Week 12 - WISCONSIN BRATS

Saskatchewan Menu of the Week -- 4 July 2005

Breakfast – Yogurt.
Lunch – Open-face grilled cheese and tomato.
Dinner – Wisconsin-style bratwurst. Buns. Potato salad. Apple pie.

WISCONSIN BRATS
My husband grew up in Wisconsin where there is a strong German heritage and bratwurst is cooked in a particular style. Once, several years ago, a friend told him his brats were better than lobster! He’s been living on that compliment ever since. We buy the bratwurst at Emco Meats, where the German butcher makes them authenticly.

First, buy a good quality brat that doesn’t have too much fat. Boil the sausages in a pot of beer and sliced onions. Grill the boiled bratwurst on the BBQ. While they’re grilling, scoop out the onions and brown them in butter. Enjoy the bratwurst in a bun with onions and mustard.

Week 11 - SASKATOON BERRY COBBLER

Saskatchewan Menu of the Week - June 25

Brunch – BLT sandwich.
Dinner – Steamed trout with dill, grilled asparagus, saskatoon berry cobbler

Saskatoon Berry Cobbler
I was poking around in my mom’s freezer when I found a milk carton marked "Saskatoons ‘93". How is it possible, I asked her, to have saskatoon berries in the freezer for 12 years? She shrugged. Then she gave them to me. Not one to turn down a gift of food, I tried them in this cobbler and they were great. We're soon coming into saskatoon berry picking season, so bon apetit!

Cake:
1/4 cup butter at room temp.
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cups milk
3 cups fresh or frozen saskatoon berries
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Crumble topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter

For the cake, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and milk, and mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish. (I use an 8-inch round ceramic dish.)

Stir together the berries and almond extract and layer onto the batter.

For the crumble topping, combine the dry ingredients and cut in the cold butter. Spread on top of the berries. Bake at 350F for 40 min., until the top is brown and the berries are bubbling. Serve with ice cream if you like.

Sources: saskatoon berries picked by my parents in the wild.