Midsommar, 2021

Camberwell Grove

A very English Midsommar

Inspired by Sweden and informed by our venue in London, this years Midsommar looked at Greek Myths and Merchant Ivory films for its visual cues.
Divided into two parts, Midsommar Early was a pastoral vision with a picnic on the lawn, while Midsommar Late became a polite Bacchanal around the fire pit.
A limited edition range of serving bowls was made specifically for this event, embodying the light simplicity of Swedish design, and the rough earthiness of this pagan celebration.

Midsommar Early

Every year we go to stugan (the cabin) in Dalsland (the most beautiful place in Sweden) to celebrate Midsommar. This year we decided to bring Midsommar to London. Fortunately I’d spent the whole of lock-down coppicing and rewilding our ridiculously long garden, so we had the perfect venue for this nature based festival. I’d also been honing my cooking and was so excited to share my love of smoked lamb shoulder and fresh herb salads with my friends.

We decided to make two playlists to differentiate the moods between the earlier and latter part of the evening. Midsommar Early is an almost instrumental soundscape which invokes soft summer evenings spent lounging in meadows. It was so much fun developing the playlist, including old favourites like Bjork and Grimes with newly discovered bands such as Perfume Genius. Movies were a big influence as well. Room with a View, Call me by Your name, Marie Antoinette, and Midsummer Night’s Dream all captured that hazy mystery of a full blown summer.

By sharing the mood boards with the guests, people were able to get a real feel for the party. Linens, boater hats, flower crowns and cheesecloth smocks were in abundance and toned in beautifully with the dark woods, rattan and muted colours of the furniture and blankets. The back of the house with its Georgian pediment set the scene for our pastoral picnic as did the mowed lawn and (very young) fruit trees.

Midsommar Late

The latter part of the evening drew on the classics, anchored in Titian’s depiction of Bacchus and Ariadne. The shoulder of lamb was inspired by the hind leg being swung by a satyr and the leopard print worn by some guests by the cheetahs that drew Bacchus’ chariot. A disinhibited spirit gathered around us as we left behind the Victorian aesthetic of the day's luncheon. When the longest day grew dark, we lit the bonfire at the back of the garden, drawing guests down with its flickering light. They meandered down a candle lit path and through an archway of lanterns to settle on blankets around the fire pit.

We hid the speakers among the trees and synced them to create an immersive environment. The Midsommar Late playlist featured musicians such as Roisine Murphy, Robyn and Peaches for that aggressive disco hit, and included songs from orgiastic party scenes in Looking, American Gods and Climax. We were aiming for a low key Bacchanal and as we sat around the fire’s ember, drinking red wine beneath the branches of an old oak, I think we achieved it.

The Food

The Lamb

In the morning I took the lamb shoulders out the fridge and seasoned them with generous pinches of salt. I made a paste of rosemary, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, coated the lamb, and set them aside under foil to come to room temperature. Before my guests arrived I lit the coals and let them burn down until there were no visible flames. I cooked the lamb in a barrel BBQ for 1h30 with the lid closed, turning once, and rested them under foil for 30min. After slicing them thinly I poured over a caper butter to ensure juiciness and bring an extra layer of salt. They came out medium well and very tender.

The Salad

Lars’ signature herb salad was incredibly well received and cut through the richness of the lamb beautifully.

Equal amounts of mint, coriander and dill were finely chopped and added to large grained couscous. A dressing made from olive oil, crushed fresh garlic and white wine vinegar was drizzled over the top, along with diced preserved lemon and pomegranate seeds. To top it all off, shelled pistachios were toasted with ground cumin and added just before serving.

The Veg

We served a side of roasted vegetables incase people preferred not to eat the lamb (everyone ate the lamb). We could have made double the amount in any case even through the oven was groaning with the weight of peppers and aubergines. Cutting them into equal sized cubes, they were rolled in harissa and olive oil and roasted in a hot over for an hour. The veg was served alongside large flat breads that were torn at the table as I plated up portions of food for each guest.