Harvest of Blessings

by Hubbard, Charlotte

  Luke smiled. “That’s where Ira and I keep ours, too.” He sprinkled the crackling eggs with salt and pepper and gently broke the yolks with a spatula. Then he reached into the grocery sack again. “A few chunks of leftover ham, a little of the aunts’ goat cheese, and we’ll be all set.”

  Nora heard the toaster pop. She sat in awe of the way he’d organized his cooking so everything was ready at the same time. When he set two plates of scrambled eggs and toast on the table, Nora grabbed a dish towel to dry her feet.

  Luke took the towel from her and deftly massaged from her toes to her calves. Then he turned her chair around to seat her, and leaned over her shoulder for a kiss.

  “This looks so awesome,” Nora whispered. “Thank you, Luke.”

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”

  When he grabbed her hand and bowed his head, Nora couldn’t resist peeking at him between her half-closed eyelids. Luke’s handsome face looked serenely at ease as he prayed silently, and his hand cradled hers as though it were a treasure. Guide me, Lord. If this is too good to be true, too soon—

  “Dig in,” he murmured a few moments later.

  Nora didn’t have to be told twice. The eggs were a calico of yellow and white with pink chunks of ham and little globs of melted goat cheese. The first mouthful nearly made her faint. “I’m in love,” she gushed.

  Luke’s laughter filled the kitchen. “You mean I could’ve just scrambled you some eggs that first day you came, and you’d have fallen for me?”

  “Ah, come on. Where’s the adventure you were wanting in that?” she teased as she loaded her fork again. “From here on out, you will be cooking the eggs, because mine never turn out this way.”

  Luke bit into his toast, holding her gaze. “From here on out, eh? I like the sound of that.”

  Nora’s heart fluttered. “Do you think we could make it work, Luke?” she dared to whisper.

  “You’re the one with marriage experience. I’ll trust your judgment.”

  Nora waved off his remark. “My time with Tanner was nothing like I’d dreamed it would—”

  Luke gently laid a finger across her lips. “But it led you back to Willow Ridge. To me,” he pointed out in a low voice. “We probably won’t be perfect together, but I’ll give it my best shot if you will.”

  Nora laid down her fork to really look at Luke. His wavy brown hair had a ridge in it where his hat had been, his sea-green shirt was rumpled, and his gray suspenders had seen a lot of wear, yet the sincerity on his handsome face was drawing her in . . . making her believe in fresh starts and blessings she hadn’t counted on when she’d come back home.

  “You’re on,” she murmured as she squeezed his hand. “Let the adventure begin.”

  What’s Cookin’ at the Sweet Seasons Bakery Café?

  Because I love to cook as much as Miriam and Naomi do, here are recipes for some of the dishes they’ve served up in HARVEST OF BLESSINGS. With summer in full swing and autumn just around the corner, the women in Willow Ridge are cooking with fresh vegetables from their gardens, and they’re also trying recipes that use the grains available at the Hooley brothers’ new mill. You’ll find these flours and grains at most larger grocery stores—my favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill.

  I constantly read Amish cookbooks, The Budget, and Lovina Eicher’s weekly newspaper column, The Amish Cook, so I can say yes, any convenience foods you see as ingredients are authentic!

  I’ll also post these on my website, www.CharlotteHubbard.com. If you don’t see the recipe you want, please e-mail me via my website to request it, plus bookmarks—and let me know how you like them! I hope you enjoy making these dishes as much as I do!

  ~Charlotte

  Cold Water White Cake

  Here’s the recipe Miriam baked for Annie Mae and Adam’s wedding cake. As with most Amish recipes, it’s made with simple everyday ingredients, and the beaten egg whites produce a cake that’s lighter than a cake from a box mix. Using two 9-inch pans will make a standard two-layer cake, but this amount of batter also fills a 9 x 13-inch pan or a 2-inch deep 10-inch round pan. Don’t wait until someone gets married to try it!

  4 egg whites

  2 T. baking powder

  2 cups sugar

  ½ cup shortening (Crisco, for instance)

  1 cup cold water

  1 tsp. vanilla extract

  2½ cups flour

  Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut wax paper to fit the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans. With the paper circles in place, spray the insides of the pans with nonstick coating.

  Beat the egg whites with the baking powder until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar with the shortening, then mix in the cold water, vanilla, flour, and a pinch of salt. Fold in the egg whites.

  Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched in the center. Cool the cake layers for 15 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto wire racks. Carefully remove the paper and cool completely before frosting with your favorite frosting (or see the recipe for Buttercream Frosting at www.CharlotteHubbard.com).

  Kitchen Hint: Cupcakes are so popular right now, and this recipe works well for those! Spray a muffin pan, or use cupcake papers. Check for doneness after about 10–12 minutes. This recipe makes a sweet, moist cake that freezes well, whatever form you bake it in.

