Exploring Polish Cuisine- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Cucumber Salad

Exploring different types of cuisine is something we really enjoy here at The Little Lake House. It's virtually impossible to get stuck in a rut when you are constantly exploring new lands, unique food stores and reading ethnic cookbooks for ideas. Polish food is generally not something that comes to mind when you talk about a "cuisine." In fact, I'd be willing to bet not many people could even name a traditional Polish dish, and for far too many that think they know Polish food- it's frozen premade pierogies. That's sad to me!

Having a mother who was born and raised in Germany, I was exposed to so many different styles of cooking during my life. While she was not Polish, she did make some pretty killer cabbage rolls, which is a traditional Polish dish. The thing about Mom's rolls- the filling was the same basic mixture as her meatloaf and meatballs with a little rice added, and I've said it before- she was no Julia Child and she did the unthinkable- made the sauce from canned tomato soup. When I decided to reinvent Mom's cabbage roll recipe I knew I'd be skipping that horrific ingredient!

In order to get a beautiful, perfect little cabbage package you need a nice, firm, smooth and heavy head of cabbage. Look for a bright green head that weighs about three pounds and you'll end up with 12-20 rolls. I was shooting for 12 rolls so I'd have plenty to freeze for later too. Prepping the cabbage is super easy. Use a sharp knife to cut out the core (or as much as you can) and remove the outer leaf or two if they are beat up. 

Get a big stockpot of water boiling, and go ahead and salt that water too. Carefully place the cabbage head (yep, the whole thing) in the pot, cover it, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully again, remove the whole head and place it on a rimmed baking sheet until cool enough to handle. Save that water and keep it simmering- you might find some of the inner leaves are still too crunchy and you might need to simmer the cabbage a little bit more. Plus, you will need a little water for later. Carefully peel off the leaves and set aside. Sounds easy right? Lets make some cabbage rolls!

Polish Cabbage Rolls (Golabki)

3 lb head of cabbage
1 lb hamburger (get the lean grind for this recipe)
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped carrot
olive oil
3/4 cup uncooked rice
salt
pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Italian seasoning, if desired
3 cups tomato sauce, divided  (1/2 cup in the meat, the rest as sauce)
1/2 cup water

Finely dice the onion and garlic. Chop the carrots into small dice. In a large skillet heat a couple tablespoons of oil. Add the onions and carrots and saute over medium heat until onions begin to caramelize. Add the garlic. Continue cooking until the garlic softens but does not brown. Remove from heat and set aside to  cool.

Prep the cabbage as above. I'm shooting for 12 rolls so I am going to peel off leaves until I have enough. Now sometimes I get most of them peeled off and they are still too crunchy to roll- so pop them back in the pot of water for a few minutes. We have to deal with that hard rib, so grab a paring knife or vegetable peeler and shave it off. You don't want to cut through the leaf, we want to keep it whole. Set the leaves aside.

Save the rib shavings- you can chop them up and toss
in the meat filling too- no waste!

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, the sauteed vegetables. rice, salt and pepper, the parsley and one cup of the tomato sauce. Get in there with your hands and mix that up like meatballs- and then divide it up into enough portions for all the leaves you have. Then, roll em up!

To roll them, place the bottom of the leaf closest to you. Put the filling on the leaf, then fold the bottom over the filling, fold the sides in, then roll up. Place the rolls seam side down in a large baking pan. They will hold together well and you won't need toothpicks or anything like that. 

Sprinkle the rolls with Italian seasoning if you're using. Combine the remaining tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of the cabbage water and pour over the rolls in the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until cooked through.

Typically in Poland the rolls are allowed to cool after baking, then covered and chilled- to serve brown in olive oil and serve with sour cream. You can also serve them straight from the oven with a little tomato sauce spooned over if you like.

Some potatoes with parsley and butter were perfect
with the cabbage rolls.

Now the typical Polish farm wife might serve these rolls with a side of tluczone ziemniaki (mashed potatoes) and falsolka z migdalami (green beans sprinkled with buttered and toasted bread crumbs and sliced olives) or maybe a cold cucumber salad. Sounds like a perfectly delicious and homey meal to me. Let's eat!

Frozen scoops of tomato paste- pop in the microwave
with water and you have tomato sauce in minutes.

