Amish Peach Crumb Pie

The Amish are an incredibly simple, yet complex people. The family unit is forever binding with them. Those of you who are reading this blog and have had them as neighbors or have dealt with them on a personal level for any amount of time, know what I mean. They are generous, very introverted, yet will share whatever they have with a friend - either Amish or English (non Amish) The following recipe was given to me by one of the Amish families here in MO. Pie is always an appropriate dessert with just about any meal. Served with a few scoops of your favorite ice cream or sherbert, you can't go wrong. We had this pie a year ago at an Amish wedding reception I attended. It was a small reception; only 350 people - all but three were Amish. They sure know how to cook and bake. Their recipes are simple, yet lavish in taste.

Filling Ingredients

4 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca powder

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.Mix together gently, peaches, sugar, salt and tapioca. Let blend for 5 minutes before spooning into pie shell.

Crumb Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine; melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
Mix ingredients well and sprinkle over pie shell. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
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Gyoza with Fried rice and dipping sauce

This recipe has been in the family since the 60's. The first time I had it, I thought it was a Mexican dish. Duh!!! What do I know? It's a very tasty snack, or can be a main meal served with fried rice. We resurrected it a few days ago for the first time in several years.

Gyoza Ingredients

1 Lb Lean ground beef
3 medium sized mushrooms finely diced
2 green onions (scallions) finely diced
1 Stalk celery finely diced
3 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp Ground ginger
2 Cloves garlic finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1 Package wonton wrappers
1 beaten egg white
Vegetable oil for frying (*)

Mix all ingredients together. Place 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of the meat mix inside a wonton skin. Fold skin diagonally, so you end up with a triangle. Dampen the edges of the skin with egg white and press together so they will seal and not come apart in the cooking process. Place stuffed skins in hot oil - 5-6 at a time - and fry until deep golden brown. Remove from frying oil and place on paper towels. Place on oven proof dish and keep warm in the oven until all are done.

Fried Rice

2 Cups cooked Jasmine rice
2 Cups Chicken broth
4 Strips crispy bacon crumbled
1 Stalk celery finely chopped
3 Green onions finely chopped
2-3 Mushrooms finely chopped

Cook rice per instructions in chicken broth-not water. Let cool, then add remaining ingredients to rice and mix well. Sautee rice mixture on medium high in a large pan until the rice is browned and heated through.

Dipping Sauce

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

1/3 cup Habanero Vinegar

1/2 cup water

4-6 Chive stalks that have blossoms on them (Gone to seed)

We make our own vinegars, so I don't know if Habanero vinegar is available in the stores, but it's easy to make. Add 4-6 quartered habaneros - seeds and all - chives, plus a few cloves of crushed garlic to a quart/gallon- jar/bottle. Pour heated (not real hot) vinegar into the jar of peppers, chives, and garlic and let it sit for a month or longer in a dark place so the flavors will infuse into the vinegar. It's only slightly warm, but has the wonderful flavor of the habanero. Dip the cooked gyoza into the sauce.

The gyoza can be fried, steamed or boiled. We prefer the fried version.