October 24, 2019

Oktoberfest/October Feast

I spied this beautiful maple tree on my daily neighborhood walk.

October brings that unmistakable feeling in the air, with its crisp, cool freshness, as the colors around us transform greens into vivid hues of reds, oranges, and yellows.
It is Autumn, beckoning us to move into a cozier, more comfortable season; a season filled with distinctly fall-like flavors to warm our insides while pleasing our palate.  

Colorful fall displays are everywhere!

In this post, I share with you a pair of recipes to tickle your fall taste buds, while also
re-sharing a few of my favorite autumn-time recipes. Let me know (in the comments) if you give any of these a try!

Oktoberfest

Octoberfest!  My first thoughts of this fall German folk fair, filled with food and merriment, improbably turn to Peter Sellers.  Blame it on the Pink Panther, or more specifically, the Pink Panther movie, The Pink Panther Strikes Again.  It is in this film that the “all of the great nations (12 total) with all of their assassins” set their sights on Inspector Clouseau at Germany’s Oktoberfest. It’s pretty funny, and if you have never seen this PG-13 film (not for young children, as this film has adult situations), it might
be worth your while.
(I first saw this movie upon its release, at the start of my college/freshman
Christmas break in 1976! )

View a six minute clip of The Pink Panther Strikes Again‘s Oktoberfest, here.

Read about another Pink Panther film in my earlier post, here.

October Feast
Favorite Autumn-time Recipes
(from previous posts)

Check out these tried and true autumn recipes, below.  They are my family favorites.

Maple Bars
The Flavors of Fall, September 2018, here.

Apple Dumplings
Hello, First Day of Autumn, September 2016, here.

Pumpkin Cake
Autumn in October: Young Frankenstein, a Not-So-Scary Halloween,
and Pumpkin Cake…, October 2016, here.

Caramel Corn
Time to make some Caramel Corn!, October 2015, here. 

Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and Dumplings & Ma and Pa Kettle, September 2014, here.

Autumn/Thanksgiving “Trash”
Autumn is that Mellow Time of Year?!, November 2014, here.

Hot Apple Cider
Annette’s Thanksgiving, November 2013, here.

Recipes for the Family

German Sweet and Sour Potatoes

Although, Germany’s Oktoberfest begins in September, ending in early October, around my house, our annual Oktoberfest meal usually takes place in late October. When my kiddos were home/growing up, I often prepared the two recipes (below) as our “Oktoberfest meals”. I still do!

A photo from my 2015 trip to Germany.

Take a look at my blog about that Germany visit, here.

The German Sweet and Sour Potatoes recipe is one that I begged off of a chef in Fredericksburg, Texas in the late 1980’s. (Fredericksburg was originally settled by German immigrants.)  In the days before email, I snail mailed him a letter requesting his recipe.  A while later, he kindly replied (again via snail mail), and my family has been enjoying this dish ever since!

Enjoying Enchanted Rock with my two oldest children, near Fredericksburg, Texas.
1989
It was around  this time that I requested the German Sweet and Sour Potato recipe.

Making German Sweet and Sour Potatoes

Gather the ingredients that you will need for German Sweet and Sour Potatoes.

I use a handheld mandoline slicer to quickly slice my potatoes,
using the food holder to keep myself safe.

German Sweet and Sour Potatoes

Ingredients

1-12 ounce package of raw bacon, cut into small pieces
( I use the no nitrate variety)

1/2 medium yellow onion, with outer layer removed, sliced

1 large carrot, peeled, and sliced

1+1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1+1/2 teaspoons black pepper

Dash of oregano

3/4 cup sugar

1+1/2 teaspoons garlic salt, optional
( I do not add this.)

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1+1/2-2 cups water

 

Approx. 1-2 Tablespoon Vegetable oil

2 quarts red potatoes, washed and sliced
(About half a 5 pound bag-3 pounds.)

salt and pepper, if desired

cooked bratwurst, if desired

Directions

In large soup pot cook bacon pieces on medium heat, until half done.
Stir occasionally.

While the bacon is cooking, heat vegetable oil in an electric skillet to around 325 degrees,
and then add potatoes,
cooking until potatoes are just tender.
Remove from heat.
Drain off oil.

