Where people know how to celebrate

There are plenty of opportunities to celebrate in the Nahe valley. The mild climate, the cheerful landscape and especially the wine, make for the best conditions for "Kerben" (church fairs) which alternate with the local wine and vintage festivals. The local food here is robust. The upper Nahe area is the home of roasts on a spit over an open fire as well as the grilled roast known as "Schaukelbraten".

In "Sowerum" (Bad Sobernheim), there is a rather unusual dish, which is perhaps not to everyone's taste, the so-called "Krumbeeresupp un Quetschekuche" (potato soup with fresh plum cake). A special festival celebrated in autumn is the suckling pig meal. During the time of "Federweisser" (fermenting new wine), from the beginning of October until the end of November, many young pigs (maximum weight 20 kg.) end up in the ovens up and down the region. After being basted in butter, they are slowly baked with their filling, becoming a good accompanyment for the sweet Federweisser.

 

Hunsrück Mushroom Dish

Ingredients: 30g of butter, 150g of champignon mushrooms, 80g of shallots, 400g of fine mixed forest mushrooms (chanterelles, edible boletus), 100ml of red port wine, 1/4 l of crème fraîche, 1 clove of garlic, 1 sprig of thyme, 20g of chives, 10g of parsley, 10g of chervil, and freshly ground salt and pepper.

Preparation: Dice the shallots and sauté in butter until transparent. Cut the champignons in quarters and add to the shallots and sauté shortly. Cut each forest mushroom in half and add to the pan and pour in the port wine. Season with the salt, pepper and the pressed garlic clove. Allow it to simmer at low heat for 15 minutes. Chop the herbs. Stir the crème fraîche in and sprinkle the herbs on top. It is ready to serve.

Recipe from: Balance Kost, das Rezeptbuch der gesunden Vollwertküche. Bad Sobernheim 1997