On behalf of the Turley Clan in the States and Ireland, Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
We intend to celebrate with our best corned beef and cabbage dinner. I can report that, while there was great alarm recently when the end of the rainbow was conclusively found to be missing a pot of gold, my kids found all of the pieces of gold in our annual treasure hunt in the back yard (The Leprechauns appears to favor the new dollar coins featuring John Quincy Adams, who bears a striking Leprechaun appearance).
It is not clear how President Obama (who is roughly three percent Irish) will celebrate, but I will note that if St. Patty could get the snakes out of Ireland, President Obama should be able to get the AIG bonuses out of the federal budget.
I leave you with this inspiring picture of how this day unites all species.
Patty C:
That sounds infinitely better than my recipe which was a colossal waste of thyme.
mespo, I was thinking about your lamb stew and want you to have my recipes for Lamb En Daube, which I serve with bulghur wheat or
couscous and a green salad. The citrus ‘zestiness’-C’est ci bon!.
Irish, they are not…
http://www.chloesco.com/lambstew.htm
Provençal Lamb Daube with Red Wine & Olives and Crispy Grain Mustard Potato Galettes
Ingredients:
* 3 lb. boneless leg of lamb
* Zest of 1 orange & 1 lemon
* 1 bouquet garni- 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme, 6 sage leaves, 6 juniper berries, 1 tsp dried peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick tied with cheesecloth
* 1 bottle dry red wine
* ½ lb. bacon diced
* ¼ lb green olives
* 2 medium onions sliced
* 3 carrots thinly sliced
* 3 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
* 4 cloves garlic
* 3 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
* Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Marinate the lamb cubes with the citrus zest, bouquet garni and red wine overnight for at least 12 hours. Stir occasionally.
Preheat oven to 425°F. In an earthenware pot or dutch oven add lamb with the marinade, bacon, olives, onions, carrots, tomatoes and garlic. Add enough water to cover ingredients.
Cover and bring to a simmer in the oven for approximately 20-30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325°F for 2 –2-1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with crispy potato galette
http://www.toptastes.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=000116
***
Daube d’Agneau Provençale – Daube of Lamb, provence
style, with tomatoes and olives, possibly my favourite dish
of all
Ingredients
4 lbs. lamb shoulder, boned, trimmed of fat & sinew and cut into cubes (don’t forget to make stock with the bones)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 onions, sliced
3 Tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups red wine (use the same wine as you are planning to serve)
1-1/2 cups veal or beef stock
5 cloves garlic, crushed
bouquet garni: 10 parsley stems, 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf tucked into the green part of a leek and tied into a bundle (you can get ready made ones too)
2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
rind of 2 oranges, pared in long thin strips
3/4 cup green olives
3/4 cup black olives
salt & freshly ground pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in flameproof casserole and brown the lamb, a few pieces at a time, on all sides. Remove meat. Add onions to casserole and sauté until they start to brown. Stir in flour and brown also. Add wine, stock, tomatoes, garlic, bouquet garni, orange rind, salt and pepper. Return lamb to casserole, stir and bring just to a boil. Cover and place in oven. Cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork. (During the cooking time, stir the daube occasionally and add more stock if it looks dry).
While the daube is cooking, put the olives in a saucepan of cold water. Place over med-high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes and drain. Ten minutes before end of cooking, discard bouquet garni and orange rind from the daube. Stir in the olives and taste for seasoning.
Serve the daube from the casserole.
Make ahead: The daube can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Reheat on the top of the stove slowly.
Wine Any of the classic French reds will accompany this dish however as the GP is in this region I tend to go for a mid priced Burgundy (cheap doesn’t appear to exist here sadly)
By Phil Hitchings – the Grand Prix Gourmet
In Turleegal, wishes really do still come true…
I like clove more than the mustard seed and have used both clove, but you decide. I also cook the vegetables with the meat, but it’s very hands on and I have a BIG pot.
