German Sauerkraut Salad (The Colony Inn in Amana, Iowa

We had a wonderful day yesterday despite the icky stuff that threatened and then made good on it with light snow and then kind of a wintery mix of snow and misty rain. The temps hovered around 20F, so it wasn't bitterly cold just icky. Den needed some tax document to complete our income tax stuff and picked that up at the Cedar Rapids Public Library at the Westdale Mall and then the headed to the Amana Colonies.

I have a quilt in process that I am calling "The Daydreamer Quilt". There is a picture of it above, I am still working on it. It will be for the bed that it is on, in our guest room down stairs. The large flowers are the product of an Iowa artist named Stephanie Brandenburg. She and her mother have a shop in South Amana called Fern Hill Gifts and Quilts. We stopped there and I purchased a couple more yards of the color wash fabric that you see in the drops on the sides. I need it to complete the shams as well as "piano key" border on the drops of the sides and foot. Anyway, Fern Hill is absolutely amazing. Three levels of antiques (some are structural and some just what you would expect in a antique store) and fabric for quilting. What this stuff was beautiful stuff.

We have in the past always gone to the Ronnenburg for meal when in the Amanas but this time Den wanted to try something different. So, we went to the Colony Inn. Meals are served family style. You order your entree' and they bring you what goes with it in small bowls that you can choose what you want and have pretty much as much as you want. When they bring you the salad portion, there were several bowls, lettuce salad with homemade buttermilk dressing (not ranch), cottage cheese (this has buttermilk and chive in it, yummy), and sauerkraut salad. We both loved, loved the sauerkraut salad.

My mother's mother was a Dunkered from Pennsylvania which is, as I understand it, a sect of Amish. She married and Englisher, my granddad. I called Mom from the restaurant to see if she knew how to make this salad. Yes, well sort of. But she thought it was in a Amish cookbook that my sister had given her but I should talk to my cousin Martha as she has borrowed the book. As it turns out the Colony shares this recipe and the young lady brought me a copy of it.

I am headed back to Mt. Pleasant for our sewing day on March 5th and Mom wants some of this, so I guess I should get it on the make.

Sauerkraut Salad (Colony Inn in Amana, Iowa)

Combine in a large air tight container (tupperware or Gladware or the like)

1 quart sauerkraut (don't wash this at all leave the juice on it)

1 C. diced celery

1/2 C. onion, chopped (medium)

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. salad oil (they use Wesson Oil, I will be using canola oil)

1/4 C. red and green bell peppers chopped (for taste as well as color)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Cover and refrigerate for 72 hours, so the flavors can meld well.

The young lady told us that after sitting at room temperature for over 3 hours the oil will form bits of solids in the salad so keep it refrigerated.

I hope that you try this and that you like it as well as both Den and I do.

God Bless,

Linda