Helpful hint-  I buy tomato paste in bulk- the big #10 cans, scoop it out onto waxed paper in 1/2 cup portions and freeze. When solid, I bag them up and store. It's easy to pull out a couple portions and thaw in water to make the sauce I need for this recipe- I used 2 scoops of paste and 3 cups of water (my rolls are a little saucy). This way I always have tomato sauce pretty much at my fingertips for very little money.

Want to have some fun with food? Let's make a quick cucumber salad to go with the rolls- and we're going to use a fun tool- a spiralizer. I have had a lot of fun playing with this thing and decided this would be a great night to break it out. They come in all price ranges from an inexpensive hand held one (like mine) to a $$$$ automatic thing I just don't need. It's not something I think to use very often, it's just fun. So for our salad I have two medium cucumbers. Gotta love farmers market day! There were literally picked an hour before I bought them. I used the spiralizer to cut long strands of cucumber- kind of like noodles, and then used a knife to cut through the pile of strands to make bite size pieces.

Into the salad bowl they go along with some slivered red onion. I had a few sprigs of herbs leftover from the night before so I added some thyme leaves and a handful of chopped parsley, some salt and freshly ground black pepper and gave it a toss.

A little vinegar and oil- simple and classic, like our European style meal, and it's ready to serve.

Iowa Sweet Corn Gets Some Latin Lovin'

Photo from Iowa On A Plate

Here in Iowa we know a thing or two about sweet corn. How to grow it, cook it, sell it. We celebrate sweet corn with annual festivals devoted to this tasty summer treat. At the State Fair roasted ears of corn are gobbled up by hungry fairgoers by the ton. Growing up in Iowa it wasn't unusual to have a dinner of just a huge pot of freshly cooked sweet corn, dressed up with only butter and salt. Oh my yum. Much loved by people all over, sweet corn is often used in non-traditional foods such as sweet corn sodas and ice cream, even candy. 

Driving around Iowa you will see acre after acre of corn. This corn is used for all sorts of things- animal feed, food, fuel production, but it's not sweet corn. Iowa produces thousands of acres of sweet corn annually. There are hundreds of different cultivars, some heirloom and some hybrids. Some of the heirlooms are hundreds of years olds, as sweet corn was first identified in the late 1700s. Peaches and Cream is a very popular variety around Iowa, as is Silver Queen, and this year I have even seen pink sweet corn in the stores. 

Here is a fun fact: Did you know there is one strand of silk for every kernel on the ear of corn? 

Laura Duffield Beigger makes
a spicy corn stock with jalapeno

So sweet corn. While so many of us love our corn drenched in butter and salt, corn is getting some gourmet treatment these days. Far far away from Iowa, different cultures and different cuisines use our beloved sweet corn in many interesting and delicious dishes. Many Latin dishes, for example, use corn, ground, as flour and kernels. Mexican street corn is often roasted in the husks, and then peeled back and sprinkled with seasonings and queso fresco or cojita before serving. Corn is roasted and charred and cut off the cobs to toss in salads and salsas. Corn cobs get recycled into corn cob jelly and corn stock for delicious soups and sauces. My friend Laura Biegger recently made corn stock with some jalapeno for kick- I think this would be a fantastic base to build an awesome seafood chowder. Let's take a look at a couple unique ways to use Iowa sweet corn in recipes, this time with a Latin twist.

Up first is a fantastic recipe from local restaurateur George Formaro. His Malo restaurant in Des Moines is an upscale Latin spot in the heart of downtown and brings a fresh and unique perspective to Mexican and South American dishes. We have visited Malo a couple times, you might remember. Their Corn Queso is a very special twist on a classic Mexican snack and brings the much loved fresh Iowa sweet corn into the spotlight. While Malo uses a locally sourced frozen corn, you could easily substitute freshly cut sweet corn as a replacement. They graciously shared this recipe on their Facebook page a while back.

Malo's Corn Queso

1 lb easy melting cheese such as Queso Seguro or Velveeta

4 cups Iowa Choice Harvest frozen sweet corn

1 cup water

1 lime, juice and zest

1 tbs salt

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 tbs crumbled Cojita cheese, queso fresco is a suitable alternative

Using a food processor, puree the corn with the water until completely smooth. Heat the olive oil in saucepot and add pureed corn. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to simmer and reduce to a creamy consistency. 

