Sundays…if you are lucky enough to grow up in a big ethnic family, then you know that these are days to gather together around the kitchen table…laughing, sharing stories, playing cards, being together, and (of course), enjoying family recipes, like homemade pierogies! The Pierogi Lady at The Hartville Marketplace in Hartville, Ohio had a familiar memory as a child. Autumn Johnson, THE actual Pierogi Lady, shared that family would come from Akron, Ohio, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and all over the Summit County, Ohio area on Sundays to her “grams” house for a hearty helping of delicious handmade pierogies. And as she grew older, she tried to keep the family tradition alive, but pierogies in a box in the freezer section were nothing compared to her grandmother’s family recipe. And that is when Autumn Johnson decided to become The Pierogi Lady!
Autumn says that she became frustrated with not being able to find authentic homemade pierogies. She turned to using family recipes and started making her own handmade pierogies and her friends and family loved them! They encouraged her to start her own business: everyone deserved pierogies that good!
People drive from all over, just to see what The Pierogi Lady has cooked up on any given day. Autumn says she likes to have fun combining old family pierogi recipes with new ingredients. The fun thing about pierogies is that you can stuff them with just about anything! The possibilities are endless. The Pierogi Lady carries a long list of pierogies including the traditional stuffed potato to “dessert” pierogies stuffed with fruits and candies.
If all the talk of this homemade goodness is making you hungry for a chocolate ganache, peanut, and caramel pierogi (please remember to wipe the drool off your keyboard after you are done reading this!) then there are many ways you can experience all the goodness of a truly authentic homemade pierogi!
The Pierogi Lady is home-based out of Hartville MarketPlace in Hartville, Ohio. You can find her at 1289 Edison Street NW at booth 83-84-85 aisle 3 South. But, if you live in the Akron or Cuyahoga Falls area, The Daily Bread at 270 West Avenue in Tallmadge, or Figaro Farms Market on 180 East Turkeyfoot Lake Road, on State Route 619 in Green, also carry The Pierogi Lady’s pierogies. During the summer months, The Pierogi Lady also features her products at various Farmers Markets in Summit County including the city of Green’s, which is held on Tuesdays beginning June 19th from 3pm to 7pm. The Hudson Farmers Market will sell The Pierogi Lady handmade pierogies on Saturdays starting June 9th from 9am to 12:30pm at 103 North Main Street, in Hudson. And last but not least, you can find delicious homemade pierogies, in Autumn’s hometown of Peninsula every Wednesday starting June 20th from 4:30pm – 6:30pm at Heritage Farms on 6050 Riverview Road.
Now remember, pierogies just aren’t for Akron, Ohio or Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio Sunday dinners…and they just might be dessert! So, really, with all the locations available in the Summit County, Ohio area…handmade pierogies are for every day! To find out more about The Pierogi Lady, visit her recently launched website at ww.mypierogilady.com.