Oktoberfest, Part Deux -- The Food

The food

Really the most important part of a dinner party!

We usually start in the living room

(sometimes in spring or fall we'll start on the porch)

with a welcoming glass of wine

or a cocktail

And a nibbly

Tonight it was pastry cups filled with chicken salad

And for a tart tang, a lemon verbena leaf

(And there was one left when we went in to dinner.
I looked up at Doogie was standing by the coffee table looking longingly at that lone nibble,
then he looked in the dining room, we made eye contact and he walked away.
When our guests said goodnight, there was nothing left on the plate.
Sometime during the evening, he went back, checked and noticed that we were not paying attention
and took his prize!)

Europeans often have soup to start a meal

And since it was "Oktoberfest, Part Deux"

we included a bowl as well

Creamy carrot and roasted red pepper

Not traditional European soup

For they're not big on corn

But a good soup for a fall evening

Garnished with thinly sliced green onions

The star of the show --

a slow roasted pork loin

And sauerkraut cooked with

True "Dutch" food for sure!

The pork prepared simply with salt, and pepper and browned on all sides

An onion and sprigs of thyme in the pot and slow roasted most of the afternoon.

The sauerkraut added about an hour before dinner

to absorb all those delicious pork juices!

And always potatoes

Mashed

A little chunky

With milk and butter

And fresh from the oven

popovers

And of course the start of any meal is dessert

One of our guests adores lemon

A lemon schaum torte

I think of it as an upside down lemon meringue pie

Meringue, lemon filling and topped with whipped cream

and garnished with blueberries

Everyone remembers dessert!

Served, of course, with coffee

LEMON SCHAUM TORTE

Meringue Shell

3 egg whites

1/4 t. cream of tartar

3/4 c. sugar

Filling and Topping

3/4 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

3/4 c. water

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 T. butter

1 t. grated lemon peel

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 c. whipping cream

Heat oven to 275°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or heavy brown paper. In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy. Do not underbeat. On cookie sheet, shape meringue into 9-inch round with back of spoon, building up side.

Bake 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn off oven; leave meringue in oven with door closed 1 hour. Finish cooling at room temperature, about 2 hours.

In 2-quart saucepan, mix 3/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks; stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat.

Stir in butter, lemon peel and lemon juice. Press plastic wrap onto surface to keep it from drying out. Cool to room temperature. Spoon into meringue shell. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread over filling. Refrigerate until serving. Store in refrigerator.

It's Friday and I'm joining Michael at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday.