One favorite centuries old food that is still enjoyed is noodles. The origin of the noodle has been the subject of debate. A 4000 year old bowl of noodles was discovered in 2005 in China. Researchers believe the noodle was first made by the Chinese, then traveled to Italy courtesy of Marco Polo. From here it most likely spread throughout Europe. Most modern day noodles are made of durum wheat, barley or bread wheat.

Noodles are simple to prepare, dry and are a good staple to have on hand to whip up a casserole. Here are a couple of Amish noodle recipes:

Amish Butter Noodles

2 ½ all-purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

2 eggs

½ c milk

2 tbsp butter, softened

In a small bowl, beat the eggs. In a large bowl mix flour and salt. Add the eggs, milk and butter. Mix well. Knead the dough until it is smooth, adding small amounts of flour to make the dough non-sticky. Form into a ball and place back into the large bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 1/8 inch thickness. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut into thin strips. Hang the strips to dry, for at least 1 hour. You can use the back of a chair covered in clean dish towels to dry. Store in air tight containers. To cook heat 2 quarts water in a large pot. Allow to boil and add pasta. To store for more than a week air dry the noodles for 5 to 7 days.

Amish Noodles

3 eggs

2 c all-purpose flour

½ tsp salt

In a large bowl beat eggs. Add flour and salt. Mix to form dough. Knead dough until a smooth ball forms. Allow to sit covered for 10 minutes. Prepare for drying as for the butter noodles.

Now that you have all these noodles it will be a good time to prepare some dishes to use them. Casseroles based upon the noodles are easy to prepare and cook. They will also feed a large gathering such as a church potluck or a company picnic.

Here is an easy and economical casserole.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 c corn

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

1 small can cream of chicken soup

1 c sour cream

2 c dried noodles

Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Dice onion. Place onion and hamburger in a large skillet and brown hamburger. Drain liquid. Add the salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Place in glass casserole dish along with noodles, corn and soups. Mix well. Bake for 40 minutes or until noodles are done.

Here’s a delicious casserole with a self-descriptive name:

Amish Yumasetta

2 lbs hamburger

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 small onion

1 small can cream of chicken soup

1 small can tomato soup

1 lb of noodles

1 eight ounce package processed cheese

Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Dice onion and place in large skillet. Add hamburger and brown sugar. Brown hamburger and drain. Add the tomato soup to the hamburger mix. Cook noodles in large pot until al dente. Drain. Add cream of chicken soup to the noodles. Spread half the hamburger mix on bottom of 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Top with half the noodle mix. Cube the processed cheese and layer on top of noodles. Spread the rest of hamburger mix on the cheese. Top off with a layer of the rest of the noodles. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes before serving.

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One popular fish with anglers is the perch. The species most commonly caught in the USA is the yellow perch. Perch are considered good eating fish and are very amendable to a fish fry right on the shore. Here’s an excellent recipe courtesy the Amish on how to pan fry perch.

Ingredients:

4-6 freshly caught perch

1 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

¼ c. butter

1 lemon

The fish will need to be cleaned, but leave them intact. The eyes should be removed prior to frying. Rinse after cleaning. Lightly salt the inside of each fish. Place the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow pan or bowl. Drag each fish through the flour mixture, evenly coating all surfaces. Remove from the flour, tap lightly to dislodge loose flour and set aside. In a large heavy skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the fish and fry until golden brown (5-6 minutes per side) turning to cook each side. Remove the fish from the pan and serve with freshly squeezed lemon.

Of course, every fisherman or fisherwoman has those days when the fish just aren’t biting. In those instances, do as the Amish do and pack a back-up picnic lunch. A delicious picnic meat entrée is fried chicken, an Amish specialty and favorite. Here’s a good recipe for an oven fried chicken which can be prepared before your fishing expedition. You can prepare this recipe with the skin on or it can be removed prior to coating with oil and butter.

