When talking about cooking, one thing a lot of people bring up is Amish made food. This past weekend I had a chance to visit Shipshewana, IN. While there I did get a chance to try some of the local places, and had some good food, and found some things to try.
One of the first places we stopped was Yoder's Red Barn Shoppes. While there we got to try one of Ben's Soft Pretzels, absolutely delicious and a size more than adequate to share. We also got to sample some loose leaf teas that were absolutely amazing there. While a bit on the pricy side, if you were looking for some different herbal teas, definitely a must stop.
The next stop was right next door at Yoder's Meat and Cheese. This place made me drool, and if I hadn't been so far from home without a portable freezer, I probably would have loaded up. A selection of grain fed meats, and cheeses that could rival just about any place I've come across. And to top things off, the prices were very reasonable. Steaks at my local grocery store weren't any cheaper. They also had some local spice mixes for sale there as well, one I have tried before was Happy Salt (They just so happen to be sold out at this moment in time), I got a garlic topper that is a combination of garlic and romano that they say is perfect for quick garlic bread at home, it sounded good to me, so I had to add that my basket. My mother who was with me, decided she was going to try their taco seasoning and chicken seasoning this time, both of which sounded pretty good. I had to admit a lot of these looked very tempting to me, it's nice to see spice mixes were you can easily pronounce all the ingredients and lacking on MSG. I will try to let you know how the garlic topping is soon.
One of the stops that was definitely on the list was E & S Sales. A bulk food store that also has a little cafe where you can have some ice cream or a quick bite as well. Here was a place I will definitely try to visit again. I had already tried some of their noodles they sale, which are excellent and a real value. But to walk down the spice rows, I was in shock and awe. If I had planned properly I would have needed more space in the car. I am definitely going to have to try out some recipes and make plans for the spices I want before I get back there. They also had some bulk dip mixes, cake mixes, brownie mix, and pretty much any other thing else you wanted for cooking or baking. Just prepare better than I did, while they have a lot, they don't take credit cards. Although an ATM is available at the front of the store, I'd wager you'd still be better off to plan accordingly.
Lunchtime cames, we decided to have a light lunch at The Blue Gate Restaurant. They start you off with a mini loaf of some fresh baked bread, which is soft soft and delicious. On the table to accompany your bread is a choice of a peanut butter, and apple butter, both of which I had to try, and honestly I don't see how you could go wrong with either. Our main course was a dish of Amish chicken and noodles, that we split, these noodles were obviously freshly made and delicious. I think they could have maybe been cooked a bit less, as they were a bit overly soft for my taste, more like what you might find in soup than in a plate of chicken and noodles, but that didn't stop me from finishing every bite. Paired with mashed potatoes, and a side, of which I chose chicken dressing, we had the makings of our very own Thanksgiving in July lunch. Not much color on our plate, but plenty of delicious food.
There were so many other things I would have loved to try, but as I didn't bring the appetite of football team, it will have to wait for a return visit. Some of the other things you can find were kettle corn, fried pies, and more baked goods than you might think exist. Those will have to wait for a future trip for me, but I have gotten some ideas of things to try, so we shall see how it goes.
Till next time!
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