Irish Recipes for the Saint

Saint Patrick's Day. Since I have Irish blood on both sides of my family (added all together I could be 1/3 Irish) I thought I'd honor the saint who made Jesus known to Ireland by offering two recipes in one post. What a deal!

Here's a great scone recipe, only slightly adapted from The Joy of Baking. Enjoy them alongside a cup of English tea with milk and honey. 

Irish Soda Scones:

3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour (or a mixture of whole wheat flour and white flour)

1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) buttermilk

Optional: ½ C currants, dry cranberries or other dried fruit; or ½ C shredded, cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add most of the buttermilk. Using one hand, or a wooden spoon, mix (adding more buttermilk if necessary) until you have a soft, moist dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 - 8 inch (18 - 23 cm) round. Cut this circle into 6 triangular sections. Place the scones on your prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk and then dust with a little flour. This gives the baked scones a wonderful floury brown crust.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Test by tapping the bottom of a scone - it should sound hollow. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. These scones are best served warm from the oven with a little butter and jam.

Makes 6 large scones.

Read more from The Joy of Baking here.

Today I received the following recipe from the VegNews e-newsletter. It looks great and I can't wait to try it. Could be a creative way to introduce the children, and husband ;-) , to greens! The website has other great Irish treats if you're looking for more. www.vegnews.com

Irish Colcannon (It's like a potato mountain!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Whether you're watching a parade, or simply enjoying a parade of delicious Irish treats, we hope you revel in the holiday. This traditional colcannon by Robin Robertson mixes the best of Irish culinary tradition: mashed potatoes and kale. 



Serves 6

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 leek (white part only), rinsed and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups kale, finely shredded

3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine

3/4 cup hot soymilk

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, salt the water, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.



2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the kale and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.



3. When potatoes are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the margarine and soymilk, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the kale and cabbage mixture, season again if necessary, and serve hot.