Happy St. Patrick’s Day Everyone!

No, I am not wearing green… but if I type this whole post in green from here on, does that count?  Okay, yay.  So, San Francisco has been taken over by a bunch of green wearing, beer drinking lunatics.  D and I are not partaking in the festivities, and instead went for a run around our neighborhood this afternoon and later are going to Rose’s for dinner.  Not a green beer in sight.  Actually, I’m drinking a lovely glass of Gloria Ferrer pink bubbly as I type this.  Pink is the new green, didn’t you know?

Okay, I realize I’m rambling.  What I wanted to share with you all was one of my favorite Irish recipes… Potato Bread.  I wish this would catch on here in the States, because although it is easy to make, it’s messy and a bit fiddly, so it would be so nice if I could run down to the grocery store and buy a pack like you can in Ireland.  Then again, I’d probably be consuming a lot more potato bread than I do now, so maybe it’s a good thing actually.  For now, we will have to rely on Irish house guests paying us in potato bread from Marks & Spencers, or I’ll just have to get  my hands a little dirty!

Traditional Irish Potato Bread 

2 lb mashed potatoes

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp butter

1 ½ tsp salt 

Melt the butter and mix into the potatoes with the salt.  Work in the flour quickly but thoroughly and knead lightly.  Divide in two and roll out each half on a floured board to form a circle about the size of a large dinner plate.  Cut in quarters and cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side in a heavy frying pan using a little oil or butter. 

Although potato bread can be eaten at any point of the day, I think it’s best at breakfast, especially if mum’s cooking.  Everyone’s heard of the traditional Irish breakfast I assume, but in case you need a brush up it usually consists of bangers and rashers, fried toast, black pudding (ick!), fried tomatoes, potato bread or fried potatoes, eggs, and lots and lots of Irish tea.  That’s a lot of fried. Thankfully mum has come up with her own version with a lot less grease.  I suppose it’s a California-ized Irish Breakfast!

wheaten bread to tide everyone over whilst breakfast is cooking

(my Auntie Miriam’s recipe… I’ll ask her if I can publish it here on the blog)

bangers & bacon & potato bread

(b&b done on the bbq, pb crisped up in a nonstick pan)

“fried” heirloom tomatoes 

(done with a bit of olive oil in a nonstick pan)

lots of eggs…

(this time she did fried and scrambled, she usually does poached though) 

 and gallons of Barry’s Irish tea

Oh, and don’t forget… hot plates are an absolute must!

Sláinte!

btw, that’s the view from our holiday home (when we lived there) in Downings, Donegal!