Kissin wears out … cookin’ don’t

Jacob’s at the table and half et already

PROVEN RECIPES FOR TRADITIONAL
PENNSYLVANIA Dutch FOODS

PENNSYLVANIA Dutch COOKERY

In 1683 the Plain Sects began to arrive in William Penn’s 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 they’re 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

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

Mix the apples, beets, and chopped eggs. Add salad dressing (see Grandma’s salad dressing). Mix and garnish with chopped nuts and parsley.

A GOOD PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH SALAD DRESSING

Mix well together, then put on lettuce and turn and stir until it is well covered with the dressing. Good with any green salad.

PEPPER CABBAGE

Mix the cabbage, pepper, chopped fine and salt. Let stand 1 hour in cool place. Drain off all liquid. Make a hot dressing with:

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.

POTATO SALAD DRESSING

Combine in the order given, stirring after each addition. Boil until thick. Cool before adding to the salad.

BEAN SALAD

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

Wash dandelions and pick over carefully. Roll in cloth and pat dry. Put into a salad bowl and set in warm place. Cut bacon in small cubes, fry quickly and pour over dandelions. Put butter and cream into a skillet and melt over low heat. Beat eggs, add salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar, then mix with the slightly warm cream mixture. Cook over high heat until dressing is quite thick. Pour, very hot, over the dandelions, stir well and serve.

PENNSYLVANIA COLE SLAW

Beat cream, sugar, vinegar and salt together thoroughly until the dressing is like whipped cream. Discard outer leaves of cabbage. Shred the rest finely and combine with dressing just before it is ready to serve. Serves six. As variation: Add shredded green and red peppers.

DEVILED EGGS

Remove shells and cut eggs in half. Mash the yolks to a smooth paste, adding the mustard, butter, salt and pepper. When well mixed press into the cup-shaped egg whites, round the tops and sprinkle with paprika. For a special treat, add 2 tblsp. finely chopped ham or a small can of deviled ham to the egg yolk mixture.

HOT DUTCH POTATO SALAD

Dice bacon and pan fry. Add chopped onion and green pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar and beaten egg. Cook slightly. Add cubed potatoes, grated carrot and diced hard-cooked eggs. Blend and serve hot.

HOT SLAW

Shred cabbage finely. Boil in slightly salted water until tender. Drain. Serve hot thoroughly mixed with warm cooked salad dressing made as follows:

Mix mustard, salt, sugar, flour, paprika and pepper. Add egg and mix thoroughly. Add milk and vinegar. Cook over hot water, stirring frequently until thick. Add butter. Cook and stir until melted.

CUCUMBER SALAD

Pare and thinly slice cucumber and onion sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and let stand for a few minutes. Pat with towel or absorbent paper to take out all moisture possible. Place cucumbers and onions in serving dish, add the vinegar and mix. Pour on enough sour cream to half cover and dust with pepper. Chill.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

Soups

PHILADELPHIA PEPPER POT

Wash and scrub tripe thoroughly. Place in large kettle and cover with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Simmer without boiling, that is the secret of making tripe tender. Drain and dice, ½ inch squares. In the meantime place the veal knuckle in another kettle adding 1½ qts. of water and all ingredients except the potatoes. Simmer at least one hour, put in potatoes and simmer for another hour or until meat falls off the bone. Remove bone and take off all the meat. Cut it into small pieces and together with the tripe put it back into the soup. Bring to a boil and the soup is ready to serve. This soup keeps well and can be reheated.

DUMPLINGS (Spaetzle)

Add milk to flour slowly, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Salt and mix well. When cooking in boiling salted water or meat broth, pour the batter from a shallow bowl, tilting it over the boiling kettle. With a sharp knife slice off pieces of the batter into the boiling liquid. Dip knife in the liquid before each cut to prevent sticking.

CORN CHOWDER

Dice the bacon and put into pan to brown, add onion, celery and pepper; fry until bacon is crisp. Add the corn and saute together for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, tomatoes and seasoning, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Finally add the milk, heat to the boiling point and serve with a little chopped parsley.

EGG NOODLES

Add salt to the eggs and work in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead thoroughly, divide into 2 portions and roll each out as thin as possible, on a floured board. Cover with cloth and let stand until partly dry. Roll up the dough and cut into ¼ inch strips. Spread out on paper to dry a little longer.

