By Rosie Moore
William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania (which, by the way, means Penn’s Woods) was born in London, England in 1644. In his twenties he converted to the Quaker religion and was jailed several times for his resistance to the church of England. In 1681 he received a charter to form a new colony in America.
The area he chose was filled with rich soil and it wasn’t long until immigrants from Europe settled in that part of the country, which included the Pennsylvania Dutch, which is a misnomer. The proper name is Pennsylvania German because Pennsylvania Dutch have nothing to do with Holland, the Netherlands, or the Dutch language. They originally came from German-speaking areas of Europe and speak a dialect of German they refer to as Deutsch that has led to the misconception about the origin of the term Pennsylvania Dutch. English-speaking Pennsylvanians simply confused the word Deutsch for Dutch. The Amish and Mennonites sects have spoken Pennsylvania Dutch for over three centuries but it slowly dying out.
But I am digressing here. What I really want to talk about is when one drives on the curvy roads and among the rolling hills of Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the summertime, one will see many vegetable and fruit stands offering colorful vegetables like, corn, eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, lima beans and so many others. Also strawberries, blackberries, quinces, apples and other fruits are in season. They grow all these foods and preserve them but they always have a lot left over which they sell for a minimal price to the tourists who pass by their stands. I know we have vegetable markets in the surrounding areas but I miss the vegetable stands along the roads up there.
I am including a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe you can make for a summer picnic. This recipe shows the old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch way to make pickled red beet eggs. Enjoy!
Pickled Eggs and Red Beets:
2 c. (about one pound) young beets
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/2 c, cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
small piece stick cinnamon
3 or 4 whole cloves
6 hard-cooked eggs.
Wash beets. Cut off leaves and stems, leaving on about one inch of the root end. Cook until tender. Drain and skin. Boil together for ten minutes all remaining ingredients except the eggs. Let beets stand in this liquid for several days. Add whole hard-cooked shelled eggs to the liquid and let stand in the refrigerator for two days.
Thought for the day: Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Rachel Carson
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