Like many others around the country today, D and I decided to have a more traditional New Year’s Day dinner full of foods that represent luck, prosperity, and comfort.

Colcannon (steamed cabbage, mashed German Butterball Potatoes, unsweetened coconut milk, salt, and pepper)

Braised apples with sautéed kale and currants

Black eyed peas cooked in vegetable stock with mirapoix, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, with chopped carrot tops for garnish.

Whole wheat cornbread with whole kernel corn and minced serrano peppers

We are happy. We are stuffed. And now, we’re in desperate need of a nap. Ah, yummy bliss.

Happy New Year everyone!

Colcannon

Colcannon is an Irish dish, that is great to make as a family together and with the kids. It is traditionally made on All Saints Day or Halloween, but this fun, yummy dish can be made year round- and cheap too.

(Irish Colcannon Song)

And the kale and praties blended

Of heather-flavored butter

And the more I think about it

And our mothers made Colcannon

Traditional charms were put in the colcannon that symbolized different things. A button meant you would remain a bachelor and a thimble meant you would remain a spinster for the coming year. A ring meant you would get married and a coin meant you would come into wealth.

My Ingredients: (serves aprox 6)

Large Head of Cabbage

4-5  medium-large potatoes

An onion

1/2 c. unsweetened plant milk  (soy, oat, or hemp are usually what I have on hand and use)

Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2c.- 1c. vegan margarine/butter

Parsley

(Divide the duties up- have your youngest help wash the potatoes and mash the cooked ingredients, while the bigger people use the knives and stove- sing the song as you go along for double the fun)

Scrub the potatoes and peel them. Cut them up to boil them. Bring them to a boil.

Chop the onion, and saute in oil till nice deep golden- slightly browned/grilled. 

Once potatoes are soft, remove them from the pot, but do not drain- keep the brothy water for boiling the cabbage.

Chop the cabbage small-fine, or shred if you like. Small pieces are what we are going for- and some people like their cabbage in the Colcannon bigger or smaller.  Add the Cabbage to the water, add more water if necessary. Boil until tender/soft -done.  Add some butter to the water to help soften as well as some salt and pepper.

Drain off any excess water, add milk, butter, onions and potatoes, back into the pot with the cabbage. Mash up and lightly garnish with parsley.

You can use dairy alternatives above for a vegetarian dish instead of vegan.  You could also get creative and try adding, scallions or leeks.

Traditionally this dish is meat-free, some modern house cooks will add meat. We do not. This is served well as a main dish or side dish. Could be served with bean, tofu or egg dishes as well.  Breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Very versatile and cheap to make-Enjoy.

*Vegetarian is defined as a meat free  (animal cruelty free) diet mostly containing plant or live foods, sometimes with or without dairy and eggs* Many Variations of vegetarianism include may include fish, and/or poultry on occasian. However it is important to remember that the Vegetarian Society does not recognize those alternate variations of vegetarianism, although many people still consider it vegetarian.  Vegan is a diet completely plant or live food based and contains no diary, eggs, poultry, fish or meat

Photo credit: Martin LaBar

In Rustic Speech and Folk-lore (1913, p. 300), Elizabeth Mary Wright wrote:

In parts of Ireland a dish called colcannon, made of potatoes and cabbage mashed together with butter, used to form part of the Halloween dinner. In it was concealed a ring, the finder whereof would be the first of the company to be married. In St. John’s, Newfoundland, the popular name for Halloween is Colcannon-night, so named because colcannon is generally eaten then.

Colcannon

1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (approximately 2 large baking potatoes), pieces and quartered
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/2 cup milk, scalded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened

Cover the potatoes with salted water, bring them to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer them in saucepan, covered, for 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Meanwhile, in a steamer set over boiling water steam the cabbage for 5 minutes, or until it is tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander, mashed them in a large bowl, and stir in the milk, the butter, the cabbage, and salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it.

Another superstition involved going out to the cabbage patch in Ireland, or the kale patch in Scotland, plucking one of the vegetables blindfolded and seeing your future spouse.

A lot of fertility innuendos, that’s for sure, associated with Halloween …

Note: for the next two weeks, I’m working on a couple of intensive writing projects, so “Gherkins & Tomatoes” will of necessity be brief, with a look at “Haints, Saints, and Souls” in honor of the ancient traditions of Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day. “Haints” comes from a slang term used for “ghost” in the American South.

I LOVE reading children’s books to my kids. But my motive is somewhat selfish. I love it because of what I learn from them. Children’s books state things so simply that it’s easy to grasp a concept or history of a topic formerly unknown in about 15 minutes or less!

I asked Kyah (7) last weekend what she wanted to learn about that day. She said she wanted to know why we celebrate Halloween. So that afternoon we set off for the library to find out. We each got a library card (our first since moving back to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic just last month). She was sooo excited to have her own card.

We checked out the book entitled A True Book: Halloween by Dana Meachen Rau. Very informative, and not too difficult for her listening level, though I did have to explain some vocabulary along the way like festival, traditions, celebrate. I was very fascinated to learn where the traditions of “All Hallows Eve” originated from.

Evil, or Ignorance?

The Celts began celebrating what became known as Halloween over 2,500 years ago. Their New Years Eve was October 31, the last day of their year. They believed that on that night, spirits of those who had died came back to visit their families. This was a good thing, except for the bad spirits that liked to cause trouble. They were afraid of these spirits, and so they would hold a huge bonfire in the middle of town and dress in costumes and make lots of noise to scare away the mischievous fiends.

The Celts were later conquered by the Romans, who already celebrated a similar holiday called the Feast of Pomona (Pomona was the goddess of the orchards). They would give gifts of fruit (especially apples) and nuts during this time.

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

When Christianity began to spread across Europe, the Christians tried to get the Celts to stop celebrating their New Year’s. The Celts refused, so the Christians created their own holiday on November 1st, calling it “All Hallow’s Day”. They honored all the saints who didn’t already have their own holiday.

The night before was called “All Hallow’s Eve”, which was shortened to “Hallow E’vn” and eventually, Halloween. It became very popular in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. People would wear wreaths of garlic to protect themselves, and stay up all night playing games like bobbing for apples.

An Irish dish was served called Colcannon, made from potatoes, parsnips and cabbage. A ring and a coin was stirred into the dish. Whoever got the ring would get married soon. Whoever got the coin would be wealthy in the future.

Trick, or Treat?

The ancient Celts would visit houses during their New Year (October 31) to gather money and food for their god Muck Olla. The English continued this tradition as they went ’souling’ on November 2nd, ‘All Souls’ Day’. Poor people went from house to house begging for ‘soul cakes‘, square bread with currants.

Children began to attend on these visits and dress in costumes, and would call out ‘trick or treat’. If they didn’t receive any soul cakes, the children would play a trick.

In Ireland, people carved turnips into jack-o’-lanterns to scare away evil spirits. By the mid-1800’s, thousands of immigrants began moving to the United States, bringing with them the tradition of Halloween, which became very popular. Pumpkins were more available than turnips and made better jack-o’-lanterns anyway.

It says that today many children gather funds for UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Fund) as they trick-or-treat, gathering money for poor and hungry children around the world.

Update

We were at the library last night, and I saw another book about titled Halloween by Martin and Kate Hintz. I checked it out so that we could learn more about it. I should have examined it closer! It was a little scary, with some frightening images, and phrases such as “there are still witches today that get together for religious ceremonies, but they are no longer persecuted.” ????

In the resource section, there was contact information for the International Society for the Study of Ghosts and Apparitions, and The Witches Anti-Discrimination Lobby. Uh…, okay.

To each their own, but that’s not my style. I put the book up and I’ll be taking it back soon.

What do you and your family do to celebrate Halloween? or don’t you? Do you believe it is an ‘evil’ holiday, or all in the interpretation of the participant?

Here are three classic British recipes presented in video form by Elaine Lemm on about.com: the Cornish Pasty (a favorite in my family for four generations, which I made for English-Speaking Union parties at my house many times); Bakewell Tart (invented in Bakewell, England), an elegant dessert, the taste of which  reminds me of Danish pastry; and Irish Colcannon–a vitamin-rich, green-and-white dish that could serve as an economical meal, which contains three vegetables.

Colcannon is often served with a pat of melted butter pooled in the centre.

It’s the end of week two – and Judy is on track to spend $150, or less, this month for food. I’m amazed. She’s bringing our budget back in line after a pothole forced the purchase of a new tire and alloy rim. Judy is robbing the food budget to pay for the emergency car repair.

To completely balance our books she will have to guide us through two $150 months, but not consecutive months. During the intervening weeks, she will not allow herself to build up a huge war chest of a pantry. In fact, her goal is to be under our usual grocery budget during the intervening period as well.

For dinner last night we had slices of beef from the roast bought on sale last Friday. With the beef we had some cauliflower, also bought on sale, and some colcannon – an Irish potato-based dish.

Which brings us to today’s inexpensive recipe: colcannon. Colcannon is often served with grilled sausage but we served it with roast beef slices with horseradish on the side.

Colcannon

6 oz. milk (Whole milk is best but I used 1%.)
6 tbsp. of unsalted butter
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
2 large bay leaves

2 large shallots, peeled and diced
6 green onions, chopped and with lot of the greens included
1/2 head of cabbage, under 1 lb. of cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water until tender. About 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, take a medium sauce pan and combine milk, 2 tbsp. of butter, diced carrots, and 2 bay leaves in the pan and bring to a  simmer. If you do not have a true simmer element, set aside but with a lid to retain the heat. Do not boil.

Next, melt 2 tbsp. of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced shallots, after a minute add half the chopped green onions, saute until the vegetables begin to turn translucent and soften, less than five minutes. Add the chopped cabbage, 2 more tbsp. of butter, and stir until tender but with hint of resistance. Cover and set aside.

The potatoes should now be done. Drain and return to the pot; mash with a hand masher, add just enough milk for moist, fluffy mashed potatoes. Only add milk, retain carrots and discard bay leaves.

Now, fold the cabbage mixture into mashed potatoes. Add the carrots. If the potatoes are moist enough, do not add the remaining milk. Use your own judgement.