1/3 c. canola oil

1/3 c. butter

1 c. flour

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

10 meaty pieces of chicken (thighs, drumsticks, breasts)

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Place the oil and butter into a baking sheet with sides and place into the oven until the butter melts. Combine flour, salt, seasoning and pepper in a large bowl. Roll chicken pieces, one at a time, in the oil/butter then place in flour mixture and coat thoroughly. Shake excess flour from the chicken. Place chicken back in the pan and bake for 50 minutes, turning once about 10 minutes before done.

Of course, no picnic is complete without coleslaw. Here’s a special Amish recipe for coleslaw made without mayonnaise, a notorious ingredient to use due to its tendency to spoil if it is not kept sufficiently refrigerated.

1 medium cabbage

1 small onion

1 c. white sugar

1 c. vinegar

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. white sugar

1 tsp. mustard

¾ c. canola oil

Core cabbage and shred into a large bowl. Finely chop onion and add to cabbage. Add 1 c. sugar. Toss. Into a small, heavy saucepan place vinegar, salt, celery seed, 1 tsp. white sugar, mustard and the oil. Bring this to a boil and cook for three minutes. Cool the sauce completely, pour over the cabbage/onion mix and toss to coat completely. Refrigerate overnight to let all flavors to meld.

A final delicious accompaniment to any picnic are biscuits. Here’s an Amish recipe for buttermilk biscuits.

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

6 tbsp. shortening

¾ c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 °F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. Place dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Cut the shortening into the dry mix until a crumbly texture forms. Add the milk and stir until just blended. Drop mix onto the baking sheet by spoonfuls. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

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Potatoes are a fairly cheap source of food. A medium potato will cost about twenty-five cents and has about 110 calories. It is high in Vitamin C as well weighing in at 45% of an adults daily vitamin C requirements. It’s a great source of potassium and fiber as well.

Potatoes can be planted early in the spring, when the soil temperature reaches 45 ° F and has dried. The spot should have full sun and the soil should be worked deep to allow room for the tubers to grow. Only certified seed potatoes should be used to ensure you have a disease free plant. The seed potatoes will have eyes (or sprouts) and are cut into 1 ½ inch or so chunks which will have one or (preferably) more eyes. These are then planted six inches into the soil every 15 inches apart. There are variations in planting spacing and with a little investigation you may find one more suitable for your garden.

Harvesting potatoes can begin two to three weeks after the plants have finished flowering. This will yield the small or new potatoes. Or they can be left until two or three weeks after the plant dies back in order to harvest larger potatoes. The harvested potatoes should be kept in a well-ventilated, dark, cool location.

The Amish are fond of the potato. No Amish garden is complete without a large potato plot to feed the family for the year. They have many delicious recipes to turn their potato harvest into tasty dishes. Here’s a great potato and cheese casserole sure to please any crowd.

Cheesy potatoes

6 large potatoes

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c. butter

1 ½ c. milk

1 ½ tsp. onion salt

2 tbsp. butter

Parmesan cheese

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Peel and dice potatoes. Place potatoes into a two quart saucepan, fill with water and place over medium heat. Boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and mash.  Add butter and cheddar cheese, stirring until both melt. Add milk and fold into mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

Another great dish using potatoes is potato soup. Here’s an easy recipe for this hearty and filling dish.

Potato Soup

5 large potatoes

1 large carrot

1 medium onion

1 stalk celery

4 strips bacon

½ c. milk

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

Salt and pepper

Peel and cube potatoes. Peel carrot and grate. Dice celery and onion. Slice bacon into small bits. Place potatoes, carrot, celery, onion and bacon into a 2 quart saucepan, cover with water and place on stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat and drain water, reserving 1 cup of the drained liquid. Place potatoes, etc. back into saucepan and mash. Add evaporated milk and milk and mix together. Return to heat and warm, but do not boil, the soup adding reserved liquid as needed to make a smooth soup.

A final potato recipe from the Amish is a fun one-Potato Candy!

