Enjoy this educational presentation and meal. “Country Kitchen” presentation is an authentic Pennsylvania Dutch meal complete with “seven sweets and seven sours” tradition, all cooked on a 1920’s era wood stove. Attendees will partake in a meal cooked in the Country Kitchen during a 45-minute historical cooking presentation and meal limited to just eight guests per day.

Visitors will step back in time as they are led by Kutztown’s own Esser family, Joyce and her son Matt, as well as area historian Terry Berger, on a cooking demonstration that will begin with an explanation and display of the key features of a 100-year-old mock kitchen. Cooking tools, utensils, and vintage storage containers are just a few of the working artifacts on display and in use. The “center-piece” cooking stove will be in full operation as the day’s meal is prepared on it.

This up-close and personalized presentation will be followed by a multi-course sit-down family style meal in the country kitchen where visitors will enjoy the traditional PA Dutch foods prepared in the kitchen.

Limited to just eight guests, the daily menu will vary among numerous traditional delicacies such as pork roast, baked ham, baked chicken, schnitz and knepp, ham and string beans, chicken pot pie, dumplings, lettuce with hot bacon dressing, pepper cabbage, cottage cheese and apple butter, red beat eggs, chow-chow (pickled vegetables), fresh baked bread, fruit pies, apple cobbler, rice pudding, and mint tea just to name a few. Hungry, this traditional PA Dutch meal is sure to be an experience that will not be forgotten! 

The festival’s country kitchen has been a staple at the region’s most unique summer festival for decades, offering visitors a glimpse into the tradition of how Pennsylvania Dutch meals were prepared with ornate cast iron, wood burning, stoves. Gaining in popularity and becoming more affordable, these four plate top stoves, complete with an oven and warming space were the “modern luxury” of the time in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

07/02 TBD

07/03 TBD

07/04 Ham, String Beans & the 7 Sweet & Sours

07/05 Steak Pie & the 7 Sweet & Sours

07/06 Ham, String Beans & the 7 Sweet & Sours

07/07 Ham, String Beans & the 7 Sweet & Sours

07/08 Pot Pie & the 7 Sweet & Sours

07/09 TBD

07/10 TBD

*Menu is subject to change.