Ingredients:

• 3/4 kg / 1.6 lbs potatoes (mealy or mashing type like Russet)
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 small egg
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• pinch of pepper, preferably white ground
• oil for frying, canola

Preparation:

1. Wash the potatoes and place in a large pot. Cover with water and add salt. Boil, covered, until soft. Drain the water. Peel and place in a bowl, then mash with a hand masher, or use a potato ricer while still hot. Set aside.
2. Place about one inch of oil in a frying pan. Begin heating at medium to start. Be careful not to burn the oil.
3. Separate egg carefully, and add yolk into the potatoes. Set aside the egg white. Add butter in flakes to the potatoes, as well as the flour, and seasonings. Blend together well.
4. Whisk the egg white in a bowl. In a separate bowl, pour in breadcrumbs. Set both bowls aside.
5. Knead the potato dough with your hands, and then shape into long cylinders. Cut with knife if necessary, to create about two inches long, and 3/4 to one inch thick pieces.
6. Quickly coat each piece in egg white, then gently press into breadcrumbs to cover.
7. Test oil by dropping a few breadcrumbs in, and if the oil sizzle, the pan is ready. If not, raise the temperature slightly and wait a few minutes more.
8. Fry croquettes, turning frequently, until golden brown. Turn heat down if they are browning to quickly.
9. Set croquettes on paper towel to drain off some oil. Serve while hot.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Portions: 6.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 to 3-pound red cabbage
• 2 tbsp. butter, or minced bacon
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 c. red wine vinegar (in a pinch, apple cider vinegar will also work)
• 2 c. broth (beef, vegetable, or chicken stock)
• 2 c. red wine
• 6 whole cloves (make a small cheesecloth bag containing the cloves, to be removed after cooking)
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• Thickener: 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. flour

Preparation:

1. Remove blotchy or ragged leaves from the cabbage, cut cabbage into quarters, wash and drain thoroughly. Shred the cabbage and discard the core and tough ribs.
2. Heat butter (or bacon, if using) in a dutch oven. If using the bacon, do not let it brown, and remove the bacon when enough fat has collected in pan.
3. Add sugar to hot fat and saute until golden.
4. Add onion and apple to the sugar mixture, then cover pot and braise over very low heat for 2 minutes.
5. Add the shredded cabbage and toss until it is coated with the fat.
6. Pour the vinegar over the cabbage and mix thoroughly.
7. Cover pot and braise slowly over low heat about 10 minutes, or until cabbage has turned purple.
8. Add the broth, wine and cheesecloth bag  into the mix and stir. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
9. After about 40 minutes, check for seasoning. If more saltiness is desired, add salt now.
10. Once cooked, knead together butter and flour for thickening, and cut into the cabbage pot. Simmer for 3 – 4 minutes while gently stirring, until thickened.
11. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can also be canned for much later use. Warm before serving.

Difficulty: Moderate.
Preparation Time: 1 hour 30 minute.
Portions: 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium head red cabbage, cored and sliced
• 2 large tart apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 whole peppercorns
• 2 whole allspice
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons cold water

Preparation:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, toss cabbage, apples and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, butter and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours.
2. Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Difficulty: Easy.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
Portions: 3 – 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 large salad cucumbers (English cucumbers would work nicely)
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 2 tbs. white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbs. sugar
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• fresh parsley
• tarragon
• fresh dill

Preparation:

1. Peel and thinly slice cucumber. Salt slices lightly and let stand for an hour.
2. Mix finely diced onion, sugar, vinegar, seasonings and all herbs (except parsley) together in a separate bowl.  Add mixture into the cucumbers and mix well, covering all cucumber slices.
3. Chill for at least a half hour, but no more than an hour.  Drain off excess liquid.
4. Toss with cream, top with chopped parsley, and serve.

Difficulty: easy.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.
Portions: 4.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbs butter
• 3 tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 large can, 2 small cans, or 2 cups of fresh quartered or sliced mushrooms
• 1 – 2 cups broth, beef, pork or vegetable
• pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. If preparing as a side to schnitzel, set the meat aside and keep warm, so you can use the same pan for added flavor. Otherwise, use a small saucepan.  Melt butter in pan, then add in flour and mix constantly over medium-low heat.  The trick is to get the flour a pale brown color, but do not burn.  This mixture should be paste-like.  If it is too thin, add a smidge more flour, if too thick, add a bit more butter.
2. Add in nutmeg and continue to brown flour.
3. If using canned, open the mushrooms and drain juice into a measuring cup.
4. Pour mushrooms into the flour mixture, and stir, cooking this way for about a minute.
5. Pour in broth with the juice in the cup, until you have 1 cup of liquid.  Add this to the pan and stir constantly.  Raise the temperature to medium.  **At this point, you want to monitor the thickness, and decide how thick of a sauce you want.  A total of 1.5 cups of liquid is perfect for my family, but you may have different tastes.  It thickens very quickly, so this is not a long process, and if you have 1 can of broth, that should be plenty, even if you go thinner.  You can even supplement with some hot water if necessary.
6. Add salt, and a pinch more nutmeg if desired.  Serve immediately.