Welcome      March 2004 The Luck of the Irish With March upon us what better time then to discuss the Emerald Isle or as some prefer to call it Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and we will be gulping down a warm Guinness or perhaps an artificially enhanced green beer. Remember to bring a wet cloth to wipe your green lips afterwards, because if you don't the only impression you will leave on kissing the Blarney Stone will be a permanent green set of lip imprints. The Irish have a strong and true history. Known for its religious turmoil and its true devotion to their causes, the Irish prove time and time again they can rise from the ashes and move on. Probably where the term the "fighting Irish" originated from, here I thought it had come from my spouses family reunions?. They say that the Irish cannot cook?well who are they? Perhaps the Irish don't want to share with us because many of their traditional fare are heaped with flavor and down to earth ingredients. Hearty stews and breads are favorites at the Irish pubs, and homes and the wine of choice is always beer! My choice for the national flower, fruit, food or animal would have to be the potato. The potato has a way of creeping into almost every dish of the Irish. The white potato or the "Irish potato" has its roots (pardon the pun) in the Andean Mountains. Brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the mid 16th century, the potato became the main staple of the lads and lassies of Ireland. By the 1800s, an amazing 90% of the Irish populations were totally dependent on the potato crop not only for consumption but for their livelihood. With the population of Ireland at 8 million, that is a whole lot of French fries?actually fries didn't come until much later, and I don't think the Irish will take credit for that one! That was all to change however in 1845 when half of the potato crops became infected by a black fungus, the trivial pursuit term would be "Phytophthora infestants. ". It raged through the fields like wild fire and the crops were non consumable. Many of the population became ill trying to eat the infected tubers as that was the only source of food. It was to be the beginning of the Great Famine or the potato famine as some call it. The famine lasted from 1846-1851?it was a dark time for the Isle. With the rich farmers exporting their grain to the England they survived by starving their own country?it was a no win situation, survival of the fittest and the richest! This period is recognizes by historians as one of the greatest catastrophes of the 19th century. Today however the beautiful Ireland boasts a population of over 5 million strong, and the world holds dear to its heart over 70 million of Irish decent. Potatoes come in all shapes, sizes and colors? Russets: or baking potato are the most common. They are grown in Maine and Oregon and of course Idaho. With brown skin and high in starch but low in moisture, they are perfect for mashing, baking or fries. Long White: oblong and light tan skin they are an all purpose potato. Good for baking, roasting, mashing or boiling, they are mostly grown in California. Round Reds: round and red in skin, these are great for boiling?with skins of course. They have a low starch content so when mashing do not over do it. These spuds are sometimes called "new" potatoes, which is an incorrect term as "new" actually means any variety of potato freshly dug and not stored. La Rouge, Red La Soda and Red Pontiacs fall into the round red category. Round White: Irish Cobbler, Katahdin, and Superior stand in this classification. Great for boiling, these are light skinned and ivory fleshed. With a medium starch content they are not the greatest for mashing and certainly not baked?roasting however they are delicious gems. Yellow Flesh: have a deep yellow color and a firm creamy texture. Their firmness and flavor make them a favorite of restaurants and chefs. Yukon Golds are the most common in this category. Yellow Finns,La Rein, and Dutch Yellow are available from time to time. Purple Potatoes: dark purple or black on the outside, when cut expose a purplish blue inside. Beautiful for color to the dish, or to just freak your friends out they again are all purpose and good for mashing and boiling. Don't forget to invite Barney to the table! Lamb Stew ¼ pound thick bacon (cut into lengthwise and widthwise) 3 pounds lamb shoulder (cubed) ½ teaspoon salt and pepper ¼ cup all purpose flour 2 cloves garlic minced (add more if desired) 1 large onion chopped 1 ½ teaspoon sugar 1/4cup water 2 cups beef broth or consommé (you may make your own broth) 2 pounds potatoes (cubed) 3 cups carrots (diced?the bigger the better) ½ teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon celery seed ½ cup dry red wine (you can use white wine?make sure to save some for the chef) Sautee bacon, remove from fat and reserve fat. Toss lamb cubes in flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. Brown lamb in bacon fat, remove and put in stock pot. Sautee onions and garlic in the same pan?scrapping down the residue from lamb, add ¼ cup of water to aid in process. Place in pot. Throw remaining ingredients in pot and allow to simmer until tender.(two hours should do it) You may add more of anything as you see fit?I prefer the broth or the wine. This stew is even better the next day. If you have a local supermarket that makes sourdough bowls indulge your guests by hollowing out the bowl and serving stew in bread. Do not hollow too close to the edge of the bread sides or you will have a mess on the table. If that doesn't work for you use the following recipe for the bread dish. This slant on potato bread is quick and easy and absolutely delicious. It is a treat served in Northern Ireland?but make your own and save the air fair. Serve warm off the grill slathered with butter, or soak up the gravy from the stew. Leftovers can be toasted and served with jam? Potato Farls 1 pound potatoes 1 cup all purpose flour 2 ounces butter 1 teaspoon salt Boil potatoes until tender. Drain and mash with butter flour and salt. Try sifting flour to avoid clumping. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth. It is easier to obtain a smooth dough if the potatoes are still warm. Divide dough in two and roll out into two circles approximately 1/3 inch in thickness?thicker is OK too. Cut the circles into quarters(like a large pie slice) Lightly grease frying pan, skillet or griddle. Heat pan to medium to high heat?cook on each side approximately two to three minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy and be wary of leprechauns selling four leaf clovers!