DUTCH COUNTRY BEAN SOUP

Soak beans in water overnight. Drain, add fresh water and cook slowly with the ham bone for 2 hours. Put in the onion, celery, potatoes, tomato sauce, parsley and the salt and pepper and simmer until vegetables are soft. Remove the ham bone, trim off any meat, cut it up and add to soup. Many Pennsylvania Dutch cooks cut up hard boiled eggs and add them to the soup.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

Wash peas, add cold water, vegetables and ham bone and simmer for three hours or until mixture is thick. Remove ham bone, force peas through coarse sieve and season to taste. Dilute with milk. Serve with toasted croutons.

VEGETABLE SOUP

Into 2 qts. of water put soup bone and beef and boil for 2 hours. For a hearty, substantial soup, cut up the meat in small pieces and return to the broth. Add tomatoes, onions and celery. Also add other available vegetables, such as diced potatoes, carrots, turnip, string beans, corn, peas, cabbage or chopped peppers. Boil until all vegetables are tender.

MEAT FILLING FOR NOODLES

Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Roll thin, let dry and cut into 3 inch squares. Brown meat in hot fat with the onion and seasoning. Soak bread cubes in water and press dry then add to the meat. Spoon mixture on the center of the noodle squares, fold in half and seal edges, like little pillows. Drop the filled squares into salted boiling water and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Lift carefully with draining spoon to a serving dish and top with the half cup of bread crumbs which have been browned in butter.

EGG BALLS FOR SOUP

Rub the yolks of three or four hard boiled eggs to a smooth paste and salt. To these add two raw ones lightly beaten. Add enough flour to hold the paste together. Make into balls with floured hands and set in cool place until just before your soup comes off. Put the balls carefully into the soup and boil one minute.

SPINACH FILLING FOR NOODLES

Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Steam and brown the spinach in melted butter. Add the eggs, 1 cup of dry bread crumbs and the seasoning. Mix well, spoon mixture on noodle dough squares and proceed as above.

SALSIFY OR VEGETABLE OYSTER SOUP

Scrub, scrape and clean salsify. Dice and cook in salted water, with 1 tablespoon of vinegar added, until tender. Drain, add butter and rich milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and serve with crackers.

BEEF SOUP WITH DUMPLINGS

Cook meat until tender and remove from the broth. Add water until you have 2 quarts of broth. Make dumplings by mixing beaten egg and milk into flour until about the consistency of pancake batter. Drop from teaspoon into the boiling broth to form small dumplings. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

POTATO SOUP (Gruumbier Suupe)

Boil potatoes and onion in small amount of water until soft. Add milk, salt and pepper then reheat. Brown flour in the butter and blend it slowly into the potato mixture. Add a little water to the beaten egg and stir into the soup. Let it cook for a few minutes and serve with a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

CHICKEN CORN SOUP

Put cut-up chicken and onion into the water and cook slowly until tender, add salt. Remove chicken, cut the meat into small (1-inch) pieces and return to broth, together with corn, which has been cut from the cob, celery and seasoning. Continue to simmer. Make rivels by combining 1 cup flour, a pinch of salt, 1 egg and a little milk. Mix well with fork or fingers to form small crumbs. Drop these into the soup, also the chopped, hard-boiled eggs. Boil for 15 minutes longer.

CORN SOUP WITH RIVELS

Cook corn in water for 10 minutes. Make a batter by mixing egg, flour and milk together. Pour this batter through a colander, letting it drop into the boiling corn. Add butter and salt. Cook slowly in a covered pan for 3 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Soup should be eaten immediately after rivels are cooked.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Cut a young stewing chicken into serving pieces, bring to a boil and simmer for 2½ hours, adding water as needed. Skim off the fat and add:

Bring to boil again and add noodles, preferably home made noodles. Cook for 20 minutes longer.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

Main Dishes

CREAMED CABBAGE and DRIED BEEF

Chop cabbage coarsely and cook in salted water until tender, then drain. Chop the dried beef and soak in a little warm water for 10 minutes. Grease a casserole and in it place alternate layers of cabbage and dried beef. Pour the white sauce over it and top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake in moderate oven (350-f) 25 minutes.

DUTCH NOODLE CHEESE RING

Boil noodles in salted water until tender. Drain and place in well-greased ring mold. Melt the butter, add flour and blend smooth. Stir in milk and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add seasoning and cheese cut in small pieces. Cook until cheese melts. To ½ of the sauce add the well-beaten eggs and mix well. Pour this over the noodles. Set mold in pan of hot water and bake in moderate (350-f) oven 45 minutes. Unmold on large platter, pour over the remaining hot cheese sauce. Fill center with peas, and carrots or spinach.