Once a light pudding texture is reached, combine with salt, lime juice and zest and puree/process to eliminate any possible lumps. 

Melt the cheese over low heat until smooth. Fold in the corn mixture. Pour into a heat resistant serving bowl and top with crumbled Cojita cheese. Broil until the Cojita is browned and golden. Serve with tortilla chips. 

At Malo they use the corn pudding mixture in other dishes, and as a sauce for crab cakes.

Another popular use for fresh corn is salsa. The old days of nothing but tomato-based salsa are long over. Veggies and fruits of all kinds end up in salsa, sweet and savory alike. While I do love a good traditional salsa I'm a huge fan of corn salsa and black bean salsa. Combine the two and I'm in heaven! This salsa is easy to whip up for a party and if you had a lot of leftovers, you could pop it in the freezer for longer storage. I love it with chips and as a condiment for other foods, like enchilada, tacos and so on.

Deb Campbell's beautiful Iowa sweet corn, ready for the pot

Roasted Fresh Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salsa

2 ears fresh corn

olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (I use a combo of colors)

1-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

fresh Jalapeno pepper to taste*

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

zest of one lime

pinch of salt and pepper

dash of cumin, if desired

* I start with one Jalapeno and taste for heat. I also sometimes use any other hot pepper I might have around, including some of the super hots. Do so with caution!

Shuck the corn and wash well, removing all the silks. Rub the corn with a small bit of olive oil and roast the ears over a hot grill or under the broiler until some of the kernels are caramelized and golden. Set aside to cool. 

When cool enough to handle, slice the corn from the cobs and place in a bowl. Toss with all remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. This salsa is also delicious with a diced avocado added. and piled in a taco salad. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Dreaming About Kitchens

Many of us have one. A dream. The perfect house. Perfect hair. Perfect gardens and flowers. Perfect lawns. The perfect house, your dream home, and if you're really lucky......your dream kitchen. 

My dream kitchen. That's something to think about, really. What would I want in my dream kitchen? If money were no object and I could have anything I wanted......... space. Most definitely space. Bright light. Windows. Plants, fresh herbs maybe, or just beautiful plants. Perhaps a flowering plant or even a lemon tree, sitting next to a huge window, a wall of glass, overlooking a deck suitable for entertaining and enjoying a nice meal or morning coffee in the shade and soft breeze. Skylights overhead to let even more glorious sunshine in.

This GORGEOUS kitchen from countryliving.com is
so perfect- the color, the window, no island but I can deal
without one! LOVE the color and airy openness.

Overhead is a very under-utilized space. My dream kitchen would have overhead storage in the form of a very cook hanging pot rack. I used to have a teeny tiny one. I would have a BIG one this time, with my Calphalon and AllClad displayed proudly. I'd have loads of cabinet space too, so countertop clutter would not exist. I would have a large container for my favorite utensils to huddle together. Magnetic strips would keep my knives safe and eliminate that bulky knife block I hate so much. A big bowl or two for fresh fruit and vegetables, or maybe breads, would have a prime spot on the counter. Maybe on the island- of course I'd have an island, and it would be perfect for sitting at with a couple of stools.

I'd need a big, deep sink and a cool faucet. One of those neat pull-out types or a restaurant-style spring sprayer whatever that thing is called. You know what I mean- it hangs over the sink and sprays water wherever you want. Very contemporary looking. Just my style. A deep ceramic farmhouse sink would be awesome for washing a big load of fresh produce from the farmers market. 

Let's go back to that kitchen island for a minute. Have you ever seen the islands that include the cooktop? That's exactly what I'd have.  But not just any cooktop. Nope. This chef-wanna-be would go all out and splurge on a Viking. I'd love to have the island built around a flawless stainless steel six burner Viking range. Above that, a stainless steel vent hood. The awesome thing about this Viking range in the photo is unlike other ranges there is no "back" where all the knobs and so on would be- it tucks perfectly into an island space, and would make me oh so happy! The oven would be tucked under just like any other range, but I would also need a cool second oven built into the wall. A cook can never have too much oven space, right? 