http://www.theheartofnewengland.com/food/meat/corned-beef-harvest-supper.html
Corned Beef Harvest Supper with Horseradish Cream
By Brooke Donjny
(From her book, “Dishing Up Maine”
Printer-friendly version of recipe
Along about October, signs start appearing outside church halls and community centers: “Harvest Supper Tonight. All Welcome!” Harvest suppers, which serve as fund-raisers for organizations of all kinds, celebrate autumn in Maine and the bounty of the season. The menus vary. One might be turkey and all the trimmings, another a ham bake or spaghetti supper, or,
my favorite, a New England boiled dinner. Boiled dinner Maine-style is similar to Irish corned beef and cabbage with the addition of beets and parsnips, and it’s one of these hearty and soul-satisfying meals that are also celebratory and festive — perfect for a large informal gathering. While it’s not
necessarily traditional, I like to serve this horseradish-spiked sour cream sauce, which is a welcome rich and sharp counterpoint to the plain boiled meat and vegetables.
Horseradish Cream
3/4 cup sour cream, regular or low fat
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
Beef and Vegetables
1 corned beef brisket or round (4-5 pounds)
12 whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
12 medium-sized beets (about 2 pounds), trimmed
About 15 small red-skinned potatoes, cut in half if larger
10 large carrots (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3- to 4 inch lengths
6 parsnips (about 1.5 pounds) peeled and cut into 3 inch lengths
1 medium-sized green cabbage, cut into 16 wedges
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 generous servings, with some leftovers
To make the Horseradish Cream, combine the sour cream, horseradish, scallions, and mustard in a small bowl and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving.
Place the corned beef in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises to the surface for the first few minutes.
Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and mustard seeds. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the meat is tested with a fork, 2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, cook the beets in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, peel. Leave whole if small and halve or quarter if larger. Set aside in a bowl and reheat in a microwave before using.
Cook the potatoes in another large pot in boiling salted water to cover for 10 minutes. Add the carrots and parsnips and cook until all three vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain, reheat in a microwave before serving, if necessary.
About 15 minutes before the beef is done, add the cabbage to the pot and cook until tender.
Cut the corned beef into thin crosswise slices and arrange on a large platter.
Surround the beef with the vegetables, dot with butter, and spoon a bit of hot cooking liquid over, to heat. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Pass the horseradish cream at the table.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2008/11/30/mince_
Happy St. Paddy’s Day and Happy leftovers, of course, mespo.
Hash Recipes X 3 – corned beef, turkey, & even one with fish!!!
Red Flannel Hash,
Serves 6
Homemade corned beef is wonderful in this hash, but sliced deli corned beef is not — it turns rubbery. If you have to use deli meat, choose roast beef instead, sliced about ½ inch thick.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1½ medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme (or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme)
2garlic cloves, minced
3 medium red or all-purpose potatoes (about 1¼ pounds), cooked, peeled if desired, and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2½ cups)
3 medium beets (about 1¼ pounds), cooked, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2½ cups)
¾ pound cooked corned beef or roast beef, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 2½ cups)
Salt and pepper
1½ teaspoons yellow or spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup half-and-half
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
In a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic, stir to mix, and cook until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add the potatoes, beets, corned beef or roast beef, 1½ teaspoons salt, pepper to taste, mustard, and half-and-half, and stir to distribute. Pat the mixture flat in the pan, and cook until moisture evaporates and the bottom begins to brown, 10 to 20 minutes. With a wooden spoon, stir the hash, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the crust. Stir to distribute the brown bits into the hash, flatten it in the pan again, adjust heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until a new crust begins to form, about 5 minutes. Again, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen crust. Add the parsley, stir to blend, taste the hash and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve at once.
Croi follain agus gob fliuch.
“A healthy heart and a wet mouth!”
Happy Patty’s Day!
mespo,
Thank you for the link. They AIG employees in Connecticut appear to have cloven hooves and are wearing wool camouflage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/images/2008/06/23/sheep_pig_1_470x350.jpg
I hope the feast of St. Joesph gets equal space.
Hey rcampbell, ‘The Campbell’s Are Coming’ has been a favorite song for me since I was a wee lad of 6 years old or so. Playing the song as a medley with ‘Garry Owen’, St. Patrick’s Day (In the Morning), and the ‘Girl I Left Behind Me’ is a neat arrangement for guitar, fiddle, or harmonica–or a combination thereof.
