The Amish Cook: Gloria Yoder Talks School Start and Serves Up Delicious Der Dutchman Marinated Carrots

THE AMISH COOK
BY GLORIA YODER
How swiftly the summer days are passing! School is already starting this week. We enjoy living next door to our little parochial school. This year there will be 22 scholars and 2 teachers. Our 2 1 /2 year-old daughter Julia loves to go outside and watch them play softball at recess time.
Each morning during the academic year the men and boys in our church take turns going to school to share a brief devotional and have prayer with the teachers and scholars. Julia and I enjoy going with Daniel when it’s his turn. Julia usually sits beside one of my sisters at their desks. I’m not sure who it tickles the most, Julia or her aunts!
Before the first day of school, the schoolhouse needed a thorough scrubbing. Everyone in church was invited to come and help with the work at hand. While the ladies cleaned, the men and boys cut and stacked firewood and did maintenance and repairs here and there, cleaned out the barn, etc. Much got accomplished in a short time. After the jobs were completed, tables and benches were set up outside where we ate a light supper of hot dog sandwiches and finger foods over an open fire along with the assistance of several adults. Each of us ladies had taken a snack or finger food along. I chose to make cupcakes which is one of Julia’s favorites.
My parents, siblings, and Daniel, myself and Julia spent the weekend in Ohio. Then my parents and family traveled back home on Monday while Daniel, Julia, and I plan to stay here in Danville, Ohio for a few weeks yet. We’re staying with Daniel’s parents at their house. I feel so blessed with loving in-laws who always willingly open their hearts and home to us. Daniel is helping his brother Tobias with his landscaping business. Not only does the work provide an income for us to be here and have Daniel landscaping, it also gives us the opportunity to spend quality time with family. Julia enjoys being here as well. She especially likes trailing after her Aunt Mary, who she dearly loves and adores.
Tomorrow I plan to go shopping in Holmes County with my in-laws. Hopefully we’ll be able to go to several thrift shops and fabric stores. Thrift shopping is something I always enjoy and Holmes County definitely has a good variety of stores to choose from.
By the way, if you ever travel to Central Ohio you may enjoy touring the Berlin area. My Dad grew up with Berlin being his hometown. It was a quiet little village where they did their shopping back then. Much has changed. Most of the little residential homes along the streets are now restaurants and cute little tourist shops selling all kinds of unique items.
You may also find it interesting to tour Rolling Ridge Ranch were they have all kinds of exotic animals. Their tours are given on wagons, hitched to a team of horses. The ranch premises are on the farm where Dad and his brothers spent many hours hunting rabbit and deer when they were boys.

“I would go out and fetch the cows many, many times,” he recalled. “I’d take the pony and go early in the morning before daylight. Once I had a runaway back there. It was during summer vacation before I was in 8th grade. I had a team of five horses with a cultimulcher (Editor’s note: a cultimulcher is a machine that has rollers both front and rear and teeth in the center, the roller’s “teeth” dig up to six inches in the ground, while the rear roller breaks up the dirt clumps. This gives the farmer a tool to give good soil to seed contact) when the horses ran away. They galloped toward a treeline. Several horses passed the tree on one side while the rest passed on the other. Pieces of the cultimulsher flew in every direction, ruining three of the harnesses. Thankfully no one was injured!”
If you’re in the area and need a place to eat Der Dutchman’s in Walnut Creek is a delicious choice. Years ago my mother made salads for their salad bar. For that reason I always tend to be partial to them. This week I’ll share the marinated carrot recipe with you that she used while working there. On a busy week she would peel and slice 300 pounds of carrots for this recipe.

Years later Mom made these marinated carrots that were served after our church services. My older brother, Javin, who was a little boy at that time was so embarrassed to find out that his Mom was the one who brought the carrots. Obviously cooked carrots weren’t on the top of his list at that time. Thankfully he has grown up since then. These are delicious!
DER DUTCHMAN’S MARINATED CARROTS
3 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced half inch thick
Sauce:
1 1 /4 cups tomato soup
1 cup sugar
1 /2 cup vegetable oil
1 /3 cup vinegar
1 /2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, cut into rings
1 green pepper, sliced
Cook carrots until tender, do not overcook. Drain. Set aside. For the sauce, mix everything together over low for five minutes. Then pour over the carrots and mix thoroughly. Add onions and peppers if desired. For best results chill for several hours before serving.