If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have anymore winter weather after christmas. Before christmas it makes perfect sense: Sub-zero temperatures, snow, wind, short days and long nights…it’s all nice and necessary for this cozy pre-christmas feeling.
But then? Totally useless. Each year again I am again surprised by the fact that winter doesn’t end with christmas or the beginning of a new year. If someone asked me, it would!
All the more I need things that help me to survive the days between January and April without falling into deep depression.
Besides a warm blanket, a good book – although time for reading is very rare lately – and a warm cup of tea, for me this has always been food, heart and soul warming comfy food! Kind of inevitably those dishes are not what you would call light ones, but they have a build-in feel-good-garanty and that’s what counts at this time of the year … there will be time for salads again!
This traditional dish from our neighbours in Swizerland is such a dish – obviously they’re specialists in coping with winter. It’s as simple as delicious with a perhaps surprising but well according flavour combination of hearty cheese, tart browned onions and sweet-sour apple sauce. It’s a real second-sight-dish … and a great way to beat winter blues!
Älplermagronen (2 p.)
ingredients
100g macharoni pasta, 3 potatoes, 1 big onion (200g), 120 g gruyère cheese (or other ripe hearty cheese), 2 apples, 150 ml milk, 1 tablespoon butter, nutmeg, salt, pepper
preparation
Peel and core apples. Cut into chunks and cook with a few tablespoons of water. Blend and put aside. Cook pasta. Peel and dice potatoes and cook as well until done. Grate cheese. Combine pasta, potatoes, milk and half of cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer into one big or two small casseroles and cover with rest of cheese. Preheat oven to 180°C. Meanwhile peel and halfen onion. Cut into thin slices and and fry in pan with butter until golden brown.
Bake Älplermagronen in the oven for 15-20 min until brown on top. Top with browned onions and serve with apple sauce.
nadel&gabel 
Das hätte ich jetzt auch gerne…