Transfer to a warmed bowl, sprinkle with the remaining green onions, and serve.

More traditional recipes also use  kale but I had no money in the budget for kale. I like the addition of carrots for colour and, of course, for flavour. Leaks are often used rather than shallots but I had shallots in the house but not leaks.

For three other takes on colcannon, check out these recipes from the BBC, one version by Kevin Dundon and another by Hugh Fearn-Whittingstall and still a third by Antony Worrall Thompson.

I have found the BBC site great for lots and lots of reasons. If you find a recipe you like, remember to click the print friendly icon.

Cheers,
Rockinon

Oh Google Images...

So a little belated St. Patrick’s Day Cheer!!! Heehee… no that’s not Dublin… although it may be his long lost twin, it’s definitely a Wheaton, and Dub would have had the same crazed look in his eye had I tried to dress him up in that get up!  Unfortunately, there were no Leprechaun Doggies for St. Patrick’s Day this year but what there was was COLCANNON!!! Nom NOM NOMNOM!!!

MM… Colcannon and Portabello Pot Roast… delicious!  We didn’t hide any coins in our Colcannon this year just you know… starch and cholesterol… unfortunately it’s rich decadence made it hard for them to hide… any one with half a tastebud would realize that those globs were going straight to your mid section making beer unecessary in any attempts to keep you warm! Love it!  Here’s how it went down…

Colcannon

Peel and chop some taters (We did 5 smallish mediums)… boil in salt water.

About 10 minutes before they are done throw in some cabbage (About a quarter of a head).

Drain.  Then plop a big fatty glob of earth balance in the bottom of your still warm pot.  Put your taters and cabbage back in.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Mash and add Soy Milk to desired fluffiness ( I would have used soy creamer had I had it… after that dollop of earth balance that creamer’s not going to do any more major damage).

Portabello Pot Roast

We’ve done lots of roasted Bellos before but thought they could use some nice tasty side veggies so we just set them up like we would a roast and surrounded them with chopped carrots, onions and garlic.  Sprinkled a bit of garlic salt and Lemon Pepper on top and added a little veggie broth and wine to the pan.  Okay I put little dollops of Earth Balance on the Portobellos too… but I also added fresh thyme and oregano and green onions… those aren’t bad for you right?  I covered with aluminum foil for around 45 minutes while the potatoes were boiling at 400F.  We uncovered everything and flipped the mushrooms halfway through.  Perfection and really not too much hard work for comfort food.

I guess none of us are really enjoying ice cold Guinesses but you Vegans are a fun group I’m sure you made the most of your celebrations!

Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day All!

A pile of Irish goodness.

Kat has a “work” commitment that involves getting mildly intoxicated on a Tuesday so we had our St. Patrick’s Day dinner a day early.  On the menu: ham, bubble-and-squeak (or colcannon, I guess), and bacon brussels sprouts.  All elements of the meal were simple enough that they don’t really need a proper recipe.

Ham goes in the oven for about an hour and a half at 325.  Get a big pot of salted water boiling.  Cook a few rough chopped potatoes (skins on) in the boiling water until fork tender and remove to a bowl.  Parboil ten or so brussels sprouts in the same water and reserve.  Cut two slices of bacon into bite-size pieces and saute in a pan.  Reserve.  Shred the cabbage with a knife and cook for about ten minutes in the now well-used boiling water.  Bash up the potatoes with a couple tablespoons of low-fat sour cream, some black pepper, and a pinch of salt.  Drain the cabbage and combine with the mashed potatoes and return the pot to low heat.  Halve the brussels sprouts longitudingly and cook them in the bacon pan for maybe seven minutes or until appealingly golden brown.  Return the bacon to the pan add a splash of white wine give the pan a shake and cook on medium for a minute or so until the wine reduces a bit.

Serve as pictured and enjoy with copious pints of Irish beer but please be a bit creative and choose something other than t

1 leg (around 2½ kg) of mutton
300ml chicken stock (use low-salt bouillon if necessary)
water – enough to cover mutton in the pot
2 bay leaves
2 each of onions, carrots and leeks, chopped roughly (used for flavouring the stock; discard after cooking)

For the colcannon:
10 large Rooster potatoes
1 large head of Savoy cabbage
100g butter
300ml milk

For the caper sauce:
50g butter
50g plain flour
300ml milk
a dash of cream
parsley and capers (to taste), roughly chopped

Optional:
1 tsp of English mustard or anchovy paste

Put the mutton, stock, bay leaves, onions, carrots and leeks into a large pot. Top up with water to ensure that liquid covers the mutton. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently for 1½ hours.

While the mutton is cooking, peel the potatoes, then shred the cabbage into large pieces and leave steeping in cold water until required.

About half an hour before the mutton is cooked, put the potatoes in to a steamer (it usually takes around 25-30 minutes to cook the potatoes, depending on their size). Mash the potatoes in their pot and mix in the butter and as much of the heated milk as needed, then leave to stand in the pot.

Remove the mutton from the pot when cooked and cook the cabbage for three minutes (on the hob) in the mutton stock.

