Cooking up a snow storm!

In returning to Naples, we went from this:

To this:

But I was still in an Alsatian/Schwabian mood . . . and needed to make do with what was already in the freezer/fridge.  So here's what I came up with for dinner on Monday night without nipping out to the corner shop (though Jon did bring home some milk). And I know not everyone has heavy cream sitting in the fridge (unopened) all week . . . but that stuff really lasts with all that butterfat in it!

Pork and Potato Gratin

1 lb boneless pork loin chops, cut into cubes

3 slices of bacon

2 tbsns oil

2 medium onions diced

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tspn salt

Ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream 

5 large potatoes sliced into 1/4 in. thick rounds

Munster cheese, slices or grated

Fry the bacon with oil in large frying pan.  Remove and cut or crumble into small pieces return to pan with onions, garlic and pork.  Sauté until until onion is transparent and pork is beginning to brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off heat.  Put a little of the meat mixture into one end of a buttered casserole dish, layer potatoes on a diagonal over it.  Continue adding layers across the casserole, gauging amounts so that you cover the entire bottom of the casserole.  

Put the pan over heat again and deglaze it with the white wine.  Turn off the heat and add the cream, stirring. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes and pork.  Layer Munster slices or sprinkle grated cheese over the casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 minutes until potatoes are tender and cheese is bubbly and browned.

Red Cabbage with secret ingredient

1 medium head red cabbage, chopped

1 diced onion

2 stalks celery chopped

1 granny smith apple peeled and chopped

3 tbspn butter

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 tspn salt

2 tbspn brown sugar

2 large lebkuchen cookies crumbled (or 5 gingersnap cookies)

Melt butter in large frying pan. Sauté red cabbage, onion, celery, and granny smith apple in butter until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add cider vinegar, water, brown sugar, cookie crumbs, and salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes to an hour.  

I was happy to debut my new Soufflenheim bowl with an appropriate dish.  Please let me know if you give these a try.  There weren't leftovers of the gratin in my house . . . but Jon happily took some red cabbage  with him for lunch the next day.