If there is one thing I wish to accomplish with this site it would be to inspire creativity in each and every one of you. It warms my heart to hear of anyone who has prepared one of my dishes, but it makes me proud when I hear when one of my recipes has been modified or improved upon, as is the case with my red pepper semolina gnocchi and boxty. In those cases, my friend and reader Knifethrower took the inspiration those recipes provided her and ran with them, creating something wholly new and wonderful. Last summer I posted three recipes using pears and zucchini prepared in various ways and with this post I intend to go down that route again.
This year I have chosen three new ingredients and think I’ve done an admirable job placing them into service. My first ingredient choice is speck. Speck is a German dry cured ham that some mistake for prosciutto, but it is lightly smoked and occasionally seasoned with juniper berries. I seem to go through phases with dry cured ham, for so long prosciutto was the only way to go, last year nothing but jamon serrano would do (aside from the occasional jamon Iberico), and now I can’t seem to get enough speck.
For my second ingredient I have chosen some gorgeous nectarines I picked up at a farmstand over on Stony Point Road. The scent of perfectly ripe nectarine richy perfumed my kitchen, I could hardly wait to put them into action. The tangy sweet flavor is the perfect match with the light smoke and salty characteristics of the speck as well as my third featured ingredient; quark. I guess I am on a kind of German kick lately, as quark is a creamy, fresh cheese from Germany, although I got mine down the road at the Petaluma Creamery. Quark is often described as a sort of German cream cheese, but I have to disagree. The consistency is buttery and light giving you a feeling very different than that of cream cheese and rather similar to mascarpone . . . which is another some liken to cream cheese for some strange reason. The quark acts as sort of a peace treaty between the nectarine and speck, taming the competing flavors into obedience. The result is really quite wonderful.
These ingredients can be used in a whole host of different ways, the French Toast and Specky Bundles I have for you today are only two ideas in a sea of recipes. My next plan is to smear a baked tart shell with quark that has a kiss of basil added to it, nectarine slices and top it all off with crispy speck and lightly dressed microgreens hugging the side. These same ingredients can be toppings for a grilled pizza, a fresh fruit soup, a simple salad, a canape or even just companions on a cutting board filled for snacking. The possibilities are endless and, sorry if I sound a bit Disney here, but with food your imagination is everything.
Specky Bundles
12-16 strips Speck, either sliced in half down the width
6 ounces Quark, at room temp
Freshly Cracked Pepper, to taste (optional)
1 package Micro Greens, rinsed and pat dry
1 Recipe Nectarine Sauce
Lay each strip of speck out on your work surface and spread about 3/4 of each piece with quark. Sprinkle with cracked pepper if you so desire. Place a bunch of micro greens slightly haphazardly on every piece and roll. Be careful not to roll too tightly, they should look a bit on the rustic side. If you are concerned with them unrolling, just give each one a small pinch and the quark will hold it, or secure with a cocktail pick. Refrigerate until serving time.
Serve with nectarine sauce for dipping.
Variation: Instead of the sauce, just slice up a few nectarines and wrap them up in the bundle with everything else.
Makes 24-32
French Toast
1 Brioche loaf, sliced into 8 rather thick pieces
6 Large Eggs
1/4 cup Milk
8 strips Speck
A few hands full Microgreens, rinsed and pat dry
4 ounces Quark, whipped lightly with a fork
1 Recipe Nectarine Sauce, warmed
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Place the bread in a shallow pan and coat with the egg mixture, turning to ensure proper coating. Allow to set a minute to absorb the mixture while heating up your pan over medium to medium-high heat. Brown lightly on each side.
To serve; place two slices on each plate and artfully as you can arrange the speck, greens and quark. Drizzle with the Nectarine sauce and serve.
For those of you who are not forgetful like me, garnish with a few grilled nectarine halves. Slice them in half, remove the stone and lightly grill. Do not remove the skin, or the delicate nectarine will fall apart.