Add the cabbage to the potatoes and fold through. Keep warm.

Melt the butter over a medium heat, then add the flour to make a classic roux base.

Stirring continuously, add the heated milk and an equal measure of stock from the mutton pot.

When it bubbles, add good-quality, roughly chopped capers and chopped parsley.

Add a drop of cream (and 1 tsp of mustard or anchovy paste if using), and season to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To serve, slice the mutton, serve with colcannon and caper sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
1 savoy cabbage, trimmed, pale-green leaves finely shredded (4 cups)
1 leek, pale-green and white parts only, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt

Directions
Preheat broiler. Peel and quarter potatoes, and place in a medium saucepan; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Mash with a potato masher or pass through a ricer; cover pan to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine cabbage, leek, milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and nutmeg; season with salt. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cabbage and leek is soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Stir into potatoes.

Spread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish. Make a small well in the center, and place under the broiler until lightly browned on top, about 5 minutes.

Remove from broiler. Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter in well. Serve immediately, spooning melted butter from well onto each serving, if desired.

Cecelia Hanley / The Gazette

Whew, been busy working on my story for Tuesday. You know, the annual St. Patrick’s Day story. 

Avoid the corned beef and cabbage, that’s more of an Irish-American invention. Here’s a recipe for colcannon you should enjoy.

Bella Cullen’s Colcannon

Peel potatoes. In a saucepan, cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook, 20 minutes, or until done. Strain off water. Let potatoes dry, then hand-mash.

In a 2-quart pot, boil the kale in salted water, until tender, about 25 minutes.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, heat the milk with scallions, parsley and thyme.

Strain the chopped kale and add to the milk. Simmer, 3 minutes. Add mashed potatoes to kale, stir in 4 tablespoons of butter.

Mix to a smooth creamy consistency. Season to taste.

From “Elegant Irish Cooking” by Noel C. Cullen ]]> http://healthhabits.ca/2009/03/06/meat-potatoes-irish-style/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:13:31 +0000 thehealthyirishman http://healthhabits.ca/2009/03/06/meat-potatoes-irish-style/

GRILLED STEAK WITH TWICE BAKED CHAMP

The Irish don’t mess around with the poor misunderstood spud. We mean business when it comes to eating potatoes and since it’s almost St. Paddy’s Day, you bet I’m showcasing them! Only this traditional Irish dish has my own spin on it–twice baked and healthy.
Champ is just as authentic as it’s more famous relative, Colcannon. The main difference is the substitution of scallions or other greens for the kale or cabbage. Ask any Paddy what their favorite comfort food is and hands down Champ is in the top 5. I can remember many nights with a full belly of this brilliant inexpensive concoction. Gotta love that don’t you?
Potatoes have a bad rap for being a fat magnate but in fact, it’s just the opposite. A baked potato with skin may help keep excess pounds OFF thanks to a healthy dose of potassium, magnesium and fiber, which keeps your appetite under control. The secret is NOT to drown your spud in sour cream, butter or cheese.
Serves 6-8

Recipe:
Rib-eye steaks
S&P
Sear the steaks on high heat and cook to desired temperature.

Champ recipe:
5 baking potatoes
1/4 cup green onion – chopped
1 cup chicken broth
S&P to taste

Traditionally Champ is made with milk and butter but I’ve substituted chicken broth (you could use veg broth as well) to ‘healthify’ the ol’ faithful.

Begin by individually wrapping each potato in foil. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour approx or until cooked through on 380F. Once cooked slice each potato in half lengthwise. Let cool to handle. Once cooled enough to touch, using a dessert spoon, scrape the cooked potato into a mixing bowl. Be careful not to brake the skin of the potato. Leave an 1/8′ of potato on the rim of each potato skin. Once all the flesh has been removed, mash. Add broth and season with S&P. Once taste has been acquired, add chopped green onion and mix. Fill each potato half with mashed champ and refrigerate until needed.

To reheat: Preheat oven to 375F. Pop potatoes in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until potato is warmed through and the top crispy.
Serve with your favorite veg and you’re on your way to St. Paddy’s Day!

Let me know how you get on with this recipe. If you have any requests or questions, please leave a comment! To see more of my recipes and learn about me and my healthy food philosophies head over to thehealthyirishman.com.

The Healthy Irishman Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

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Far and away the most popular posting on this blog is Auntie Dot’s Wheaten Bread Recipe, leading the Crone to presume that either her Aunt has a fanbase of millions, or that there is an unassuaged world appetite for Irish cuisine. Both seem a little unlikely but, as St Patrick’s Day approaches, the Crone feels it incumbent on her to make sure that all her readers are equipped to celebrate appropriately. Readers wishing for an authentically Irish experience should avoid the following…

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Green Beer

Any inclination to use “Top o’ the morning to you” in greeting.

…and instead concentrate on creating or ordering the dishes below.

Appetizers:

You could do worse than serve a plate of oysters with lemon, tabasco and the aforementioned Auntie Dot’s Wheaten Bread. The Crone first tasted oysters in Belfast’s famous Crown Bar  and recently enjoyed excellent platefuls at Poste and Acadiana in Washington DC.

