Hessian Potato and Bacon Flatbread: Schmirchelskuche

"Schmirchelskuche" is also spelled "Schmiergelskuche," and these are regional names for the more general term "Schmandkuchen," which means "cream cake." These "cakes" are rather more like flatbread made with yeast dough spread with a "creamy paste-like" layer and then topped with other items, either sweet or savory. The "Schmirchels" and "Schmiergels" parts from the words above are dialect words from standard German "schmieren," the close cousin of English "smear." The dialect names for this flatbread dish come from the idea of "smearing the creamy layer over the dough."     

You can cut some of the fat in this recipe by using reduced fat sour cream, but admittedly, this is an old time dish from a time when eating fatty foods was not discouraged, but rather it was often ENCOURAGED as a way to provide calories for people who did a lot of physical work, such as in farming; and this dish seemingly developed in the farming areas of northern Hessen, where the dialect is "Oberhessisch" (Upper Hessian), a branch of the more general Hessian dialect. Part of my roots are from northern Hessen. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds relatively small sized potatoes, skins on (you can certainly use larger potatoes)
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (for cooking the potatoes)
2/3 teaspoon salt (for cooking the potatoes)
1 pound of prepared bread/pizza dough*
1 finely chopped or grated medium onion (large pieces won't cook properly)
1/2 pound thick sliced streaky bacon, cut into about 1 inch strips
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat type is fine) or creme fraiche **
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
(optional) some caraway seed to sprinkle on top
oil for the baking sheet
 
Boil the potatoes in salted water with a 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds. Roll or press out the dough and put it onto a lightly oiled/greased baking sheet. Germans usually fit the dough into a rectangular baking sheet, but you won't turn into a pumpkin latté if you don't have a total rectangle. Let the dough rise a little as you continue with the recipe. When the potatoes are tender, but not mushy, pour off the hot water and rinse them in some cold water to cool them down somewhat; they should still be "warm." Drain the potatoes and remove the skins, then use a potato masher to mash the potatoes as smoothly as you prefer. Mix together the mashed potatoes, sour cream, onion, eggs, salt and chopped chives. Spread the potato mixture over the dough (I leave an edge around the crust, like pizza, but Germans tend to put the potatoes clear up to the edge), then put strips of bacon on the potato topping. Some people sprinkle some caraway seed on top before putting the flatbread in the oven, but this is purely optional. Heat oven to 350 F. Bake about 50 to 60 minutes. (Note: If you have some potato mixture left over, you can bake it in a separate dish)

* In the U.S., such dough is sold frozen in supermarkets, but some pizza shops sell dough that is not frozen. Of course, you can make your own yeast-risen dough according to your own recipe.

** Creme Fraiche is generally a little less tangy than sour cream. You can easily make your own:
 https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html?zx=5147a608f2ae7fa3 

WORD HISTORY:
Buy-The origin of this common word is unknown and forms have only been found in the Germanic languages, although the English form is the only one to survive in a standard Germanic language in modern times (Old Saxon/Low German had "buggjan/buggian," and meant, "to buy," Old Norse had "byggja," meaning, "to rent out." It goes back to Old Germanic "bugjanan," meaning, "to take possession of something by giving money for it;" thus, "buy," as opposed to exchanging goods (trade). This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "bycgan," with the same meaning. This then became "budgen" (?) in southwestern England, and "bydgen" (?) in some eastern parts of England, which then became "buyen/byen," before the modern version. The meaning, "to believe someone's explanation of some incident," is a figurative use "seemingly" from the earlier part of the 1900s. 

Basil Cream

Basil Cream is fairly common in a number of areas of the world, including in Germany and Austria, where it is known as "Basilikum Creme." You can use sour cream or creme fraiche* as the base, or you can use Mexican Crema, which is more neutral in taste, as both sour cream and creme fraiche have varied amounts of tartness. Mexican Crema is also not usually as thickened as either of the other two. Basil Cream is used as an ingredient in several dishes, often to make a sauce for chicken or fish, but it is also used as a topping for some fruit and vegetable dishes. There are variations to recipes for Basil Cream, and this is mine.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sour cream, creme fraiche, or Mexican Crema
15 medium basil leaves, chopped or torn into smaller pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a non reactive bowl or jar. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate the basil cream for at least a couple of hours prior to use to allow the flavor to develop. Stir before using. 