Query: When St. Patrick (a Roman citizen, by the way)drove the snakes from Ireland did they migrate west and end up near Connecticut?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602961.html?hpid=topnews
Here’s a little St. Paddy’s day joke at the profession’s expense:
Charitbale Case
A very rich lawyer is approached by a charity worker who is concerned that the lawyer didn’t donate any money to charity, despite making over £1m that year. “First of all,” says the lawyer, “my mother is bedridden and gets no help from social services. Second, I have five kids through three divorce marriages. Third, my sister’s husband recently died and she has no one to support her four children.” “I’m terribly sorry,” says the charity worker, “I feel bad about asking for your money.” So you should,” replies the lawyer. “If I’m not giving them any money, why should I give you any?”
and my favorite Irish joke:
One night, Mrs Mcmillen answers the door to see her husbands best friend, Paddy, standing on the doorstep,
“Hello Paddy, but where is my husband, he went with you to the beer factory” Paddy shook his head
“Ah Mrs Mcmillen, there was a terrible accident at the beer factory, your husband fell into a vat of guinness stout and drowned” Mrs Mcmillen starts crying
“Oh don’t tell me that, did he at least go quickly?” Paddy shakes his head
“Not really, he got out 3 times to pee”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I hope all of my fellow JT bloggers wore their green and enjoyed the best day of the year. Of course, it helps if you are Irish, but on this day, even some of the Trolls are Irish! Bob Esq., thanks for resurrecting that Belushi story. It was hilarious.
Yes! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All!!
If you hear the little “bark” in this song it is our little friend pictured here singing along; enjoy the rest of evening.
Erin Go Bragh!
Jill
Remember that the story I told about the Campbell clan wreaking havoc on the McLarens (I think it was actually against the MacDonalds) happened in Scotland. Once again, mio paisani are innocent, yer honor.
I do have a personal story from a St Patrick’s Day many years ago that proves beyond a reasonable doubt that if I’m not Italian, I am definitely not Irish.
Back in the early 70’s I had made a friend named John Cox. John had a brother, Jim, who was an attorney with a thriving practice. Jim and his law partner, a Dwyer, hosted a St. Patrick’s day party attended by all the local prominent lawyers, politicians, important CEO’s, etc. I was in the men’s clothing business at the time. As such I tried to wear whatever was the most current suit/shirt/tie styles my store carried. It was a period in men’s fashion when colored shirts were becoming the rage.
I showed up at the Cox-Dwyer party resplendant in a medium brown four button double-breated suit, tasteful silk tie and an ORANGE SHIRT!!! John nearly attacked me as I entered the room to ask why the hell I would dare to wear an orange shirt to a St Patrick’s day party. After I apologized profusely, I convinced him that it was a combination of an attempt to be fashionable, an Italian-American’s lack of knowledge of Irish culture and history and a healthy dose of innate stupidity. John and his brother allowed me to remain at the party with my suit and tie in place, but they required I remove the offending shirt as a good will gesture. I felt it was a good bargain so I complied and stayed to thoroughly enjoy the festivities.
Happy St Patrick’s day to all!
Y’know” said the Scotsman, “I still prefer the pubs back home.
In Glasgow there’s a little bar called McTavish’s. Now the landlord there goes out of his way for the locals so much that when you buy 4 drinks he will buy the 5th drink for you.”
“Well”, said the Englishman, “at my local, the Red Lion, the barman there will buy you your 3rd drink after you buy the first 2”
“Ahhhhh, that’s nothing”, said the Irishman. “Back home inDublin there’s Ryan’s Bar. Now the moment you set foot in the place they’ll buy you adrink, then another, all the drinks you like. Then when you’ve had enough drinks they’ll take you upstairs and see that you get laid. All on the house.”
The Englishman and Scotsman immediately scorn the Irishman’s claims, but he swears every word is true. “Well,” said the Englishman, “did this actually happen to you?”
“Not me meself, personally, no,” said the Irishman, “but it did happen to me sister.”
Happy St. Patty’s day everyone.
I got a question about this copyright-treaty that Obama supposedly made a (secret) matter of national security… is that a hoax of some sort or does JT have some splainin’ to do as to why he’s not featuring the item on his blawg? Cuz it sounds fairly important to me if it’s not a hoax..