The inviting booths at Belfast's Crown Bar

If you prefer your seafood cooked, opt for a prawn open sandwich, as served by the Primrose Bar in Ballynahinch, Co. Down in the late 1970s, back when the Crone was a girl. (The Bar has since changed hands, and seems no longer to have the sandwich on its lunch menu–like everywhere else, it has succumbed to the horrors of the Caesar Salad and lost its unique Northern Irish charm) Luckily, the sandwich is easy to recreate:

Make some of Auntie Dot’s Wheaten Bread

Slather with Butter

Take some cooked, peeled prawns (yes, the same as shrimp)  and mix them up with well-seasoned Marie Rose sauce (Hellman’s mayonnaise, ketchup, tabasco and lemon juice)

Put the prawns on the bread. Add lemon, lettuce and tomato to the plate (remembering that, in Ireland, salad is only ever a garnish) and serve.

The prawns in Marie Rose sauce are also a great filling for a baked potato ( hot oven, big spud(pricked several times with a fork) kosher salt in the bottom of the baking tray and cook for about an hour till the outside is crispy and the inside is soft)–another very good dish for St Patrick’s Day.

Main Course:

The Crone recommends Shepherd’s Pie–this Gordon Ramsey recipe is as good as any, with, as Gordon suggests, roast carrots or buttered savoy cabbage 

Roast Carrots-yum

The Crone, scarred by her school years, is not a great fan of Irish Stew, but, if you must go down this route, stick to Nigella’s recipe from How to Eat. The Crone doesn’t have the book to hand, and the recipe doesn’t seem to be available online, but this is worth getting hold of.

Other excellent, and easy options, are sausages with champ (mashed potatoes with scallions), or sausages with colcannon (mashed potatos with kale and, if you like, little bits of ham or bacon). Whatever way you serve your potatoes, don’t stint on the butter.

Dessert

If you’ve done the whole potato thing right, you probably don’t have much room for dessert, so the Crone would suggest just some stewed rhubarb, perhaps with a piece of shortbread, tea loaf or boiled cake, perhaps even some Barmbrack and some cream. The Crone isn’t much of a baker, but she is proud to reproduce the recipes of a second Aunt, her Auntie B what brung her up. Her dear Aunt B says this shortbread recipe is very similar to Delia Smith’s but if you want a genuine Irish recipe, then stick with the one suggested here.

SHORTBREAD

3oz (75g) fine semolina (or polenta)

6oz (175g) butter at room temperature

3oz (75g) caster sugar

6oz (175g) plain flour, sifted

8 inch loose based flan tin

Oven temp. gas mark 2 (300F or 150C)

Method:

            Beat together by hand or in a mixer the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour and semolina and press lightly into tin. Prick all over with a fork and bake for approx. 55 minutes until light brown and firm in the centre.

            Remove from the oven and cut into 12 wedges while still warm. Leave to cool before removing from tin.

            If preferred the mixture may be rolled out to a thickness of half an inch (10mm) and cut out into biscuits using a 2 inch (5cm) cutter. Bake at the same temp. for 15-20 minutes.

BOILED CAKE

4oz (100-125g) butter

2oz (50g) margarine

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup water

12oz (325-350g) mixed dried fruit

Method:

            Add above ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil, then add one teaspoonful of mixed spice and one teaspoonful of baking soda. Leave to cool and add 2 cups of self raising flour with half teaspoonful of baking powder and two eggs. Place mixture in a 1 lb or 2 ½ lb lined baking tins. Bake for 1 ½  hours at 350F or 180C.

TEA LOAF

6oz soft brown sugar

12 tablespoonfuls strong tea (liquid !)

1lb mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, cherries)

1 egg

1oz melted margarine or butter

9oz plain flour

½ level teaspoonful baking soda

Method:

            Place tea, sugar and fruit in a bowl and leave to soak overnight. Stir in the lightly beaten egg and melted margarine. Fold in the sieved flour and baking soda. Place mixture in greased and lined small loaf tin and bake in moderate oven (350F) for 1 ½ – 2 hours. Serve spread with butter.

BARMBRACK

1 cup cold tea

1 cup brown sugar

1lb seedless raisins (or any dried fruit)

1 teaspoonful baking soda.

Method:

            Mix all above and set aside overnight. Add one beaten egg, 3 cups self raising flour and spice to taste.

Bake in moderate oven (350F) for 1 ½ hours.

If you really must have something sweeter,  rhubarb crumble with vanilla icecream is also good.

And of course, treat yourself to a glass of Black Bush whiskey all the way from Bushmills, Co. Antrim and toast St Patrick, the party saint.

Tomorrow is Samhain (pronounced sow in), the most solemn feast on the Pagan calendar. It is the Third Harvest, the harvest of root vegetables and meat. This is the time of the year when all livestock that could not be kept over the winter would be butchered for meat. It is also the Celtic New Year.

The Pagan celebration of Samhain greatly resembles the Mexican Dia de los Muertos. Samhain is the time of the year that all the souls of those who have died in the previous year cross over to the Summerland. We often have ceremonies where candles are lit for the dead, and their names are called to honor them. I will be calling the name of my aunt who died in January.

