Welcome to My Kitchen

Gooseberries, an old fashioned fruit, born on prickly branches that deter even our local voracious scabland deer, were plentiful this year. I did a little experimenting with kuchen recipes to come up with a good one for Gooseberry Kuchen. The not too sweet custard with a hint of nutmeg is the perfect balance to the tart fruit.

Gooseberry Kuchen

Dough for one kuchen

2 cups gooseberries, fresh or frozen

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 egg

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Heavy dash ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Well grease a 9 inch round cake pan. Line with kuchen dough you have rolled into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the pan (about 12 inches)

Add the gooseberries in a single layer on the dough.

In a small bowl combine the cream, egg, sugar and flour, whisking until smooth. Stir in nutmeg and vanilla. Pour evenly over gooseberries in a dough lined pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and the filling is nearly set. Yield: 6 servings.

German kuchen dough is soft yeast sweet bread that requires some proofing time. Following is a recipe for one kuchen based on a recipe from the late Agnes Knott. The key is to prevent the dough getting too stiff, so add the flour sparingly.

Plain Kuchen Dough

For one Kuchen

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp milk

1 Tbsp soft butter

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 small egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat milk until very hot.

Place salt, sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk over the butter to melt. Cool slightly to lukewarm and stir in yeast. Let stand a few minutes until yeast is softened then stir in the beaten egg.

Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, adding the last half cup a bit at a time until a very soft dough forms and clings together in a ball. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Dough is now ready to roll out and line the kuchen pan. Yield: dough for 1 kuchen.

Diane Eastman of Ritzville sent in a recipe for Walla Walla Sweet Onion Bake. She didn’t include any serving suggestions but this flavorful side is a great appetizer with some crackers, chips or cocktail breads. Onion lovers may enjoy a scoop of this on a hamburger.

Walla Walla

Sweet Onion Bake

3 1/4 cups chopped sweet onion

3 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup half and half or cream

1/3 cup cooked rice

1 cup grated cheese

Sauté onion in butter combined in a large skillet. Stir in cream and rice. Place in a greased casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. This is a small batch that makes 4 appetizer size servings.

GoOdessa Summer Recreation Program kids made Stove Top Mac N Cheese last week. The recipe comes from Danielle Hardung and is easy to prepare, and so much more flavorful than the boxed variety. Danielle's recipe includes Tabasco sauce, but we made it without as some kids do not care for spicy.

The youth, ages six through thirteen, gained experience grating cheese, learning the colder the cheese, the easier it is to grate. They learned how to work safely around kitchen ranges and hotplates and when to ask for help if something is too heavy or hot to handle safely. They learned about adjusting the burner temperature for each step of the recipe. High for boiling, medium for extended cooking and low for blending sauces. They also learned about adjusting a recipe to taste, like leaving out the tabasco sauce or switching to other cheeses they may have on hand.

Stove Top Mac N Cheese

2 cup dry macaroni noodles

Salt

2 large eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

4 Tbsp butter

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese

Ground black pepper

Bring 8 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to boil in a large kettle over high heat. Be very careful around boiling water so you don’t get burned.

Add dry macaroni, reduce heat to medium high. Stir macaroni with a long handle spoon occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not cover the pan. Cook for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile mix eggs, half of the milk. Stir in the mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and if you like, the Tabasco and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.

When macaroni is done, drain in a colander and return to the kettle. Over low heat, stir in butter until melted.

Stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheese. Continue to cook over low heat, gradually stirring in the rest of the milk and the rest of the cheese until the mixture is hot and creamy. This takes about 5 minutes. Yield: about 5 cups.

Note: Pepper Jack cheese is another option for those who like spicy food.

The youth took home with them a tip for their parents, in case they were concerned about the use of boiling water. Cook pasta until almost done, about 8 minutes and 45 seconds.

Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain thoroughly then toss with 1/2 tsp vegetable oil per every 2 cups of cooked pasta to evenly but lightly coat. Package in zip closure bags, press as flat as possible and freeze. Easy to thaw for recipes your children would like to make.

Plain cooked pasta can be frozen for up to 3 months for use in casserole recipes. It is a time and energy saver to cook a big batch at one time. Pre-cooked pasta can save time in family meal prep.

– Back to school and Deutschesfest are coming soon. Share your favorite packed lunch, and German festival recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Follow us on Facebook at Welcome to My Kitchen. Consider planting areas of fall cover crop in your garden as they are cleared in harvest to amend the soil for next year.