Serves:4
Nectarine Sauce
3 Nectarines, peeled and cut up (peaches or apricots would be wonderful subs, although I’d skip the Riesling with the apricots and probably add one or two)
1/4 cup Water or Reisling
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Agave Nectar
Sea Salt, to taste
Place the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until the nectarines begin to fall apart, it won’t take long. Use an immersion blender or regular blender to combine the sauce and then reduce the sauce by about a quarter over medium heat.
Oh, Erin. The quark as a peace treaty is a stroke of genius and makes much more sense than the blue cheese which would have just exacerbated the saltiness of the speck.
I’m going to go to bed now and dream of these recipes.
Hi Erin, it sounds as though you have settled nicely in your new location. In the part of Germany that I come from and the Switzerland that I know well, Speck is the name for Bacon – not North American Bacon, but similar. My interpretation of what you are showing in your post is more like Wesphalian ham – but I stand to be corrected. I love both the ham and the quark but have never though of combining the two.
Since you mentioned Riesling wine, just finished a wonderful bottle of Johannesberg wine and pasta with Alaskan King Crab – wonderful!!!
Hi Carla, It seems like we always get things a little different here. I’ve heard of Westphalian ham, but have never knowingly seen it. I’ll have to check into this, thanks. What part of Germany do you come from? I love Riesling, Washington has amazing Rieslings. I just tasted several at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery for my next Mutineer article. A few of them were made under the guidance of Germany’s Dr. Ernst Loosen, very exciting. Good to see you here as usual!
Oh Erin! How yummy!!
Despite my insane jealousy at your location, I am tickled at the bounty at your doorstep and your magical way with food. This peach and Quark pairing with Speck is about as classic as you can get. Fruit, cheese, salted pork… What a dazzling mouthful!
I hear that to know wines is to know Reislings, as they are some of the most diverse wines of the planet. I hope to learn more from Chef Ash, as he is a huge Reisling fan. You should hook up with him up as he is the CIA Greystone Wine Studies dude. He’s a neighbor of yours, just up the road from you in Santa Rosa…
I think we must have the same tastebuds…lol
I often do a salad with ham and nectarines as I love the combination. Have not eaten quark, but am now going to make a huge effort to find it. Usually I use a low salt feta crumbled through the salad.
Shall let you know if I can find quark as I am sure others here would like it as well. If anyone has already found it in Paris, please let me know where!
Jen, I tasted five Rieslings, possibly seven, I need to check my notes. Anyway, it always amazes me at how diverse wine is in general, but this was insane. The enologist that took me around had me trying this hugely diverse collection from a dry, to late harvest, and even an ice, it was very cool. I have been in to wine for a long time, but there is always so much to learn, it would be cool to be able to pick the brain of Greystone’s wine studies dude. Hope you are settling in nicely!
Debbie, Isn’t it gorgeous! Though I am starting to think I have a fruit and meat obsession. I hope you do find it, it is buttery, with a lovely tang and absolutely melts in your mouth. If you don’t find it in Paris, you’ll just have to take a weekend in Germany!
lovely and inspiring post! i appreciate the various options for one set of ingredients. i think the french toast looks wonderful, and as you suggested, i can see the same nectarines, speck, quark, and micro greens gracing a pizza or soup or salad or just resting on a cutting board with a nice crusty chunk of bread. thank you.
Thank you Denise! Tonight I am making them into a tart tatin. I had planned a regular tart, but why not?
Erin, to answer your question I was born in Jena in the state of Thurangia. Jena is known for its University, precision machinery, Zeiss optics and glass manufacture. Napolean fought the battle of Jena-Auerstadt there (he won and there is a bridge named for that victory in Paris {Pont d’Iena}). On the food front Thurangia is best known for its Thuringer Bratwurst and raw potatoe dumplings.
I have a huge complaint to make……..
99 Drams of Whisky is not available in France.
How rude!!!
Shall have to amazon it. Could not believe that it is not available worldwide. Seems a waste of a good book in my opinion.
Oh Carla, raw potato dumplings…. yum! My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
Carla, I have never had raw potato dumplings before. Judging by Debbie’s response they must be something wonderful! Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself with me.
Debbie, Drat! I hope you are able to find it, it’s a wonderful book.