This is also the time when it is said the veils are thinnest between the living and dead, thus the prevalence of ghost and ghouls this time of year. Sometimes one of my grandparents will contact me at this time. Usually it’s Grandpa J and he wants me to pour him a beer.

But it’s not all sad. Because the veils are thin, and this is the beginning of a new year, this is also the time to do divinations for the upcoming year. A traditional one is to make a dish of colcannon, which is like mashed potatoes with cabbage in it, and to put into the dish objects for divination, traditionally a button, a coin, a ring, and a thimble. The person who gets the coin will be wealthy, the ring will get married, and the other two objects both say there will be no marriage, a button for the bachelor and a thimble for the spinster.

Costuming is also a part of this day. Traditionally the costuming was so that the ghosts that were out and about couldn’t find you. Nowadays we just do it for fun. Often we will have a masquerade ball built around a Samhain ritual. I missed the one earlier this month, no money, no time, no Boyo.

Tomorrow will be a quiet day for me. I still have things to do, but I will probably take some time to think on those who have gone before me, and say hello to them. And maybe pour them a beer.

Since I refuse to turn on the heat quite yet, I’ve been shuffling around the apartment in a highly stylish toga I’ve fashioned out of a quilt I made years ago.  (It’s a glamorous look, one I highly recommend, though I must add that it’s hard to pull off.)  As I considered adding a cashmere scarf to increase my sartorial credibility, I realized that the contents of this week’s CSA box could warm me up in a far more satisfying way.  My list of possible components for a comforting, cold-weather meal included:

• Acorn squash
• Beets
• Carrots
• Collard greens
• Daikon radish
• Delicata winter squash
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Purple-top turnips
• Onions
• Salad greens

The first thing that came to mind was, of course, mashed potatoes — a classic, yes?  Regardless of its time-honored standing, I wanted more out of a meal than just a couple smashed tubers mixed up with a shake of salt and a sprinkle of milk.  The temperature outside is resolutely giving up its battle with frost; I knew I needed something more than the norm to warm me, so I decided to do a little research.  I spent a good portion of the afternoon nestled amongst pillows on the sofa — toga, scarf and all — cookbooks and magazines strewn about me, until I came upon a recipe for colcannon.  A traditional Irish dish, it’s mashed potatoes dialed to eleven with the inclusion of steamed cabbage, leeks and bacon.

While I could have easily made a dinner out of colcannon alone, the turnips were calling my name relentlessly from the fridge, taunting me with their swirly purple skins.  I didn’t want to do anything too complicated — the turnip is already a but under-appreciated, as vegetables go, and the last thing I wanted to do was bury their subdued bitterness.  The recipe I chose is a winner not only for its featured ingredient, but also for its completely foolproof nature.  The most difficulty I faced was in keeping my patience under control while my oven did all of the work caramelizing the turnips.  Well, that, and peeling the purple of off the turnips themselves; more than anything it felt almost like a sin, getting rid of that wonderful color.  But let me tell you, it was worth ever scrape of my peeler…

Colcannon, adapted from Gourmet
Makes four portions.

2 ½ pounds baking potatoes
1 cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup milk, scalded
½ pound bacon, cooked and chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits and softened
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into one-inch pieces. In a saucepan cover the potatoes with salted water and simmer them, covered, for fifteen minutes, or until they are tender.
2. While the potatoes are simmering, in a steamer set over boiling water steam the cabbage and the leeks for five minutes, or until tender.
3. Drain the potatoes in a colander, force them through a ricer or the medium disk of a food mill into a bowl, and stir in milk, butter, cabbage, leeks and bacon.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Caramelized Turnips, from Chez Panisse Vegetables

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.  Turnips that are sufficiently young and tender need only be rinsed and dried before cooking; older purple-top turnips will need to be peeled.  Cut the turnips into halves, or quarters if they are small.  Big ones should be cut in half lengthwise and the halves sliced into wedges.
2. Toss the turnips in a bowl with a generous splash of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Spread them out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast them for about ten minutes, then toss them once (if tossed or turned more frequently, they tend to break apart as they become tender).
3. Rose for about five minutes more and check for doneness — depending on the water content of the turnips, they can take from fifteen to thirty minutes.  The turnips are done when they are fork tender and nicely caramelized.

A recent online inquiry about cabbage led me to pass along a vague description of the Irish dish Colcannon- potatoes mashed with cabbage. Yesterday, while I was walking through my local farmers market, I saw an especially-nice head of cabbage and decided to make a batch so I could do better than a vague description.

This is very basic food—humble ingredients, cooked simply, that can be a meal itself when you are living low on the hog and the side to something else when you are living high. I generally pair it with pan-grilled sausages—Irish, or British Bangers—or a stew of beef cooked in stout, but I think it would be equally at home next to meatloaf; my friend Martha’s meatloaf, inspired by her honeymoon in Scotland, would be my first choice (In her cook’s notes, she suggests using a slightly fattier ground meat than she did in her first attempt, and based on my making her recipe, I concur.)

