Vegetables
Except in the city centres, almost everyone in Ireland has a plot of ground -
big or small - where the basic vegetables are grown for the family. Potatoes
play an essential part in the diet of the Irish and we eat them almost every
day. They are even used in some of the distinctive Irish breads. There are three
main types of cabbage grown in Ireland, young spring greens, white cabbage and
one we call a winter cabbage with crimped or serrated leaves. Onions go into
lots of recipes too, many wise old people long ago used eat a boiled onion last
thing at night to ward off insomnia! When Padraig Pearse was arrested after the
Rising of Easter Week in 1916, all that remained of his iron rations were two
raw onions in a tin box! Brussels Sprouts are almost always served in
restaurants here but unfortunately in a lot of cases have been cooked for hours
and have taken on a dirty yellow colour. Peas are regulars too and you will find
very nice mushrooms fried traditionally with your breakfast bacon. Garlic grows
wild in parts of Connemara and the Aran Islands and parsnips & turnips were
used extensively in rural Ireland to give variety in the winter, when green
vegetables were scarce. Carrots are a great favourite here and can be found
cooked in lots of different ways.
Champ
8 potatoes
6 spring onions
Water
1/3 pint milk
Pepper &
salt
2 ozs butter
This is a childrens favourite. Peel the potatoes and steep in cold water for 1
hour. Cover with cold salted water and boil until tender. Drain well and mash.
Chop the onions very finely (including the greeny bits!), put them into a bowl
and scald by pouring boiling water over them (this keeps the tops bright green).
Drain off water, add to the milk and bring to the boil. Pour the milk and onions
into the mashed potatoes. Add pepper & salt to taste while beating until
they are light and fluffy. Tradionally this dish is served in little mounds with
the middle scooped out and small pieces of butter dropped into the centre.
Serves 4-6
Creamed Cabbage
I suppose there can be nothing worse than a mess of white cabbage that has been
boiled until it looks like mush, then chopped up to look like a sort of faded
green porridge *g* It can smell your house out pretty terribly too! This recipe
is very nice to eat and actually smells quite nice when its cooking in the
kitchen.
1 firm white cabbage
1 cup unsweetened condensed milk or 1 Cup cream
1
heaped dessertspoon flour
salt & pepper
grated nutmeg
Cut the cabbage down the middle, then into six if it is large or four if it is
small. Plunge into a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and
run under the cold tap (this takes away the cabbagey smell!). Drain again and
slice across the grain into 1/4 inch strips. Put a lump of butter into a
saucepan and when it has melted add the shredded cabbage. Toss it well and keep
stirring all the time. Add salt & pepper and a dash of grated nutmeg. Then
add about a heaped dessertspoon of flour and mix well. Add the cream if you'e
feeling extravagant or the condensed milk, stir again and let it boil. Put a lid
on the saucepan and let it simmer for about 1/2 hour, then serve.
Cucumber in Cream
If you've never eaten a cooked cucumber, you should try this, its very simple
and most unusual!
Peel a cucumber and cut into lengths about an inch long. Cut these in four
through the centre. Plunge into a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes then
drain and toss in boiled cream or a thin bechamel sauce to which you have added
some cream. Very interesting!
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