On the first Monday of each month, Patriots from Mid-Missouri gather in Fulton for dinner and a meeting of discussion and fellowship. Last evening I was tasked with the supper preparation. I was fresh out of loaves and fishes with which to feed the multitude so I decided on two of my favorites, Sauerkraut Soup and Goulash Soup.

Both are hearty and delicious but most people  turn up their noses and make sounds of disgust when they hear the you're havin' Kraut soup. And can you blame them when their first experience with kraut was the awful brown mess with the weenies that they served in the school cafeterias. So . . . like the Liberal Left, if you are not having much luck with a program, just change the name, and we had German Potato Soup.

Deutsche Kartoffelsuppe

 German Potato Soup or Sauerkraut Soup

·       1/4 lb. good bacon

·       1 med. Yellow Onion, finely chopped

·       4 cups strong chicken juice

·       2 cups water or milk, your choice

·       4 Russet potatoes. peeled and diced

·        1 carrot, shredded

·       1/2 tsp. thyme

·       1/2 tsp. marjoram

·       1 - 16 oz. can sauerkraut

·       1/2 pint of cream to finish, or more to taset

·       salt and white pepper to taste.

Preparation:

1.   Cut bacon into small bits and fry a heavy pot until brown. Remove bits, they'll come back later.

2.   Dump the can of Kraut into a sieve and rinse with cold water, leave to drain.

3.   Add the Onions to the Bacon grease and sauté until translucent. Add a wad of butter if needed.

4.   Add the potatoes to the onions and cover with enough chicken stock to cover and cook until tender enough to mash.

5.   Mash the potatoes and add the rest of the chicken juice, milk, Bacon bits, thyme and marjoram and bring to a low boil.

6.   Add the rinsed Kraut and the shredded Carrots and continue to simmer until the carrots are tender

7.   Salt and White pepper to taste

8.   Finish with cream and garnish with chopped parsley.

An excellent accompaniment to this tasty soup is buttered Rye bread. A stein of cold German beer might please some too.

 

Hungarian Goulash Soup

This most famous of Hungarian dishes, correctly named gulyas soup, is not a stew. It is best made in advance and served reheated with fresh crusty bread, butter and chopped hot Hungarian yellow peppers as a fiery condiment.

·       5 cloves garlic, minced

·       large Spanish Onion, finely chopped

·       3 Tbsp. Bacon fat or Lard

·       2 -1/4  Sirloin, cut into 1'' or smaller cubes

·       1/4 cup flour

·       2 tsp salt

·       2 1/2 tsp Paprika

·       1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

·       1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

·       can of whole tomatoes, cut up

·       4 cups rich beef stock. (Note: Start with 6 cups and reduce down to 4 cups)

·       Csipetke (recipe follows)

Preparation:

1.   In a large pot over medium-low heat sauté the onions and garlic in the bacon fat until golden brown. Remove from pan with slotted spoon.

2.   Increase heat to medium.

3.   Dredge the meat in the flour and sear on all sides until slightly brown

4.   Return onions and garlic to pot, add salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook for a few minutes more.

5.   Add the bell pepper and beef stock, lower heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hour adding more beef stock if necessary.

6.   Add the Csipetke and cook an additional 5 minutes.  

Csipetke

Csipetke - pronounced chee-pet-heh - means "little pinches of dough" and they are exactly that.

·       6 Tbsp flour

·       1 egg

Combine  the flour and egg to make a thick and pasty dough. Roll it out into thin strips. Pinch off pea-sized pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop in the dough pinches and cook until they rise to the top. Drain. Add to the goulash.

Or you could do like I did, considering time and all. Serve your Goulash with Spaetzle or buttered Egg noodles.

Texas Feast, continued

*Frijoles Borrachos or Austin Baked Beans

 

Frijoles Borrachos is Texican for Drunken Beans. The great thing about this dish is that it is guilt free. There is no fat in this pot of beans. No, it is not some Vegan nightmare receipt and contains no tofu.

 

• 1          Lb. Pinto beans
• 1          large onion, chopped
• 2          cloves garlic, chopped
• 1          can beer (optional, it will, however add flavor)
• 2          cans beef juice
• ½          cup Jalapeno slices, more or less to taste
• ½          Tsp. Mexican Oregano
• Salt and pepper and Tabasco to taste.

 

Wash and count the beans. Soak in branch water over night. Drain beans, place in a heavy Dutch oven or large pot and add onion, garlic, beef stock and beer. Cover pot and adjust to slow simmer. Add water as needed to slow cook until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and season to taste and cook for another 30 minutes. Add more fire, maybe?

 

Austin Baked Beans

 

Use the large can of Home style baked beans, yes, the kind you see at Wally World. It would be great to cook your own beans and go from scratch but we are cutting corners here. After all, the can beans are pretty good and when we are done with them they will be fantastic. Depending on the amount you are fixing, add the following:

• Molasses or brown sugar
• Chopped onion and Red bell pepper
• Pealed and chopped Granny S. Apple, any firm apple will do
• Chopped Jalapeno Pepper
• Trim burnt ends off of brisket and finely chop. If no brisket burnt ends are available, use fried bacon bits.

 

No amounts are given here, but you should get the idea. Play with your food and see what you come up with. Cook until the onions and pepper are tender.

 

Gallons of Sweet Ice Tea

 

Texas Toast

 

Rhubarb and Peach Cobbler with French Vanilla Ice Cream

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) sliced peaches, undrained
• 3 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup special-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• ½  cup chopped pecans or walnuts or both.
• ½ stick butter. Did you know that oleo was developed to fatten turkeys, Butter balls anyone? Did you know that margarine is just one molecule away from plastic? It’s true. Look it up.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and salt. Drain peaches, reserving syrup. Add syrup and rhubarb to saucepan; mix well. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add peaches and vanilla. Pour into an ungreased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish; set aside.

 

In another bowl combine flour, sugar and oats. Cut butter into 8 small pieces, and cut butter into flour with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly. Stir in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle flour mixture on top and bake at 400F. for about 30 minutes. The toping should be golden brown. Serve with French Vanilla Ice Cream or Whip Cream.

 

Well now, that just ought to about do it, don’t you think? Too much work, you say? I guess you are probably right. You don’t want to get the reputation for being a top hand in the kitchen. Who needs all those folks clamoring for more of your tasty treats and calling you up at all hours with those pesky cooking questions.