By the way, as pointed out to me by another friend, this dish could just as likely be made with kale, which might essentially be the original greens used, given the name Col-cannon. I prefer a waxy potato for mashed potatoes since they have more flavor than russets and need less butter and salt to make them delicious, but there are those who like russets since their fluffy, starchy nature make for the creamiest of mashed potatoes-the choice is yours.

The Irish are well-known for their use of the potato, so I am including another recipe as well, one that is simply mashed potatoes made with milk that has been infused with green onions; there’s nothing novel about this, but the result is very different from the mashed potatoes most of us grew up on.

Colcannon

Traditionally the cabbage and potatoes were cooked together and finished with a good deal of butter; I think cooking the cabbage separately—and for less time—keeps it tasting fresher and cleaner, and requires less butter to bring the dish together.

2 pounds white-, yellow- or red-skinned potatoes, about 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 medium cabbage, about 1 ½ pounds, coarsely shredded
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter (divided use)
1/3 to ½ cup milk (I heat the milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds so it won’t cool the potatoes)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melted butter, optional
¼ cup sliced green onions or snipped chives, optional

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt, lower the heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and one tablespoon of the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam up, add the cabbage and toss to coat it well. Season it lightly with salt and cook, stirring, for about ten minutes, lowering the heat if it begins to grab the bottom of the pan. The cabbage should be tender, but with the slightest crispness left to it; keep over low heat until the potatoes are ready.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them (you can pour the cooking water into the serving bowl you’ll be using to pre-heat it) and place back on the burner, shaking the pan over the heat to evaporate any excess moisture. Mash the potatoes, adding the other tablespoon of butter, milk as needed to achieve the desired texture, and salt to taste. Cover and set aside.

Raise the heat under the cabbage and stir for a minute or two to be sure it is good and hot, then remove from the heat and mix in the potatoes. Taste, adding salt if needed, and pepper if desired. Mound the mixture into a serving bowl and, if you like, make a well in the center to hold some melted butter, sprinkle with the onions or chives, and serve.

Serves six

Cally, Stamp, or Just Plain Mashed Potatoes

This is just mashed potatoes pumped-up a bit. Potatoes, being so basic, are open to virtually anything; rather than the green onions, you might like to infuse the milk with fresh herbs—parsley or thyme to enhance spring menus, rosemary or sage in the fall.

Note that the first step is done in advance-an hour or several hours, depending upon your schedule.

1 large bunch green (spring) onions (about a dozen or so onions)
¾ cup milk
2 pounds white-, yellow-, or red-skinned potatoes, about 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, to taste
Salt and black or white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter, melted, optional

Reserve two of the onions for garnish; cut the remaining onions into 1-inch pieces. Heat the milk to just under boiling and combine with the onions in a jar or covered container and let stand in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Alternately, you can combine the onions and milk and let stand at room temperature for just an hour.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt, lower heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain the milk, discarding the onions. Slice the reserved green onions thinly and set aside.

When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return to the stove, shaking the pan over the heat for a minute or two to evaporate excess water. Mash them, adding the butter, and as much milk as needed to achieve the texture you prefer. Taste, adding additional salt as needed, and pepper if you like.

Place in a serving bowl; drizzle with melted butter if desired and scatter the green onions over the top.

Serves four

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ReadySteadyCooked.com is a new entity formed in response to the increased market for ready meals, which was valued at £1.78 billion in 2001 (Food Standards Agency, 2002). These ready prepared meals are generally of low quality, with cheap ingredients, high fat, salt & sugar, additives & colourings with a negative impact on health.

For example the Asda Indian chicken tikka masala and pilau rice contains 5g salt per portion. (Guardian, 2008). Another shocking example is Morrison’s Beef lasagna which contains 7.4g fat per 100g. (Which.co.uk, 2007).

This is particularly shocking as around a third of cancers are linked to poor diet. (Which.co.uk, 2007). Not only this many of these ready meals are poor tasting and poor value for money! However we believe you deserve more!

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We specialize in Irish ready meals, believing that this is a potential niche in the market, as a result of major supermarkets failure to meet demand for this range of exciting and invigorating cuisine. The major 3 supermarkets of Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s between them can only muster 3 Irish ready meals between them. We don’t believe this meets consumers needs.

So as a result we are offering an alternative of fantastic tasting healthy ready meals with a true taste of Ireland. Although initially limited to only 2 options of this fantastic cuisine, we are already planning to extend the range with Corned Beef & Cabbage, Rabbit Stew and Guinness beef stew in order to meet your demands for more wants you taste are spectacular meals.

So go on grab a taste of Ireland today and have true luck of the Irish.

Why not try our delicious new Colcannon ready meal made with the freshest curly kale, mashed potato and Irish bacon fat, with use of quality Irish butter and cracked black pepper & sea salt?

For more info click here

I never thought I would enjoy St. Patrick’s Day as much as I do now having married a man with a great deal of Irish blood. To embrace the tradition, this Italian Swede has been combing through recipes for the past few years….and I’ve arrived at my favorite for a dish traditionally called “Colcannon.” It’s simple, wonderful and in our house, a must have for the big green day. Of course corned beef is up there, too.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (I hope you’re wearing green!)