Bob, Esq.
Now you shant’nt be exposin’ the limited downside of the Luck of the Irish, now should ye?! And on their finest day…
We all get to celebrate the ‘Wearin’ O’ the Green’ everyday when visitin’ this blawg thanks to Buddha’s fine, somewhat darkened shamrock/emerald green-colored gravatar.
roflmao Bob!
Thanks for the comedy gem.
POTATO FAMINE!
Jane Curtin: And now, because of St. Patrick’s Day, Mr. John Belushi is here to discuss the luck of the Irish.
John Belushi: Thank you, thank you very much. Well it’s come that time again, St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone and well the sons of Ireland are basking in the glow. When I think of Ireland I think a lot of colorful Irish expressions like, “Top of the morning to ya,” “Kiss the barney stone,” “May the road rise to meet ya,” “May you be in heaven an hour before the devil knows you’re dead,” “I’d like to smash you in the face with my shalalee,” “Danny-boy,” “Bhagora,” “Wail of the banshee,” and “Whiskey for the leprechauns, whisky for the leprechauns.” But the expression I think most people identify with the Irish, is, of course, the luck of the Irish.
The luck of the Irish. Sure. Let’s say you’re in a pub somewhere in Ireland, oh, anywhere in Ireland, some guy comes up to you and says, “Hey is that a bomb on you I hear ticking?” And then BAM!!! Your small intestines are on the ceiling and your brains are on your car across the street. That’s the luck of the Irish for ya, who’s kidding who, okay?
Let’s talk about the bad luck of the Irish, all right? How about this, POTATO FAMINE!! How about that? It scares them, doesn’t it? Well it should. That’s why they came here in the first place. So they wouldn’t have to work in the potato fields. That’s why they became politicians, priests, and cops. Luck? Gimme a break.
I got a friend, his name is Dan Sullivan, he’s Irish as they come. We used to drink together a lot. After two drinks, he would look like an Irish pirate. You know? You think he had luck? In one day he got his car stolen, and the stupid, he had no insurance, and no license, and he gets locked up for being drunk. And after that, he takes off for someplace like India or Nepal, or someplace like that. And his mother dies, ya know, so they wire him to tell him to come to the funeral. It’s his mother’s funeral, that’s all. And he’s in India or Nepal, sitting squat-legged listening to some sacred cow. So he comes back and he gets stopped at U.S. Customs for trafficking illegal drugs, not holding, he’s trafficking. I mean, here’s this guy Sullivan, his old lady kicks off, he gets popped at the border and he’s sitting on fifty pounds of black Tibetan finger hash and two keys of slam. Now that’s not bad luck, that’s DUMB luck. I don’t think luck has anything to do with it, I don’t think he has any brains at all. First of all, he’s drunk, then he’s a junkie. I don’t know what’s worse. Don’t ask me, ask Sullivan. And what happens? He calls me up and says, “Hey man, I got busted at the border. I need five grand bail.” I said, I said, “Five grand man!? Hey man, I’ve never even seen five thousand dollars in my life, so don’t ask me for it, man, why don’t you ask your mother!!” Which was a dumb thing for me to say because his mother just died. Right now, I got this drunken Irish junkie who wants to kill me because of what I said about his mother being in terminal dreamland. Oh pal. One thing! One thing!!! They love their mothers, boy, oh they love their mothers. It’s momma this, momma that. Oh my Irish mother! Ireland must be heaven, because my mother.. aauugghhh! Aaauugghhh!!!
Jane Curtin: Well, that’s the news. Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow.
Yes, but did you know that 500 years ago rcampbell’s family was involved in an altercation with a different clan family? He claims to be Italian now, but we all know better! …like it was yesterday…
Happy Green beer or OJ, depending!
Sure, ‘tis there be no better fiddlin’ and music of love, strife, and human hardship than rises from the Emerald Isle.
The only steadfastly Irish tradition (lawful, that is) I would not celebrate is that of imbibing alcoholic beverages. Moreover, those Irish lassies, well there can be no finer, except perhaps for those Texas Women (of Irish heritage)…
When Irish eyes are smilin’, sure, ‘tis like the morn in Spring…
Erin go bark, er, bragh!