Cool Summer Recipes
We all know that the Amish don't use electricity, so imagine how hot it must get in their kitchens in the summer in certain states, especially if the wife and older girls are still canning the summer fruit and vegetable crops.
Actually, many northern states are currently suffering from heat records so that got me to thinking of using two favorite Amish summer recipes in today's blog.
I love macaroni salad and this recipe from an Old Order Amish friend is a favorite. Hope you'll try it and like it!
Amish Macaroni Salad
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or other shape of macaroni)
3-4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red, yellow, or green pepper (your choice) seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons pickle relish (if you don't like sweet relish cut up some dill pickles)
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons chopped onion
If you add a cup or two of chopped ham or chicken you have a main dish meal.
Boil macaroni according to package directions. Drain and cool. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over cooled macaroni. Stir until blended. Chill in refrigerator for two hours.
A nice dessert might be a fruit cobbler but if you don't want to heat up the kitchen, try a simple Amish dessert I saw served in Pennsylvania:
Amish Bread Soup
For each serving, tear up bread -- homemade bread or the sweet Hawaiian bread rolls sold in the grocery store are especially good -- and place in a soup bowl. A slice and a half, maybe two slices (or two or three rolls) is a good amount. Then top with your favorite summer fruit: big juicy chunks of peaches or plums, sweetened strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries (or a mixture of berries) will do nicely. Frozen fruit that's been thawed or pie filling can be used, too, but fresh fruit in season is the best. Top with fresh cream or ice cream. This dessert is a busy Amish wife's (frau's) favorite.
So many of you wrote in with such lovely comments about why you like Amish fiction. The winner of an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of A Time to Love, the first in my three book series Quilts of Lancaster County (out in September) is Elaine. Note to Elaine: I've sent you a personal e-mail asking for your snail mail address.) For those who didn't win, I'll have more contests in the coming months. The book is available for pre-order now on www.Christianbooks.com, www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com and other book outlets.
Have a good weekend and stay cool wherever you are!
Barbara
Actually, many northern states are currently suffering from heat records so that got me to thinking of using two favorite Amish summer recipes in today's blog.
I love macaroni salad and this recipe from an Old Order Amish friend is a favorite. Hope you'll try it and like it!
Amish Macaroni Salad
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or other shape of macaroni)
3-4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red, yellow, or green pepper (your choice) seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons pickle relish (if you don't like sweet relish cut up some dill pickles)
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons chopped onion
If you add a cup or two of chopped ham or chicken you have a main dish meal.
Boil macaroni according to package directions. Drain and cool. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over cooled macaroni. Stir until blended. Chill in refrigerator for two hours.
A nice dessert might be a fruit cobbler but if you don't want to heat up the kitchen, try a simple Amish dessert I saw served in Pennsylvania:
Amish Bread Soup
For each serving, tear up bread -- homemade bread or the sweet Hawaiian bread rolls sold in the grocery store are especially good -- and place in a soup bowl. A slice and a half, maybe two slices (or two or three rolls) is a good amount. Then top with your favorite summer fruit: big juicy chunks of peaches or plums, sweetened strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries (or a mixture of berries) will do nicely. Frozen fruit that's been thawed or pie filling can be used, too, but fresh fruit in season is the best. Top with fresh cream or ice cream. This dessert is a busy Amish wife's (frau's) favorite.
So many of you wrote in with such lovely comments about why you like Amish fiction. The winner of an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of A Time to Love, the first in my three book series Quilts of Lancaster County (out in September) is Elaine. Note to Elaine: I've sent you a personal e-mail asking for your snail mail address.) For those who didn't win, I'll have more contests in the coming months. The book is available for pre-order now on www.Christianbooks.com, www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesandNoble.com and other book outlets.
Have a good weekend and stay cool wherever you are!
Barbara
Posted by Barbara Cameron at 7/16/2010 12:33 AM 
Categories: Quilts of Lancaster County, Amish summer recipes, A Time to Love
Tags: Amish fiction
Categories: Quilts of Lancaster County, Amish summer recipes, A Time to Love
Tags: Amish fiction
Congratulations Elaine!! You are very lucky. I can hardly wait to read this book- it is on my list of books to purchase!!
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You are so sweet, Karla! I hope when you get the book you enjoy it. I loved my characters when I was working on A Time to Love (Book 1) and still love them as I now work on the third book in the series.
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Barbara, thank you for the "wunderbar" macaroni salad recipe. I can't wait to try it out! Have a wonderful day!
Robin Miller
Virginia Beach, VA
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I hope you do try it, Robin. It's delicious! And the Amish "soup" is really good, too!
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Does the macaroni salad have any mayo or miracle whip in it? Sounds good, but I didn't know if something was missing!
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Barbara, Another possibilty to your macaroni salad is a couple of cans of tuna (in spring water), drained and chop up an apple with that. Ummm good!
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You're right, Millie. One of my favorite things in the summer is tuna macaroni salad. I use the seashell macaroni because I love the way tuna gets inside the little shells. Only reason I forgot to say to try tuna in the recipe is I got so sick from it the last couple of times I made it. I kept thinking it was something in the brand of tuna I was buying but my neighbor convinced me it's the tuna itself that my tummy doesn't like lately...
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Barbara,
Thanks for sharing the Macaroni Salad recipe. I love that kind of salad in the summer time and I am always looking for a good recipe for it. This one sounds so good. I am sure it will be if it comes from the Amish. I am anxious to try the soup also.
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