Well, here’s something different. I’m still on my “summer tomato kick” (because if you aren’t getting good tomatoes now, when will you get good tomatoes?!?), but these Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Crackers can actually be made year round because you’re using the dried variety. I know that these may not look like much, but they are packed with flavor and would go great with cheese or dip or as an addition to a rustic charcuterie platter. You won’t be disappointed!
More salad time …. and I have to say that I am prepared for the jokes …. this is Wurstsalat. Not the worst salad (it’s actually really good!), but Bayerischer Wurstsalat, Bavarian-Style Sausage Salad. Sure, might seem a little strange to make a salad out of sausage, but it’s yummy, refreshing and easy to make, something perfect for a Brotzeit (translation: savory snack or light meal), something that you would eat at a biergarten. There are actually many styles, predominantly from Bavaria and Switzerland, but also Austria, Swabia and even parts of France. Some include cheese as well, some have mayo. Load it only a piece of hearty bread or with a pretzel. In my part of the US, the sausage types are more limited (though that might not be the case with larger German-heritage populations) but I made do with German bologna. So bring on the worst jokes, I’ll keep eating!
If there is a “flavor profile” that I think of as “very American”, it is “Ranch” — every culture has one or a few signature flavors, and this one I think is pretty American. The packets that you can buy (like the Hidden Valley ones) are also a popular request item when I go to Germany. It’s actually not all that hard to make yourself — just got to get those ratios right — and this time, I decided to take my spice mixture to another level by adding tomato and chili powders. I know there may be some “Ranch Purists” out there that might not agree, but I think it is pretty darn good.
Today is National Pretzel Day (this should really fall on the same day as Beer day!) and these are a massive labor of love. Despite being German — and Southern German at that! — I am not a very good pretzel maker. My Opa, the Bäckermeister. wouldn’t be too terribly impressed with my shaping abilities. The dough is great — high protein flour from Kin Arthur is great — and these are sourdough, though if you search my site, you will also find the yeast version. The first batch, the “arms” kept on coming off the sides, so I started tucking them under and that worked better. The pretzel salt (also from KA) kept on falling off the bottom bit when I made the slits, so I put it on the side. Not traditional, but they’ll do.