Potato Candy

½ c. mashed potatoes

2 tsp. butter, softened

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. vanilla extract

4 ½ c. powdered sugar

2 c. flaked coconut

Pecan halves

Place potatoes, butter, cocoa and vanilla into a large bowl and mix. Gradually blend in powdered sugar and then add coconut. Knead this mixture until well mixed. Shape into 1 inch balls and press a pecan half into the center. Wrap candy in foil and store in an airtight container.

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It is out of love that Amish parents keep their children busy with productive work. Idleness many times leads to mischief. By demonstrating how to work the Amish parent is teaching their children how to gainfully occupy their time while gaining useful life skills. They are also teaching them to be responsible members of their communities.

The Amish have always combined socialization with work. Quilting bees, barn raisings, corn husking, cutting firewood and chores are times to talk about life, religion and to pass on knowledge to the younger generation. Stories are told and retold and many songs are sung to make the work a little less dreary and a lot more fun.

Some teenagers will take the initiative during the spring and summer to plant a large market garden with the proceeds going to local charities. They’ll meet once a week to tend to the garden and to socialize. In many orders, the young people will also meet once a week to do yard chores, painting or repairs for the elderly, the shut-in, or for widows. Once the main work is done, the youngsters are free to play games such as volleyball or softball and may even dance -depending on the community.

Singing is always a favorite past time and, of course, there will be a need to feed the crowd of hungry teenagers. A favorite recipe to serve to a large crowd is chili. The following recipe will feed 12.

Amish Chili

2 pounds hamburger

1 large onion

1 tbsp. butter

1 ½ c. diced celery

1 c. diced carrots

2 cans pork and beans

2 cans kidney beans

2 cans lima beans

2 cans tomato soup

1 c. ketchup

½ small box spaghetti

Dice the onion. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until clear. Add hamburger and fry until browned. Fill a medium sized saucepan ¾ full with water, bring to a boil. Add boil the carrots, celery and spaghetti until the vegetables are soft. Drain water from vegetables. Add the pork and beans, kidney beans, lima beans, tomato soup and ketchup to the vegetables and combine. Add this to the meat mixture. Heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If it is too thick, dilute to desired consistency with water or tomato juice.

A great accompaniment to chili is corn bread.

Amish Corn Bread

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. yellow cornmeal

¼ c. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 c. milk

5 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 400 ° F. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 9 pan. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Combine the dry ingredients. Melt butter and allow to cool before blending with the egg and milk. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and beat until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 minutes.

For dessert try the Amish Sawdust Pie. Don’t let the name fool you, it is delicious!

1 ¼ c. brown sugar

1 ½ c. chopped pecans

1 ½ c. graham cracker crumbs

1 ½ c. flaked coconut

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

7 egg whites

1 nine inch unbaked pie shell

Bananas

Whipped topping

Preheat oven to 375 ° F. Combine the sugar, pecans, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg whites into a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 30 minutes or until set.

Allow pie to slightly cool, slice and top with whipped topping and banana slices. Best if served warm.

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The European varieties are great for eating fresh and for canning. The Damson type plums are tart, perfect for cooking and making preserves and jellies. Japanese plums don’t do too well in the northern states; they are prone to spring frost injuries and fruit yields are generally low if a crop is produced.

When choosing plums in the orchard, from the farm stand or at the market look for high quality plums. These plums will be well shaped, firm and free from defects like insect damage, bruising or disease spots. Color is a poor indicator of quality as plums come in a variety of colors. The best way to determine if a plum is ripe is to use your thumb to apply gentle pressure to the fruit. If the flesh is starting to soften the fruit will be ready for use. The Amish have many delicious recipes which call for plums. Here’s a fantastic spice plum cake from the Amish:

