Josh Verbae - Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking

PENNSYLVANIA Dutch COOKERY IN 1683 the Plain Sects began to arrive in William Penns Colony seeking a land of peace and plenty. They were a mixed people; Moravians from Bohemia and Moravia, Mennonites from Switzerland and Holland, the Amish, the Dunkards, the Schwenkfelds, and the French Huguenots. After the lean years of clearing the land and developing their farms they established the peace and plenty they sought. These German-speaking people were originally called the Pennsylvania Deutsch but time and custom have caused them to be known to us as the Pennsylvania Dutch. The Pennsylvania Dutch are a hard working people and as they say, Them that works hard, eats hearty.

The blending of recipes from their many home lands and the ingredients available in their new land produced tasty dishes that have been handed down from mother to daughter for generations. Their cooking was truly a folk art requiring much intuitive knowledge, for recipes contained measurements such as flour to stiffen, butter the size of a walnut, and large as an apple. Many of the recipes have been made more exact and standardized providing us with a regional cookery we can all enjoy. Soups are a traditional part of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and the Dutch housewife can apparently make soup out of anything. If she has only milk and flour she can still make rivel soup. However, most of their soups are sturdier dishes, hearty enough to serve as the major portion of the evening meal.

One of the favorite summer soups in the Pennsylvania Dutch country is Chicken Corn Soup. Few Sunday School picnic suppers would be considered complete without gallons of this hearty soup. Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch foods are a part of their folklore. No Shrove Tuesday would be complete without raised doughnuts called fastnachts. One of the many folk tales traces this custom back to the burnt offerings made by their old country ancestors to the goddess of spring. With the coming of Christianity the custom became associated with the Easter season and fastnachts are eaten on Shrove Tuesday to insure living to next Shrove Tuesday.

Young dandelion greens are eaten on Maundy Thursday in order to remain well throughout the year. The Christmas season is one of the busiest times in the Pennsylvania Dutch kitchen. For weeks before Christmas the house is filled with the smell of almond cookies, anise cookies, sandtarts, Belsnickle Christmas cookies, walnut kisses, pfeffernusse, and other traditional cookies. Not just a few of one kind but dozens and dozens of many kinds of cookies must be made. There must be plenty for the enjoyment of the family and many holiday visitors. Regardless of the time of the year or the time of the day there are pies.

The Pennsylvania Dutch eat pies for breakfast. They eat pies for lunch. They eat pies for dinner and they eat pies for midnight snacks. Pies are made with a great variety of ingredients from the apple pie we all know to the rivel pie which is made from flour, sugar, and butter. The Dutch housewife is as generous with her pies as she is with all her cooking, baking six or eight at a time not one and two. The apple is an important Pennsylvania Dutch food.

Dried apples form the basis for many typical dishes. Each fall barrels of apples are converted into cider. Apple butter is one of the Pennsylvania Dutch foods which has found national acceptance. The making of apple butter is an all-day affair and has the air of a holiday to it. Early in the morning the neighbors gather and begin to peel huge piles of apples that will be needed. Soon the great copper apple butter kettle is brought out and set up over a wood fire.

Apple butter requires constant stirring to prevent burning. However, stirring can be light work for a boy and a girl when theyre young and the day is bright and the world is full of promise. By dusk the apple butter is made, neighborhood news is brought up to date and hunger has been driven that much further away for the coming winter. Food is abundant and appetites are hearty in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. The traditional dishes are relatively simple and unlike most regional cookery the ingredients are readily available. Best of all, no matter who makes them the results are wonderful good.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH Make with a smile for once Some folks are wonderful nice Salads FRUIT SALAD DRESSING cup sugar 1 tblsp. flour 2 eggs cup pineapple juice cup lemon juice 1 cup whipped cream Combine the fruit juices and stir slowly into the flour and sugar. Cook. Stirring constantly, until it thickens. (or cook in double boiler) Add the beaten eggs and cook for another minute. Let cool and fold in the whipped cream.

BEET and APPLE SALAD 2 cups apples, diced 2 cups cooked beets, diced cup chopped nuts 2 hard boiled eggs cup salad dressing parsley Mix the apples, beets, and chopped eggs. Add salad dressing (see Grandmas salad dressing). Mix and garnish with chopped nuts and parsley. A GOOD PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SALAD DRESSING 2 hard boiled eggs, mashed a little grated onion 3 tablespoons salad oil 1 tablespoon vinegar teaspoon salt pinch of pepper Mix well together, then put on lettuce and turn and stir until it is well covered with the dressing. Good with any green salad. salt Mix the cabbage, pepper, chopped fine and salt. salt Mix the cabbage, pepper, chopped fine and salt.

Let stand 1 hour in cool place. Drain off all liquid. Make a hot dressing with: 1 tblsp. butter 1 tsp. flour tsp. dry mustard salt and pepper yolk of 1 egg cup vinegar Melt the butter and blend in the flour.

Add vinegar and stir until mixture thickens. Mix mustard, salt and pepper and add to the liquid. Cool for 4 minutes, pour over the beaten egg yolk and mix well. Cook for 1 minute more. Pour this over the pepper cabbage and mix well. flour cup water cup vinegar 2 tbsp. butter tsp. salt tsp. pepper Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition. pepper Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition.

Boil until thick. Cool before adding to the salad. BEAN SALAD 3 cups navy beans baked or boiled 1 medium onion 2 tblsp. pickle relish or 1-large pickle 3 hard boiled eggs 2 tblsp. vinegar 2/3 cup boiled salad dressing 1 tsp. salt Chop the onion fine, the boiled eggs, add the relish, or the pickle, chopped and the beans.

Mix well together and add salt and salad dressing. Chill and serve. Green string beans, cut in 1-inch pieces may be used for this salad. DANDELION SALAD Young dandelion greens 4 thick slices bacon cup cream 2 tblsp. butter 2 eggs 1 tsp. sugar 4 tblsp. vinegar tsp. paprika black pepper Wash dandelions and pick over carefully. paprika black pepper Wash dandelions and pick over carefully.