* To make creme fraiche, here is the recipe. It is very easy: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html

WORD HISTORY:
Horde-This word's exact history (the specifics) is a bit shaky, but that history seems to be close to the meaning of the word, as it seems to have traveled from Asia into eastern Europe and then further westward, as its less specific history is likely correct. By the way, it is not related to the word "hoard," the spelling of both the noun and the verb in English, which is a word from the Germanic roots of English. The ultimate origin of "horde" is far from certain, although there are theories that are just too loose for me to accept. Anyway, it seems to go back to Mongolian "ordu/ordo," meaning, "the residence or encampment of a ruler." (Note: It's important to remember that through much of history, "rulers/leaders" often literally led their armies in military actions; thus, a ruler was often in a camp with their military forces, which were often frequently on the move.) This was borrowed into Turkic as "ordu," meaning, "army force, army camp, military command camp." This was then borrowed into East Slavic languages, either from Turkic or Mongolian, as Russian has transliterated "orda," originally meaning "the Khan's military command camp," a little later identified with the Mongol, and then Mongol/Turkic area of eastern Europe/western Asia ruled by a Khan, and known as "the Golden Horde." As this area began to break up, groups traveled off, giving a twist to the meaning of the word as, "group of related nomads traveling about and living off the land" (and all that really meant, such as plunder and slaughter). Polish borrowed the word as "orda" from Ukrainian, which also had "orda," but the word also added an identification with the Tatars/Tartars, either from Ukrainian or Polish, as the Tatars had risen in military power as allies of the Mongols of Genghis Khan and then Timur, better known to English speakers as Tamerlane. German borrowed the word from Polish, as "Horde," but it's unclear whether the "h" had already been added in Polish, or whether this was a German insertion. Latin had borrowed the word as "orda," "seemingly" from Turkish in the Balkans? French had the word as "horde," "apparently" borrowed from German, but perhaps from Latin, with a French added "h?" English borrowed the word in the mid 1500s, but from French? German? Its meaning expanded in English to mean just about any group of people, usually unruly, but not always, and its older meaning is also still around. Examples: (broader meaning) "The soccer game drew a horde of fans as spectators;" but also, (derogatory) "After the local team won the soccer game, a horde of fans surged along the streets breaking windows, smashing doors and overturning cars;" (historical) "The roads were clogged with panicked people from the town as a horde of Tatars approached." The Nazis used the word to try to scare Germans into continuing their support of the war and of the regime to resist the Russians later in World War Two.       

Alsatian/German Flatbread: Flammkuchen

"Flammkuchen," literally "Flame Cake," but actually more of a tart, got its name long ago from being put into wood burning ovens while the flames were still burning and the oven was extremely hot. This added browned or even blackened spots to the topping, and the "Flammkuchen" baked very quickly. As the flames died down and the temperature dropped a bit, loaves of bread were then baked, as the bakers naturally didn't want the bread to be burned. One of my German ancestors was a baker in the city of Siegen in the 1500s (in modern times, Siegen is in the German state of "North Rhine-Westphalia"). "Flammkuchen" was developed in Alsace (see "Word History" below), but it is also a part of various regional cuisines of southwestern Germany, like in parts of Baden and Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate),* and in a few others, including I believe, in parts of Switzerland. As with many German dishes, there are several dialect names and spelling variations; for instance, "Flammenkuchen," and in its home region it is called "Flammekueche," in Alsatian German dialect ("Elsässisch"). While toppings certainly vary, "traditional Flammkuchen" uses onion and bacon. Some people make the dough using yeast, like for a bread or pizza dough, while others use no leavening agent at all, making the dough "similar" to a pie dough. They actually sell already made "Flammkuchen" dough in packages in parts of Germany and Alsace (maybe in parts of Switzerland? Austria?).   

