No doubt about it, fall is here in full force. Now is the time to dust off the slow cooker, your best  friend for making Sauerbraten, the main part of your Oktoberfest feast. It does require a little  planning ahead, since it needs to marinate for a few days, but the rest of the meal comes  together easily for a tasty fall dinner. And those leftovers……so good!  

These recipes serve at least 6 hungry guests. 

Parsley Soup  

3 large bunches of parsley, stems discarded and leaves rinsed well 

1 1/2 medium-sized onions, chopped 

7 tablespoons butter, divided 

6 cups beef or chicken bouillon 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Rye croutons (recipe follows) 

In a large saucepan, combine the parsley and enough water to barely cover it, bring the water  to a boil, and boil the parsley for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze dry in a  kitchen towel and chop well. 

In a pan, sauté onion in 2 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally,  until softened. Add parsley and cook for 1 minute. Add bouillon and simmer for 5 minutes. 

In a blender, purée in several batches until as smooth as possible. Return to pan, and bring to  a boil. Remove from heat, whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and season with salt  and pepper.  

Add a few croutons to each bowl immediately before serving.  

Rye Croutons  

2-3 slices (depending on size) rye bread with caraway seeds (essential…) 2 tablespoons butter 

Salt (optional) 

Remove crusts from bread, and cut into small cubes. Melt butter over moderate heat, add  bread cubes, and cook until golden and crisp, stirring often. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Sprinkle with salt if desired. 

Bavarian Sauerbraten  

2 1/2 cups dry red wine 

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar 

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons water  

2 onions, quartered 

Leaves and 2-inch tops from 1 bunch of celery 

2 tablespoons coarse salt 

2 tablespoons sugar 

1 1/2 tablespoons mustard seeds, divided 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

14 cloves (more or less….), divided 

2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed lightly, divided 

4 parsley sprigs 

3 bay leaves 

4-pound rump roast 

Salt and pepper 

Flour for dredging 

2 tablespoons clarified butter, vegetable oil, or olive oil 

3 tablespoons flour 

3 tablespoons water 

1 cup crushed gingersnaps  

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine wine, vinegar, 1 cup water, onions, celery, salt, sugar, 1  tablespoon mustard seeds, nutmeg, half the cloves, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, parsley, and bay  leaves. Add the meat and let marinate, turning occasionally, for 3-4 days. 

Drain meat (reserve marinade), season with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat butter until hot but not smoking, and brown meat on all sides. Transfer to slow  cooker, with fat side up (if there is a fat side). 

Strain marinade, pick out the onion quarters, and coarsely chop them. Add to slow cooker  along with the remaining mustard seeds, cloves, and peppercorns. Pour enough strained  marinade over the meat to reach about 2 inches up the side of the slow cooker. Cover and  cook on “low” for 10-12 hours. 

Thirty minutes before serving, remove meat and strain marinade. Make a smooth paste of flour  and remaining water; add to slow cooker and slowly stir in marinade. Turn it to “high,” stir  constantly until thickened, adding gingersnaps along the way. Stir until smooth; an immersion  blender helps if there are lumps. 

Slice meat, serve with some gravy over it and some on the side. Buttered noodles are a favorite  with this! 

Note: If you prefer not to use a slow cooker, simmer the meat, covered, on top of the range for  3 1/2 to 4 hours until tender. 

Green Beans and Bacon  

1 pound green beans (fresh or frozen) 

6 slices bacon, fatty ends trimmed and sliced in 1/2-inch pieces 

1-2 tablespoons olive oil (optional—instead of bacon fat) 

1 medium-sized onion, chopped 

1/3 cup vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 

Cut beans into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Cook until tender but not mushy.  

In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp, and remove from pan. Either sauté the onions in the  remaining bacon fat, or drain and sauté the onions in olive oil.  

Add remaining ingredients and bacon; heat to boiling, stirring well. Pour mixture over drained  beans and toss lightly to coat thoroughly. 

Cucumber Salad  

2 English cucumbers (the ones wrapped in plastic) 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 

1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper 

4 teaspoons white wine vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

2 tablespoons sour cream 

1 teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon sugar 

Halve cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out center; cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a medium sized bowl, sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and dry in a kitchen towel.  Return cucumbers to bowl, and add onion and red pepper. 

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables and toss to  combine.  

Can be made a day ahead. 

Apple Strüdel  

2 tablespoons sugar 

3 tablespoons flour, divided 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced 

2 tablespoons raisins (I like to use chopped walnuts; you can use one, or the other, or both, or  neither) 

1 egg 

1 tablespoon water 

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed for 30 minutes at room temperature 

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar 

Heat oven to 375ºF. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and cinnamon. Add  apples and raisins; toss to coat. 

Beat egg and water together with a fork in a small bowl. 

Sprinkle remaining flour on your very clean work surface. Unfold pastry sheet and roll to 12x16- inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture onto the bottom half of  the pastry sheet to within an inch of the edge.  

Roll up like a jelly roll and place seam-side down onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Brush  egg mixture along the seam to seal. Tuck the ends under. Brush top with egg mixture. Cut 4  deep slits in the top. 

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire  rack for 20 minutes, then move to serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve  alone, or with vanilla ice cream or, if you’re really ambitious, a custard sauce.