Recipes to Warm Your Heart & Your
Soul
From Bucks County, Pennsylvania
By Carrie J. Gamble
This time of year most of us are thinking of
ways to keep warm. What could be better than
recipes which come straight out of our grandmother's
kitchen? Whether you are a star chef, culinary
arts student, home cook or foodie your passion
for delicious food most likely stems from childhood
memories of grandmother's cooking.
Nowadays it is referred to as “comfort food”
and it is just that. It is food that will comfort
us and nurture us. Let's face it, at the end
of our busy days all of us could use a little
of both. For many it is easy to rush home from
a busy day and throw something in the microwave
for a quick meal to serve the family. But there
is something about cooking up a pot of homemade
soup and baking fresh biscuits which just can't
be beat. It may take a little longer to get
dinner on the table, but in the end it is worth
it and your family will thank you for it. Perhaps
the soup could be made on a Sunday afternoon
and will be ready to eat come Monday. When the
aromas of home cooking fill the air our bodies
begin to relax and are soothed by it. So in
a sense home cooking nourishes us in two ways:
it nourishes our soul by soothing us and nourishes
our bodies when it is eaten.
I don't know about you, but I love to reminisce
about being in my grandmother's kitchen. She
could whip up a pot of Vegetable Soup with Dumplings
with no effort and bake a tray of Buttermilk
Biscuits with her eyes closed! It was a treat
to watch and of course, always a treat to eat
in grandmother's kitchen! Wouldn't you love
to create those kinds of memories for your own
family? With that thought in mind, I want to
share with you my grandmother's Vegetable Soup
with Dumplings and Buttermilk Biscuits recipes.
They are sure to warm your heart and your soul!
Enjoy!
Vegetable Soup with Dumplings
Use a nice piece of shin meat with a marrow
bone in it. Put the meat into a 4 qt. pot. Fill
with water and cook until boiling. Turn down
to simmer. Add all of the diced vegetables.
I use everything: 2 carrots, a piece of turnip,
2 stalks celery, 1 large fresh tomato or 1/2
cup stewed tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic,
1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, a few slices of cabbage
leaves, some green pepper, a package of mixed
frozen vegetables, 1 tablespoon salt and a dash
of pepper. I also like to add 2 tablespoons
barley or rice, whichever you prefer. Let it
all simmer together for at least 2-3 hours.
When it's done, add the dumplings.
For the dumplings: In a bowl mix 1 cup flour,
a pinch of salt, 1 egg and enough water to make
a stiff dough. Take a teaspoon and cut off 1/2
teaspoon size of dough and drop into the soup.
Cook about 5 minutes until they rise and are
done. Cut the meat into bite sized pieces and
put back into the soup. Sprinkle a little chopped
parsley on top before serving. This soup is
a meal in itself.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Sift 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon
sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda. Cut 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter
into it with a knife or use your hands. Then
add 3/4 cup buttermilk. Blend into a ball. Roll
out 1/2” thick. Cut into rounds using a cookie
cutter or a glass. Bake at 400 degrees for 12
to 15 minutes.
Carrie J. Gamble is the co-author, editor and
publisher of Grandmother's Cookbook, a collection
of her own grandmother's best recipes. Details
about the cookbook and more delicious recipes
of Carrie's grandmother, Elizabeth Rose von
Hohen, can be found on their website. Visit
the site and download free recipes and “A Family
Love Letter” chapter at www.grandmotherscookbook.com.
Carrie J. Gamble
Carrie J. Gamble, Inc.
www.grandmotherscookbook.com
Publisher of:
Grandmother's Cookbook,
Simple Pleasures, an illustrated book
about life's greatest gift - nature.
P.O. Box 66 - Doylestown, PA 18901
Telephone: 215-340-0381