Amish Fresh Spice Plum Cake

1 pound fresh plums

3 c. all purpose flour

2 c. white sugar

1 c. vegetable oil

3 eggs

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. each ground allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Spray a spring form pan with cooking spray. Wash and dry plums. Pit and half the plums and then place them with cut sides up in the bottom of the pan. Set the pan aside as you prepare the batter. Place flour, sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl and blend until the flour is moistened. Add the eggs to the mix and blend well. In a smaller bowl, mix the soda, salt and spices. Add to wet mix and stir thoroughly. Add the extracts and mix for one final time.  Pour the batter over the plums in the pan, being careful not to shift the plums. Place pan in oven and bake for 55 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Invert the pan over your serving plate and remove cake from pan. This cake is delicious served warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If you fancy a smoother dessert with plums here’s a lovely plum custard kuchen recipe:

Plum Custard Kuchen

Cake base:

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1/3 c. butter

1 egg

1 c. milk

Plums, pitted and halved

½ c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 400 ° F. Grease the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan. Into a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Beat the egg and milk together and then stir into the mixture. Pat this dough into the bottom of the cake pan. Take the plum halves and arrange them over the top of the dough, covering the surface completely. Mix the ½ c. sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the plums and dough. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. While this bakes mix the custard ingredients together.

1 egg

½ c. sour cream

½ c. buttermilk

1/3 c. sugar

Remove cake from oven and pour custard over the top. Put back into the oven, reduce heat to 350 ° F and bake for 30 minutes. This dessert is best served warm.

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Cows, horses, and sheep have probably been turned out to graze in the ever greening pastures as well, with little calves, foals, and lambs frolicking at their mother’s sides. The green grass will slick up the animals fur and wool coats as they shed their heavy winter coats. It’s also the time to purchase baby chicks, gooslings, and ducklings to grow for egg laying or meat.

Gardens are being planted as well-cool weather crops like brocolii, peas, beets and brussel sprouts are in the ground and soon warm weather plants such as tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers will be set in the ground. And who doesn’t salivate at the thought of fresh summer sweet corn which will be planted at the end of the month? It’s certainly a hectic time of the year!

As you can see all members of a farm family will be very busy so we’ve put together some easy to make and bake casseroles recipes courtesy the Amish. Served with fresh bread and butter and maybe a jar or two of last season’s vegetables these easy meals will get you back outside in no time flat. The best part about the dishes is you assemble them, place them in the oven, set the timer and you’ll have a complete meal when the buzzer goes off!

Amish Ham and Cheddar Casserole

8 cups raw potatoes, shredded

2 cups uncooked macaroni

2 cups fresh, frozen or canned peas

2 cups cooked ham, diced

3 tsp. salt

1/2 cup onion, chopped

4 cups cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 325 F. Layer ingredients in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish in order given; pour milk over all. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.

Amish Beef Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (12 ounce) package wide egg noodles

10 slices American cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and return to the pan. Mix in the cream of chicken soup until noodles are coated. Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the grease, and stir in the tomato soup, brown sugar, pepper and salt. Spread half of the beef in the bottom of a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Arrange 5 slices of cheese over the beef. Top with half of the noodles, then repeat layers ending with cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly.

Amish Chicken Casserole

1 bunch fresh broccoli
5 medium potatoes
1 chicken, cooked and deboned
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 can Cheddar cheese soup
2 1/2 cups buttered bread crumbs

Parboil broccoli for 3 minutes; slice potatoes and parboil 3 minutes. Butter 9×1 3-inch baking dish and place potatoes in dish. Next add broccoli and then chicken pieces. Mix soup and mayonnaise together and pour over chicken. Sprinkle top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

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Nothings are a pastry served at Amish weddings. These round pastries are sometimes sprinkled with powdered sugar and are stacked on the table holding the wedding cake. Another term for them is knee patch.

1 egg

¾ c. cream

1/8 tsp. salt

2 ½ c. flour

Shortening for frying

Powdered sugar

Heat shortening in fryer or deep kettle until it reaches 365 ° F. In a bowl, beat the egg, then mix in cream, salt and flour. You should have a stiff  elastic dough. If not, add flour a tablespoon at a time until dough reaches the right consistency. Divide the dough into six balls. Roll each ball to a thickness of about 1/16 th of an inch. Use a sharp knife to cut three 2-inch slits through the middle of each piece of dough. Place one piece of dough at a time in the hot oil. When it begins to turn golden brown, turn dough using tongs or two forks. When other side is golden, remove from oil and drain on rack with paper towels beneath to catch excess oil. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar and stack on plate to serve.

