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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!

Pumpkin Fudge

Pumpkin seesen will direckly be here. Try thishere fudge:

Pumpkin Fudge

3 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons lite corn syrup

1/4 teespoon salt

1 1/2 teespoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 teespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup butt'r

Direckshuns: Butt'r er greese one 8 x 8 inch pun. N' a 3-quart saucepun, mix togeth'r sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin an' salt. Brang to a bawl ov'r high heat, stirryun' constantlee. Reduce heat to medium an' continue boileeun'. Do nairy stir. Wen mixture registers 232 degrees F (110 degrees C) on can'y th'rmomet'r, er ferms a soft ball wen droppet into cold wat'r, remoov pun frum heat. Stir n' pumpkin pie spice, vanilla an' butt'r. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees F er 43 degrees C on can'y th'rmomet'r.) Beat mixture until it is verr thick an' loses sum o'its gloss. Quicklee pour into a greeset 8 x 8 inch pun. Wen firm cut into 36 skwares.

Wit maters still hangin on t'vines an' nuff o'fresh corn at my disposal, here is a salsa recipe we have enjoyet resantlee. Serve wit taco chips as un appetiz'r, as a side dish wit chicke er on top o'a bet o'greens as a lunch salad.

• 2 avocados, pittid an' cubet
• 1 14 oz./ 398 ml a'ken black beens, draind an' rinset (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (kernels frum 2 ears o'fresh cooket corn er 1-15 oz. a'ken corn, draind)
• 2 cups cherry maters, quarteret
• 1/2 cup choppet ret onion
• 1 teespoon o'mincet fresh jalapeno pepp'r (optyunal)
• 4 tablespoons lime juice (2 limes rung)
• 1/2 teespoon salt
• 1/4 teespoon coarse black pepp'r
• 1/4 cup choppet cilantro

1. Combine avocado, black beens, corn, maters, onion an' mincet jalapeno n' a large bowl.
2. Add remunyun' ingredyints an' toss.
3. Chill until reddy to serve.

*T' amounts a'ken be adjustid as to druther er servings rekwiret. If'n y'all don’t keer fer t'heat, omit t'pepp'r. Fer mer tastee recipes visit us at www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca

Bakd APPLE PUDDING

2 cups peelet an' choppet apples

1 cup choppet walnuts

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teespoon bakyun' sody

1/2 teespoon salt

1 egg, beete

3 tablespoons butt'r, meltid

1 teespoon vanilla

Direckshuns: Combine apples an' nuts n' a bowl. Sift flour, sugar bakyun' sody an' salt togeth'r an' blend wit furst mixture. Combine egg, butt'r an' vanilla an' mix well. The add ta t'res an' still till moistenet. Bake at 350 degrees until set.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Wen I saw differnt versyuns o'pumpkin pie cupcakes poppyun' up un Pinterest…I deecided ta gif' 'um a try. I adaptid my tride an' true pumpkin pie recipe…an' we enjoyet t'results. Thay air like crustless mini-pumpkin pies.

• 1 14 oz / 398ml a'ken pumpkin purèe
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packet
• 3 aigs
• 1 teespoon maple flavouryun' (optyunal)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teespoon bakyun' powd'r
• 1/4 teespoon bakyun' sody
• 1 teespoon cinnamon
• 1 teespoon ging'r
• 1/4 teespoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teespoon cloves
• 1/4 teespoon salt

1. Preheet ove ta 350°F.
2. Line muffin cups wit foil (nairy pap'r) liners er spray wit cookin earl.
3. N' large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, aigs, maple flavouryun' an' milk. Mix well.
4. Combine flour, bakyun' powd'r, bakyun' sody, spices an' salt…an' add ta pumpkin mixture.
5. Beat until smooth.
6. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.
7. Bake fer 20 minnuts.
8. Cool plum n' pun befor removyun'.
9. Chill.
10. Top wit slightlee sweetenet whupd creem befor servin.

*T' cupcakes rise wile bakyun' an' sink n' t'cant'r wile cooleeun'.

