Garden ingredients, beautiful meals, and the pleasure of coming home.
I came back from Helsingborg, Sweden, with a camera full of food photographs. Looking through them, I realized how much of my trip had happened around a table.
At my friend Azade’s home, we spent time cooking, enjoying ingredients picked fresh from the garden, and sharing meals in surroundings as beautiful as the food. After years of living in Los Angeles, these moments are part of what makes returning to Sweden so special for me: time with people I love, and the chance to settle into everyday life back home.
Azade has an eye for interiors, and that care carries through to her table. Soft linen napkins, woven placemats, flowers, and platters ready to be shared made our meals feel like an occasion. In the afternoon light, even the simplest details deserved a photograph.
Our meals began in the garden, where we picked cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peas, and herbs. Cooking together started with what was growing right outside Azadeh’s home. For me, that was one of the pleasures of being back in Sweden: taking time to gather fresh ingredients and enjoy the simple process of preparing a meal with a friend.
Some of our favorite meals were simple: meat or fish on the grill, grilled vegetables, and a beautiful, fresh salad.
As a wellness coach, I talk a lot about what we eat. This trip reminded me how much I also value everything surrounding a meal: choosing the ingredients, preparing them together, and sitting down with someone whose company you enjoy.
That is the Sweden I want to share with you—a personal taste of home, through the garden, the kitchen, and Azadeh’s table.
Here are a few of my favorite dishes from our time together, with recipes to try at home. I hope you’ll enjoy making them as much as we did—they’re truly delicious.
GRILLED PEACH & BURRATA
Halve ripe peaches and grill or pan-fry them with a little olive oil until golden and caramelized.
Place 2 balls of burrata, torn open, over the warm peaches.
Finish with good olive oil, fresh lemon zest, chili flakes, flaky salt and fresh basil.
SWEDISH CRAYFISH PARTY – KRÄFTSKIVA
Buy pre-cooked Swedish crayfish (kräftor) – they are already seasoned and ready to serve.
Serve with:
* Good crusty bread + crispbread
* Butter
* Cheese
* Aioli
* Crayfish sauce
* Lemon and fresh dill
For a simple crayfish sauce: mix sour cream or crème fraîche with mayonnaise, fresh dill, lemon juice, a little grated horseradish, salt and pepper.
JALAPEÑO CHEESE DIP
Mix:
* 200 g cream cheese (Philadelphia)
* 1 cup crème fraîche
* 1–1½ cups grated strong cheese, such as sharp cheddar
* 1–2 finely chopped jalapeños
* Lemon zest
* Salt + black pepper
Mix until creamy and top with more chopped jalapeño, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh lemon zest.
Serve with bread, crackers or vegetables.
I brought back plenty of photographs, but what I treasure most is the time we spent together—picking from the garden, cooking, and catching up around a beautiful table.
If you love interiors and thoughtful table settings, follow my friend Azade at @dromhuset1 for a little inspiration of your own.
Jolana Nika is an international wellness coach, fitness trainer, and founder of The Jolana Method™. With more than 15 years of experience, she helps women build strength, confidence, and sustainable well-being through real food, movement, education, and lifestyle change. Her philosophy is simple: she doesn’t give you a diet—she teaches you a lifestyle.