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup flour (a little more if needed)
2 tablespoons oil (I use regular olive oil)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced, then torn into pieces
8 to 10 stalks of asparagus, tough bottom section removed, then cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup creme fraiche ** (or sour cream)
1/4 cup dry cottage cheese or Quark/Topfen***
2 to 3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Add the flour to a bowl. Make a trough in the middle of the flour and add the oil, salt and 1/4 cup of water to the trough, reserving the remainder of the water. Begin mixing the ingredients into a dough, gradually adding water as you mix. I've found 1/3 cup of water to be good, but you might need a little more, or even a little less. "Need" the dough.... ah, "knead" the dough (I wish we still pronounced the "k" in such words) until the dough is smooth and not sticky. Wrap it in plastic wrap, or cover it in a bowl (it is not going to rise, as there is no yeast in it, but you don't want it to dry out) and let the dough rest as you get the topping ready. Put the asparagus pieces into a pan with water and cook them for just a few minutes. The asparagus should be tender when pierced with a knife or a fork, but still remain firm. Drain and dry the asparagus (I put it onto paper towels). Mix the creme fraiche and the dry cottage cheese together. Use a baking sheet: I use an 18 inch by 12 inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and remember, the Flammkuchen doesn't have to perfectly cover the entire baking sheet, nor does it have to be a perfect rectangle. Roll out the dough thinly, then get it onto the baking sheet. Spread the creme fraiche/dry cottage cheese mixture in a thin layer over the dough. Place and press into the creamy topping the pieces of asparagus and smoked salmon. Sprinkle on the black pepper and the finely chopped dill as evenly as possible. Heat the oven to 450 F and bake the Flammkuchen for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the bottom is firm. If the top is not browned in places, you can place the Flammkuchen under the broiler (about 10 inches from the broiler) for a brief time, with your undivided attention, as this is not "Holzkohlenkuchen" (charcoal cake). 

* Baden was long a separate German state, but in the early 1950s it became part of the state of "Baden-Württemberg." It's good to remember, that over the centuries, the boundaries of the various German states often changed, as "Prince So and So," married "Duchess What's Her Name," and lands were combined from such marriages. Of course too, boundary changes from wars also played a big part. Generally speaking, some well known cities in the Baden region are Heidelberg (I have been there), Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden (that's right, that's right).

** "Creme fraiche" is easily made at home, but it has a ton of ingredients: heavy cream and buttermilk. (Damn, that IS a ton of ingredients! hahaha). You can also buy it ready made, or you can use sour cream, including the reduced fat type, if you'd like. For the recipe: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html  

*** "Quark" is a soft white cheese VERY common in German areas in Europe. In Austria and some parts of Bavaria it is commonly called "Topfen." It is "similar to," but not the same as, American cream cheese, and it is "similar to," but not the same as cottage cheese. I've seen some German recipes in the U.S. call for "drained cottage cheese put through a sieve," as a substitute for Quark, but years ago, German immigrant friends of mine said that procedure doesn't make it the same. Look, you're not going to win these kinds of arguments outright, so I use "dry cottage cheese," and unless you have an unusually sensitive palate, you won't have missed a thing by not using Quark. If you have your heart set on Quark, you'll likely find it in German shops or in some cheese shops. I use dry cottage cheese and I haven't turned into a pillar of salt, although I must admit, to make a brine, I just stick my hand in some water, and it works fine. Hmm...  