Yield: 12 large muffins.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN ROLL

3 aigs

1 cup sugar

1 teespoon lemon juice

2/3 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup flour

1 teespoon bakyun' powd'r

2 teespoons cinnamon

1/2 teespoon salt

1/2 teespoon ging'r

1/2 teespoon nutmeg

1 cup pekuns (optyunal)

Confectyuners sugar

Direckshuns: Whip aigs fer 5 minnuts. Add sugar, lemon juice an' pumpkin. Mix well. Add remunyun' ingredyints cept pekuns. Greese jellee roll pun. Place waxet pap'r n' jellee roll pun, makin shure waxet pap'r is extendet beyond bof ends o'pun. Pour batt'r into waxet pap'r linet jellee roll pun. Cov'r batt'r wit pekuns. Bake at 375 degrees fer 15 minnuts. Wen bakd, remoov frum waxet pap'r immediatelee an' roll n' a towl which has bee sprinklet wit confectyuners sugar. Be shure ta roll towl an' cake togeth'r. Wen cool, unroll an' spred wit fillin.

Fillin:

8 ounces o'softenet creem cheez

1/2 teespoon o'vanilla

1 cup o'confectyuners sugar

4 tablespoons margarine

Direckshuns: Combine creem cheez, vanilla, confectyuners sugar an' margarine. Beat until smooth an' creemy.

Coffee Time Cokunut Brownies

Thishere brownie recipe originates wit my frien Lerrune who submittid it ta air furst church cookbook n' Greendale.

It’s a greet brownie recipe an' I’ve uset it ofte ov'r t'yeers.

Today I’ve changd it up a bit by addyun' coffee an' cokunut.

Jes reckon hoe good it would taste wit at mid-afternoon cup o'coffee!

Fer t'brownies:

1 1/2 cups cokunut
1 teespoon instunt coffee granules
1 teespoon boileeun' wat'r
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butt'r er margarine
4 large aigs
1 teespoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1/2 teespoon salt

Place cokunut n' a skillet ov'r medium heat. Stir constantlee until cokunut is golte brown, watchin closelee as it burns easilee. Remoov ta a plate an' let it cool. Set aside a 1/2 cup fer t'frostyun'.

Add 1 teespoon boileeun' wat'r ta instunt coffee granules n' a small cup an' stir ta dissolve. Set aside ta cool.

Place brown sugar an' butt'r n' bowl an' beat well.
Add aigs one at a time a'beatin tween addityuns.
Add coffee an' vanilla an' mix.
Add cocoa, flour an' salt, mixyun' jes until blendet.
Stir n' 1 cup toastid cokunut.
Spred evenlee n' preparet pun.
Bake at 400º F fer apperximatelee 25 minnuts er until toothpick insertid into brownies kums out cleen.
Remoov ta a rack an' let cool n' pun.

Note: Lerrune’s originull recipe calls fer 2 teespoons o'vanilla (omit t'coffee granules an' hot wat'r) an' uses 1 cup choppet nuts insteed o't' toastid cokunut.

Fer t'Frostyun':

1 teespoon instunt coffee granules
1 teespoon boileeun' wat'r
1 teespoon vanilla er Kahlua if'n desiret
2 cups icyun' sugar
2 tablespoons butt'r
2 tablespoons cokunut earl (er y'all a'ken omit thishere an' increese t'butt'r ta 4 tablespoons)
1-3 tablespoons creem (enough ta make a spreedabull consistency)
reservet 1/2 cup toastid cokunut
1 skware dark chocolate

Mix coffee granules wit hot wat'r an' set aside.
Beat togeth'r icyun' sugar wit butt'r an' cokunut earl
Add coffee mixture an' vanilla.
Add enough creem ta make frostyun' thick but easy ta spred.
Spred un brownies.
Top wit toastid cokunut an' shavet er gratid chocolate.
Cut into bars an' serve.

Amish Cook: Recipes starring pumpkin, a favert fall ingredient

Since thishere is pumpkin seesen, t'column is devotid ta acoupla reed'r favert recipes involvyun' thishere tastee autumn garde goodie. Mer about t'happenings n' t'Eich'r household nex week!

