MENU FOR SPRING - DANISH CONFIRMATION FEAST

When we were in Denmark about this time of year, visiting old country inns, it happened to be "confirmation" time in every Danish village. Confirmation is an important event in the life of a young Dane, around the age of 13. Confirmation, along with the re-confirming of one's baptism, is also a "right of passage" into adulthood for each young Dane and one of the family responsibilities is to plan the menu for his or her own celebration.

One mother confided in me saying that they could select anything they wanted for the menu, but the choice usually ended up the same from one family to another and one village to another. (Not unlike our ubiquitous menu that centers on a roast turkey and all the trimmings). The menu starts with "Klarsoppe" a clear beef broth with peas, carrots, tiny Danish meatballs and ever-so-light tiny, light, dumplings. The main course is "Crackling Roast Pork", a loin of pork with a cover of fresh bay leaves stuck into the fat surrounding the meat and roasted to "crackling" crispness. Also on the menu is red cabbage, and a special ice cream cake for dessert.

I was assured by the Danes that altering the menu is no sin, as long as the basic structure is there - the soup, the pork, the red cabbage and the ice cream cake. So, when I make the soup (being that our baby peas aren't even planted yet), I use frozen sugar snap peas, instead of baby peas. Because I love roasted vegetables, that's what I did to the cabbage and the asparagus. I was pleasantly surprised at the sweet and succulent results and dressed both with browned butter for delicious results. The menu seemed to scream for a green salad. So, I added a spring greens salad. And the dessert - well, a fresh strawberry sauce added just the right touch. This menu is featured in my SCANDINAVIAN FEASTS .

DANISH MEATBALL AND DUMPLING SOUP
This soup looks long and involved, but only because it is composed of three parts, very light and tender meatballs and light and tender dumplings, that can be made ahead and then reheated in a rich vegetable-garnished beef broth.
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BAY LEAF WRAPPED DANISH CRACKLING ROAST PORK The classic roast is done with a pork loin with the rib bones and fat cover left on the meat. Because boneless pork loins are so available, I've changed the recipe so that I can use them. Look for a loin that has as large a cover of fat as possible, then be sure to roast it on a rack. Fresh bay leaves are the herb of choice, although I sometimes like to include sprigs of thyme as well in the "wrap".
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SUGAR-GLAZED POTATOES
...in a heavy skillet over medium heat, melt the sugar, when the sugar turns light brown around the edges, add the butter and stir until melted. Rinse the peeled potatoes in cold water. Drain well and add them to the caramelized butter-sugar mixture...
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ROASTED RED CABBAGE AND ASPARAGUS WITH BROWNED BUTTER
The traditional Danish method is to cook the cabbage with apples, port wine, red currant jelly and lemon juice. When I tried roasting the cabbage, I was pleasantly surprised at the natural sweetness the cabbage develops. This time of year asparagus is so good and abundant, that I roast in along with the cabbage either in the same pan or in another pan in the same oven.
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DANISH ICE CREAM CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
This frozen dessert is not made with ice cream at all, though it tastes like it. Freeze it in a 9 or 10-inch springform pan or deep cake pan and cut it into wedges to serve.
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