POTATO FILLING

Put the beaten egg into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onion and celery. Stir in the bread crumbs to toast for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add all the other ingredients, combine with the potatoes and mix thoroughly.

DUTCH CABBAGE ROLLS

Combine meat, salt, pepper, rice and egg, mix well. For the sauce: saute onion in the butter until soft. Add tomato soup and equal amount of water to onion, also celery, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Wash the cabbage leaves and boil until tender. Put equal amounts of the meat mixture into cabbage leaves, roll tightly and secure with toothpicks. Place rolls in sauce pan, pour sauce over them, cover pan and cook very slowly for 3 hours.

DUCK UN KRAUT

Prepare a young duck for roasting. Place in a roasting pan and add 2 quarts of sauerkraut, 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Cover and bake until duck is tender and golden brown. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes.

PORK POT PIE WITH DUMPLINGS

Boil the pork chops in water for ½ hour. Then add the potatoes cut in half and the sausage cut in 1 inch pieces. Cook until potatoes are almost done. Drop well-beaten dumpling dough into the boiling meat mixture, cover and cook 10 minutes.

SAUERBRATEN

2 inch thick piece of chuck, pot roast or tender boiling beef. Place in dish or bowl and cover with solution of half vinegar and half water, put in two large onions sliced. Do this two or three days before the meat is wanted. On the day before it is to be cooked cut 3 or 4 slices of bacon into 1" pieces and chop fine 1 tablespoon of the onion which has been soaking in the vinegar. Cut holes in the meat 1 or 2 inches apart and stuff bits of the bacon and chopped onion into the holes. Put the meat back into the solution, add 1 tablespoon whole cloves and 1 teaspoon whole allspice. Bake the meat as a pot roast in part of the solution, until tender. Use more of the solution, adding sugar to taste, in making the gravy which will be almost black.

HORSERADISH SAUCE
For Boiled beef or Corned beef

Melt butter, remove from heat and stir in flour. Add the milk gradually, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Add salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the grated horseradish and dry mustard and blend well. Keep hot in double boiler. Serve on slices of boiled beef or corned beef.

SCHNITZEL MEAT

Dredge meat with flour and season. Melt shortening (preferably bacon fat) and brown the meat in it. Remove meat from the pan, stir in the flour and blend. Add the tomato juice and stir well until mixture thickens. Add meat, carrots and onion. Cover closely and simmer for 45 minutes.

CHICKEN POT PIE

Mix the above ingredients, roll out and cut in two inch squares. Flour chicken and fry in butter. Put layers of chicken, potato slices, sliced onion and squares of pot-pie dough. Barely cover with boiling water and cook for two hours.

HAM AND NOODLES IN CASSEROLE

Cook noodles in salted boiling water until soft. Pour into colander, drain and wash. Into a well greased casserole put alternate layers of noodles and ham. Beat eggs with the milk and pour over noodles and ham. Set casserole in pan of hot water and bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 30 minutes.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE

Roll chicken pieces in flour and brown in butter. Add remaining ingredients and cook until tender, adding water so that there are 2 cups at end of cooking. Make gravy by adding 3 tablespoons of hot liquid to yolk of an egg. Stir thoroughly, then return to rest of liquid and cook five minutes. Pour over steamed rice.

BEEF POT PIE

Cut the beef into 1" cubes cover with water, season and boil until tender. Peel potatoes, cut in ¼" slices and slice the onion. Into the hot broth drop layers of potatoes, onions, a sprinkling of parsley and dough squares alternately, ending with dough on top. Cover and boil for 20 minutes. Stir meat thru pot pie.

For the pot pie dough:

To 2 cups of flour add a little salt, 1 egg, beaten and enough milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out thin (⅛") on floured board and cut into 2" squares. Equally good with veal or pork.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH BEEF WITH ONIONS

Mince the onion. Simmer in butter until soft. Add flour and simmer until brown. To this add vinegar, salt, pepper and meat stock and let come to a boil. Cut the meat in slices and serve hot, with the onion sauce.

