Ruth Schmidt's Fried Potatoes

Ruth loves this dish, especially when there made with freshly dug Hutterite new potatoes.

Boil small new potatoes until done. Peel and slice into thirds. Fried over medium heat in a little butter until golden on each side.

Ruth Schmidt's Macaroni and Tomatoes

This is one of Ruth's favorites. It makes a simple but tasty meal or side dish.

Cook 1/2 pound of macaroni and drain. Place in a bowl and stir in two 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes and mix well.

Vodka Penne

from Veganomicon

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
a few dashes fresh black pepper
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil, plus a little extra for garnish
1/2 pound penne

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Preheat a saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the oil, garlic and crushed red pepper to the saucepan and saute for about a minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add the crushed red tomatoes, vodka, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover, and turn the heat up a bit to bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.

Once the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add the almonds. Use an immersion blender to blend the almonds into the sauce until creamy and only slightly grainy. The pasta should be done by now, so drain and set aside. Add the basil to the sauce, and mix the sauce and pasta together in the pot. Serve, garnished with a little extra chopped basil.

Number of Servings: 4

Ruth Schmidt's Stewed Chicken and Dumplings (Pressure Cooker)

Ruth really enjoys these dumplings. If If you own a modern pressure cooker, cook the chicken at full pressure but leave the lid unlocked for the dumplings (the dumplings are just steamed not pressure cooked). This recipe comes from an old Presto Pressure Cooker booklet. I found the exact same recipe for the steamed dumplings here.

4 lbs. chicken

2 cups water

1 can chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 stalk celery

1 tbsp. parsley, minced

Method: cut chicken into serving pieces. Place in cooker with water, broth, salt, pepper and celery stalk. Place cover on coker. Allow steam to flow from vent pipe to release all air from cooker. Put indicator weight on vent pipe and cook 20 minutes with stem at coom position. Let stem return to down position. Remove celery stalk. Garnish with parsley.

Steamed Dumplings

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup milk

2 tbsp. melted fat or salad oil

Method: Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine egg, milk and oil and add to dry

ingredients to make soft dough. Drop from teaspoon into stew. Stew should have 3 cups of liquid (add boiling water if necessary). Place cover on cooker without indicator weight and steam 15 minutes. Serve at once.

Ruth Schmidt's Ice Cream

3 cups milk

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups cream

Mix flour and milk to paste. Combine with 2 cups milk, sugar, and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes.

Add light beaten egg yolks slowly. Put through a strainer. Stir in egg whites, remaining milk, and cream.

Freeze in an ice cream maker.

Ruth Schmidt's Fudge, Penuche, and Divinity

Fudge

2 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2/3 cup milk, scalded

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons white Karo syrup

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts

Melt chocolate in milk. Add sugar, salt, Karo, and cook to soft ball. Add butter, vanilla, and cool. Beat and add nuts.

Penuche

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

pinch salt

1 tablespoon light Karo syrup

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cups nuts

Divinity

5 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup corn syrup

1 1/4 cup hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 egg whites

1/2 cup or more chopped nuts

Combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt in saucepan. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boiling. Cook to hard-ball stage (250 degrees) without stirring. Wipe crystals from sides of pan now and then with fork wrapped in damp cloth. Remove from heat.

Immediately beat egg whites stiff. Pour hot syrup slowly over beaten whites, beating constantly at high speed on mixer (about 5 minutes). Add 1 vanilla and beat until mixture forms soft peaks and begins to lose its gloss. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if you wish. Drop divinity from a teaspoon, pushing off with a second spoon, onto a cooky sheet covered with waxed paper. Twirl top! If divinity becomes too stiff for twirling, add a few drops of hot water.

Ruth Schmidt's Pot Roast

A very simple recipe from Jim's mom! You can even use a frozen roast, just cook longer.

Preheat oven to 400º. Salt and pepper a chuck roast (2 1/2 to 4 pounds), place it in a roaster and put it in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn it over and continue to cook it for an additional 30 minutes.
After it has been cooking for an hour it should look brown on both sides.
Put a little water in the pan along with a couple of halved onions, small new potatoes (whole), and medium-sized peeled carrots.
Turn the heat down to 350º and cover the roaster tightly.
Continue to cook until done, about an additional 1 1/2 hours checking every once and a while to make sure there is enough liquid (if the roast looks dry, add a little more water).
Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with defatted juices or make gravy.