WORD HISTORY: 
Alsace-This name developed centuries ago (I've seen the 700s and 800s mentioned) in Old High German, the ancestor of modern standard German, and a close relative of Old English. It is a compound, with its component parts related to English "else" and "sit," both words from the Germanic roots of English. Old High German had "ali sazzo," which literally meant, "sitter on the other," with "the other" meaning, "the other side of the Rhine." "Ali" goes back to Indo European "aljaz," which had the notion, "from/of the other, another;" further, "beyond a given point;" thus, "other side." This gave Old High German "elles," meaning, "other, otherwise," which then produced "ali" (mentioned above). "Sasso" goes back to Indo European "sed," which meant, "to sit." This gave Old Germanic "sitjanan," also meaning, "to sit," which then produced the verb "sizzen," also meaning "to sit," and then the derived Old High German noun "sasso," meaning, "sitter;" thus, "dweller, one who sits, dwells."^ Combined, the parts gave German "Elisasz," which then became modern "Elsass." Latin borrowed the German term in the Middle Ages as "Alsatia," and English borrowed the word from Latin. Historical note: The history of Alsace is very complex, but as the Roman Empire declined, the entire region (not just modern Alsace) was taken by the Germanic tribe the Alemanni. To this day, the German dialect in Alsace and the overall region traces back to the Alemanni. The Franks, another powerful Germanic tribe, took over the area, and it became part of the Holy Roman Empire, which was not Roman, but German (German "Reich" #1), where it remained until the 1600s, when it was conquered (sort of incrementally), by France. When German Prussia and other German states defeated France in 1870-71, this brought the declaration of the founding of the German Empire #2, and it included about 90% of what had been Alsace. After World War One, France got Alsace, which was then taken by Germany in 1940, under Hitler and German Empire #3. The end of that war saw Alsace go back to France, where it remains to the present (and if you followed all of that). It continues with a mixed Franco-German culture.      

^ As with English "he sits" (present tense) and "he sat" (past tense), German has "er sitzt" and "er saß" (="sass"). Another German word from the same source is the noun "Gesäß" (kind of literally, "seat"), meaning, "butt, rear end, backside, behind," or "bum," more common in England and other parts of Britain. My guess is, many Americans would not know what that word means.        

Salvadoran Filled Tortillas: Pupusas

If you've never had "pupusas," please give them a try. They are easy to make and they don't require any difficult to find ingredients or accompaniments. You can fill pupusas with meat, cheese, beans, vegetables or a little of each. For this article, I used refried beans and cheese to fill the pupusas. Salvadorans serve pupusas with "curtido," a type of pickled cabbage.* They are also often accompanied by hot sauce and crema, which is a kind of mild sour cream.** Besides making the actual pupusas, you can also make the refried beans yourself,*** or you can buy your favorite brand at local supermarkets or any Latino market, along with some "masa harina," a white corn flour.
   
Ingredients:

refried beans (homemade or 1 can)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
2 cups masa flour (masa harina)
1 2/3 cups hot water
1 tablespoon salt

Combine the flour, water and salt into a dough. The dough should not be loose, so if you need to adjust either the amount of flour or water, do so. Roll pieces of dough in your hands into rounds slightly larger than golf balls. Let the rounds sit while you make the filling for the pupusas. For the filling: This is tough now.... Mix the shredded cheese into the refried beans. Okay... maybe it's not so tough. You might want to put a little oil on your hands, then flatten and pat the dough rounds into about 4 to 5 inch diameter cakes. These are not supposed to be the thin tortillas most people likely think of, but rather they are thicker. Put a heaping tablespoon or two of the bean/cheese mixture in the center of the cake, then pull up the edges of the dough around the filling to close it off. I rolled the cakes back into rounds, then carefully flattened them again. I had a small amount of dough left over, which came in handy to "patch" a place or two in some of the pupusas  where the filling tried to come out. Add a little oil to a skillet (cast iron is great for this) or to a griddle, over medium heat. Cook the pupusas for "about" 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they develop a little browning. You can serve them Salvadoran style with "curtido," as well as with crema or sour cream, and hot sauce.


* "Curtido" is also easy to make. Here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2019/03/salvadoran-spicy-pickled-cabbage-curtido.html

** You can find "crema," probably more as "Mexican Crema," in many supermarkets or Latino grocery stores. The tartness may differ slightly between Mexican crema and some other countries, but "creme fraiche" is essentially the same thing, and you can easily make it yourself, if you can't find "crema" near you, or just use some sour cream. Here is the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html 

*** For the article on refried beans, here's the link: https://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2018/11/refried-beans-frijoles-refritos.html

The hot sauce is Mexican, but I'm sure Salvadorans won't mind ... and that's also some "curtido"

I pulled the pupusa apart ...

And with some crema ...

