Happy Oktoberfest!

October...what a great month. The weather cools down, trees change into colorful works of art, pots of yellow and red mums decorate porches, and comfort foods start to creep back into kitchens everywhere. Winter squash, baked and braised meats and vegetables, and soups heat up the kitchen and warm our chilly bodies. And Oktoberfest signals the beginning of the fall season, my personal favorite.

I've participated in my share of Oktoberfests over the years, usually with bratwurst in one hand and beer in the other, yodeling along with an OOM-pah band. I've always been curious why most of it was celebrated in September. Why not call it Septemberfest, or "drink-beer-in-leather-shorts fest"? A quick trip to my favorite dictionary, the Internet, taught me that the celebration begins mid-September and is called Oktoberfest because it ends on the first Sunday in October, which appropriately enough, is today.

I also learned that the festival began in September of 1810 in Munich, Germany. It seems that the Crown Prince of Bavaria, King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and a few days after their nuptials they invited the entire city of Munich to celebrate on the lawn outside the city gates. The party was a huge hit and lasted sixteen days, finally coming to an end in early October. Truly a party of epic proportions. I would  love to have been a mouse in the house, listening to Therese's conversation with the wedding planner... echoing down the halls of the stone-walled castle.

"Guten tag, Queen Therese here. King Ludwig and I have been married five days, and I'd like to invite Munich to our wedding reception.
...ya, Munich the city... all of it...
...no, it will be outdoors on the lawn, I realize there isn't a church basement large enough...
...ya, BYOB, but I would like to serve beer...a lot of beer...and wurst, a wagon-load of the best wurst...
...there isn't enough beer for everyone in Munich? Well, can't we bring in kegs from Switzerland? they love everyone...
...music? ya of course, Ludwig and I want an OOM-pah band playing...and the first dance should be the Chicken Dance. Ya, das is correct, the Chicken Dance...it goes, "I don't wanna be a chicken, I don't wanna be a duck, I don't wanna be a chicken, so I shake my butt."
...Ya!, das heiny, shake das heiny!
...Ya? well, I don't care if you don't think it's appropriate for a wedding, I'm the queen!
...Hello?....Hello?
...Ludwig!"

Meanwhile, back in 2010, one of my favorite fall dinners is to combine pork chops, apples, onions and herbs and today I decided to try the flavors with ground pork rather than pork chops. Winner!
I love braised red cabbage, and for the first time, I wrote down the ingredients to share with you, since I alter it every time I cook it.  The cabbage can be cooking while you assemble and cook the meatballs.

Braised Red Cabbage
2 T. olive oil
One small head red cabbage, shredded. Easy to do in the food processor.
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or no-sugar added apple juice plus more to add as it cooks.
1/4 tsp. dried dill weed
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 T. red wine vinegar or 1 T. balsamic and 1 T. red wine vinegar for a more mellow flavor.
1 T. brown sugar

Heat olive oil in large pot and add onion and cabbage. Cook for a few minutes to soften vegetables and add rest of ingredients. Cover and turn heat to medium-low. Braise for about 40 minutes until cabbage is soft. Check pan about every 10 minutes and add 1/4 cup broth or apple juice if it gets too dry, don't let it burn.

Pork and Apple Meatballs with Dijon and Beer Sauce

2 lbs. ground very lean pork - if you have a pork loin roast, trim the fat off, cut in chunks and pulse in the food processor to grind the meat..it's the leanest ground pork.
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large Granny Smith or other cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped or grated, about 1 cup.
1 T. olive oil

2 slices wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed
4  T. no-sugar-added apple juice

1 egg
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. Chinese Five Spice Powder- it's worth it to use this if you can, but you can substitute a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cloves if you don't have Five Spice. Visit Savory Spice Shops in Denver or order at http://www.savoryspiceshop.com/ for the best spice and herb blends.)

In large saute pan, heat the olive oil and add onions and apples. Cook about 2 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool a few minutes. While cooling, in small bowl, cover bread with apple juice and let set to absorb the juice. When absorbed, mush it up along with egg.
In large bowl, mix ground pork, seasonings and bread and egg mixture. Mix it up with clean hands until well blended and form into balls the size of a golf ball. If you're not a golfer, the size of a large walnut.

In large saute pan, heat 2 T. olive oil and add half of the meatballs to the pan. Leave room between them so they cook properly. Cook about 10 minutes on each side until browned, turning every 10 minutes for 30 minutes. When brown on each side, remove from pan and place on baking sheet, cover with foil, in 250 degree oven while you cook the other half. Cook second half of meatballs and add to baking sheet in oven while you prepare the sauce. Makes about 24 meatballs.

You can stop here if you want. The meatballs are delicious on their own and are a low-fat dinner combined with braised cabbage, but if you want to continue with the sauce, here is the recipe.

Apple Dijon Beer Sauce
To meatball pan, add 1 T. butter and 1 finely chopped shallot. Cook for about 1 minute until shallot is softened. Add 1-1/2 cups apple juice and 3/4 cup beer and bring to boil. Add 1-1/2 T. Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste , bring to boil and let sauce reduce for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 T.butter and remove from heat. This is enough sauce for 1/2 the meatballs.

See the beer in the photo? I'm going to drink it now. Happy Oktoberfest!