WIENER SCHNITZEL (Veal Cutlet)

Veal should be about ½ inch thick and cut into serving portions. Season with salt and pepper. Dip pieces in bread crumbs, then into the beaten egg and again in the crumbs. Let stand in the refrigerator a while before cooking. Brown in hot fat on both sides, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

HAMBURGER DINNER

Shred cabbage and put ½ of it in a greased casserole. Add ½ of the sliced potatoes and half of the hamburger a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add remaining half in the same manner. Pour on the milk and bake in a moderate oven (350-f) for 2 hours.

CHICKEN BAKED IN CREAM

Sprinkle the pieces of chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Melt butter and fry chicken until a golden brown on all sides. Place the chicken in a casserole, pour the cream over it. Cover and bake in a moderate oven (350-f) for 2 hours. Serve with gravy made from the pan fryings left after frying the chicken.

DUTCH MEAT LOAF

Mix all ingredients, form into two loaves. Pour some catsup over top of loaves. Bake at 350 until done.

LIVER NOODLES (Leberknoedel)

Simmer the liver in boiling water for 30 minutes. Then trim off any skin or ligaments and grind the liver fine. Season. Mince the onion, add the butter, beat the eggs and add them. Work into this paste the flour, using enough to make the paste quite stiff. Form into small balls and poach them in any meat soup for 15 minutes. Serve them swimming in the soup.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Mix the meat, rice, eggs and seasoning together. Cut tops off the peppers and soak in hot water for a couple of minutes. Scoop out seeds and fill with the meat mixture. Stand them in baking pan, pour the tomato soup over them and bake in slow oven (300-f) for 1 hour.

MEAT PIE

Add flour to drippings and blend, add milk gradually and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens. Stir in the salt, onion and green pepper. Mix cut-up meat into the gravy and pour it into pastry lined baking dish. Top with crust and bake in hot oven (425-f) for 25 minutes.

STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Wash squash and cut in halves, remove seeds. Put a tablespoon of molasses in each half, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of powdered sage (if the sausage does not contain sage). Fill the cavity with sausage and top with bread crumbs. Place the squash halves in a baking pan, add about an inch of water to the pan. Cover and bake in hot oven (400-f) for 40 minutes. Remove cover and brown.

BAKED SPARERIBS AND SAUERKRAUT
with Dumplings

Cut spareribs into serving portions and place in the bottom of roasting pan. Add the sauerkraut and a little liquid. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350-f) 1½ hours. Make dumplings by combining flour, baking powder, milk and egg. Drop by spoonfuls on sauerkraut, cover tightly and bake for 20 minutes.

SOUSE

Use 3 pigs feet or about 2 lbs. Scrape, wash and clean thoroughly. Place in stew pan with 1 chopped onion, ½ cup chopped celery and cover with cold water. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender and comes easily from the bone. Pick meat from the bones, strain liquid, which should measure a scant 3 cups. (If less add water). Put meat and liquid into a bowl. Add 3 tblsp. strong cider vinegar, ¾ tsp. salt, black pepper and several thin slices of lemon. Chill overnight, remove surplus fat from the top. Turn out on a platter and serve with lemon slices and parsley.

PORK AND KRAUT (Speck Un Kraut)

Put pork in large stew pan and cover with cold water, cook slowly for 1 hour. Add the sauerkraut making sure there is enough liquid in the pan to cover. Cook slowly for another hour. Season to taste. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes.

MOCK DUCK

To make dressing beat eggs, add milk and pour over bread crumbs. Add the onion, seasoning and work in the butter mixing thoroughly. Spread the dressing over the meat and roll up carefully. Fasten with skewers or tie with string. Place in a greased pan and bake in medium hot oven (375-f) for 1½ hours. Slice to serve.

HOG MAW

Clean stomach well and soak in salt water. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Stuff the stomach with the mixture and sew up the opening. Simmer for 2 hours in a large kettle with water to cover. Remove to baking pan with hot fat, brown in hot oven (400-f) basting frequently. Slice with sharp knife.

SCHNITZ UN KNEPP

Boil a 3 lb. piece of ham for two hours. Pick over and clean 1 qt. of dried apples; soak in enough water to cover. When meat has boiled for the stated time, add dried apples and water in which they have been soaking and continue to boil for another hour. Prepare dumpling batter as follows:

Sift together the dry ingredients and mix the dough with egg, which has been well beaten, the melted shortening and the milk. Drop batter by spoonfuls into the boiling liquor of the ham and apples. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Raisins may be added if desired.