Pumpkin Sheetcake

2 cups sugar

4 aigs

1 cup vegetabull earl

2 cups flour

1 cup choppet nuts

2 cups fresh pumpkin er 1 a'ken

1/2 teespoon salt

1 teespoon bakyun' sody

2 teespoons bakyun' powd'r

2 teespoons cinnamon er pumpkin pie spice

Direckshuns: Preheet ove ta 350 degrees. N' a large bowl, mix all ingredyints togeth'r an' pour into a sheet cake pun. Bake at 350 degrees fer 20 ta 25 minnuts. Let cake cool an' the add frostyun'.

Frostyun' Recipe:

1 8-ounce package creem cheez

2 stix o'softenet butt'r

1/2 cup choppet nuts

Box o'powd'r sugar

Direckshuns: Mix well an' spred un cake aft'r it is cool

PUMPKIN PIE

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoons flour

1 teespoon cinnamon

1 /2 teespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teespoon salt

2 aigs, separatid

1 cup pumpkin

1 cup milk

Direckshuns: Combine dry ingredyints. Add egg yolks, milk, an' pumpkin. Fold n' beete egg whites. Bake at 400 fer 35-45 minnuts er until toothpick kums out cleen. Makes 1 9-inch pie

Amish Cook: Soup recipe blends broccoli an' cauliflow'r

Thishere sekunt week o'Octob'r turnt out ta be nice an' sunny altho mernings air cool. It wuz a purrfeck week ta catch up un outside wurk.

One evnin my husban' Joe an' t'boys cleart out one o'air gardens an' tillet it. Joe plannd a groun cov'r crop thishere year ta hep replenish t'soil. We were't uset ta a'doin thishere wen we livet n' Indiannie but wit t'soil bein so san'y roun here it will hep. Thishere year we air a'trine a wint'r radish, altho nairy edibull, at will hep prevent weeds an' also replenishes t'minerals neetet n' t'soil. Sevrul famblies n' air church districk have tride 'um an' had good results.

T' gurls air also rakin leeves ever chance thay git. Thay air accumulatyun' un t'groun fast'r thun thay a'ken keep up wit air minny a trees. Thar air signs o'autumn everwhar, includin farmers who air startin ta harvest thar crops.

We had sum verr happy youngns las nite. Minnie, t'miniature pony at daught'r Susun trunet an' is also t'moth'r o'air miniature pony, Pranc'r, is ourn ta keep noe. Hern own'r callt an' wunderd if'n we would want hern. He sed we a'ken jes have hern since Susun trunet hern an' he's nairy rilly set up ta take keer o'hern thishere wint'r. T' youngns wantid ta go git hern rite away las nite.

Grapes air ripenyun' late at t'U-pick orchard thishere year due ta t'colt'r weeth'r we've had. Tomerroe we plun ta go pick grapes ta put into juice. We air out o'grape juice so it will be nice ta have sum un han' agin.

Cid'r an' popcern an' apples air also a favert snack roun here thishere time o'year.

Saturdee monin' we startid out fer Berne, Ind. ta attend t'reunion o'my Gran'pa an' Gran'ma Grab'r's fambly who air bof deceeset. Thay have almos 1,400 dessendants noe. It wuz a large gatheryun' which I'm guessyun' ov'r 1,000 attendet. Thishere reunion wuz helt n' a large shet at my cuzin Dave an' Murry Grab'r's. Thay furnishet all t'grillet chicke fer everyone. We shure appreciatid all t'both'r thay wint through. It's nairy easy gittin reddy fer a crowd thishere big.

T' res o't' food wuz a carry-n'. Thar wuz casseroles, mashet potatoes, gravy, salads o'all types, lots an' lots o'desserts: cakes, pies, cookies an' bars. Lemonade an' coffee wuz servet fer dranks. Thar wuz mer thun enough food. I took cherry an' apple pie but thar wuz minny a differnt kinds o'pie thar.