Since Nothings are quite pretty after frying and with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, they make a nice decoration when placed next to the wedding cake.

Another fried pastry which originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch (at least in the United States) is the funnel cake. This mainstay of fairs and carnivals has a murky past, but the pastry is believed to have been brought over by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. Many other cultures have a similar dish, using a basic batter recipe but the Pennsylvania Dutch popularized the use of a funnel when pouring the batter into the fryer.

Spanish churros, Finish tippaleipas, Indian alibi, Chinese you bing and you tiao, and Dutch oliebollen are similar pastries in these respective countries. The Amish greatly enjoy these treats. Here is an authentic Amish recipe for funnel cake.

Amish Funnel Cake

3 eggs

2 c. milk

¼ c. sugar

4 c. flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Use a large, heavy pan to heat vegetable oil (about 1-2 inches in bottom of pan, make sure it is a deep pan) to 375 °F. Crack eggs and place in mixing bowl. Beat the eggs, then add milk and sugar and beat well. Using a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl. Add to the egg mixture. Beat until batter is smooth. Use a kitchen funnel to pour ¼ of the batter into hot oil, making sure to create designs by moving the funnel as the batter flows through. Fry until it is a golden-brown color. Remove from oil and allow to drain on rack with paper towels beneath to catch the oil. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. They can also be served with jam, honey, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The donut is also a treat enjoyed by the Amish. This breakfast and snack mainstay is fairly easy to make and the result is oh-so-good. This recipe puts a little twist on a basic recipe by using mashed potatoes as an ingredient.

½ c. shortening

3 egg yolks

½ c. sugar

½ c. mashed potatoes

1 tsp. salt

2 c. milk

6 ½ c. flour

2 pkg. yeast

1 tsp. nutmeg

Place milk into a small saucepan over medium-high heat and scald. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Sift sugar, flour, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl. Cut shortening into the dry ingredients, then blend. In another bowl, place egg yolks and potatoes and mix well. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and blend well. Add yeast to the cooled milk and gradually add this into the main mix. Cover bowl with dish towel, place in warm spot and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Punch down and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Turn dough out onto floured bread board and roll to 3/8 inch thickness. Cut into donut shapes or into sticks. In a heavy pot heat 4-5 inches of vegetable oil to 375 °F. Fry donuts (2-3 at a time) until golden-brown, turning once while frying. Remove from fat and allow to drain on a rack with paper towels beneath. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or make a glaze using 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tbsp. water.

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There are other recipes which will skip using the ultra-thin dough and instead use a different manner to prepare the dough. While it may not meet the strict criteria of a traditional strudel, the finished product is oh-so-good. Here’s a recipe for an Amish Apple Strudel sure to please any dessert lover:

8 medium sized tart apples

¼ c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ c. (1/2 stick) of butter

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. flour

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Peel, core and slice apples. Arrange the apples onto the bottom of a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the ¼ c. sugar with the 1 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle this mix on top of the apples. Dot the top of the apples/sugar with small pieces of butter. Sift the 1 c. sugar, baking powder, flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Using a fork, form a well in the center of the flour/sugar mixture and add the egg and the vanilla extract. Blend this together. Pour over the apples and bake for 55 minutes or until browned. This can be served while still warm. Whipped cream, custard and vanilla ice cream are great with this dessert.

Mock strudel is loaded with fruit, nuts and jam. The dough is a flaky delight. The following recipe yields about 24 slices-perfect for large gatherings.

