Week 14: Tuberphobia

We were recently invited for dinner by some new American friends. Among the delicious dishes that our gracious hostess had prepared was a puree of sweet potatoes. Not white potatoes from Normandy mixed with something sweet. Actual, orange sweet potatoes. We were over-the-moon!

In this moment of euphoria, I realized that I really am counting down the kilos until that fortuitous day when I too can prepare a delicious side of sweet potatoes. I’m not even sure what I would do first: baked? roasted? mashed?…

When we got home, the memory still lingering on our taste buds, I weighed our stock… 4 kilos (9 lbs–the birthweight, in fact, of both our children). I’ll admit we’ve come a long way since our stock weighed as much as a baby hippopotamus, but I have this creeping suspicion that getting through those last 4 kilos is going to be brutal. Noah, for one, already turns up his nose at the very sight of tubers. At lunch today he even cried as he insisted, after finishing only his side of sautéed zucchini that he was “all done, all done”. My delicious frittata (Italian potato omelet) didn’t stand a chance. We may actually have traumatized him. Tuberphobia.

That said…potatoes, anyone?

feine Kartoffelsuppe (Fine potato soup)

Compote de pommes meringuée (Apples with meringue)

Feine Kartoffelsuppe (Fine potato soup)

I thought I had arrived at the dead-end of potato preparation. Were there really any more possible ways to prepare potatoes? Hadn’t I already traversed all the hills and valleys, every shore and desert of potato preparation?

At this very moment of utter despair, as I contemplated resorting to making baked potatoes (again), as though from the heavens, fell the Landfrauenverein Buchenberg (roughly translated: Country women’s club of Buchenberg) cookbook dedicated entirely and exclusively to the Kartoffeln (potato, “alles leckeres rund um die Knolle”). This was, in fact, a very timely (and thoughtful) gift from my mother- and father-in-law. Two further volumes, one dedicated to apples and the other to sauerkraut, were also included. The country women’s club to the rescue!

The cookbook begins with Das Kartoffellied (The Potato Song). I won’t transcribe it nor its translation here. Suffice to say, it is clear that the Landfrauen of Buchenberg are almost as serious about their potatoes as we are here at chez Maureen.

The first treasure I pulled from my newly acquired trove is the following recipe for Feine Kartoffelsuppe (Fine potato soup). I’ll admit I was moved by the title. And the fact that the entire recipe is contained within two sentences, occupying a mere three lines of text. (If only I were always so succinct!) Ready for it? :

Cook and mash 2 kilos of potatoes, then while whisking vigorously, add in some broth and some hot milk. Season liberally and at the end, stir in 2 cups of cream.

The burden is really on the cook on this one. It’s with the “some” and the “liberally” that the crème will rise to the top, the sheep will be separated from the goats. I gave myself a generous 2.9 stars (moving towards sheep-hood). The taste was good, but my “some” should have been more.  In fact, it was arguably more stew than soup, and by the time it had cooled, eating it with a spoon would have been laughable.

To avoid embarrassment I reincarnated the leftovers into potato soufflé with the addition of 3 eggs and some freshly grated nutmeg (of course!). Stir together and pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs and/or grated cheese and/or a bit of butter and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes. You could even throw in a bit of ham or sausage if you didn’t score quite so high the first time around. (As I’ve mentioned flavorful salty meat will earn nearly any mundane dish an extra star.)

My next step would have been to take slices of my soup cum soufflé and fry it in some oil. (Served with a bit of maple syrup for dessert?) But the soufflé was such a hit with the locals (except Noah of course) that there wasn’t any left for my culinary experiment to continue. Until next time…

If you’d like your own copy of the Landfrauenverein Buchenberg Kartoffel cookbook, it retails for 3€50 at the giftshop of the Kellerwald-Edersee Nationalpark.

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Compote de pommes meringuée (Apples with meringue)

I bookmarked this recipe some time ago (with, like, an actual bookmark in an actual cookbook—so old-fashioned!) Just the right opportunity to finally try it out had not yet presented itself, until last weekend.  The recipe is really ingenious. Need to dress up some regular old applesauce? Why not spice it with vanilla and cinnamon, layer it onto crushed lady fingers and then bake it under a meringue topping? For a host(ess) with a lot of apples and some extra mouths to feed, it’s a dream come true!

I served it together with the Sweet, potato casserole (appearing among next week’s recipes) for the full “you know you’re eating at chez Maureen when…” experience. Plus they both earn an extra oooh! when accompanied by a Coulis de fruits rouges (Red berry sauce, recipe below).

The inspiration for this recipe comes from the French cookbook Toute la cuisine au fil des saisons. I’ll admit that I found it among the “winter” recipes but, then again, it’s been looking pretty “February” around here lately. If your guests aren’t already under the table, serve it with a Jurançon.

Apples, 3 lbs (1,5 kg)

Lemon juice, of half a lemon or equivalent

Butter, 1 ½ Tbsp (20 g)

Ladyfinger biscuits (biscuits à la cuillère), 8

Sugar, ⅔ cup (120 g)

Vanilla, ½ a bean

Cinnamon, ½ tsp

Egg whites, 3

Salt, a pinch

1. Peel (optional!), core and slice the apples into chunks. Place in a pan with the lemon juice and ⅓ cup (60 g) of sugar. Slice the vanilla bean in two. Scrap out the inside with the point of a knife and put both the scrapings and the bean in with the apples. Cook covered over low heat for 15 minutes or until you have an applesauce of your liking.
2. Remove the vanilla bean and add the cinnamon. Mash the apples if you like it smooth, leave them alone if you are more the rough and chunky kind. Let cool slightly.
3. Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
4. Butter a baking dish. Crush the biscuits and layer them on the bottom of the dish. Spread the applesauce on top.

5. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt. Once the whites are stiff, begin to sprinkle the rest of the sugar onto the surface while you continue to beat. (Life advice #36: With this recipe, like many others, I tend to chicken out before I’ve added all the sugar that is called for. I highly suspect that most recipes include easily twice as much sugar as they really “need”. In my experience, there hasn’t been a single complaint that a dessert wasn’t sweet enough. Delicate baked goods may not be so easily messed with, but with a throw-it-all-together dressed-up applesauce recipe like this one, don’t hesitate to improvise.) Then spread the whites on top of the applesauce.

6. Bake 8-10 minutes until the surface is golden.
7. Serve warm with a coulis de fruits rouges (red fruit sauce, recipe below).

 

Coulis de fruits rouges (Red fruit sauce)

Berries, assorted, frozen or fresh, about 10 oz. (300 g)

Sugar, some

1. Place berries and sugar into a saucepan. Maybe add a bit of water if it looks like they might need it. Cook over low heat until the berries are soft. 15 minutes? Less if you are using fresh berries.
2. Again, if you like it smooth, purée the berries into a sauce you can drizzle. Like it rustique? Serve as is.

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There’s only one way forward… next week’s potato feast:

Shepherd’s Pie

Süsser Kartoffelauflauf (Sweet, potato casserole)

Tortilla de patatas and Frittata di patate (Potato omelet, Spanish and Italian)

Salmon and potato bake

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