for more drinks perhaps! And quite often it prompts some fun banter about the number of visits and choice of food each person takes. If cooking for many I recommend you try it with recipes from the chapter ahead.