Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking Part 2

EGG b.a.l.l.s 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 b.a.l.l.s with floured hands and set in cool place until just before your soup comes off. Put the b.a.l.l.s carefully into the soup and boil one minute.

SPINACH FILLING _for_ NOODLES

2 lbs. raw spinach, chopped 3 tblsp. b.u.t.ter salt and pepper 1 cups bread crumbs 2 eggs

Make a recipe of noodle dough (see above). Steam and brown the spinach in melted b.u.t.ter. 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

1 cups diced salsify 1 cups water 1 tblsp. vinegar 1 tblsp. b.u.t.ter 1 quart milk salt and pepper

Scrub, sc.r.a.pe and clean salsify. Dice and cook in salted water, with 1 tablespoon of vinegar added, until tender. Drain, add b.u.t.ter and rich milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and serve with crackers.

BEEF SOUP _with_ DUMPLINGS

1 soup bone 2 lbs. stewing beef 2 quarts water salt 1 cups flour 1 egg cup milk pepper

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)

4 cups diced potatoes 1 medium onion 3 tblsp. flour 1 tblsp. b.u.t.ter 1 qt. milk 1 egg, beaten salt and pepper parsley

Boil potatoes and onion in small amount of water until soft. Add milk, salt and pepper then reheat. Brown flour in the b.u.t.ter 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

1 stewing hen, about 4-lbs.

4 qts. water 1 onion, chopped 10 ears corn cup celery, chopped with leaves 2 hard-boiled eggs salt and pepper rivels

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

3 cups fresh or canned corn 2 qts. water 1 cup rich milk 1? cups flour 1 egg 3 tblsp. b.u.t.ter 1 tsp. salt parsley

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 b.u.t.ter 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

4 lb. chicken 2 qts. water 2 tsp. salt 3 cups cooked noodles

Cut a young stewing chicken into serving pieces, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours, adding water as needed. Skim off the fat and add:

1 tsp. peppercorns 1 small onion, sliced 1 carrot, sliced 1 bay leaf 1 tblsp. parsley, chopped salt and pepper

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

PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Main Dishes

CREAMED CABBAGE _and_ DRIED BEEF

large head cabbage lb. dried beef 1 cups white sauce cup b.u.t.tered crumbs

Chop cabbage coa.r.s.ely 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 ca.s.serole and in it place alternate layers of cabbage and dried beef. Pour the white sauce over it and top with b.u.t.tered bread crumbs.

Bake in moderate oven (350-f) 25 minutes.

DUTCH NOODLE CHEESE RING

1 cup egg noodles 3 tblsp. b.u.t.ter 3 tblsp. flour tsp. salt tsp. paprika 1 cups milk 2 eggs, well beaten Swiss cheese ( to lb.)

Boil noodles in salted water until tender. Drain and place in well-greased ring mold. Melt the b.u.t.ter, 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 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

2 cups mashed potatoes 1 egg, beaten 1 qt. stale bread, cubed 2 tblsp. b.u.t.ter 1 onion, minced cup celery, diced 1 tblsp. minced parsley 1 tsp. salt pinch of pepper

Put the beaten egg into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Melt the b.u.t.ter 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

1 lb. ground beef ? cup rice, uncooked 1 egg 1 onion, chopped fine 2 tblsp. shortening Juice of 1 lemon 1 can tomato soup cup celery, chopped 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. parsley, minced 6 cabbage leaves salt and pepper

Combine meat, salt, pepper, rice and egg, mix well. For the sauce: saute onion in the b.u.t.ter 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.