A couple falls ago, I needed to take an emergency long weekend to a cabin in the woods, with a projected itinerary of not much more than staring at trees. The go-to getaway from Columbus is Hocking Hills, but somehow I managed to pick a peak foliage weekend for my mental breakdown and could not find a single cabin, or even a yurt, with availability. Thanks to a desperate Facebook post, though, we hit the jackpot. A friend offered up her husband’s parents farmhouse in Holmes County, aka Amish Country.
The weekend ended up being cold and rainy, and I was a horrible sinus infection, but none of it mattered. I left my laptop at home, powered off my iPhone and brought a few books and magazines along. I dragged a quilt out onto the porch and sat in a rocking chair and looked at some goddamn trees.
Holmes County is quiet. Eerily quiet. Only the occasional clip clopping of horse and buggies break the silence. It’s restorative.
We enjoyed a lovely carbs upon carbs upon carbs Sunday Supper buffet at the delightfully kitschy Chalet in the Valley.
This recipe is inspired by a creamed mushrooms recipe from the 1974 cookbook “Wonderful Good Cooking from Amish Country Kitchens.” I added in extra onions and topped the warm mushrooms with thin-sliced Amish Swiss cheese, and the results were remarkably similar in texture and flavor to Philly cheese steak.
Amish Cheese “Steak” Sandwiches
- 1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 T butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- dash of pepper
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- Amish Swiss cheese, sliced thin
- Sandwich rolls
Saute mushrooms and onions in 3 tablespoons butter until lightly browned. Season to taste, then mix with mayonnaise and spread on rolls. Top each sandwich with a slice of Swiss cheese, then pop sandwiches under a broiler for a couple of minutes, until cheese is bubbling.
modwestfood.com 