Update #2 on the New German Adventure

Let me start off by planting some music in your brain- you know the kind of tune that played on The Price is Right when the contestant lost and over-guessed the price of things?  That whomp....whomp...whoooooomp thing? Ya, play that in your head for a few minutes. 

I am obviously not going to be a kraut maker, and I'm perfectly ok with that. It was just an experiment in "Can I Do This?" anyway, and I'm not a huge kraut fan to begin with. So no tears of disappointment and fits of frustration will happen here. Just a stinky pot of "stuff" to dispose of.

As I discovered while making a wellness check, I had not a pot of kraut fermenting, but something that looked like it belongs in Alexander Fleming's lab- a pot of mold. Weird mold. Curly, bendy, ruffly moldy in colors I never knew existed, and no, I didn't take any pictures. Gross.

Sir Alexander Fleming, playing with nasty and
disgusting stuff in his lab. Photo courtesy of
Wikimedia.

Out the back door and off to the compost pile with that nonsense. And now........off to the farm for some vegetables I actually know what to do with!!

A new German adventure !

Ok, I have decided. I am taking the plunge. I am going to master this. I've decided it's time that I start to embrace some of the foods I think I don't like (there aren't very many by the way) and try them, and even better, learn to prepare them. So armed with loads of info from some very experienced people to guide me, I am embarking on a new adventure. A German one. A stinky one. I am going to make sauerkraut.

What's the big deal you ask? I have been convinced most of my life that I don't like sauerkraut. To be perfectly honestly, I never really did. Having a mother who was born and raised in Germany meant more than my fair share of sauerkraut on the dinner table, and with the exception of oysters, if Mom made it, we ate it or went hungry. Lots of celebrations at the German American Society meant.....more kraut. An entire summer spent in Europe.....more kraut. When I reached adulthood I swore I'd never cook any of those foods, the ones I was forced to eat as a kid- turnips, kohlrabi, rutabaga........sauerkraut!

I am very fortunate to have so many experienced canners, preservers, and homesteaders as friends. Most of not all of them have some experience with fermenting kraut, and since I'm a total newbie, I need the advice! After spending a lot of time talking with several people I feel like I can do this- and it's much easier than I ever imagined it would be. Two ingredients- cabbage and salt. The amount of cabbage is up to me. Since I have zero experience, I am definitely starting SMALL- using a good size head of cabbage and a small bucket. I'm thinking a few quarts of finished kraut will be a success if this novice can pull it off. 

The process is simple. Slice the cabbage finely. Obviously, the actual size is up to you. You don't want big HUNKS but you also don't want thread-like shreds. You can use whatever method of slicing you like. My friend Ben advised me to not cut it TOO small but to get a good chop on it. I can see why- adding the salt will release the juice from the cabbage, which is what forms the brine. The more cut surfaces, the more brine will be made faster. The Ball Book recipe for kraut uses about 25 lbs (5 heads) and one cup salt. I am planning on about a head to start my small experiment so I will need to do some math with the salt. Too much salt, I'm told, will prevent fermentation, and I'm sure won't taste very good. 

Once the cabbage is sliced, you need to layer it in the CLEAN container you plan to use for fermentation, alternating with salt and using hands, work the salt into the cabbage well, massaging it, crushing it a little, to help break it down and get the juices going. If you get this step right you will have enough brine to cover the cabbage completely. Ball has a brine recipe on their website if you don't get enough from the cabbage. Then weigh the cabbage down with a plate to keep it submerged, cover with a towel to keep multi-legged friends and junk out and place in a 70-75 degree area and let nature do it's thing. It should take a few weeks for the process to finish, and you'll know when it stops bubbling. Skim off any scum as it forms. 

You can do a few things to make your kraut a little different. You can add caraway seeds or juniper berries for a different flavor. You can use white or red cabbage- pink kraut- that's an interesting idea. I didn't do any of these things this time. For me it was a learning experience and I'll try those other ideas later. 

After it's been fermented you can either can it (it's a waterbath canning item so it's easy) or just store in the fridge. It stores well in the fridge for a very very very very long time.

So, now I have my cabbage brined and covered and ready to do its thing. You'll have to stop back by in a few weeks and see how it turns out.

Cleaning out the freezer cake

Remember last fall when we had bushels upon bushels of apples at the Little Lake House? Roasters full of apple butter simmered for days, and the cupboards quickly filled with jars of cinnamony apple goodness for toast, and many, many jars of applesauce. The dehydrator worked overtime drying apple chips for snacking, and a stack of ready-to-bake pies went into the freezer. But not only pies went in the freezer. Bags and bags of sliced apples, waiting for cakes, pies, jams and more still fill the freezer. I need to make room for fresh things from this season!

Apple cake has always been a favorite of mine. It's easy to mix up and get in the oven. No need to haul out the big Kitchenaid- you can mix this up with a whisk in a bowl. The bonus is, it's a great way to use up all those sliced apples in the freezer. It's homey, old-fashioned and reminds me of old church cookbook recipes.