WORD HISTORY: 
Actual-This word is closely related to "act," a word of Latin derivation borrowed by English. It goes back to Indo European "ag/ak," which had the notion of "drive, move;" thus, "do some motion or process." This gave Latin "agere," meaning, "to act, to do an action," which spawned the noun "actus," meaning, "an act, an action, a deed;" thus also, "a performance." This provided Latin with the adjective "actualis," meaning, "relating to an action, pertaining to an ongoing action." This passed into Latin-based French as "actuel," meaning, "current, ongoing, up to date, in the present." This was borrowed by English in the first half of the 1300s, and the meaning extended from "ongoing, current," to "real." German, too, borrowed the word from French in the 1700s as "aktuell," also meaning, "current, in the present, real (presently, currently, as an adverb)."

Corn Fritters

Corn fritters were the specialty of my maternal grandfather. My grandmother would spread the word that my grandfather would be making corn fritters, because he made just this side of a ton of them, and he would make sure that we got some, along with my aunt and her husband, my aunt's daughter and her husband, and a cousin, who lived upstairs of my grandparents. My grandfather's corn fritters are one of the great memories I have from my childhood.

Ingredients:

2 cups corn, freshly cut from the cob (that's "about" 3 ears of corn), or frozen (thawed and dried) or canned (rinsed and dried)
2 chopped green onions/scallions, with much of the green
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped chili pepper (jalapeño or your favorite), or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cornmeal 
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
oil for frying

Over medium heat, heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a skillet (cast iron is good for this, but certainly not required). Mix all ingredients together. The mixture should be pretty thick, but if you feel the batter is too thick, just add some more milk, but add it a little at a time, then mix to see how much it thins the batter before adding more milk (you don't want it runny). Put some batter into the hot skillet, and press down on the batter to flatten out the fritters. I used enough batter to make the fritters about three inches across, at their widest point (I made them sort of oblong), and about 1/2 inch in thickness after I pressed down on them. I got 10 fritters of that size out of this amount of batter. Fry the fritters until nice and brown on both sides, taking care that they don't burn. You should carefully wipe the skillet after each batch, and add fresh oil. You can always adjust the heat and don't be afraid to turn the fritters more than once. 

I had my corn fritters with creme fraiche and some chopped chives. Sour cream would also work well (reduced fat type is fine), but if you'd like creme fraiche, you can easily make your own. Here's the link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2017/07/make-your-own-creme-fraiche.html

WORD HISTORY:
Banquet-This word, related to "bank" (various meanings, including, financial institution and edge of a river or stream) goes back to Old Germanic "bankiz," which meant "bench," but the underlying meaning of which may have been "a geographical slope that forms a shelf;" thus, "a bench," which is a kind of shelf on which to sit. This was borrowed by Latin dialects in northern Italy from Lombardic, a Germanic language, and continued into Italian, which was developing from various Latin dialects. Italian had "banca/banco," which meant "bench." The diminutive form in Italian was "banchetto," literally, "small bench," but it also came to be used for a light lunch that was eaten while sitting on a "small bench." This was then borrowed by French as "banquet," also meaning "small bench," but also, "a feast, a multi-course dinner." English borrowed the word from French in the second half of the 1400s. German also borrowed the word about the same time, as "Bankett," but German got it directly from Italian.

Make Your Own Creme Fraiche

Creme fraiche (French: crème fraîche=fresh cream) is a type of thickened cream with a slightly less tangy taste than sour cream, and it is also usually not quite as thick as sour cream. It is high in fat, and thus, also high in calories. You can use it as a substitute for sour cream or yogurt, and it is a common dip or topping for fresh fruit, but it can also be used in cream soups or as a garnish for soups. It is generally pretty expensive in American supermarkets and not all supermarkets even sell it. It's so easy to make, you won't have to go looking for it. 

8 ounces of heavy cream
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cultured buttermilk

In a well cleaned glass bowl, mix the two ingredients, then cover with a clean towel or even heavy duty paper towels. Let the mixture sit out in a warm, but not hot place, like your kitchen counter, for a minimum of 12 hours, but a full day is better. The mixture should have thickened considerably, so stir, cover and refrigerate for another day before using. The creme fraiche should keep well in your refrigerator for 10 to 14 days.  

