scorzonera gratin – Schwarzwurzelgratin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are an afficionado of white asparagus, then by now you are already aching quite badly for the next asparagus season to come around since mid-spring is months away, so absolute agony (remember Cartman wanting a Wii, pacing up & down in front of the shop while trying to summon the day to arrive: “Come on, come ooon” ?). There is a remedy though and winter bestows upon us many marvellous things like snow, Christmas and …scorzonera.

A scorzonera is a root of many names: black or Spanish salsify, winter asparagus, oyster vegetable etc. and its delicate, subtly sweet taste is best described as a mixture of all these exquisite things.

Lamb meatballs in tomato sauce

 

On Saturday we have been wined and dined exquisitely, including a spectacular tasting goose with all the trimmings. There is nothing so joyful than a long table full of happy people, laughter & merriment, champagne, good food and a few treasures form a well-stocked cellar. I am still dreaming about that particular goose with apple, thyme & chestnuts, red cabbage and Klöße (dumplings) and I am quite sure that something along those lines will become our Christmas dinner.

I don’t know about you, but I never have problems thinking about dishes for big occasions: Christmas, birthdays, dinners and can daydream about splendid meals – preferably perusing favourite cookbooks on a weekend lie-in where the only problem that presents itself is to make a decision when spoilt for choice. The everyday supper on the other hand proves more of a challenge: a weekday meal has to be simpler though equally tasty and sumptuous not just nutrition.

Chickpeas, carrots & chard – Kichererbsen, Karotten und Mangold

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to the quest for great vegetable dishes and this one has proven itself many times over and therefore is a recurring dinner guest in our house. I love the combination of creamy chickpeas with sweet carrots and earthy chard in a pleasantly spiced sauce. A spritz of lemon finishes it with a jolt of acidity and lots of parsley for a fresh green note. A completely satisfactory & comforting dish on its own, this makes a pleasant change even for die-hard carnivores: add a fried egg or pan-fried halloumi slices for a fantastic vegetarian supper; at other times it’s a great partner to grilled lamb chops or a firmly fleshed fish like monkfish (Baudroi, Seeteufel or Lotte).

As always, find the recipe in English & Rezept auf Deutsch am Ende…

Red lentil curry coconut soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday I drove through an absolute spectacle of autumn colours in the Palatinate region (Germany) and the northern Alsace: rows upon rows of yellow-orange tinted vines rivalled by copper-coloured or flaming red trees and shrubs, interspersed with flecks of bright yellow and little specks of green. The sun was shining and the sky was mostly blue, what a marvellous day – and hopefully an auspicious one, too. Imagine all these autumnal colours mirrored in this equally warming & exciting soup. It is hearty, not too mushy but with a bite, creamy coconut and bursting with warming ginger & curry with the occasional raisin-sweetness. A sprinkle of fresh spring onion for a little zing and coriander, invigorator extraordinaire complete this bright & beautiful soup which lights up even the dreariest of murky autumn & winter days.