I had canned apples, frozen apples, apple butter, apple sauce......

To make the cake you need:

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups sliced, peeled apples (I am using frozen)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (black walnuts are excellent)

In bowl, stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl whisk eggs and oil together until well combined. Whisk in sugars and vanilla until completely combined. Gradually mix in dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Don't worry if the batter seems dry- it should be a lot like cookie dough.

During baking the apples release enough liquid to moisten the cake. Fold in apples and walnuts.

I used pecans because that's what I had on hand.

Spread the mixture into a greased and floured cake pan (I am using a 9x13 pan) and spread and "smoosh" it down evenly. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes in a 9x13 pan, or 55-60 minutes in a Bundt pan. You can also bake this batter in muffin tins (bake about 20-25 minutes) and then pop them in the freezer for easy-to-thaw snacks or even breakfast. **Note- since I am working with frozen sliced apples I am adding about 8-10 minutes to my baking time. If you use frozen, be sure and allow for that. DO NOT thaw apples first though. They won't fold in, they will break up.

My mom often added raisins to this cake too, which is super delicious. You will want to eat this one up fast- the apples keep the cake so moist. You can serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream but you DEFINITELY don't need frosting. A drizzle of caramel sauce on the plate before adding the cake looks elegant, but go easy on the caramel with this rich cake. It also looks pretty with a little sprinkle of confectioners' sugar dusted over the top- but do so immediately before serving as the cake is so moist it will melt the sugar after a bit. 

Keep an eye out for more apple recipes coming up soon- I have A LOT to use up. 

German with a sweet twist

Sticking to traditional recipes is very important to me. I love the history and stories and uniqueness foods from other cultures have. Growing up with a German mother, I often had REAL German food, prepared by a real born and raised German cook. Simple flavors, meat and potatoes meals, the occasional splurge of something truly remarkable, my childhood of German cuisine was filled with deliciousness. Whether it was my mom's German lentil soup and potato pancakes, or weiner schnitzel from a German restaurant in Chicago, or lunch on a Rhine River cruise, I got to experience it all.

While I have an immense respect and curiosity for truly genuine regional and ethnic cuisines, it's also fun once in a while to try a little fun spin on flavors, shake things up a bit and see what happens. Americans are famous for doing this. We recreate "Mexican food" to suit our eating habits. Italian dishes have met the same fate. It's not a bad thing, just something we do.

Some foods just invite some adventure. Take sausages, for example. A renewed interest in charcuterie and sausage-making has spawned a generation of chefs and foodies that like to get creative with the grinds and flavors and bring new life to ages old recipes. Bratwurst happens to be one of those foods. Seems simple enough- ground meat, flavorings, stuff in a casing. But some combos just don't add enough "oomph" and others are way over the top.

Here in Iowa we have a chain of grocery stores called HyVee. Over the years HyVee has grown from the smallish neighborhood grocery store of my childhood to these giant, cavernous, overwhelming behemoths that contain everything your culinary heart could desire. Endless varieties of produce, both organic and not. Meat counters half a city block long. Bakeries cranking out artisan breads alongside the peanut butter cookies. Aisle after aisle of every ethnic food you can possibly imagine. You can get supplies to make sushi, Froot Loops, organic canned tomatoes and red wheat berries from the bulk foods section. Toss a couple Calphalon skillets in the cart, stock up on Dr. Pepper and off you go. 

It should be no surprise then that the meat counter included at least ten different flavors of bratwurst. Seriously. Jalapeno. Pineapple. Green onion. Traditional. On and on they stretch. So many choices. Of course we had to try the pineapple (yum!!) and the jalapeno (double yum!!) but one flavor really jumped out at me, and said "Cook me.......with a creamy mustard sauce and fried apples" and that was the Apple Spice Bratwurst. I just had to have it!

So today for dinner, we won't really have a "recipe" to work from, other than the sauce. Instead we are going to pan fry the sausage to get some delicious fond going on as a flavor base for our sauce. Bratwurst works well for this because of the pork fat, and the added sweetness of the apples will add sugar to the mix, creating crunchy, tasty browned bits that will be so amazing. A hit of grainy German-style mustard, finished with cream and some butter, and we will have a yummy masterpiece! Fried cabbage and onions on the side will tie it all together nicely.

How were the bratwurst? Fantastic! The pork stays nice and juicy inside the casing when you use tongs to turn them instead of poking with a fork. The apple and spice flavors are the perfect accent to pork and don't disappoint in these sausages.There were lots of chunks of juicy apple in the sausages and the spices reminded me of a sweet breakfast sausage. I wasn't too worried- after all, the pineapple and jalapeno bratwurst were delicious also. 

Next time you're out and about, cruise by the meat counter of your favorite store. Look for something new and different and interesting. Step outside of your comfort zone and check out new flavors. You might be very happy you did!