A Feast Fit for a Leprechaun

I serve this every year.  My sweetie's birthday comes close to St. Patrick's day, and this is our party fare each year.  Even people who say "I never eat corned beef" love this.  Unless, of course, you're a vegetarian.  Then you still won't eat this meal... unless you'd like some cabbage and potatoes and a salad with green goddess dressing and some Irish soda bread.

So here it is.  My foolproof St. Paddy's feast, along with my St. Paddy's BrightandShinyThings.  Enjoy.

Shopping List:

A corned beef (it comes raw and slimy, in a package with some spices in it)

A cabbage

Some cute little potatoes

Some cheap beer

Check and be sure you have some:

Bay leaves

Cinnamon sticks

A few whole cloves

And if you want to make soda bread as well, be sure you have:

Flour

Salt

Baking powder

Baking soda

Sugar

Butter

An egg

Buttermilk

2. c raisins or currants

I you want salad with Green Goddess dressing, you'll also need:

Salad stuff (romaine)

Green onions (well, one)

a bunch of parsley

tarragon

chives

mayonnaise or mayo and sour cream

wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar or cider vinegar

In the AM:

Take the slimy corned beef out of the package and toss it in the crockpot.  Add the spices provided.  Also add a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick, and a few whole cloves.  Pour two cans of beer over it and set it to simmer all day long.

In the evening:

Cut up and core your cabbage.  Throw the cabbage wedges into the crock pot to steam on top of your corned beef.

Take out some of the corned beef liquid and put it in a sauce pan.  Bring it to a boil and cook your little potatoes in it.  (You can cook them in the crock pot if you give them a couple of hours.)

Meanwhile, make your soda bread.

In a large bowl, combine:

4 c. unsifted regular flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ c. sugar (optional)

2 c. raisins or currants

Cut in:

¼ c. butter with a knife or pastry blender.

Mix this in with the dry mixture until it's all crumbly.

Beat together:

1 egg

1 ¾ c. buttermilk

Mix together wet stuff with dry stuff.  Knead it on a floured board for a few minutes, until it is smooth.  This will take 2-5 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a round loaf.  Press each round loaf into an 8" cake or pie pan.

With a sharp knife, cut an "x" into the top of each loaf. 

Pop them in the oven and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

 

Salad Time.

While your bread is baking, make you salad.

To make the dressing,

Clean the parsley, and pull the leafy stuff off the stems.  Dry it carefully.  Chop ¼ c. of it.

Chop a green onion and ¼ of chives.  (If you don't have chives, use more green onion).

Take a blender. Put it:

¼ c. vinegar

3 c. mayo (or 2 c. mayo and 1 c. sour cream)

¼ c. chives

2 Tbs. tarragon

1 minced green onion

¼ c. chopped parsley

Blend it all together in short blender bursts. Use it to top your salad.  Put the rest in a jar.  It makes lovely dip or dressing for many days to come.

Ready?

Slice the corned beef.  Cut up your bread.  Serve it all with the taters and cabbage and salad.  Leave a little for the leprechauns and the Prophet Elijah.  (What, you think he only eats one night a year?!)

Saint Patrick's Day in my etsy shop
Saint Patrick's Day in my eBay shop