  Peppermint Stick Ice Cream

  This refreshing ice cream has to be one of my favorites! For a more colorful dessert, use both red and green starlight mints.

  3 cups cold heavy/whipping cream

  1 cup cold whole milk

  1 cup sugar

  ¾ cup crushed peppermint candy

  1½ tsp. peppermint extract

  In a large bowl, whisk the cream, milk, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the candy and the extract. Pour into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions until mixture is soft-set, about 20 minutes. Pour mixture into a container (a glass bread pan works well), cover, and freeze 2–3 hours until nearly solid.

  Kitchen Hint: You can also add a few drops of pink or green food coloring for extra color.

  Five-Grain Quick Bread

  This has become my favorite go-to recipe for bread that requires no rising. The mix of grains produces a dense, satisfying loaf with a touch of sweetness that complements soups or tastes great toasted for breakfast. Try it with peanut butter and jelly, or spread on some goat cheese or cream cheese!

  1 cup 5-grain rolled whole grain cereal

  (or old-fashioned oats)

  2 cups whole wheat flour

  1 cup all-purpose flour

  cup packed brown sugar

  1 tsp. baking soda

  1 tsp. cream of tartar

  1 tsp. salt

  ¼ cup cold butter or margarine, chopped

  ¾ cup golden raisins and/or dried cranberries

  1 egg

  1½ cups buttermilk

  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Reserve 1 T. of the cereal. In a large bowl, mix the remaining cereal, the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender (or rub in with the tines of a fork) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the dried fruit.

  In a small bowl, beat the egg and buttermilk with a whisk or fork until blended—reserve 1 T. of this mixture. Stir the remaining liquids into the dry ingredients until just moistened. On a floured surface, knead the dough 5 or 6 times until it holds together. Shape the dough into a 7-inch disk, place on the cookie sheet, and cut a large X across the top, ¼-inch deep. Brush the top with the reserved buttermilk mixture, and then sprinkle the loaf with the reserved cereal. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool before serving.

  Kitchen Hint: I use Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal, but using old-fashioned oats won’t change the flavor/texture of the bread
a lot. To save some time, I also use my food processor to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Another Hint : If you don’t have buttermilk, you can put 3 T. of lemon juice or vinegar into the measuring cup and then add regular milk to the 1½ cup mark. Let this thicken while you’re mixing the dough.

  Whole Grain Pancake Mix

  Finally, my quest for a really good whole grain pancake mix has ended! The secret to this mix is putting the oats through the food processor so they become like flour, which produces a smooth, silky pancake that’s a lot fresher and tastier than you get from a box mix. Warning: the bulk recipe below makes a LOT of pancake mix. I made half this recipe and got enough mix to fill a gallon zipper bag and make about six of the recipes below. Once you try this, you’ll understand why Miriam was so tickled to get Nora’s food processor!

  Bulk Mix

  6 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

  ¾ cup wheat germ

  ¾ cup brown sugar

  9 cups whole wheat flour

  3 cups instant skim milk powder

  ½ cup baking powder

  3 tsp. baking soda

  4 tsp. salt

  With the food processor running, pour in the oats, wheat germ, and brown sugar. Turn off the processor and add the flour, skim milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse just until blended. Place mixture in a sealed container or zipper-style plastic bag and store in the fridge or freezer.

  Whole Grain Pancakes

  2 eggs

  2 T. vegetable oil

  1 cup milk

  1 tsp. vanilla

  1½ cups whole grain pancake mix

  Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with the oil, milk, and vanilla. Stir in ¾ cup of pancake mix. Let stand 5 minutes. Heat the skillet or griddle on a medium setting, wipe with oil, and use about ¼ cup of the batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the top, then flip to cook the other side. Adjust burner heat to keep cakes from scorching. Cover the cakes with foil and keep them warm in a 200°F oven until all the batter is used up. Makes 9 or 10 five-inch pancakes.

  Carrot Ginger Soup

  This is truly a soup for all seasons, as you can either serve it hot as a side dish or first course, or chilled as a refreshing light meal on a summer day. Even kids like carrots, so this is a great way to get more servings of healthy veggies into your family’s meals.

  2 T. butter

  1 small onion, diced

  12 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

  4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

  1 T. or more grated fresh ginger or powdered ginger

  1 cup orange juice

  Salt, pepper and/or lemon pepper, and dill to taste

  In a large pan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onion and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, and sauté for a few minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, and simmer carrots until tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender or food processor in batches, and puree until smooth. Add orange juice and seasonings. Reheat and serve.

  Kitchen Hint: This soup keeps well in the fridge for several days, or you can freeze it.

  Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

  Here’s the perfect dish for entertaining, when you want real mashed potatoes without the last-minute hassle. I love to make these on Saturday so we can enjoy mashed potatoes after we get home from church, usually to go with a roast I’ve put into the Crock-Pot.