Another trend I see a lot and really love is using pennies as a surface "tile." I've seen entire kitchen floors covered in pennies, grouted and sealed, but the counter top penny surface is one I really love. Of course I'd love to have a granite kitchen counter, but I still love the look of the pennies, and maybe could incorporate both into the same kitchen. If I wasn't able to do a true counter top, maybe I might do a resurface on a kitchen table- cover than with pennies!

Now let's talk about refrigerators. Oh man, I hate my current fridge. Big. Ugly. Inconvenient. I miss the side-by-side my last kitchen had, and I really miss the fridge over freezer I had years before that! The fridge-over-freezer is making a comeback in a big way, as evidenced by my recent visit to a large appliance store. Another style of fridge that delights me to no end is the semi-hybrid French doors with the freezer on the bottom fridge. Wow!! Even better, some of them have a freezer drawer at the top of the freezer compartment! Ice and water in the door (man how I miss THAT) and easy access to everything in the fridge section, this style of fridge is absolutely on my wish list. 

I also noticed that stainless steel seems to be the new trend. No more black or white painted appliances, I spied one small forlorn white fridge hidden way back in a section I assume was the scratch and dent area. Everything else was stainless and I'm ok with that!

Let's get the conversation going here- what is YOUR dream kitchen like? What are your must-haves and wish-I-hads? Share your dreams and upgrades with us!!

Church Cookbook Recipe Renovation- Company Chicken

Long long ago, in a galaxy far far away.... no wait. That's a different story. Well just about that far away and long ago my late mother-in-law used to make this baked chicken dish. She called it Company Chicken, and she got the recipe from the cookbook assembled and published by the ladies at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Des Moines. She made this dish all the time, and man oh man, was it ever good. Naughty. Really naughty and totally not healthy in any way. Company Chicken was simple to make and required ingredients most people had on hand: chicken, bacon, canned soup, sour cream and a jar of dried chipped beef. 

Like so many old church cookbook recipes, there wasn't a lot of seasoning or herbs going on. Just basic belly-filling food. Here's the deal- take a boneless skinless chicken breast half, wrap it in a couple slices of chipped beef, then wrap that in a couple slices of bacon and put it in a casserole dish. Mix together canned cream of something soup (usually chicken) and a cup of sour cream and pour that over. Bake it, probably about an hour, seems like most of those dishes are 350 degrees for an hour, and you get this rich, creamy sauce and these juicy chicken breasts wrapped in salty savory goodness. Add some mashed potatoes and a vegetable and it's "good enough for company." It really was good! I've even made it a bunch of times for my own family.

Times have changed and while I am not particularly concerned about turning those recipes into health food, they often do need an upgrade- modern ingredients and new techniques (or heck, old techniques, just new to the dish) and fresh combinations can take those dated old recipes and turn them into something totally new. I've talked about how my mom cooked every evidence of life and freshness out of just-picked garden-grown vegetables. So did Evelyn. Freshly snapped beans looked like they came from a can from the grocery store, spinach or broccoli cooked into oblivion. What they did to asparagus would make you cry. My renovation includes fresh asparagus as well as red bell pepper and keeps the fresh flavor and texture intact. I still use a can of cream of chicken soup, but the sauce is a little less rich with half the sour cream and milk added. Let's get this renovation on the road!

Modern Company Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 slices bacon

small bunch scallions

1 large red bell pepper

1 bunch asparagus

Penzey's Greek Seasoning*

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper

Clean the scallions and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Cut the bell pepper into julienne strips. Snap the ends off the asparagus. Set vegetables aside.

In a small bowl, stir the soup until it's smooth, adding the sour cream and milk. Pour into a large baking pan, like a lasagna pan, or a deep 9x13 pan. Set aside for now.

Pound out the chicken breasts to an even thickness. On a board, lay on strip of bacon, pointing away from you. Lay the chicken breast on top of the bacon, so it's centered underneath. Sprinkle liberally with the Greek Seasoning. On each breast lay 3 or 4 pieces of scallion, 3 or 4 pieces of red pepper, and 5 or 6 asparagus spears. Roll up using the bacon strip to help, and securing with a toothpick. The bacon makes it easy to secure with pick. Place the roll in the baking dish in the sauce. Continue with all the chicken breasts.

