Looking at Continental cuisine yields many crossovers and similarities. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are at the heart of Western Europe and have been influenced by the Balkans, Italy, France, Denmark and others around them. Influenced? Stole? Copied, borrowed or adopted, the German kitchen is far from pure. But because Germany is nearly landlocked and its growing season short, they couldn't always buy the same food cooked on the Adriatic or Atlantic coasts. When they couldn't get their hands on certain items, such as fresh spices and vegetables, the German-speaking people blithely substituted their own.

Now, when supermarkets carry almost every vegetable you can imagine at every time of the year, the Germans still tend towards the tried and true kitchen basics such as parsley, root vegetables and leeks. This mixture is called "Suppengrün", soup greens or pot-herbs, and is the basis for many soups, roasts and stews. It is so common that the supermarkets package a piece of celeriac, carrot and leek together, just enough for one meal. This certainly makes it easier for the "Hausfrau", she doesn't have leftovers. I, myself, liked to buy a whole bunch of carrots or an uncut celery root. I find it is fresher and lasts longer. Brown the vegetables to begin the recipe and you impart hearty flavors into your soup or meat. Suppengrün, the original convenience package.

• Read more about "Suppengrün".
• "Linseneintopf" - Lentil Soup with "Suppengrün"
• "Führmannsbraten" - Carter's Roast
• Chicken Stock

Photo © Sandra Grauschopf