  2½ pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes

  2 T. butter

  ¼ cup milk

  3 oz. cream cheese

  ¾ cup sour cream

  Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and other seasonings,

  to taste

  Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Boil them in salted water until tender, and drain. Beat in the remaining ingredients until the potatoes are well mashed and the cream cheese is blended in, and place this mixture into a sprayed microwavable dish or a 2-quart casserole. Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

  To reheat, cover with a microwave-safe cover and microwave on a medium setting for about 8 minutes, until steaming hot. Stir and heat a bit longer, if needed; OR, cover the casserole with an ovenproof lid or foil and reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Serves 6–8.

  Kitchen Hint : You can use margarine instead of butter, and you can also replace the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.

  Cheesy Baked Onions

  This was a recipe I found stuck in Mom’s cookbook. Part of the enjoyment in making this dish comes from recalling how she loved onions, and part of it is following the recipe written in her distinctive, back-slanted handwriting. Sweet, creamy, and decadently rich, this makes a wonderful side dish for any sort of meat. You can make it the day before and reheat it.

  6 medium or 4 large yellow onions

  ¼ cup butter or margarine

  ½ cup beef or chicken broth

  ½ cup whipping cream

  2 T. flour

  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

  Peel the onions and slice them thick. Sauté them in the butter or margarine until tender, adding water if necessary. Place in a 2-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick coating. In a separate bowl, stir together the broth, cream, flour, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings until blended. Pour this mixture over the onions and top with the Swiss cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 45 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. Serves 6–8.

  Cornbread Casserole

  Here’s the ultimate comfort food, made from ingredients you can keep on your shelf to whip together at a moment’s notice. When I serve this or take it to a potluck, I rarely get any because the bowl’s empty by the time I get to it!

  1 15-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained

  1 15-oz. can creamed corn

  1 box (8 oz.) Jiffy corn muffin mix

  1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

  ½ cup butter, melted

  1 egg

  Salt, pepper, dill weed to taste

  1½ cups shredded cheese of your choice, divided

  Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan or a quart-size baking dish. Mix all ingredients, saving back ½ cup of the cheese. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until the center is set. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

  Kitchen Hint : Feeling decadent? Stir crumbled bacon or ham chunks—up to a cup—into the batter.

  Pineapple Bread Pudding

  We love bread pudding and we love baked pineapple, so when I decided to try blending the two, it was outrageously good, moist and creamy and sweet without a lot of added sugar. It’s great for breakfast, and it’s also a yummy dessert.

  5 cups cubed stale bread

  2 cups milk, scalded

  ¼ cup butter or margarine

  1 20-oz. can crushed, juice-packed pineapple, undrained

  3 T. cornstarch

  3 eggs

  ½ cup sugar

  1 tsp. vanilla

  Cinnamon

  Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray/grease a 2-quart casserole dish. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. To scald the milk, heat it until it’s steamy, melt the butter in it, and then pour this mixture over the bread cubes. Stir. Pour in the pineapple, cornstarch, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and stir everything together until the eggs and sugar are well-blended with the bread mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the center is loosely set. Serves 6.

  Kitchen Hint : You can scald the milk in the microwave—takes about a minute, depending upon the wattage of your microwave. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave by covering them loosely with a wet paper towel to preserve the creaminess.

  Sausage, Sweet Peppers, and Onions

  Zesty and chock-full of vegetables, this makes a hearty sauce to serve over your favorite pasta, spaghetti squash, or rice. If you use f
resh tomatoes, as Miriam does, first dip them in boiling water and peel them, then core, cut them into chunks, and smash them in the pan. Add canned tomato juice if needed, so the other vegetables will have enough liquid as they cook.

  1 lb. Italian sausage, links or bulk

  2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes with juice OR

  6–8 large, very ripe fresh tomatoes

  1 or 2 large onions, cut into chunks

  2 green bell peppers, cut into chunks

  Several fresh mushrooms, cleaned and halved

  1 24-oz. can or jar of spaghetti sauce

  Liberal amounts of basil, garlic powder, lemon

  pepper, dill

  2–3 bay leaves

  Salt and pepper to taste

  1 6-oz. can of tomato paste

  If you use bulk sausage, brown it in a Dutch oven and drain the excess grease. If you prefer Italian links, boil them in a Dutch oven until nearly done, cool slightly, and then cut them into bite-size chunks. Set meat aside.

  Pour the tomatoes, with juice, into this same Dutch oven and add the onion and green peppers. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables soften, stirring so the tomatoes don’t scorch. Add the mushrooms and the meat, stirring well. Pour in the spaghetti sauce, then add the bay leaves and the other seasonings—be generous! Lower the heat and simmer, covered, at least a half hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the tomato paste to thicken the sauce. Serve bubbly hot.