HAM AND GREEN BEANS

Place ham in large pot and cover with water. Cook slowly for a couple of hours (less if the ham is tenderized) keeping plenty of water on the ham. Clean and break-up the string beans, put them in with ham and cook for 25 minutes more. Add the potatoes, which have been pared and cut-up, and cook slowly until ready. Season to taste.

SAUSAGE PATTIES

Equal amount of lean and fat fresh pork, ground. To each pound of this mixture, add 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, pinch each of sage and thyme. Add one egg beaten, mould into cakes and fry until brown. Wonderful with pancakes or waffles.

DUTCH MEAT ROLLS (Boova Shenkel)

After seasoning the meat with salt and pepper, stew the meat for two hours. Then make dough with flour, baking powder, salt and the shortening. Mix into a pie-crust dough. Roll into a dozen circles 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Steam the potatoes, pared and sliced thin; add salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons of butter; the parsley and onions and then beat lightly the three eggs into the mixture. Put this mixture on the circles of dough after it has stood a little while. Fold half the circle of dough over like a half moon and press edges together tightly. Drop these into the pot with the meat and stew water. Cover tightly and cook for 30 minutes. Into a frying pan put a couple of tablespoons of fat skimmed from the stew before putting in the dough rolls, add to this 1 tablespoon of butter. In this brown small cubes of hard bread and stir in a half cup of milk. Pour this milk sauce over the Meat rolls when serving.

“Eat yourself full of what we got”

SCRAPPLE

Brown onion slowly in a little fat. Add meat, seasoning and water. Cook at simmering point 20 minutes. Add to corn meal and boil for 1 hour. Turn into a mold, cool, cut in slices and fry in fat until brown. Serve with gravy or tomato sauce.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH CHICKEN AND OYSTER PIE

Stew chicken until tender, season with ¼ lb. butter, salt and pepper. Line deep dish with pastry crust. Pour in the stewed chicken and cover loosely with a crust in the center of which a hole the size of a tea cup has been cut. Prepare separately 1 pt. oysters, heating the liquor with a little flour and water. Season with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of butter. When it comes to a boil, pour over oysters. 20 minutes before pie is done, lift the top crust and put the oyster mixture in.

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

Vegetable Dishes

LANCASTER COUNTY BAKED CORN

To 1 cup of dried corn (ground in food chopper) pour on 2 cups of hot milk and let stand about an hour. Then add 2 beaten eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt to taste. Bake ½ hour in oven of 350 to 360 degrees.

SEVEN-MINUTE CABBAGE

Heat the milk to boiling. Add butter and the cabbage. Cook seven minutes. Thicken with the flour, mixed with a little cold water.

SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES AND APPLES

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Slice in ¼ inch pieces. Butter baking dish and put a layer of sweet potatoes in bottom, then a layer of apples. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and mace, and dot with butter. Repeat until dish is filled, having the top layer of apples. Bake in moderate oven (350-f) for 50 minutes.

SWEET POTATO CROQUETTES

Mash sweet potatoes very fine and add salt, sugar and melted butter. Shape into croquette rolls or patties and chill in the refrigerator for a half hour. Then roll in bread crumbs, dip in the egg white, slightly beaten, and in the crumbs again. Bake in a shallow, greased baking dish for 20 minutes, in hot oven (400-f). For a modern variation of this old recipe, place a marshmallow in the center of each with the potato mixture coating it completely.

SCHNITZEL BEANS

Dice the bacon and fry until crisp. Slice the onions and fry until soft. Cut the beans into small (1-inch) pieces and brown them slightly with the bacon and onions. Add the tomatoes, seasoning and boiling water. Cover and cook very slowly until beans are tender. Add water if necessary, so there will be a little sauce to serve with the beans.

FRIED TOMATOES

Cut large, solid, ripe tomatoes in ½ inch slices. Dredge thickly with flour. Fry quickly in 2 tablespoons of hot drippings or butter, browning well on both sides. Remove to serving platter, sprinkle with salt, pepper and brown sugar. Keep warm. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan fryings and blend in a tablespoon of flour. Add the milk and cook, stirring constantly. It should be about the consistency of thick cream. Pour it over the tomatoes and serve.

PARSNIP PATTIES

Boil parsnips in salted water. When soft, peel and remove the core then mash. Add shortening, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, sugar and 1 egg and the white of the other, beaten. Mix well and form into cakes. Beat the remaining egg yolk with a little milk added. Dip the cakes into the egg, roll in corn meal or bread crumbs and fry to a nice brown.