My Aunt married a German man who had the most generous and gorgeous parents. They used to babysit all us kids when we were small and she would make all sorts of treats for us. She also sewed like a professional seamstress and made all the corsets, girdles and other undergarments (depending on age depended on preference) of our families women. An incredible woman and I will always remember her.
I could live on potatoes, I wonder if it was influenced by those early years?
You must try the potato dumplings. Can we also share your recipe for them please Carla? All my recipes are in storage in Australia.
I shall be placing an Amazon order for a few things later this month (I save up till I get free postage…) and this book shall be top of the list.
Still haven’t found quark, but still looking.
Debbie, Now that is a talent I would love to possess. My grandmother tried in vain to teach me to sew, poor woman didn’t know what she was getting into. Your Aunt sounds like a wonderful lady.
I feel the same way about potatoes. From roasted potatoes to pommes anna, I really love them and so have to ration myself. I do think trying these dumplings is in order. Let’s cross our fingers Carla checks the comments again!
Funny you say that about sewing. I tried to learn as a teenager….. massive failure.
Then I found myself as a young 20something unable to afford to buy clothes for work, and taught myself to sew on a friends machine. I do everything completely wrong (have had a professional seamstress turn white and nearly cry watching me), but it always works out and the end product looks the same as a properly made one.
It got to the point where I could whip up a skirt in under an hour and some days would make a new outfit in the morning before going to work….lol
The thing I had to do was throw out the patterns and just unroll calico onto the floor and cut out around myself, then pin the material to my bra/knickers and then draw the shape I wanted in teh finished outfit. It works amazingly and I even made my wedding dress using this same method.
Do not be afraid to try a different approach and you will find yourself sewing in no time.
Yes, Carla hopefully will get a strange compulsion to check the comments and see our plea for her recipe….
oh yum! three ingredients I love! Stone fruit isn’t really in season yet here, but I will definitely try this (or some version of it:) ) later in the summer… cherries and strawberries are easy to find right now though — perhaps that would be tasty!
Love the way you deconstruct recipes. I should get over my fear of failures and start experimenting more like you. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Everyone, as soon as I have a chance I’ll post the recipe – will have to translate it first. Debbie, I too am a self taught sewer – learned some things from watching my mother’s dressmaker when I was very young. Since I took early retirement last year I’ve become hooked on quilting to the detriment of housekeeping and gardening (well not always lol).
Debbie, I can take a piece of fabric two feet long, send it through a machine and somehow come out with a mangled mess compressed to two inches. I have great aspirations toward sewing eventually, and even have a container full of gorgeous fabrics I pickup here and there for the day I am worthy to sew with them. That day still has yet to come. I am slightly better by hand, but not much.
Bordeaux, Thank you! Fear of failure? You are a wonderful cook! Besides, you seem fearless to me when it comes to your recent ventures. So glad to see you back!
Carla, Thank you! We will eagerly await your recipe.
Hi, I was just about to sit down and translate the recipe when I had the brilliant (???) idea of doing a search on the web. Lo and behold I found this http://www.amiexpat.com/resources/recipes/real-german-cuisine/thuringer-klose-thuringian-dumplings/ it is virtually the same as mine but does into more detail . I do have to warn you that I have never personally made these dumplings – very time consuming and my husband is not crazy about them. My dear mother, however, made them for all special occasions (grating the potatoes by hand as we did not have a food processor) and I remember them fondly. If you do make them be sure to have lots of gravy! If you want to cheat you can buy a mix made by Pfanni (or Panni depending where you are) which isn’t bad.
Fantastic! Thank you so much for the link Carla.
I love that you have taken a few gorgeous ingredients and made them into numerous outstanding dishes with their own textures, contexts and styles. In school, I took inspiration from a dish or two from the restaurant’s menu and turned out pizza, pastas and even baked goods with a similar flavor profile, but a different delivery system. Bravo! You have shattered my “Taco Equation” theory that three same ingredients rearranged roughly resembles American Mexican food! You ROCK!
Thanks Jen, it is one of my favorite things to do!