Christmas Dinner

We will have a crowd, and I have to take the dinner to my daughter’s house, so the food needs to be portable. I ordered a collection of smoked game meats from Cabelas for the meat eaters in the family (everyone but me). I do not expect to cook for at least a week. Here’s the whole menu:

Chestnut Soup
Smoked Wild Boar Ham
Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoked Elk Roast
Smoked Buffalo Roast
Smoked Salmon
Baked Smithfield Ham
Pumpkin Muffins
White Dinner Rolls
Green Beans with Almonds and Browned Butter
Scalloped Potatoes
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Swiss Casserole of Mixed Vegetables
Mixed Greens, Fennel and Orange Salad
Spaetzle with Cheese

Chestnut Soup
1/3 cup dried porcinis
2 cups hot water
1 medium carrot, julienne
1 celery, diced
1 small parsnip, diced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 bouquet garni (1 sprig each of bay leaf, thyme and parsley)
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/4 pounds coarsely chopped peeled roasted chestnuts or 12 ounces bottled chestnuts
4 tablespoons red wine
1 turnip peeled and julienned for garnish

Combine porcini mushrooms and 2 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms, soften, about 15 minutes. In a saucepan melt butter and add carrots, celery, turnips, parsnips and shallots. Sauté until tender. Set aside. Add bouquet garni and drained mushrooms to the vegetable stock. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and add soaking liquid to the broth. Add chestnuts and salt and pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using hand held food processor; blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Add wine. Bring soup to simmer, correct seasonings adding salt and pepper, to taste. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before continuing.

Swiss Vegetable Medley
1 (16 oz.) pkg. frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot combo (drained and thawed)
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 c. sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (2.8 oz.) can French fried onions
Combine vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, pepper and 1/2 can French fried onions. Pour into 1 quart casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and onions and bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer.

Green Beans Amandine
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Trim beans and rinse. In heavy saucepan, place green beans in cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until crisp tender. Drain well and set beans aside. Melt butter in saucepan and add garlic and almonds. Cook, stirring constantly, until almonds begin to brown. Add beans along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss gently to coat. Serves 6

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
1/4 c. butter
4 med. apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 smallish head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 c. red wine
4 whole cloves
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Melt butter in 4 quart Dutch oven. Add apples and onion; sauté slightly. Add cabbage, red wine, cloves, sugar and bay leaves. Simmer, covered for 1 hour, then add the remaining ingredients. Heat to melt the butter and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Scalloped Potatoes
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, about 6 to 8 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
In a buttered 2-quart baking dish, place a layer of about 1/3 of the potatoes. In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the potatoes; repeat with another layer of potatoes and the flour mixture and top with remaining potato slices. Dot with butter then pour hot milk over potatoes. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until scalloped potatoes are tender and cheese has melted. Scalloped potatoes serves 6 to 8.

Spaetzle with Cheese
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1/4 to 3/4 cup water
Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Add egg; mix. Add water gradually until batter is stiff but smooth. Press dough flat on a plate or floured board. With a sharp knife, scrape small pieces of dough off and drop into boiling salted water. There should be only one layer at a time of spaetzle cooking. Boil gently for 5 to 8 minutes, or until done to your taste. Remove with perforated spoon and let drain. Serve as a side dish with meat. Serve right away or sauté the finished spaetzle in butter until golden and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

We’ve spent most of the day shopping for our two feasts. We always have a seafood luncheon or supper on Christmas Eve. Whichever meal we have our celebration depends on our daughter the choir director’s schedule of Christmas Eve services. Tomorrow it will be a luncheon. We’re serving peel and eat shrimp, crab legs and broiled lobster tails. We will also have a wonderful salad of celeriac remoulade on a mixed field greens. Some of the field greens will be from my garden. We’ve had four weeks of below average temperatures and several snowstorms. Yet the arugula and corn salad that I planted in Earth Boxes in September are still growing. The weather has warmed up today, and I was very pleased to find the greens still growing. I think if I plan well I might be able to grow fresh salad greens all year round. As soon as I have recovered from Christmas entertaining I plan to plant flower and lettuce seeds in my little mini greenhouse. That way I can set out some plants in February if we have our usual late January warm spell.

Here’s the celeriac recipe. We learned to love this ugly looking root vegetable while we lived in Germany in the 1960s. It’s also called celery root or knob celery.

Celeriac Remoulade

For Celeriac:
1 head celeriac (about 1 1/2 lb)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt


For Sauce:
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice or wine vinegar
2 tablespoons light cream
dash of Tabasco

Cut the celeriac into fine julienne. Boil water in a large non-aluminum saucepan; add the lemon juice and some salt. Put in the celeriac and when the water returns to a boil remove the saucepan from the heat. Drain the celeriac and refresh under running water. Drain again in a strainer, then dry it in a cloth.

Whisk the egg yolk and the mustard together in a bowl. Keep whisking as you add the oil in a thin stream, until you have a thick mayonnaise. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice and mix again. Mix in the cream and dash of Tabasco. Continue to whisk until the sauce is creamy.  Place the celeriac in a large bowl. Add the sauce and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve, sprinkled with black pepper.

There will also be a cheese tray, assorted olives, and some pickled beets. In Mexico a salad made with beets is a common dish on Christmas Eve. I love any excuse to put out the pickled beets.

For dessert we’ll have a Charlotte Russe. This is an easy version that doesn’t contain any gelatin, so I can eat some of it.

2 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
2 pkg. (3 3/4 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding
18 lady fingers
2 tbsp. triple sec
Sliced bananas or strawberries
Beat milk and sour cream at low speed until blended. Sprinkle in instant pudding. Beat at low speed. Line 1 quart mold with lady fingers. Add triple sec to pudding and pour into mold. Refrigerate or put in freezer if made shortly before serving.  

More Christmas Cookies

We've been baking up a storm at our house. These are fabulous cookies my daughter makes.

Nutcracker Sweets

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups ground almonds
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Powdered sugar

Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour, almonds, and extract, beating at low speed until well blended. Stir in cherries.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 325° for 18 to 22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cool 2 minutes. Roll cookies in powdered sugar; cool completely on wire racks.

Yield: Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

Lekerli These are fabulous gingerbread type cookies.

For the cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup dark honey
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons kirsch
2/3 cup finely chopped candied orange peel
8 ounces (about 2 cups) whole unblanched almonds, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

For the sugar glaze:
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Measure the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the spices, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir well to combine. Mix the honey and the 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the kirsch, candied orange peel, and almonds. Stir the honey mixture into the flour and spices using a rubber spatula. Butter and line with parchment or foil one 10 x 15 x 1-inch pan. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and use the floured palms of both hands to fill the pan. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until puffed and firm, but not dry. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use the paper to lift out the baked Leckerli and place it on a rack to cool. Prepare the glaze: Combine the water and the 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat, stirring often to disolve the sugar. After the syrup comes to a boil, let it boil for 10 or 15 seconds so it reduces slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately sift over and stir in the confectioners' sugar. Quickly brush the glaze over the cooled Leckerli and allow the glaze to dry for 10 minutes. When the glaze has dried, transfer the Leckerli to a cutting board. Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut it into 1 1/2 x 2-inch rectangles. Store between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.


Scottish Shortbread
This is plain and very easy, but oh so delicious.

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour

Thoroughly cream sugar and butter. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour and mix thoroughly. Turn out onto a surface floured with remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Knead dough until it cracks on surface. Roll out 1/4-inch thick and cut out with cutters. Prick cookies with fork tines and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 275° for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes about 2 dozen shortbread cookies.