SCALLOPED POTATOES

Melt butter in double boiler or sauce pan. Add flour, seasoning and stir smooth. Slowly add the hot milk stirring constantly. When it thickens melt the grated cheese in the sauce. Into a buttered baking dish or casserole put layers of the sliced potatoes, onions and cheese sauce, repeating until all ingredients are used. Bake in a moderate oven (350-f) for 1 hour.

FRIED EGG PLANT

Pare egg plant and cut in slices ½ inch thick. Soak slices in salt water for about an hour. Drain and wipe dry. Dip slices in beaten egg and roll in fine bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in hot fat (or deep fat) until well browned on both sides. Serve with catsup or tomato sauce.

SWEET AND SOUR BEETS

Cut off beet tops leaving 2 inches of the stems. Clean well, place in pot and cover with boiling water. Cook until tender, slip off the outer skins and dice. Strain and save 1 cup of the water in which beets were cooked. Add sugar, vinegar and butter. Thicken with 1 tablespoon of corn starch and cook to the consistency of cream. Add the diced beets, salt and pepper and heat.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES

Into a greased baking dish or casserole place a layer of tomatoes, add half the cucumber and onion slices and half of the crumbs. Repeat with more tomatoes and remaining cucumbers, onions and crumbs. Top with tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in moderate oven, (375-f) 40 minutes.

DUTCH POTATO CROQUETTES

Mix up a paste with the potatoes and butter, add the parsley, salt and pepper, cream, onion and egg. Mold into croquettes, dip into the egg white, roll in corn meal. Fry in deep fat.

RED CABBAGE (Rote Kraut)

Place 4 tablespoons bacon grease in pressure cooker, then chop fine 1 small onion in grease and brown onion to golden brown. Shred (1) 2½ lb. head of red cabbage. Mix ¼ cup vinegar with ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoons sugar.

Then place cabbage in onion and grease. Pour mixture of vinegar and sugar on cabbage. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix lightly. Quarter 1 large pared apple and place on top of cabbage. Cook 4 min. When using an ordinary pot the cooking time is 20 minutes. This makes 10 servings.

SCALLOPED SPINACH

Wash spinach thoroughly. Drain and cook with a little water in covered pot, over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and chop the spinach. Add milk, the beaten eggs, 1½ cups of the bread crumbs, melted butter, salt and pepper then mix well. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs and the chopped bacon, on the top. Bake in moderate oven (350-f) 35 minutes.

FRESH PEAS AND NEW POTATOES

Cook potatoes and peas in separate pans, in salted water until soft and almost free of water. Mix the peas and potatoes and add the milk. Bring to the boiling point then add the butter and flour which have been blended smooth and cook until thickened.

CORN PUDDING

Mix all ingredients together. Place in buttered casserole. Bake in slow oven 300 degrees for one hour.

SWEET AND SOUR CELERY

Cut up celery and cook in a little salt water until soft and almost dry. Make a dressing of the egg, flour, sugar, vinegar and water, bring to a boil and when it thickens add the sour cream. Pour this over the celery, heat and serve.

HOME BAKED BEANS

Soak beans over night in cold water. Drain, add 1½ qts. of fresh water, the Onion and cook slowly until skins burst. Drain save the liquid. Mix molasses, seasoning and catsup with 1 cup of the liquid. Put half the salt pork or bacon in bottom of bean pot or baking dish, add the beans and top with remainder of pork or bacon. Pour molasses mixture over beans, add more liquid to cover. Bake covered for 5 hours in slow oven (300-f). Uncover for the last 30 minutes. Add water if necessary, while cooking.

CABBAGE, SWEET AND SOUR

Shred cabbage rather finely. Put in sauce pan and sprinkle with salt. Cover pan and place over low heat and steam until tender. Beat the egg, add the vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the steamed cabbage. Heat five minutes and serve at once.

CORN FRITTERS

1 cup ground dried corn, add 1¼ cups milk (or part water); let stand ½ hour or longer, add ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup flour, 1 egg, well beaten, and fry to a golden brown.

HASHED BROWN POTATOES

Chop potatoes fine, season with celery salt, salt and pepper to taste. Remove seeds and stem from pepper, wash drain and chop fine. Mix with potatoes. Put about 1 tablespoon of melted shortening in pan and when hot, add potatoes and cook slowly. When partly brown, fold into omelet shape in one side of pan. Fry until a rich brown.

BAKED LIMA BEANS