I was in Shipshewana, Indiana, a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to dine in an Amish home. I was with a group of other non-Amish folks, so our host, Linda King, prepared a meal that was, surprisingly, not what I expected for a typical Amish meal.
She said most Amish meals are a meat with side dishes, but she thought we would prefer something different.
So she prepared a taco salad-type meal that, in keeping with Indiana tradition, she referred to as a haystack meal. As it turns out, haystack dinners are a popular meal option in Amish homes.
Standing at one end of a long table with a food cart in front of her, she began serving the layers, one by one, for us to pass around.
The first to come my way was a bowl full of crushed saltine cracker crumbs that she explained were the base of the taco haystack. Then came rice, followed by ground beef, cheese, onions, tomatoes, green pepper and sour cream. The crowning touch was a big drizzle of warm cheese sauce.