Food

Like feast days throughout the world food is involved in the celebration of St. Brigid's life.

Colcannon, Boxty Cakes, and St. Brigid's Oatcakes for the children were big favourites. You'll notice that the ingredients reflect the simplicity of the time and are easily found. To this day they are still favourites in many  Irish homes. Colcannon in particular was eaten in many Irish homes especially on Fridays when up to very recently meat wasn't eaten as part of religious observances.

 
          Colcannon (serves 6)

     1 ½ lbs. Green Cabbage
     2 cups water
     Knob of butter
     1 ¼ lbs peeled and quartered potatoes
     1 tablespoon chopped parsley
     1 cup cleaned and chopped leeks white part only
     1 cup milk
     Salt and pepper to taste
     Butter Bomb (a ball of butter)

Simmer the cabbage in two cups water and oil for ten minutes minutes, then drain, and chop fine. Boil potatoes and water, and simmer 'til tender. Simmer the leeks in milk for ten minutes 'til tender. Drain and puree the potatoes. Add leeks and their milk and the cooked cabbage, and mix in. Add the salt and pepper. Mound on a plate and bury the "butter bomb" in the middle of the mound. Garnish with parsley.

Our head teacher Mr. Turner told us that in his house there was a tradition of “hiding” money wrapped in tin-foil in the colcannon and you had to eat your way through the colcannon to find the cash. He thinks that this tradition wasn’t very widespread but was his Mam’s way of getting the kids to eat all that veg !! Clever woman !!

 
          Boxty Cakes (makes 12)

     ½ lb hot cooked potatoes
     ½ lb grated raw potatoes
     2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda
     1½ cups buttermilk
     Butter for frying
     Salt and pepper

Drain, peel and mash the hot potatoes. Stir in the raw potatoes, flour and baking soda. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with enough buttermilk to make a stiff batter. Shape into 3 inch patties about ¼ inch thick and fry on hot greased griddle until crispy and golden on both sides.

 
         St. Brigid's Oatcakes (serves 4)

     2 cups uncooked, old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
     1¼ cups buttermilk
     2 ½ cups sifted bread flour
     1 teaspoon baking soda
     ½ teaspoon baking powder
     1 teaspoon salt
     Vegetable oil spray

A day ahead, combine the oats and buttermilk in a small bowl. Blend thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the oat mixture from the refrigerator. Combine the bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon 20 to 30 times, or until you have a smooth dough. Grease a baking sheet with the oil spray. Turn the dough onto the baking sheet, and use your hands to form a round, cake-shaped loaf about 1-inch thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 4 quarters. Move the quarters apart slightly, but keep them in the original round shape. Bake until the cakes are light golden brown and firm to the touch, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly on a rack, and serve with butter and jam or preserves. Makes 1 loaf (in quarters).