All summer long here, the area is rich with favorites like peach and corn roast festivals which include a myriad of yummy things like peach dumplings. Also another huge fun thing around here is the church picnics. This being the coal region and edge of the coal region, church picnics are synonymous with great ethnic food and drinking. Yes, the local church picnics provide alcohol and bands along with food and games. It is a great time where many families bring their lawn chairs and blankets and babies to the eldest seniors come out to enjoy the evenings. Sometimes there are even fireworks to grace the end of the night.
So, some recipes are in order to reflect this good time.
HALUSHKI—Noodle Dish
1 lg cabbage head, chopped
2 lg sweet onion or yellow onion, chopped
2 crushed garlic cloves, chopped
bacon grease about 6-8 slices of bacon
1 stick sweet salted butter (add more as needed - 1/2 stick)
12 oz wide egg noodle
salt and pepper
Remove first layer of cabbage only and cut around core, leaving core out of recipe.
Lightly sauté 8 slices of bacon (for the drippings). Remove bacon once done, (do not burn bacon) then sauté onions, garlic and cabbage with bacon drippings with 1 stick butter.
Cook until cabbage has a soft texture. add bacon (this is optional). Add 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, add more to taste.
In a separate pot, boil noodles for about 7 minutes (less than al denté).
Once noodles are done, drain and add to cabbage mixture and remove from heat.
PIGEONS or HALUPKIES - Stuffed cabbage rolls (traditional version, another can be made with kraut.)
1 head of cabbage (about 3 lbs)
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tspn pepper
1 can stewed tomatoes (or substitute Campbell's tomato soup)
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp shortening
Cut cabbage deeply around core to loosen leaves. Boil the cabbage leaves about 5 minutes and set aside to drain. In a skillet, add ground meats, onions, shortening, salt and pepper, and fry slowly for about 15 minutes. Wash rice, drain, add to meat and mix well.
Place a tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll. Place rolls side by side in pot. Pour tomatoes over top and add enough water to cover. Add another tbsp salt and pepper. Cook 1 and 1/2 hours.
PEACH or APPLE DUMPLINGS
1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie (if in a hurry, Pillsbury Pie Crusts work fine) If you need a good pie crust recipe, let me know, I have it!
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch pan.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a large rectangle, about 24 by 16 inches.
Cut into 6 square pieces.
Place an peach/apple on each pastry square with the cored opening facing upward.
Cut butter into 8 pieces.
Place 1 piece of butter in the opening of each peach/apple; reserve remaining butter for sauce.
Divide brown sugar between peaches/apples, poking some inside each cored opening and the rest around the base of each apple.
Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the peaches/apples.
With slightly wet fingertips, bring one corner of pastry square up to the top of the apple, then bring the opposite corner to the top and press together.
Bring up the two remaining corners, and seal.
Slightly pinch the dough at the sides to completely seal in the apple.
Repeat with the remaining apples.
Place in prepared baking dish.
In a saucepan, combine water, white sugar, vanilla extract and reserved butter.
Place over medium heat, and bring to a boil in a large saucepan.
Boil for 5 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.
Carefully pour over dumplings.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Place each peach/apple dumpling in a dessert bowl, and spoon some sauce over the top.
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