Colcannon

3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups hot milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded

4 scallions, finely chopped
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
1 (1-pound) piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before (I rarely cook mine the day before, but I use bacon and it’s just as tender)

Steam the potatoes in their skins for 30 minutes. Peel them using a knife and fork. Chop with a knife before mashing. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. Season with a few grinds of black pepper.Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.

Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain. Remove any fat and chop into small pieces.

Add cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently.
Serve in individual soup plates. Make an indentation on the top by swirling a wooden spoon. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into each indentation. Sprinkle with parsley.

Although I like to watch Survivor on TV, I could never participate in the game. There are many reasons, not the least of which is that there are always snakes slithering or swimming about in whatever location the show is filmed.

I’m not a fan of snakes. I figure the game of Survivor could probably use Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. He is said to have rid Ireland of snakes and is commemorated annually on March 17, the date of his death in 460 A. D.

How he actually performed this feat is the stuff of legends. A popular explanation is that one day St. Patrick created a nice cozy box and invited the chief snake to climb in. The snake took a look at the box and deemed it too small. A heated discussion ensued. To prove he was right, the snake crawled into the box. Quick-thinking St. Paddy slammed the lid shut and threw the box into the sea!

To this day, Ireland is said to be snake-free (lucky Irish!), and some insist that the rough waters of the Irish Sea are caused by the boisterous attempts of the snake still trying to free himself from the box.

On March 17, whether you wish to celebrate a snake-free Ireland or the pleasure of swilling green beer, take the opportunity to indulge in some hearty Irish cuisine. Vegetables such as potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots and rutabagas figure prominently in Irish cooking, as do lamb stews, and braised meat and corned beef dishes. Accompany the main dish with potato bread or soda, and finish the meal with a sweet custard or apple cake, and an Irish coffee.

Irish Stew
(Makes 8 servings)

If lamb shanks are not available, thick shoulder chops can be substituted.

8 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon each (5 mL) dried thyme and rosemary (or 1 tablespoon/15 mL) chopped fresh
2 bottles (341 mL each) stout-based beer
3 cups (750 mL) beef stock or broth
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3 tablespoons (45 mL) packed brown sugar
3 onions, cut in wedges
3 carrots, cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
3 parsnips, peeled and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
Half a rutabaga, peeled and cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle shanks lightly with salt and pepper; coat all over with flour. In large ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, brown shanks all over, adding more oil as needed and removing browned shanks to plate.

Stir in any remaining flour, garlic, thyme and rosemary; cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring. Remove pan from heat and gradually stir in beer; return to heat and bring to boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Cover and boil, stirring often, until syrup (about 5 minutes). Stir in 2 cups (500 mL) stock. Return shanks and any juices to pan. Bring to boil, then cover tightly. Place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven, stirring occasionally, until lamb is very tender (about 2-1/2 hours).

About 1-1/2 hours before lamb is cooked, prepare vegetables. In a deep oven-proof skillet, melt butter and sugar over medium heat; stir in onions, carrots, parsnips and rutabaga until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add remaining stock and bring to boil. Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook until vegetables are tender, but not mushy (about 1 hour and 15 minutes); stir occasionally during cooking.

Stir vegetables into cooked shanks. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Tip: Cooked lamb and vegetables can be made ahead and reheated. Cook as directed above. Combine lamb and vegetables, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove any fat from top. Reheat slowly on the stovetop, stirring often or cover and place in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Recipe Source: Foodland Ontario

Colcannon
(Makes about 6 cups/1.5 L)

This hearty vegetable dish goes well with corned beef.

2-1/2 lb (1.1 kg ) potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut up
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups (500 mL) lightly packed shredded cabbage
1/4 cup (60 mL) margarine or butter
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) pepper

In large saucepan of boiling water, cook potatoes, parsnips, onions and cabbage until vegetables are tender. Drain and mash. Add margarine, salt and pepper. Mash until margarine is melted.

Recipe Source: The Potato Book by Jean Pare, Company’s Coming Publishing, 2000

Potato Bread
(Makes 8 servings)

2 cups (500 mL) warm mashed cooked potatoes (about 3 potatoes)
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL) salt, preferably Kosher or sea
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour (approximately)

Place potatoes in a large bowl and mix in melted butter and salt; mix in just enough flour to make pliable dough; lightly knead in remaining flour. (The less flour you use, the lighter the bread.)

Divide dough into 4 portions. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and roll into four 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick circles. Cut each into 4 triangles. Bake on hot lightly greased skillet until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes, turning once.

Recipe Source: Foodland Ontario

Curragh Custard
(Makes 6 servings)

8 egg yolks
3 tablespoons (45 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) sweet sherry or Marsala

Place egg yolks in the top of a double boiler. Add sugar. Whisk until mixture is light lemon-colored and well blended. Add sherry and whisk again until blended.

Cook egg yolk mixture over boiling water until it begins to thicken, whisking constantly. Do not allow to boil; remove from heat if mixture starts to bubble. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate.

Serve chilled in sherbet or parfait glasses.