Smørrebrød

I have a dear friend who makes incredible sourdough bread. I actually acquired my sourdough starter from her when we first met and I’ve been using it ever since. Recently, she made an amazing loaf of traditional Danish rye bread made with freshly milled rye that she ground herself. She shared this loaf with me and of course I had to showcase its beauty by making a spread of delicious toppings to serve with it. In Denmark, these kind of open-faced sandwiches on rye bread is called Smørrebrød. I served the bread with beet hummus, my special pickled egg salad, sardines with labneh, capers, and dill, plus lots of avocado, cucumber, radishes, sauerkraut and sprouts that could be combined in all the delicious ways as toppings. This is a perfect spread of food if you’re hosting a lunch for friends. Here are my beet hummus and egg salad recipes.

Beet Hummus

1/2 cup chopped beets (about one small beet)
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4- 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Cook the beet by steaming in a vegetable steamer or boiling until tender (about 15 minutes).

2. While the beet is cooking, put the garlic clove into a food processor and process it until it’s nicely chopped. Add the chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients (including the cooked beets) and some of the water and process.

3. Add more water if it’s too thick. Keep processing the hummus until it’s nice and smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice and salt if you think it needs it.

Pickled Egg Salad

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 large stalk of celery, finely chopped
3 tablspoons chopped scallions or chives
1 whole dill pickle, finely chopped (I use my fermented dill pickles)
sea salt and pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, mash the eggs, leaving them somewhat chunky. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine well. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If it’s too dry, add more yogurt and mustard.