Dough:

½ c. (1 stick) butter

½ c. sour cream

1 ¼ c. all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. sugar

Use a medium-size, heavy saucepan to melt butter over low heat. Add the sour cream to the melted butter, stirring until cream and butter are warm and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and add flour and sugar, making sure to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Pat the dough into a round ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for four hours. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To prepare strudel:

1 ½ c. golden raisins

1 c. regular raisins

½ c. dried cranberries

12 oz. fruit preserves (apricot, strawberry, raspberry)

¾ c. chopped walnuts

Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 °F. Combine the dried fruits in a bowl and set aside. Divide the chilled dough into two equal pieces. Recover one piece with the plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator. Divide the left out dough into fist sized pieces and work each piece with your hands until uniform and smooth in texture. Then recombine all the pieces, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a thin (less than 1/8 inch) rectangle about 12 by 9 inches.

Cover this dough with half the preserves leaving a ½ border along all sides. Sprinkle with ½ the dried fruit mix, ½ the walnuts, and a few shakes of cinnamon. Fold the shorter side so it just covers the filling, then roll up lengthwise like a jelly-roll. Transfer to a lightly greased baking pan placing the seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator. Remove second piece of dough and do the same as with the first. Place it on the pan with the first roll, leaving an inch or two of space between the rolls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool on wire racks. While it is still warm, cut into slices. Store slices in an airtight container in refrigerator.

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Making and decorating Easter eggs are time tested custom dating from ancient ages. The egg was used by early Christians as a symbol of Christ’s rebirth after his crucifixion. Since a fertilized egg which is incubated will eventually crack and hatch a chick, it is a fitting symbol for Easter and also for spring or the “rebirth” of the earth after a cold and dark winter.

It is interesting to note that the use of decorated eggs pre-dates Christianity. Early Christians adapted some of these traditions during Easter. A final egg fact is that the Jewish Passover Seder uses a hard-boiled egg which is dipped in salt water to symbolize a Passover sacrifice.  Red dyed eggs hold special meaning of Christ’s blood shed during the crucifixion.

It is common for the Amish housewife to color hardboiled eggs to add a little spring color to the kitchen. The Easter bunny is absent from the Amish household, but some families will give the children a small basket of candy to munch on throughout the day.

Amish families will most likely have a coop of hens to lay eggs. An interesting thing to note is that hens lay eggs depending on increasing photoperiods i.e. more daylight equals more eggs. And as anyone who has keep a flock of hens will know springtime brings an amazing influx of eggs from the hens who had probably laid few if any eggs during the dark winter days. What to do with all these extra eggs? Easy, make them into tasty dishes which use the extra eggs.

Amish Egg Salad Sandwiches

6 hard-boiled eggs

½ c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

1 tsp. yellow mustard

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground pepper

2 tbsp. chopped black olives

Tomato slices

Lettuce

8 slices bread

Peel eggs and dice. Place in bowl and add miracle whip/mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and black olives. Mix ingredients together. Spread ¼ of mix on one slice bread; add lettuce and tomato as desired. Top with second slice of bread. Enjoy!

Amish Angel Food Cake

1 ½ c. egg whites

1 ¼ c. cake flour

½ c. sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp. cream of tarter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 375 ° F. Bring eggs whites to room temperature. Measure flour and ½ cup sugar into bowl. Sift these ingredients four times. Combine the egg whites

with salt, cream of tarter and vanilla. Beat with mixer on high speed until moist peaks form. Sift the 1 1/3 c. sugar; add four additions, beating until blended after each addition. Sift in the flour mixture in four additions, folding in with a large spoon each time, turning bowl often. Place in ungreased 10″ angle food pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool upside down on cooling rack. Loosen and remove cake. As a variation, you can add two tablespoons of cocoa during the final blending.

Of course, the Amish wouldn’t waste the egg yolks. Cooked, they’d make a healthy addition to the barn cats, dogs or even pig’s diet.