Creme Fraiche is generally unremarkable in appearance, usually white, but at times, especially if, after you refrigerate it, you continue to let it sit, it may have a slight "yellowish" tint.

WORD HISTORY: 
Garner-This word, distantly related through Indo European to "corn" and to "kernel," and more closely related to Latin derived "grain" (borrowed by English) goes back to the Indo European root "ger," which had the notion, "wear down;" thus also, "to mature, to grow older," which produced "gerhanom," which meant "grain" ("matured part of a plant"). This gave Latin "granum" (grain) and then "granarium" ("place for storing grain, granary"). This passed to Old French as "grenier" (granary), which somewhat later became "gernier" (the "r" and "vowel" changed places). English borrowed the word from French circa 1190, initially as "gerner" ("granary," but also, "a supply of grain"). The verb form developed from the noun, circa 1600, to mean "to store grain," but later broadened to mean, "to accumulate, to gather in;" thus the more modern usage as in, "The Olympians want to garner some medals."

Spicy Squash Soup

Recently I saw the basic recipe for this dish online, although I don't recall just where, at that time. I later found the original article (see below). The word "spiced," along with a nice picture, really caught my attention, as I tend to like spicy food. While this would typically be thought of as a fall (autumn) dish, soup is really good at any time of year, in my opinion, although butternut squash is not always easily obtained at just any time of year. But with foods now available from all over the globe, produce once limited to certain seasons, can now be enjoyed at other times of year. I found the butternut squash I used for this soup at the supermarket right up the street. This is my adaptation (there are some differences) from the recipe in the Daily Telegraph, London, November 22, 2014, by Stevie Parle: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/11245424/Spiced-squash-soup-with-sage-and-chilli-butter-recipe.html

INGREDIENTS (6 servings)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
about a 2 to 2/1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (or you could use like acorn squash in the equivalent amount)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained 
1 habanero chili, seeded and chopped (if you're daring), or 1 serrano chili or jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped *
1 quart (32 fluid oz.) chicken or vegetable stock
6 oz. crème fraiche, sour cream (regular, reduced fat or non fat) or plain yogurt (use half for the soup and divide the other half to provide a dollop for each serving)**

TO SERVE
2 oz. butter
fresh sage leaves, which are also available in supermarkets. Allow about 3 leaves per serving.

Heat the oil in a deep heavy pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic and the salt, cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the squash and tomatoes, stir well. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 45 minutes until the squash is very tender. Pour into a food processor or use your motor boat motor (immersion stick blender) and process until smooth, or you can leave it a little chunky, if you like. Add the crème fraiche, sour cream or yogurt and stir well. Melt the butter in a small skillet and add the sage leaves. Sauté lightly until a bit on the crisp side. Dish the soup into serving bowls, add a dollop of crème fraiche, add a few of drops of melted butter and place the sage leaves around on top.

* You can make the soup as spicy hot as you want, but remember, it is a good deal of soup, and one jalapeno or serrano chili will not likely give you too much heat. I used one habanero, which gave the soup a nice kick, but it didn't overwhelm the taste with heat.

** I used homemade crème fraiche, which is slightly less tangy than sour cream, and which is easy to make: in a glass jar (with lid), add one cup of heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of buttermilk. Put the lid on and shake the hel... ahh, devil out of it. Remove the lid and place a paper towel on top, even folded is fine. Just sit the lid on top to hold the paper towel in place and let the mixture sit at room temperature, assuming you don't live in an igloo, or in the middle of Death Valley, until the mixture thickens up. Stir, put the lid on and refrigerate until cold, before using.

                                      
WORD HISTORY:
Sage-English has two words of this spelling, which apparently are unrelated. This is the name of the herb plant, which is related to both "safe" and to "solid." It goes back to Indo European "solw," which had the notion, "whole, well, uninjured." This gave its Latin offspring "salvus," which meant "whole, safe;" thus also, "well, healthy." This produced, "salvia," the Latin name for a plant thought to provide "health benefits," and this gave Old French, a Latin-based language, "sauge," which was borrowed into English as "sage" in the 1300s.