Mer and I travel to spend time with family on the holidays, so its difficult to have traditions of our own. Our Yule/Christmas tradition (which sometimes happens on Yule, but almost never on Christmas) involves a screening of A Solstice Carol and anything we want for dinner. In past years, this has included cereal (I’m a huge fan of Marshmallow Mateys, and in fact prefer them to their brand-name counterpart), donuts, and bagels with lox and capers. This year, we were inspired by our local winter farmer’s market. The sweet potato came from Two Gander Farm in Oley, PA, the cheese was Alpine from Birchrun Hills, and the fresh eggs were from Turning Roots.

Holiday Quiche

Ingredients:

• Two unbaked pie crusts (pre-bought or use your favorite recipe)
• One large (2/3 lb) sweet potato
• 6 ounces prosciutto
• 6 ounces nutty cheese (Emmentaler or a strong Swiss will do nicely)
• 6 whole eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pie pans on a cookie sheet and line with pie crusts.

Peel the potato and grate it using the largest hole of a box grater. Sprinkle grated potato in the bottom of the pie shells, dividing evenly. Grate the cheese and sprinkle on top of the potato. Slice the prosciutto finely and add to pies. Beat eggs well and add milk, salt, and pepper. Carefully and slowly pour egg mixture into pies, pressing ingredients as needed to eliminate bubbles.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until quiche is just firm to the touch. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche.

Image by Kim Scarborough

I will admit that my favorite Swedish meatballs come with a side of potatoes and lingonberry jam at IKEA, but these are a very close second. The meatballs themselves are a bit time-consuming to make, so I usually make multiple batches at once and freeze them (without the sauce). Serve over your choice of starch, and always with lingonberries.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 cup minced onion, cooked until soft, cooled
• 1 1/2-2 lbs ground beef
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste (for sauce)

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, milk, and melted butter. Allow to set until breadcrumbs are soft. Add onion, beef, eggs, and seasonings; mix until well-combined. Form into small balls and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet and cook meatballs, in batches, turning occasionally until browned on all sides. Repeat for remaining meatballs. Set aside. If meatballs will be frozen, cool and place in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze on pan overnight before placing in a freezer bag; this will keep the meatballs from sticking.

Drain off all but 4 tablespoons fat from pan. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture smells nutty and is light brown. Whisk in stock and sour cream, stirring until thoroughly blended. Mixture will thicken quickly. Return meatballs to pan and simmer gently until heated through.

Serves 4-6.

Creamy cucumber salad is yet another tradition I grew up with. We picked up some gorgeous cucumbers at a local farmer’s market this weekend, and I think I’ll throw this together for Mer’s lunch tomorrow.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

• 4-6 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced into medallions
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk vinegar and sour cream together in a large bowl. Toss with vegetables and refrigerate overnight. Stir well before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Here in Pennsylvania, we’re smack dab in the middle of peak sweet corn season. Rather than craving that fresh corny goodness, however, I’m longing for a wintertime dish that is a serious comfort food — made from pantry items and definitely not diet-friendly. This corn soufflé, known affectionately in our house as “Corn Thang”, is a sinfully rich side dish.

Corn Soufflé (AKA “Corn Thang”)

Ingredients:

• 10-12 ounces canned sweet corn, drained
• 8-10 ounces canned creamed corn
• 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients except cheese. Pour into greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with cheese; return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Serves 6-8