Sprinkle additional Greek Seasoning over, and salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for about an hour until chicken is cooked through, bacon is crisp and the sauce is thickened. Serve with rice, spooning the sauce over.

*I used Penzey's Greek Seasoning for this dish but you can use any seasoning blend you like. Italian seasoning is also delicious.

This was such a great update to a classic homestyle recipe. The vegetables inside the chicken were cooked perfectly and the sauce is rich and creamy without being overly heavy. I'm a huge fan of roasted vegetables and the asparagus and pepper had that roasted flavor and texture. The bacon is super crispy and delicious on top, but on the bottom it stays soft, and the fat from the bacon lends another savory element to the sauce that's really delicious.

For me, this was such a successful "renovation" I think I'll spend some quality time with those old cookbooks, and see what else could use a little remodeling.

No Recipe Cooking- I Have Four Pork Chops. Now What?

Lord knows I have been there. Shopping at the teeny small town grocery store for the last four years I have seen the same cuts of meat over and over and over and over and over and over and..... until I just can't stand to look at another package of hamburger, chicken breast, pot roast. Pork chops. But hey, I love pork chops, and I just so happen to have a freezer full right now. Two whole boneless pork loins were gifted to me and after butchering them myself and cutting them into whatever sizes and cuts I wanted I ended up with a nice stash of meat, including a few pork chops.

So tonight I am looking at four boneless pork chops. What am I going to make with these guys that is easy, creative, and uses what I have on hand so I don't need to go yet again to the teeny tiny grocery store and wander the seven aisles wishing it was a mega-city-supermarket? I've got a lot of basics in the pantry so what's it going to be? Stir fry? Dragon noodles? Baked with barbeque sauce? Grilled? Mushroom sauce? Hmmmmm.

I also happen to have a humongous bag of dinner rolls. The plan is to divide up into packs of four and freeze, but tonight they are fresh and just waiting to be used. My mind suddenly gets focused.....on using those rolls......on finding the meat mallet.......and panko........and heat.......and I have one egg left...... I'm golden!

My brain comes up with Spicy Tenderloin Sliders and in minutes they are underway. Let's go through it.

I didn't need many ingredients for this- my pork chops, some panko, an egg, a dinner roll for each chop and some cooking oil. I happened to have Habanero Onion Panko from FireFood, and you really ought to get some and play with it in the kitchen- amazing stuff and a great way to get used to hotter peppers without scalding your lower jaw off. The habanero in the panko brings a nice kick of heat that goes away really quickly. It's not scalding like eating a pepper- not at all. You can use plain panko if you prefer, or regular breadcrumbs or even mix a little habanero panko with plain to ease the heat- totally up to you. You'll need a cup or so of crumbs.

Everything in their line of spicy foods is delicious!!

It took me a while to find the meat mallet in my Drawer of Doom in the kitchen- aka the utensil drawer. I almost abandoned this idea but I finally found it. Trim your chops of excess fat and place between layers of heavy plastic wrap. Pound them out so they're between a quarter and a half an inch thick. No need to make them HUGE. These are sliders and I like my tenderloin to have some bite to it. Season with salt and pepper or a meat rub/seasoning you like, dip in the egg (which you have beaten in a shallow bowl) then coat with the panko, really pressing it in the meat. Place on a baking sheet that has a little oil spread around in there. You could use cooking spray but I like the crunchy texture the oil gives- kind of like frying even though we're not.

Pop them in the oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes and they will be a perfect crispy golden brown when they come out, I promise. Split a couple dinner rolls per person and top each with a chop and the condiments of your choice- I went classic with onions, mustard and sliced pickle. Go with easy sides like chips or a salad you grabbed at the deli and dinner is on the table in a flash. No recipe !!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Mom's Pork Roast, My Style

It's hotter than heck outside and I finished "butchering" my whole pork loins the other night and left out something in the fridge to cook, freezing the rest- a roast. What in the world was I thinking? It's summer in Iowa and I am going to make a roast...... 

I chose home canned green beans as the veggie.

