T' Mennonite chef's soup fer t'soul

Confession numb'r one: I admire my mamaw. She managet to raise seve hulkyun' youngns an' bake at leest acoupla fresh pies ever monin', milk t'cows, bake sum breed, an' send t'kids off to skool on a herse-drawn carriage (it ackshly happent). My mamaw's days wuz full to t'brim. Yep, Mennonites a'ken cook. Bleev me.

So, n' t'honour o'Mennonite cuisine, I hereby raise my hat to my favourite kine o'cuisine. Confession numb'r acoupla: Mennonite food has nourishet me through breek-ups, unsuccessfil intervioos an' t'genrull angst at kums wit life. My life would nairy be whut it has bee without Edna Louise Staebl'r's Food At Rilly Schmex.

One o'my fondest recolleckshuns growin up as a youngn wuz a'livin fer a wile n' downtown Montreel, bakyun' brun muffins wit my fath'r on crisp autumn mernings. He would shoe me his'n dawg-earet recipe books wit a cuple o'personal instructyuns er addet ingredyints writte n' clar, neat han'rityun'. I would be too small to reech t'count'r, so thar air a numb'r o'pictures o'me, a brown-hairet lil gurl wit pigtails, a'standin on a kitchin chair, foltyun' dough wit t'seriousness o'a pleece offic'r.

Thishere autumn, wen t'weeth'r cummences to cool, hunk'r yerself down wit thishere cabbage berscht Mennonite soup befor y'all tackle sum study notes. It will nairy disappoint, I guarantee y'all.

Y'all will neet:

- 2 lbs o'beef bones
- 1/2 cup o'creem

- 2 quarts o'wat'r
- salt an' pepp'r

- 12 carrots
- parsley

- 6 potatoes

- 1 hed o'cabbage

- 1 ½ choppet mater

- 3 onyuns

- 1/2 star anise

- 1 bay leaf

 

N' a pot, heat up t'bones an' wat'r ov'r medium heat. Reduce t'heat an' let t'likwid simm'r fer acoupla hours. Oncet t'broth is at t'acoupla quart level, drane t'bones an' put t'broth n' a new, cleen pot.

Add t'onyuns an' let 'um simm'r fer half un hour. Add t'potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, star anise an' cabbage. Wait fer 30 minnuts, the add maters an' let 'um cook n' fer 15 minnuts.

Ladle t'soup n' cups, add t'creem an' enjoy!