Pickled Corn

 Pickled Corn

    I saw this recipe recently as I was looking through a new to me cookbook. I had to try this dish that I'd never seen before and,  I'm so glad I did. I halved the recipe and that worked well.  I did have to make a minor adjustment, since I didn't have celery salt. Using celery salt, I did also use only about 1/4 tsp salt. The recipe is in my Grandma's Country Cooking cookbook published by ideals in 1984. The original recipe (below) makes 8 - 10 servings (that said it all depends on serving size), so mine probably would serve about 5. I really liked this dish. Admittedly, the pickled corn is still cooling in my refrigerator, but I couldn't help myself and tried one of the smallest pieces. Yum!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cups honey

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp celery seed 

1/2 tsp mustard seed

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked and cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, honey, vinegar, water, salt, celery seed, mustard seed and onion. Bring to a boil and boil for two minutes. Add the corn pieces; cover and simmer for five minutes or until corn is tender. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until well chilled.   

Pickled Corn (still hot)

Pickled Corn Ready For The Fridge

Soup #5 - Chicken Corn Soup

 The Year of Soup

Soup #5 - Chicken Corn Soup

    This recipe comes from the Beta Sigma Phi International Cookbook - Meats - Including Seafood and Poultry - 2000 Favorite Recipes of Beta Sigma Phi Members. The recipe was submitted to the cookbook by Jody Cash, Past President, Omicron Rho, Groves, Texas. This recipe made a large batch of soup.  I've modified it just a bit. See italics. I used chicken thighs instead of a stewing chicken, and I ended up cutting up the onion to keep in the soup, after cooking. I also didn't want to add the hard boiled eggs. I am making them optional to you. I think the little rivels (mini dumplings) were maybe supposed to be a little more tender, but I liked them. I really didn't do many pea sized bits, because my dough wasn't crumbly, so I was pinching off bits to make the rivels. The soup is delicious and I would definitely make this again. Try this soup!

Soup Ingredients:

4 lbs stewing chicken cut up or bone-in chicken breast or thighs with skin on

1 whole onion

4 quarts water

1 tbsp salt

2 cups fresh, frozen or canned corn

1/2 cup chopped celery

parsley flakes

Rivels Ingredients:

1 cup flour

pinch of salt

milk

1 tbsp chopped parsley

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Place chicken pieces into a large soup kettle with onion, water and 1 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth; remove skin and bones, and cut into small pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Return the meat to the broth. Add corn and celery and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Make the rivels: Combine flour, salt, egg and enough milk to make a crumbly mixture with lumps the size of small peas (Don't worry, you can always pinch off tiny bits if your dough mixture doesn't look like small peas). Drop the rivels and hard-cooked eggs if using, into the soup. Cook for 15 minutes.  To serve, ladel into bowls. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. 

Chicken Corn Soup

Soup #4 - Split Pea

 The Year of Soup

Soup #4 - Split Pea

    This soup comes to us from the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook - Fine Old Recipes - Made Famous By The Early Dutch Settlers In Pennsylvania. I've found multiple years which this cookbook was published in, but I have not yet been able to discern which year mine was published. I can tell you though that the original price sticker is on it. It was purchased for $1.39 at The Amish Farm And House at 2395 Lincoln Hwy East, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17602. My substitution for this soup was using about 1/4 pound of bacon, diced, in lieu of the ham bone.  I wanted to use a home bone, but that didn't happen.  I liked it with the bacon. It was a good substitute for that meat flavor.  

Ingreidents:

2 cups split peas

3 quarts water

1/4 pound of uncooked bacon, diced (or like the original recipe calls for, a ham bone, cracked)

3 tbsps butter

3 tbsps flour

2 tsps salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

fresh or dried parsley for decoration (optional)

Directions:

Wash and soak peas overnight in hot water to cover. Drain, soaked peas in into a large sauce pot and cover with water. Add bacon/ham bone and onion, then cook until peas are soft. Remove the ham bone if using, or if using bacon, remove to a bowl. Use an immersion blender to smooth to blend the peas, Melt butter in saucepan. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Heat until mixture bubbles and add milk gradually. Stirring constantly. Bring to boiling and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Blend into the pea mixture and add the bacon back to the pot. Heat thoroughly and serve hot. Serves 12 to 14. 

Split Pea Soup