Braised cucumbers with meatballs

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g braised cucumber(s)
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 100 g lean bacon
• 1 onion(s)
• 20 g butter
• 300 ml beef broth
• 250 g minced pork
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 small onion(s), diced
• 50 g bacon, diced
• 1 small roll, soaked
• 1 sprig(s) marjoram
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch lovage
• nutmeg
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Pepper, white from the mill

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Peel the cucumbers starting at the flower end with a vegetable peeler and halve lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon and cut the cucumbers into approximately ½ cm thick slices. Slice the trimmed carrot and cut the white part of the leek into rings. Finely dice the bacon and onion. Place the butter in a casserole dish, melt over medium heat, and let it foam briefly. Briefly sauté the bacon and onion cubes in the butter and deglaze with the beef stock. Add the carrots, leek, and cucumbers and simmer gently over low heat for about 15 minutes. Place the ground pork, bacon, egg yolk, diced onion and bacon, the squeezed bread roll, salt, pepper, and chopped marjoram leaves in a bowl, mix into a meat dough, and season to taste. Form small balls, place on top of the vegetables, and let them simmer for 5 minutes. Season the braised vegetables with salt, freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Finely chop the parsley and lovage. To serve, sprinkle the stew with the herbs. Serve with hearty farmhouse bread.