Pennsylvania Dutch Country

We visited Lancaster County, PA, one cold, rainy November. We actually went into an Amish couple's home - Barbara & Elam's - for lunch. It was so inviting and warm - very cozy. November is when the Amish marry. The harvest is done and the hard cold winter has not yet begun - it seems to be the best time for marriages for them. The Amish bride wears a newly handmade bright blue dress in an everyday style that all the women wear. After the marriage the dress is packed away never to be worn again until her burial.

Barbara & Elam were not attending a wedding that day, but prepared a traditional wedding meal for us. Homemade bread (just baked!), a chopped salad of celery, onion, cabbage - all chopped so finely I couldn't tell what all was in it - it wasn't mixed up though - just lined up on a large platter and looked so beautiful & with Amish farmer's cheese grated on top that just melted in your mouth & a homemade salad dressing that I can't figure out what was in it-YUM!...pickled beets, applesauce, pear preserves, the absolute BEST mashed potatoes I have ever had with brown butter & gravy, garden peas, roast (Not what you might think). What they call roast is merely chopped cooked chicken baked with dressing and gravy in a casserole. It was very good. We also had baked ham. For dessert - shoofly pie, pumpkin pie and homemade vanilla ice cream that was far superior to any I've ever had - so rich - tasted like pure sweetened cream.