First First Sunday Supper a Huge Success!

The first Sunday Supper was a huge success! Exactly what I hoped would happen, and I can see this thing getting really large. Since I can only fit 12 people in my house, though, for now it remains thus.

One of the first rules of blogging, especially blogging about food, is to insert pictures! Notice there are no pictures of the event, because out of 12 people, no one took any. Not that people didn't like the food; I think just the opposite--they were so into the event that stopping to take out phones and cameras and snap pictures was obviously not the first thing on their minds! Nice.

Anyway, it was a traditional German-like affair--sausages from the German butcher, parsleyed potatoes, sauerkraut, kale and green beans from the garden, and rhubarb crisp, also from the garden. I had a few gluten-free vegetarians at the table, so I tried out some chickpea-based veggie sausages from a local restaurant. Expensive, but well worth it, as they were all eaten. These are on the culinary horizon and you can find many recipes for them online, but I would not choose one over a nice brat or smoky herb from the butcher. 

I think what I liked most about it all was the coming together of a large range of different age groups (30 to 85) and interests--mathematicians, foresters, musicians, lawyers--and how well it all worked so well together.

So, on to next month, a vegetarian affair--polenta topped with mushrooms and taleggio cheese melted over all. I am hoping for some wild mushrooms to be available, but if not, cultivated will have to do. 

I think the potatoes were probably the biggest side dish hit and I got requests for the recipe, so here is not really a recipe, but how I made them:

4 pounds red or other potatoes

1 bunch parsley

1 cube butter or 1/2 cup olive oil, or brown butter, or a mix of any of these

white wine vinegar to taste (at least 1/2 cup)

Cube the potatoes and steam them until desired doneness (the softer they are, the more they will become creamy while mixing--mine were almost mashed by the time I was done). I steam them because it retains more nutrients than boiling.

Meanwhile, chop the leaves of the parsley.

When the potatoes are done, put them in a bowl and start adding the butter/oil and the vinegar and salt and pepper until everything is quite tasty. You are aiming for a slight tang to the potatoes, along with a richness contributed by the butter/oil. Be generous with the oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. When you have the flavor where you want it, add the parsley and mix. 

It seems like a lot of parsley, butter/oil and vinegar and salt, but potatoes are very good at softening flavors, so don't be skimpy!