Amish Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes

4 hard-boiled eggs, diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

½ c. chopped celery

1 tsp. salt

Dressing:

2 pasteurized eggs, well beaten

¾ c. sugar

1 tsp. cornstarch

¼ c. vinegar

½ c. cream

1 c. Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

2 tsp. yellow mustard

3 tbsp. softened butter

Boil the potatoes, unpeeled for 20 minutes on stovetop. Remove and allow to cool. Peel and dice the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, onion, celery, and salt; gently mix. In a sauce pan, mix the eggs, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the vinegar, cream, and yellow mustard.  Cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Remove form heat and add the Miracle Whip/mayonnaise and butter. Allow to cool. Add to the potato mix, mix gently until everything is well covered with dressing.

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The Amish’s religious beliefs keep them from participating in soldiering and they have not fallen victim to the credit and economic crisis to the extent that the average American has fallen. But, they are definitely master gardeners, planting huge gardens to provide a large bulk of their year round vegetable needs. Through their industrious practices we can all learn a little about how to plan and prepare our own gardens to supply us with fresh and nutritious vegetable needs.

Now is the time to take pencil, paper and seed catalog in hand and plot out your own garden. A well planned garden will save you time if you plan your beds so that weeding and watering will be minimized. Proper spacing is needed to prevent wastage of seedlings and seeds. The Amish avoid chemcial inputs like chemical fertilizers; instead they rely on their livestock to fertilize their gardens. Well rotted manure (preferably horse) will provide your plants with their nutrition so look for a supplier now.

Once the snow has melted and the mud has dried out, it will be time for you (and the Amish family) to move outside and clear the vegetable plot of dried plant debris. This debris should be discarded in the trash or burned to remove disease materials. It is preferable in vegetable gardening to avoid planting plants of the same family in the same spot the as they were the previous year. This will break some disease cycles and lessen the need for chemical pesticides. You probably won’t use real live horsepower to till your garden like the Amish do; a roto-tiller or hand-spading will do just fine. This step is vital to aerate and “lighten” up the soil in preparation to planting.

Some of the earliest and fastest to harvest vegetables in a spring garden are radishes, peas and lettuce. Since you’ll be busy with other garden chores I’ve chosen a few simple recipes you can put together fairly quickly. Here’s a tasty recipe for a salad using the three early producing vegetables.

Layered Salad:

4 cups shredded lettuce

1/3 c. chopped celery

1 c. grated Cheddar cheese

1 c. fresh or frozen peas

1 pound bacon, fried and in bits

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

6-8 thin sliced radishes

¾ c. mayonnaise

Starting with the lettuce and a medium sized casserole dish, layer the ingredients in the pan: lettuce, ½ of the bacon bits, celerypeas, egg slices, rest of bacon bits, then cover with mayonnaise or miracle whip and finish with grated cheese. Refrigerate for six to eight hours before serving. To serve: place a generous serving of the salad on a plate and gently mix ingredients until well mixed.

Here’s another delicious (and simple) Amish lettuce salad recipe:

1/3 c. sour cream

½ c. sugar

¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vinegar

6 cups shredded lettuce

1 small onion, thin sliced

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Combine the sour cream, sugar, salt and vinegar. Whip this dressing well. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, onion slices, and one of the sliced eggs. Add the dressing mixture and toss lightly. Add remaining sliced egg on top of the salad.

For those days when you just want to enjoy your greens with a dressing, here’s a recipe for a tangy Amish salad dressing:

¾ c. oil (canola or olive is best for healthy hearts)

1 pasteurized egg

1 ½ tsp. bottle mustard, brand your choice

2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. sugar

½ c. flour, plus 2 ½ tbsp. flour

1 1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. vinegar

1 c. water

In a medium sized bowl mix the oil, egg, mustard, salt and 1/3 c. sugar. Mix this well and set aside. In a heavy sauce pan heat flour, 1/3 c. sugar, vinegar and water over low heat. Turn heat up to medium and stir constantly until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and add to first mixture. Combine well and allow to cool. Place in a covered container and store in refrigerator, mixing slightly before use.

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