I decided to start my blog with an old family favourite which my mother picked up in the suburbs of Frankfurt when working as a flight attendant for Lufthansa. It is only one of an infinite number of recipes that were never intended to have gluten, in the first place; this particular recipe, however, has been a family favourite that I continue to enjoy to this day -- which is not something I can say of all such foods. I find it particularly attractive because there are no cooking times nor ingredients lists: everything depends on what's out in the herb garden!
I must admit that this is an early spring dish, and not at all suited to this time of year, but already I find that I am craving them particularly these past few months. I shall try to submit a more seasonal recipe, soon.
KARTOFFELN und GRÜNESOßE.
The Kartoffeln, or potatoes, should be thin-skinned and dense, prefferably Yukon Golds. Usually, they are simply boiled, though my father has been known, on occasion, to fry them after with salt and pepper. This is usually best served with some form of spinach or asparagus, though in Frankfurt it may be also be eaten with egg.
Simple Grünesoße.
This recipe is a simplification of the 'traditional' Frankfurter sauce, an arrangement was conceived before I was born due to a combination of lactose intolerance (physically) on my mother's part and 'egg intolerance' (olfactorily and otherwise) on the part of my father. It is this sauce with which I am most familiar (indeed, I have not had the other sauce in many years) and this sauce on which I grew up.
This consists, more or less, of many of the early spring greens (Kräuter) that are available in our herb garden. The only truly important condition is that they be fresh. A usual Grünesoße will contain most of the following, in varying degrees based on what is available at the time of its making:
- Parsley
- Chervil (if available, though it can be somewhat expensive if not homegrown)
- Borrage
- Savory OR Dragon's-Wort/Tarragon
- Dill
- Chives
- French Sorrel
Preparation.
It is our family's practice (which runs counter to the more elaborate recipe below) to mix these herbs, finely processed, with olive or nut oil at a ratio of approximately 2 Tbs. of Kräuter to 4 - 5 Tbs. Oil. Should be served directly.
Traditional Grünesoße.
The traditional recipe runs as follows. Note that it is created in ratio form, only. The amount of greens to other ingredients should be adjusted to taste as well as supply.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. Herbs (see above), finely processed.
3 hardboiled Eggs.
1 Tbs. sharp Mustard (as Gray Poupon).
3 Tbs. Olive or Nut Oil.
1/4 Cup Sour Cream.
NOTE: For the lactose-intolerant, the function of the Sour Cream may be filled by adding a Tbs. or two of Oil.
Preparation:
- Peel and finely cut the eggs, setting them aside for later use.
- Clean herbs and process them. Add in the oil, mustard, and sour cream.
- Add ca. 2/3 of the egg and stir in well.
- Finally, sprinkle with the remainder of the egg.
- Serve directly.
A Note on the Preservation of Grünesoße (Traditional or Otherwise).
Grünesoße does not keep long. It is best to put a little oil over the surface in order to prevent it from spoiling. One can achieve the same effect by pressing saran wrap down directly against the surface of the Grünesoße when refrigerated, to provide it with relatively airtight storage.
Rajoittamaton Kyllikki.
Statement of Purpose.
I have been vegetarian all my life. Back when that was my only 'problem' (funny, that people apply that word so often), people reacted by telling me that they could never live without meat. Nonsense. Understandable nonsense, but nonsense nonetheless. What many people fail to understand is that much of the best vegetarian cooking does not try to be meat-free, meat-less. It does not take the average vegetarian long to discover that imitating meat -- trying to beat it at its own game -- only makes a person more aware of what he is lacking.
And nobody wants food that is lacking.
Which brings me to the present, to my more recent struggle with a gluten-free diet. That word, gluten-free, bothers me. It brings to mind the recent market for gluten-free pastries and bagels and biscuits and breads that are rather inferior to their 'glutenous' predecessors. The language is clear: Coeliacs are recognised as persons deprived of gluten. Why the negativity, the focus on what is lacking? Why the desperate need for imitation? Why, when we could be living on the most delicious foods from all over the world that simply happen to lack grass-seed? Aha, natürlich!
Hence, this blog, which is intended to document my transition from an avid lover of food to an avid maker of food. Good food. Satisfying food. Vegetarian and Suitable for Coeliacs.
And nobody wants food that is lacking.
Which brings me to the present, to my more recent struggle with a gluten-free diet. That word, gluten-free, bothers me. It brings to mind the recent market for gluten-free pastries and bagels and biscuits and breads that are rather inferior to their 'glutenous' predecessors. The language is clear: Coeliacs are recognised as persons deprived of gluten. Why the negativity, the focus on what is lacking? Why the desperate need for imitation? Why, when we could be living on the most delicious foods from all over the world that simply happen to lack grass-seed? Aha, natürlich!
Hence, this blog, which is intended to document my transition from an avid lover of food to an avid maker of food. Good food. Satisfying food. Vegetarian and Suitable for Coeliacs.
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