PA Dutch Smoked Sausage Stew

I have been eating this dish since I was a little girl. It is very easy to make in a kettle or put it in a crock-pot.

1 lb. Smoked Sausage cut into slices
1 lge. Onion chopped
3 stalks Celery chopped
4 Carrots sliced
1 lge. Potato
5 c. Water
1 Bay leaf
Handful of fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a medium size kettle bring to a boil and then turn to medium heat and cook for 1 hour.

PA Dutch Chow Chow

This past summer I canned Chow Chow with my mother and sister. This dish is something that you can find in the hotels around Berks County as a condiment to main courses. Years ago Chow Chow was made with the vegetables at the end of summer before the first frost. During winter, this dish is the perfect way to have a fresh vegetable at dinner.

1 pound bag dried Navy Beans
1 pound bag dried Red Kidney Beans
1 quart lima beans (about 5 pounds unshelled)
2 pounds string beans (combination of yellow and green)
1 large head cauliflower
1 medium head celery
2 large sweet red peppers
1 large yellow pepper
2 large sweet green peppers
1 quart (2 pounds) carrots
1-1/2 cups onions
1-1/2 cups small sweet gherkins (can used canned, rinsed and drained)
3 cups corn
1 gallon white vinegar
6 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup coarse canning or kosher salt, more or less to taste

Cook dried beans separately, according to package directions, until tender. Rinse with cold water and drain. Set aside. Cook all other fresh vegetables separately until crisp-tender; drain and immerse immediately in ice water. This will stop cooking and help retain color. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in large stockpot or kettle large enough to hold all ingredients. Bring to a boil, being certain sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add all vegetables, including onions and gherkins. Bring back to boil, then reduce heat and keep at a simmer. Place in hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space, and seal with the lid and the ring tightly. The jars will start to seal in 15-20 minuets. You will hear the popping sounds... makes 25 pint jars.

PA Dutch Broccoli Salad

This salad is very simple to make and it is wonderful to have at BBQ’s in the summer.  I got this recipe from my Aunt Carrie.  Hope you enjoy!

2 heads of Broccoli wash and diced into small pieces
6 slices of bacon fried and broken into bits
1 c. chopped red onion
1 c. shredded carrots
Optional
( 1 c. of toasted walnuts)

Dressing
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. sugar
2 tbls. vinegar

Place all vegetables in a large bowl.  Set aside.  Mix dressing ingredients in a med bowl.  Pour dressing on top of vegetables stir and let sit for at least an hour before serving.  This salad can be made the day before a party!

PA Dutch Rhubarb Crunch

This is a favorite recipe in the spring and the summer at the Heydt house.  Still today we have a rhubarb patch were we pick it fresh to make this delicious desert on the farm. This recipe has three parts to it.

First part is the crumbs.
In a medium bowl place all ingredients together and mix until crumbly

1 c. flour
¾ c. uncooked oatmeal
1. c brown sugar
½ c. melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Place bowl on the side.

Second part is the syrup that you will pour on top of the rhubarb.
Place all of the ingredients in a medium pot and cook until thick on medium heat.

1 c. brown sugar
1 tbls. cornstarch
1 c. water
1 tsp. Vanilla

Third part is…..

4 c. diced rhubarb

Use a 9” glass pan.

Spray with Pam and press half of the crumbs into the pan.  Place the rhubarb on top and pour cooked syrup on top of the rhubarb.  Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on top of the rhubarb-syrup mixture.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until brown and bubbling on top. Enjoy!

PA Dutch "S Cookie

This is a recipe that my grandmother Heydt made every year at Christmas. This is a great breakfast cookie or any time during the day. I made them this year for the first time in my adult life. It is a very labor intense cookie but anything that taste good sometimes takes a lot of time. I have asked my relatives what the "S stands for and know one knows except everyone knows that they love to eat the cookie.

2 C. Sugar
1 C. Shortening
1 teas. Salt
1 teas. Baking soda
1 teas. Cream of tartar
½ C. milk
3 eggs beaten
4 1/2 cups of flour

Follow the same directions as above for the chocolate flavor but omit ¾ C. of flour and add 3/4 C. cocoa.

Mix both batters in separate bowls and refrigerate overnight. The dough will be very sticky in consistency.

Divide the dough into quarters and roll out a quarter of the dough at a time....if the dough becomes to warm it makes it impossible to twist the dough in "S shapes. Keep the rest of the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to roll it out. Roll the dough on a bed of flour in long oblong shapes. Cut the dough across with a cookie dough cutter. Place a vanilla and chocolate strip side by side and twirl the top and bottom to make the letter "S. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Will yield 4 dozen depending on the size of your "S cookie.

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling

Potato Filling is atraditional holiday dish in Pennsylvania.  My family has it on the dinner table for every holiday.
 6 medium potatoes
3 stalks of celery
1 medium white onion
½ cup Italian parsley
4 slices of white bread
½ cup milk
1 egg
2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1½ sticks of butter

Peel and cut the potatoes into quarter pieces and place in a medium size kettle.  Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 15 minutes or until soft.

In a separate pan place the chopped celery and onion with ½ cup butter and sauta until the mixture starts to become soft (5 minutes on medium-high heat).

Chop the bread into small cubes and place into celery and onion mixture with two tablespoons of butter.  Sauta until the bread gets covered with the butter mixture (about 3 minutes).

Drain the water out of the potatoes.  Mash the potatoes and add 4 tablespoons of butter.  Mix milk and egg together and add to the potato mixture.  Add celery mixture, parsley and flour.  Add pepper and salt to taste, and mix well.

Put the potatoes into a well-greased casserole dish.  Place the remaining butter on top of the potatoes.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until the top of the casserole is brown.