Where people know how to celebrate
There are plenty of opportunities to celebrate in the Nahe valley. The mild
climate, the pleasant landscape and especially the wine, provide the best
conditions for "Kerben" (church fairs) which alternate with the local vintage
wine festivals. The local food is robust. The upper Nahe area is the home
of spit roasts over an open fire as well as the grilled pork known as "Schaukelbraten".
In "Sowerum" (Bad Sobernheim), there is a rather unusual dish, 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 ovens throughout the region. After being stuffed,
they are basted in butter, and then slowly baked, making a good accompaniment
for the sweet Federweisser.
Hunsrück Mushroom Dish
Ingredients:
30g butter, 150g button mushrooms, 80g shallots, 400g fine mixed forest mushrooms
(chanterelles, edible boletus), 100ml port, 1/4 l of crème fraîche,
1 garlic clove, 1 thyme sprig, 20g chives, 10g parsley, 10g chervil, and freshly
ground salt and pepper.
Preparation:
Dice the shallots and sauté in butter until transparent. Cut the Button mushrooms
in quarters and add to the shallots. Sauté briefly. Cut each forest mushroom in half,
add to the pan and pour in the port. Season with salt, pepper and the crushed garlic
clove. Allow it to simmer at low heat for 15 minutes. Chop the herbs. Stir the
crème fraîche in. Garnish with the herbs and serve.
Recipe from: BALANCE KOST, das Rezeptbuch der
gesunden Vollwertküche. Bad Sobernheim 1997
Along with a Glass of Wine
The steep slopes of the Nahe region benefit from special ground, intense sun light
and dryness. All these factors contribute to the fruity acidity of the Riesling.
Since wines vary from "strong to weighty" near the lower Nahe to "fairly light" near
the upper Nahe you will always find one or more suitable wines irrespective of the
occasion, whether for a formal feast or a more casual event.