Oktoberfest Recipes from Struttgard, Germany

Being of partial German heritage, as a young child growing up I was exposed to a lot of German cuisine. This was especially true when our relatives from Struttgard, Germany would come and visit during the summer months. They would bring with them some of the most amazing foods, drinks and chocolates.

In our home Oktoberfest was a particularly special occasion bringing forth a wealth of passed down family recipes. Here are two family favorite Oktoberfest dishes that you may want to try this year at your own celebration. They are German Style Stuffed Red Beets and Liverwurst Dip.

German Style Stuffed Red Beets

To make "German Style Stuffed Red Beets" you will need to gather together the following ingredients.

1 chopped onion

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 chopped celery stick stalks

1 cup cooked and drained baby peas

6 whole medium red beets

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the whole beets into a medium sauce pan with 4 cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. Let the beets boil for ½ to 2 hours or until tender. Once the beets are tender remove them from the sauce pan and let them cool. When the beets are cool enough to touch take them and cut off the top of each beet. Then scoop out the center pulp of the beets with either a spoon or garnish ball tool. Set the beet pulp aside for later use. Place the beets in the refrigerator to cool and begin to work on chopping up the beet pulp.

Add to the beet pulp the peas, celery, onion, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients well and then place the bowl into the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve remove both the beets and beet pulp mixture from the refrigerator. Using a spoon stuff the beets with the beet mixture and serve them as either an appetizer or side dish to your favorite German entrée.

Liverwurst Dip

To make this easy "Liverwurst Dip" you will need to assemble the following ingredients;

1 pound good quality liverwurst

1 tbsp. chopped red onion

8 oz. cream cheese

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a medium size mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and liverwurst together until they are completely blended. Once that step is complete, add the chopped red onion and Worcestershire sauce to the cream cheese and liverwurst mixture. Blend well and then begin to shape the mixture into a ball. If desired you can roll the ball into some mixed green herbs or nuts for garnish. Chill the ball into the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Serve the dip with an assortment of crackers and German breads such as pumpernickel and rye. If so desired you can even serve the dip inside of a pumpernickel bread bowl for extra flair. It also pairs well with a nice strong German beer or robust red wine.