Writer / Janelle Morrison . Photographer / JJ Kaplan
Rachel Gallienne, owner of A Taste of Amish, grew up in northern Indiana and was inspired by her Amish family members early on in her life.
Gallienne’s father was raised in the Amish community, and during the time of his Rumspringa, he met Gallienne’s mother and ultimately chose to live outside of the community. Her father decided to remain in the Middlebury area, near Goshen, Indiana, and raise his family near his Amish roots. Gallienne’s passion for baked goods, fresh foods and a strong work ethic was derived from growing up near the family farm and her exposure to the Amish ways of life.
“I currently live in Westfield with my husband and two sons, but my family still lives in the Goshen and Middlebury areas,” Gallienne said. “I loved growing up and being with my Amish relatives. I would play with the animals on the farm and spend a lot of time there. It was wonderful, and it was simple. I inherited a strong work ethic from my family. Working hard and being with family is a large part of who I am. I can recall my dad teaching me how to grow and care for a garden. As an adult, I have my own garden, and it is something I truly enjoy doing.”
Gallienne spoke about how her passion for baking was nurtured by her aunts who were always baking donuts, cookies, pies and many other delectable treats. She would sample and “taste-test” quite often in their kitchens. Her grandmother, who suffered a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair, would bake or prepare treats or snacks for her guests in spite of her condition. This was her grandmother’s polite gesture to thank her visitors. This resonated with Gallienne, and this, along with many other Amish mannerisms, remain an important part of Gallienne’s philosophy of how to care for one’s family and members of one’s community.
“Since our grand opening last December, the community has been great to us,” Gallienne expressed. “I have customers walk in, and they thank me for being here. It made me realize the importance of telling your local merchants that you are glad that they are there. It made me start to do that more often myself. I am having fun, and I want to share the good tasting products that I was raised on with my community here.
“I bring in fresh baked good and products from Amish suppliers and distributors from northern Indiana. We are open Wednesday through Saturday. The Amish reserve Sundays as a day away from work and spend the day with their families. I encourage our customers to come in early on Saturdays if they would like to have products for Sundays and Mondays. We also take special orders for a variety of pies, cookies, breads and a variety of products. We can also provide sugar-free and gluten-free products upon request. We need three days advance notice for these items but are happy to provide them.”
I have personally tried their “candy crunch” topped donuts and cream filled donuts, and these have become a big hit in the Morrison household. Their sweet tiny beets and chocolate peanut crunch were also home runs, according to my children. Customers will find homestyle noodles, homemade granola, whipped honey, blue popcorn, red raspberry jalapeño jam, sweet dill pickles, apple butters, fried pies and an assortment of jams, breads and other sweet and savory products on the shelves at A Taste of Amish.
“Fresh is the secret ingredient,” Gallienne said. “The Amish strive to create top quality food with little to no preservatives when possible and with the best quality ingredients.”
