Christmas Smorgasboard

Recently, I was invited to a Norwegian brunch. It reminded me of the Scandinavian traditions that define our Christmas Eve table. When I walked into Karin and Leslie’s house, the floor was swept and candle lit. The table was set with small dishes, bites of cucumber and red pepper, eggs in cups. We cracked the tops with our spoons and garnished them with salt. Karin had thoughtfully boiled mine beyond soft to a silky medium consistency to keep me safe in early pregnancy. I leaned into that morning, to the fresh bread from Leo's Bread and the french pressed coffee. My Dad joked last night, he was going to buy my newborn a thermos instead of a bottle for their caffeine addiction.

On Christmas Eve, my parents create a traditional Smorgasbord. The meatballs are flavored with All Spice instead of Italian seasoning. We always have two meats, a baked ham to go alongside the smaller scale meatballs. Au gratin potatoes, baked beans, and a vanilla scented rice pudding, fill Pyrex casserole dishes and a brown crock. Herring, lingonberries, deviled eggs and sweet gerkins round out the table. My Mom uses the same serving pieces every year: a stainless mid-century tray for the rye bread, a simple teak cheese board with a plastic cover for the cheddar and winter sausage. A cheese tooth pick shaped like a mouse makes it for me. A turn of the  century French sugar bowl from Aunt Lil’ holds the mustard. I look forward to seeing these pieces once a year. It means we made it to this meal again. No matter how hard we tried to grow, how much we tried to change. This meal stays the same for all of us. 

With our Christmas table this year, I combined my experience at Karin’s brunch with my memory of our eternal Smorgasbord. The best way to make something your own is to start with pieces that feel comfortable and add unique hand me downs. At Seasoned, we have both. Indestructible patterns in Corelle plates and small one of a kind ceramics to keep the coffee warmly flowing.