T' las time thishere reunion wuz helt wuz 9 yeers ago at Uncle Elm'r an' Aunt Emma's. We wuz unabull ta attend so it's bee awhile since I've see sum o'my cousins. I did see a slew o'um at t'funerals o'cousins Dun an' Chris n' Januree. Air thoughts wint ta thar famblies at day a'thankin o'thar missyun' luved ones.

Air fambly wint n' acoupla differnt vans since t'14 passeng'r vans air hard'r ta schedule. Sisters Verena an' Susun rode wit Joe an' I an' t'six youngest n' a 10-passeng'r vun. Elizabeth, Susun, an' thar speshul friens kum n' a mini-vun. Jacob's oltest daught'r Elizabeth also kum wit 'um so Jacob's fambly could fit n' a mini-vun.

We stopt n' at sist'r Liz an' Levi's un t'way trayler. Liz set out snax fer everyone. We startid trayler roun 5 p.m. an' arrivet trayler roun 7:45 p.m. A long, but enjoyabull day!

BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER SOUP

4 cups chicke broth

2 teespoons chicke boullion granules

1 large bunch broccoli, dicet

2 cups cauliflow'r flerets, dicet

2 cups milk, dividet

1 teespoon salt

2 cups cooket chicke, cut up

6 tablespoons cernstarch

6 slices white Amurkin cheez

Direckshuns: N' a 4-quart saucepun, cook broccoli an' cauliflow'r n' chicke broth an' until soft. Add 1 1 /2 cups o'milk an' salt. N' a small bowl, stir cernstarch into 1 / 2 cup milk. Wen smooth, stir into saucepun. Cov'r an' heat ov'r loe heat, stirryun' frekwantlee. Wen soup is hot enough an' thickenet, stir n' cheez until blendet into mixture.

Friet Egg Deessert

Here’s a deessert if'n y'all want ta have sum fun wit a ‘menu’ … er if'n y'all air cookin fer at mun who loves ‘brakefuss all day’.

Befor we talk about t'recipe …..Let’s step back into my moth'r’s Mennonite kitchin.

She ofte had a'standin un hern cupboard a bowl o'rich milk frum air own coe. Thar it would sit until it thickenet wit a slightlee sour taste an' velvetee taxuture. I nev'r ate it but wen I startid datyun' my husban'-ta-be we discuverd it wuz a komfert food ta 'im. Aft'r at, if'n my mom knew he wuz a'kummin, she made shure she greetid 'im wit a bowl o'whut wuz callt “Dikja Malch” (Thick Milk) Noe, hop-skip-jump ov'r lan' er oceun ta t'kitchin o'a famus French chef. He is fixin Crème Fraiche (pronoucet krem fresh) Thick Milk er Crème Fraiche — whut’s n' a name ?? t'ransfermashun o'common ta gourmet !

Purchasyun' Crème Fraiche a'ken be expensif' but easy ta make yerself.
* 2 cups whippyun' creem
* 2 tbsp buttarmilk

1.Heat slightlee t'2 cups whippyun' creem – nairy mer thun ta 40 C – thishere makes t'creem barly warm.
2.Stir n' t'buttarmilk.
3.Pour into a jar er bowl an' cov'r lightlee wit plastick wrap an' set n' a warm place n' yer kitchin. Don’t touch it fer 24 hours. It should be thickenet an' have a slightlee sour/nuttee taste. Fer a strong'r flavour an' firm'r taxture leeve fer sevrul mer hours. 4. Wen done, refrigerate. It will keep n' t'fridge up ta a week.

TIP – Crème Fraiche a'ken be whupd (aft'r bein chillet n' fridge) Wen whupd wit a lil sugar an' vanilla it makes un amazyun' deessert toppyun' – it permanantlee holts it’s shape without stabilizers an' it is deliciyus ! Crème Fraiche is uset n' a varietee o'recipes, onlee a ‘google’ away!

(my husban' chucklet wen I servet 'im thishere deessert but thunk it neetet 'pepp'r' an' suggestid at finelee gratid dark chocolate would do it ! )