My mom made roasts all year long, regardless of the temperature or season. Her cooking style was very utilitarian and "unfancy" and filled hungry tummies. I suppose that's because of her life in Germany and the very limited means of her parents and growing up in post-war Weisbaden. My parents were a unique blend of simple and extravagant. My dad was the foodie type and loved cooking and experimenting, while my mom cooked simple meals- lots of roasted meats, potatoes or noodles and a vegetable. My mom's pot roast was epic. She would sear it off in her black enameled roasting pan, and I swear she only knew how to use the highest temperature setting. After searing the meat she'd do the same with an onion, and it would be at least half very very browned, nearly charred. Those onions had so much flavor in spite of being a hair away from burned. Gravy always accompanied Mom's roast and it was a toss up if we'd be having potatoes, German potato balls, or noodles. My sister and I would be in the living room watching Gilligan's Island or I Dream of Jeannie in an oniony scented smoky haze while Mom busied herself in the kitchen. I love that smell to this day. Since I have these beautiful whole pork loins and cut them into pieces appropriate for The Chef and myself, a pork roast seems to be a natural choice. The roast I am making today will be based on Mom's style of cooking with some updates  of my own like using fennel and herbs. Mom never used anything green in food unless she was making spaghetti. 

Let's get started on the roast. You will need:

1 boneless pork loin roast 2-3 lb
1 large onion
1 or 2 bulbs fennel 
6 cloves fresh garlic
salt and pepper
cooking oil
2 cups chicken stock*
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed dried sage
1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
cornstarch for thickening

Heat a Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium high heat. 

Chop the onion into large chunks. Slice the fennel bulb, reserving the stalks and fronds for later. Finely mince the garlic.

Add a couple tablespoons of oil to the pot. Add the roast, season with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until nicely browned. 

Remove to a plate. Add the onions to the pot, adding a touch more oil if needed. Allow the onions to cook undisturbed for several minutes so they get very browned and caramelized. 

Toss around and add the fennel. Cook until the fennel is also lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute but don't let the garlic brown. Add the stock and one cup water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the meat to the pot, and add the herbs except the parsley. Cover and place in a 300 degree oven and ignore for a good 3 or 4 hours.

When the meat is tender, remove from the pot and place on a plate; tent with foil. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from the pan juices. Taste the broth for seasoning. Adjust if necessary. 

Place the pot back on the burner and bring the liquid to a boil. Make a cornstarch slurry with a tablespoon or two of cornstarch and thicken the gravy. Add the parsley. 

Slice the roast and serve with the vegetables and gravy and spaetzle for an Erika style German meal.

*I used homemade turkey stock because that's what I happened to have on hand. You can use chicken, turkey, vegetable or pork stock if you have it. Even beef will work in a pinch, the important thing is bringing flavor to the finished gravy.

Now what the heck are spaetzle? The short answer is noodles, but noodles in Germany aren't quite same as in the U.S. Spaetzle are more like little dumplings and are so easy to make at home. They cook in no time, and get finished in a skillet with some melted butter to brown them so slightly. Snuggled up to a nice hunk of roast and draped with rich brown gravy- it's the ultimate in comfort food, German style.  Let's make some!

Spaetzle

2 cups all purpose flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more

pinch of nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. A stand mixer makes it really easy- mix ingredients until a dough forms. Transfer dough to a large freezer bag. 

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.

Cut the corner off the bag- keep it SMALL- think no more than drinking straw size. Squeeze the dough into the boiling water, breaking it off every inch or two. You don't want long strands but you don't want little beads either. Work quickly to get all the dough into the water. 

Boil the noodles for 2 minutes. Drain the noodles well in a colander. Set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and add a couple tablespoons additional butter. Turn the spaetzle into the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn golden brown. Remove to serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley to serve.

Let's talk for a minute about the fennel. Using fennel in this recipe was totally unlike my mother's style of cooking. I'm pretty sure she had never cooked or eaten a fresh fennel bulb, just wasn't her thing, and to the best of my memory Dad never grew them in the garden either. I've been on a quest the last couple years to incorporate more of these veggies that aren't as common into some of our dishes here. So fennel- if you've never had it, it's very fresh and crunchy veggie. It has a texture that reminds me of celery but it's not stringy. The bulb is very versatile and can be cooked just about any way and eaten raw. It's pretty popular in slaws and salads. The feathery fronds remind me of dill and are also very useful for adding another flavor element in your dishes. Fennel seeds as you probably know, are common in sausage and other foods. The seed heads also look like dill. Fennel is one of the main components in absinthe and yes, it does have a very strong licorice flavor, but that mellows tremendously when you cook it. 

