Christmas favorites

Kay Hollobaugh
Hollabaugh Brother’s Orchard

(12/2018) The month of December seems to just fly by. As I write this article, it is a day before Thanksgiving. I know, with certainty, that I’m going to blink my eyes and it will be Christmas Eve!

For me, the month of December is very busy at work and at home. I imagine it is for you as well. Here at our market, we have a very talented woman working on making wreaths to adorn our customers’ doors for the holidays. She is decorating them with red balls, with dried flowers (and yes – some beautiful weeds found in our woods), with lovely balls and with dried fruits – grown on our farm and dried in our bakery.

But what is the significance of a wreath? The wreath has significant meaning. Its circular shape represents eternity. It has no beginning and no end. From a Christian religious perspective, it represents an unending circle of life. The evergreen, most frequently used in making wreaths, symbolizes growth and everlasting life. Some liken the circular wreath to the crown of thorns worn by Christ when he was crucified. Likely you don’t think a lot about those things when you choose a wreath for your door, but you do have specific things in mind when you shop!

I also feel that a wreath is teeming with tradition. In our family, it’s just something you do. We hang a wreath on our doors as a harbinger of the season and a sign of welcome. The holiday season is just brimming with tradition – it’s what we do to welcome and enjoy the holiday – and is part of our desire to remember things past – and pass on to the next generation things that are near and dear!

I’m always asked to share recipes in this column, so I decided this month to share some of my tried and true Christmas favorites – traditional recipes that are near and dear to me. I’ll warn you in advance – our Christmas dinner is not conventional! My mom began the tradition of serving Pig Stomach – or Hog Maw if you prefer – and the tradition continues in spite of the fact that Mom is now gone. My children and grandchildren request it every year. And before you just throw up your hands and say "I am not eating a pig stomach" – that’s OK! About 50% of my family will not touch the stomach, but my oh my – the insides? Are delicious. Here’s my mom’s recipe – for one stomach. (My husband and I currently stuff 4 for our family.)

Mom’s Pig Stomach

• 1 Hog Maw (ask at the Butcher Counter if you can’t find one)
• Diced Potatoes, Raw
• 1 Lb. Ground Sausage
• About 1 Quart Filling or Stuffing (I make mine from scratch – recipe to follow)

Soak the stomach in cold water overnight. If there are holes in the stomach, you will need to sew them shut. Then I begin layering in the ingredients – a heaping handful of each ingredient – until the stomach is VERY full. You will need to sew shut the end. If you don’t have these – look for "turkey lacers" or "turkey pins". I place these pins around the opening and then using doubled thread – "lace" the end closed. I do not add salt or pepper to anything, as typically the stomach has already been soaking in a brine to kill bacteria and is salty. Also the sausage is usually rather salty. Place stomach in a roast pan, covered and bake for about 2 hours – OR until a fork poked through the skin finds soft potatoes! You can uncover for an additional 30 minutes so that the stomach get a golden hue. Slice and enjoy!

Bread Filling/Stuffing: Cube old bread – stale truly is best for filling! Melt one stick of butter and saute celery and onions until soft. Pour butter mixture over bread cubes. If TOO wet, add more bread crumbs. If TOO dry, add more butter.

Fried Apples

This recipe is a perfect compliment to the pig stomach and can be varied depending upon how many people you are serving. This recipe accompanies the one stomach – to feed 3 to 5 people.

• 8 Apples (I prefer Goldrush or Nittany but any tart apple will work)
• ½ Cup Brown Sugar
• 4 T. Butter, Melted
• Cinnamon to taste

Melt the butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Toss in sliced, peeled apples and saute until soft.

Jewish Brown Bread

This "bread" is truly more of a dessert, but is a "must have" with our Christmas dinner.

• ¾ C. Raisins
• 1 ½ cup Water
• 1 ½ Tsp. Baking Soda
• 3 C. Flour
• 2 C. Sugar
• 1 ½ Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 3 Eggs, Beaten
• 1 C. Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• 1 C. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Put the raisins, water and baking soda in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cool and drain off the liquid. Set raisins aside and toss the liquid. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl by hand. The mixture is super thick. Add raisins and spoon into two small, greased and floured loaf pans (roughly 3" x 5" pans). Bake at 325 for one hour or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Depending upon the weather, sometimes I have to bake for up to an hour and a quarter. Mixture is very dense so be sure center is baked through. If top becomes too brown, cover with foil during the last portion of the baking. This bread freezes very well so I often make weeks in advance and freeze until I need it!