The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (13 page)

Cook the vegetables and seasonings until tender in enough water to barely cover them; add a bit of water if necessary while cooking to keep them covered. Add the scalded milk and butter and heat thoroughly without boiling.

Chicken Chowder

2 T. butter

¼ onion, chopped

1½ cups cooked chicken, cubed

1½ cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

1½ cups carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups chicken broth (or use 2 cups water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3 T. flour

2½ cups milk

⅛ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add chicken, potatoes, carrots, broth (or water and bouillon), salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Combine flour and ½ cup milk in a jar and cover and shake until blended. Add flour and milk mixture to the soup and stir until blended. Add remaining milk. Stirring constantly, continue to cook until mixture thickens. Stir in parsley and serve.

Chunky Beef Vegetable Soup to Feed a Hundred

2½ gallons water

4 large onions, chopped

8 quarts carrots, peeled and diced

6 quarts peas

8 quarts potatoes, peeled and diced

4 quarts green beans

1 quart celery, diced

½ cup salt (or to taste)

⅛ cup pepper

20 lbs. hamburger

5 quarts beef broth

8 quarts tomato juice

4 cups brown sugar

4 T. Kitchen Bouquet seasoning sauce

4 quarts cooked roast beef, cut into bite-sized pieces cornstarch

In a very large pot, combine the water, vegetables, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked and tender. Drain off the water.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or in a smaller pot in batches, brown the hamburger. Drain off most of the fat, but keep some to help flavor the soup.

When the vegetables have been cooked and drained and returned to the very large pot, add the beef broth, tomato juice, brown sugar, Kitchen Bouquet, hamburger (including the reserved grease), and roast beef. Let soup simmer to enhance the flavors. You can adjust the seasoning at this time.

You can also thicken the soup by adding some cornstarch that has been mixed with cold water. Gradually stir in the cornstarch and water, stirring constantly while the soup thickens.

This makes about 60 quarts of soup and can be canned in quart jars following instructions from a good guide (such as the
Ball Blue Book;
see Resources section).

Triumph is just a little “try” and a lot of “umph.”

Coffee Beef Stew

1 cup flour

1½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. thyme

3 lb. stew beef, cubed

3 T. oil

5 cups beef broth or stock

1 cup strong brewed coffee

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. sugar

3 T. catsup

6 potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 onions (or 1 large), quartered

6 carrots, peeled and quartered

½ cup peas, fresh or frozen

Place the flour, salt, pepper, and thyme in a bag and shake to blend. Add the beef cubes, a few at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large stockpot, heat the oil until hot and add the beef cubes; brown on all sides. Next, add the rest of the ingredients except for the peas. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Add the peas and continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes.

WEATHER LORE

A thick husk on the corn in the field means a long, cold winter ahead. If the ears protrude from the husk, the coming winter will be short and mild.

If the brown stripes on “wooly bears” are broad, a cold winter is ahead.

If a dog’s fur grows thick in the fall, the winter will be cold.

A halo around the moon or sun means rain will arrive within 3 days.

If cows lie down in the field, expect rain soon. If they stay standing, it will be a light shower.

Snow is God’s fertilizer—it covers plants and protects them, helping to keep nutrients from washing away, as they do with the rain. Frost is God’s plough because it breaks up the ground and kills pests.

Corn Chowder

1 onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

4 T. butter

4 cups chicken broth

4 potatoes, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. parsley, minced

2 quarts frozen (thawed) or fresh corn

1 cup top milk or half-and-half

3 cups milk

In a large pot, sauté onion and celery in the butter until onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, salt, pepper, and minced garlic and parsley and simmer for 30 minutes. Add corn and simmer gently for another 15 minutes or so. Add the top milk or half-and-half and regular milk and heat thoroughly.

Cream of Cabbage Soup

½ lb. bacon, coarsely chopped

12 cups cabbage, shredded

1 onion, chopped

2½ quarts chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Swiss cheese, shredded, for garnish

In a large pot, fry the bacon until crisp; do not drain. Remove bacon and set aside. To the bacon drippings in the pot, add the cabbage and onion and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is limp but not browned. Add the chicken broth and simmer until the cabbage and onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper and heat through but do not boil.

When serving, sprinkle soup with bacon and cheese.

Easy Hamburger Stew

½ lb. hamburger

1 small onion, chopped

1 quart green beans

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 quarts beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the hamburger and drain off the fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until potatoes are tender.

Farmer’s Favorite Soup

1 lb. hamburger

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced (at least 1 cup)

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup tomato sauce

2½ quarts water

¼ cup cornmeal

¼ cup water

Brown meat and onion and drain off fat. In a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, add the meat and onion mixture, celery, potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper, tomato sauce, and 2½ quarts water. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender.

Make a thin paste of the cornmeal and ¼ cup water. Add to the soup, stirring as you do so it doesn’t lump up. Continue stirring until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Five-Hour Beef Stew