There is a moment in early spring that feels almost uncomfortable.
Not yet warm, not fully alive - but already shifting.
The light changes first. Then something inside.
There is a line by Karin Boye:
“Of course it hurts when buds are breaking.”
Full poem here.
It stays with me every spring. Because it’s true - even the most natural growth asks something from us. A letting go. A small stretch beyond what was familiar.
But then it passes.
And what felt uncertain becomes open, light, possible.
Maybe this is why we return to small rituals this time of year -
setting the table, dyeing eggs, making the same dishes again.
At home, Easter always begins like this:
And always with pasha — something we make every year, without changing much.
Soft, rich, slightly different each time.
More about the process than precision.
Our Favorite Pasha Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 500g curd cheese (farmer’s cheese curd)
- 200g butter (at room temperature)
- 200 g sugar (you can also use 150g)
- 5 egg yolks
- 100g sour cream
- Vanilla sugar
- 50g chopped dried apricots
- 50g candied fruit
- 50g chopped toasted almonds
- Raisins – traditionally included, but can be omitted
- Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon (grated)
- 2–3 mandarins (for decoration)
Instructions:
- If using raisins, blanch them or soak them in rum overnight (I don't use raisins :)).
- Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (double boiler). Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to a sour cream-like consistency and becomes pale. Let it cool.
- Blend the curd cheese with sugar until smooth and free of lumps.
- Mix the slightly cooled (but not completely cold) egg mixture into the curd mixture. Add vanilla sugar, chopped dried apricots, candied fruit, almonds, and the grated orange and lemon zest. Mix well.
- Add the sour cream and mix again thoroughly.
- Line a sieve or colander with a clean linen kitchen towel and pour the mixture into it. Press it down, cover with a plate, and place a weight on top.
- Set the sieve over a plate to catch the liquid that will drain as the Pasha sets. Refrigerate overnight.
On Easter morning, turn the Pasha out onto a plate and decorate with mandarin slices.
Let it stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
To finish: add fresh citrus slices
Simple, but never rushed.
We like to think of linen in a similar way - something that softens over time, that becomes better with use, that carries traces of life rather than hiding them.
This Easter, we wish you a gentle kind of renewal.
Nothing forced. Nothing rushed. Just the quiet kind that stays.
