Mennonite Food is Comfort Food!

First, a little background is in order.

The Mennonites that are a part of my family were poor farmers. They worked some very tough soil on the harsh prairies.

As with all ethnic foods, the dishes prepared are a reflection of what the people had to work with.

So, we have a garden, where we can easily grow and keep for winter storage: potatoes, turnips, cabbage, onions, beets, carrots; also, beans, peas, chives, tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon. I used to say, "If it came from underground, we've got a recipe for it". Gramma always has a row of herbs, like dill, to spice up her borscht.

We have a couple of chickens, and cows; and the neighbour has a few pigs where we trade some of our produce for the delicious farmer sausage they make.

Many Mennonite dishes have a commonality with the Ukrainian and Jewish folks who lived in similar circumstances. The use of wheat flour, dairy products, garden produce, and, very sparingly, meat, is common.

All families have variations in their recipes. Even within families, if there was no cream, then they would use water. You just made due with what you had.

Most recipes were never written down. The cooks just threw in a little of this and a little of that. It is truly a blessing that there are now many books out on ethnic cooking. I think it's a minor miracle that there are so many Mennonite recipe books to choose from, seeing that most of the old-time cooks kept it all in their heads.

For Mennonite cooking, most ingredients are either in your home pantry or are easily found in most grocery stores.

You will need a BIG pot and a BIG spoon for soup or borscht. A spice ball is also useful, as it holds the spices and is removed from the soup or borscht once it is ready. They say soup and borscht always taste better the next day! If you really have alot left over, you can freeze it and enjoy it later with all the cooking already behind you!

This site is a work in progress. As I learn more about site building, I will post some of the recipes that I and others have.