Back to the bacon in the soup pot…
Drain off bacon grease.
Add onions, carrots, apple cider vinegar, and spices
(black pepper, oregano, sugar, and garlic-if wanted) to bacon.
Cook until carrots are almost tender.

Whisk cornstarch with water until smooth.
Whisk into bacon sauce mixture, stirring until thickened.

Gently spoon potatoes into bacon sauce mixture, making sure that the potatoes are coated with the sauce.
Let stand five minutes.

Serve with salt and pepper, and cooked bratwurst, if desired.

Enjoy!

Annette’s notes-This recipe serves about six.

Italian Wedding Soup

Many years ago, I came upon a recipe for Italian Wedding Soup in a cookbook. Over the years, I have made several changes to the original printed recipe, and this tasty soup is now a “must have fall dish” at my house.

The 1996 cookbook where I found the original Italian Wedding Soup recipe.

 

Preparing Italian Wedding Soup

Pull together all the ingredients needed for this soup before cooking.

I use a small scoop to prepare my mini-meatballs for this soup.
Allow enough time to shape the meatballs.

This recipe makes enough for 6-8 people.

Italian Wedding Soup

Making the meatballs is what takes the time with this recipe, so allow enough time, or enlist extra help. :o)

Ingredients

1 lb. ground sausage (My package was actually 19 ounces.)
(Your choice: Italian, Bob Evans, Jimmy Dean etc., I have even used maple-flavored!)

1 egg-beaten

1/2 cup fresh/soft bread crumbs, approx. 2 slices of bread

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

olive oil, approx. 2 teaspoons

3-4 cans/boxes of 32-ounce chicken broth,
2 are used for the initial cooking, and 1-2 are for reheating the left-overs*

1 cube chicken boullion

1-12 oz. pkg. pasta,
(I prefer egg noodle flakes, or 
small bow pasta. The trip-color variety works, too!)

½ large onion, peeled and left intact

Parmesan cheese, optional
(fresh grated is the best)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Remove sausage from casing, if necessary.

In large bowl, combine sausage, beaten egg, fresh bread crumbs, oregano, and rosemary.

Shape into bite-sized meatballs.

Heat up 2 teaspoons of olive oil in electric skillet to 300-325 degrees.

While electric skillet is heating up…
In large saucepan, heat 2 cans/boxes broth, adding one chicken bouillon cube,
and 1/2 onion.
Bring to boil.

When electric skillet is hot, gently and evenly brown meatballs in olive oil
until no longer pink.
Drain off grease, and set aside.

Add pasta to the boiling broth in the large saucepan.
Spoon browned meatballs into boiling broth.
Simmer, uncovered, until noodles are tender, about 8 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual bowls.

Sprinkle individual portions with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Refrigerate leftovers.

Annette’s notes–
*If there are left-overs, you will need to add additional chicken broth when reheating,
as the noodles soak up the broth while stored in the refrigerator.

Making the meatballs is what takes the time with this recipe, so allow enough time, or enlist extra help. :o)

 Some of my Previous October Blog Posts

Happy-Not-So-Very-Scary-Halloween, October 2013, here.

Irish Gold, Part 2, October 2013, here.

The Quiet Man’s Ireland-Day 2, or a Day Fit for a “Quiet Man Crazy”,
October 2013, here.

Time to Make Some Caramel Corn!, October 2015, here.

Dracula!, October 2015, here.

Minnesota nice, October 2015, here.

Autumn in October: Young Frankenstein, a Not-So-Scary Halloween,
and Pumpkin Cake…, October 2016, here.

A Halloween Movie/TV Show, October 2016, here.

This Foodies Fun Foto Photo Tour from Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival,
October 2016, here.

Discovering New Fun at Walt Disney World Amid The Craziness of Life: Part 2, October 2017, here.

October!, October 2018, here.

Trick or Treat!, October 2018, here.

Halloween, Not-too Scary, Movie Watching Fun, October 2019, here.

Thank you for reading,

I’m Annette Stuff

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A colorful leaf on a sunny autumn day.