I browned the fennel just like the onion and added it to the pot with everything else. It smelled incredible when browning and what it added to the finished dish was just wonderful. I didn't serve the vegetables, instead scooped them out and discarded them, using them just for flavor only. We had some home grown home canned green beans instead. The meat was so flavorful, just like Mom's! The spaetzle was so easy to make and so delicious. The little dumplings were tender and the browned crispy sides were the best part. The gravy was dark and rich and had a wonderful pork flavor. The roast- so so delicious. Roasting with those vegetables infused the meat with so many wonderful flavors. 

I'm sure my mother would have approved.

Everything Salad

Everything at the Olive Bar anyway. Just kidding. I do love the olive bar. A couple grocery stores in the city have fantastic olive bars and I am totally like a crack addict when I go in there and grab a plastic tub and start shoveling olives into it. I almost never stop at one tub. Sometimes I get in trouble at home........

Hey, I love olives of all kinds. At the olive bar I can make my own mix of any kind of olive that's on the bar that day, plus whatever other delicious tidbits are hanging around- marinated mozzarella pearls, pickled baby pattypan squash, cubes of feta cheese or provolone, even Peppadews. I am absolutely smitten with Peppadews. A friend introduced me to these guys about ten years ago and I have been munching them, stuffing them, chopping and adding to dishes ever since. They are a bright red little round pepper with a sweet hot flavor that's just fantastic. Love em stuffed with goat cheese or Boursin. Yum.

Pasta salads are always popular around here and so are salads with grains. Naturally I happen to love that little pasta that looks like a grain- orzo. I love orzo in salads. Yes, it's just a pasta shape but it fools my brain into thinking it's nutty and toasty like a grain. So ya, I think it's nutty and toasty. It's just a shape and size that I really like and it fools my brain into thinking I'm eating something really good for me (not that pasta isn't.....)

Why "Everything" salad? Short version- I went to the big store in the city, bought lots of fresh produce, couldn't decide which ones to toss in my salad bowl so I decided to use everything. Clever, huh? Freshly cooked orzo, a couple summer squashes, chopped bell peppers, chopped scallions and more go into this colorful- and delicious- summer salad. It's a great side dish with dinner or a lunch entree. Let's make some.

Everything Salad

1 package orzo

1 small zucchini

1 small yellow summer squash

big handful cherry tomatoes

small bunch scallions

1 cup sugar snap peas

1/4 cup chopped Peppadews

1/4 cup chopped mixed olives

1/3 cup chopped bell peppers (I used green, yellow and red)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup vinegar*

palmfull herbs of choice**

salt and pepper

small log goat cheese (or feta if you prefer)

*I used my own infused vinegar to make the dressing. I used chive blossom. Use any vinegar you like.

** I used thyme, parsley, chervil and chives plus a big pinch of Montreal Steak Seasoning

Get a big pot of salty water going for the orzo.

Quarter the zucchini and summer squash lengthwise and cut into slices. Place in large salad bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in the bowl. Slice the scallions- in the bowl with them also. Cut the sugar snap peas in half, I did on the diagonal for an interesting look, and in the bowl. Add the Peppadews, olives and chopped bell peppers. Toss veggies to mix.

In a jar with a screw top lid combine the oil, vinegar and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Pop the lid on and shake it up. Set aside.

When the orzo is done cooking, drain thoroughly; rinse in cold water and drain again. Add to the bowl with the veggies and toss. Pour dressing over and toss again. Break up the cheese with a fork and sprinkle over. Toss to coat. Chill or serve immediately.

It is deeeeelicious. I made this batch kind of late one evening so I'd have lunch for the next few days at work, and I had to sneak a bowl for a bedtime snack. The orzo is so delicious coated with the dressing and slightly melted mooshy goat cheese. The veggies are crispy- those sugar snap peas- wow, what a sweet bite they add. The olives are salty and briney and delicious and those Peppadews- yum!! You have to try this salad- just use whatever vegetables you have and what you like. Make it yours!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."