Jill Chase was just a baby during the Holocaust. She was born as Jetty Leider on April 9, 1941 in Eindhoven, Holland. At just 6 months old, Jill was forced into hiding with Catholic nuns as a safety measure by her family. Jill recounts the horrors of being “thrown out of her home and forced to live in hiding.” She stayed in a convent with this group of Catholic nuns for three years until a Jewish chaplain from England retrieved her and brought her back to her family and home.
While her home was quite damaged, Jill recalls her mother cooking stamppot, a one-pot Dutch dish of potatoes, kale, and wurst, with fondness. Each year before Passover, after the kitchen was kashered (made kosher) for the holiday, but before the Seders began, this stamppot was the family meal.
Stamppot is a simple and satisfying dish to make. Enjoy the video to hear more of Jill’s story and watch her prepare this beloved family recipe.
This video was made in partnership with Selfhelp Community Services.
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Ingredients
- Half a bunch of green kale or 16-24 oz. bag of kale
- 4 large russet (Idaho) potatoes
- 1 package of beef sausages/wurst
- water
- salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Wash the kale and remove stems. Rip up the kale into medium-sized pieces.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the kale on top of the potatoes. Next, add the entire package of whole sausage/wurst to the pot and specifically place on top of kale and potatoes.
- Turn on medium flame. Allow the entire pot to boil for 15 minutes.
- Stick a knife in the potatoes to test that they are fully cooked. If the potatoes are not soft enough, cook for 3-5 minutes longer.
- Note, if there is too much water remaining in the pot after the potatoes are fully cooked, drain some (not all) of the water in a separate bowl.
- Remove the sausage/wurst and place on a separate dish. Mash the potatoes and kale with a masher and move to a casserole dish.
- Next, slice sausage/wurst into medium round pieces and add to mashed potatoes and kale mixture in casserole. If desired, add salt and pepper to taste.
