It's Mushroom Season!

We're getting into the latter part of August, but here in Germany children have only been out of school for a month, the weather has been hovering in the 90s, and we've been eating our fair share of ice cream,so it hardly seems like the end of summer to me.

But the seasons, they are changing, and it's easy to see that in the markets and at the restaurants. Local produce is moving on from asparagus (none) and strawberries (few) to boxes and boxes of mushrooms. Restaurants are touting dishes with Chanterelles (Pfifferlinge in German), be they with noodles, with rice or with dumplings.

This blue plate special from an outdoor cafe at a nearby town included pork in a creamy Chanterelle sauce, sauteed vegetables and ribbony egg noodles. I'm on the prowl for menus loaded with Chanterelles. How about you?

--Tracy Schneider

Another Day, Another Kndel

Photo by B. Schilperoort

When I saw Semmelkndel mit Pfifferlinge, (bread dumplings with Chanterelles), on my menu yesterday, I just couldn't pass it up. Only days ago I wrote about another traditional Kndel, Leberkndel, and I have been on a mission ever since to try as many kinds of German dumplings as I can. The fact that this Kndel was served with Chanterelle mushrooms was just icing on the cake. I love the seasonality of food here in Germany, and mushrooms have now moved into the forefront of seasonal cuisine.

Last fall, when we moved to Germany, every menu touted something (or more often many things) made withpumpkin. Then roast goose appeared just before the holidays and lasted throughout the winter months. Chestnuts appeared too, and then they were gone. White asparagus was everywhere in spring. Most restaurants even had a special asparagus menu that ran from the end of May through June. Strawberries appeared, and then disappeared. Now it's the mushroom's time to shine. Boxes of Chanterelles, beautifully displayed, are a common sight right now at the open-air markets.

TheSemmelkndelpictured above tasted like Thanksgiving bread stuffing, only this stuffing had been formed into a ball. What's not to like? Sauced with sauteed Chanterelles, onions, scallions and cherry tomatoes, it was the perfect precursor to Autumn weather. And though I ate it in 95 degree fahrenheit weather, I didn't mind it at all.

--Tracy Schneider