I'm Sharing My Lunch With You!

Now some of you may want nothing to do with the lunch I had today, some may think it sounds interesting and some may wish you had eaten it yourself.

I went to lunch today with a friend to the Landrestaurant Hanegg near Waedenswil. She and I like this place and as I haven't been in about 6 mo's, decided it was time. Fall is here in a big way and as the menu's in Switzerland lean heavily toward the seasonal, I am all over the fall food. I love the Kurbiscreme suppe aka Pumpkin/Squash cremed soup and the way they incorporate all these veggies I might not ever buy in the store into wonderful, tasty little meals - and I don't have to learn to make them. Because I tend to be a lazy cook. Because some of these things take a bit of TIME. And we have learned that anytime 'kurbis' is on the menu, and they have translated it to 'pumpkin' for the English menu - it doesn't necessarily mean it is a pumpkin as we know it. It could be a pumpkin, a butternut squash, acorn squash and some things of which I couldn't fathom the name.

And not only is it Harvest veggie season but, like it or not, hunting season. And the restaurants here are into serving the "Wild" menu. That would be your wild game (which they pronounce 'veeld') such as Venison, boar, quail, pheasant, rabbit , etc...- much of which I can actually buy in the store right now. Growing up in a family where hunting was not verboten, we only had this menu on the table if Dad/Uncles brought it home. And then only if Mom could be convinced to cook it. My personal favorite has always been the elk sausage - but I digress....

So - Today I passed on the pumpkin creme soup in favor of the Wild menu - thinly sliced Venison with a fresh mushroom gravy accompanied by sauteed purple cabbage topped with a baked apple dressed with cranberry, roasted chesnuts and a side of spaetzle (little egg noodly things - very good with the gravy). Up 'til now, Grandpa Bianco's Venison stew would have been considered my favorite of the venison meat dishes. But I think my new vote is for the mushroom gravy smothered venison. It was quite tasty. As was the pile of sauteed cabbage - it was so good I actually saved it for last. Who would have thought?

Then we adjourned back to my friend's house for a bit o' pumpkin pie (leftovers from Harvest lunch at church - we are back to the days where the church can actually do a lunch together - in the basement! - it's fun) and a cappucino.

So I hope you enjoyed my lunch - and if you are mortally offended by it, please don't let me know by saying nasty animal righty things in the comments. Or I will be compelled to delete them. Maybe I could share some pastries next time - with pic's :).