Slainte! That was me raising my virtual mug of green beer to you.
There is a lot of Irish Magic going around in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Here in Houston, the Buffalo Bayou will magically turn green overnight in honor of St. Paddy's Day...And in San Antonio, the same named river that meanders through downtown will magically turn green.
In my family, the Irish Magic took the form of potato soup. This recipe for potato soup came over on the boat with one of my foremothers during the potato famine. My grandmother still had the original recipe, written in a very pretty and loopy handwriting on somewhat brownish and crispy paper. This potato soup would magically cure whatever you happened to be suffering from. If you had a tummy ache, you were put to bed and served a bowl of potato soup and you always felt better soon afterward. (Thank goodness no one ever had appendicitis) The potato soup was used for colds and flu as well. My grandmother called it Irish Magic. I have come to think of it as Irish Penicillin.
In the March issue of Living With the Muse newsletter we shared some more recipes with you. If you didn't get it, you can check it out here-> http://eepurl.com/j4BCf
~JD
Irish Potato Soup
I updated this recipe as I rarely have time to milk the cow and skim the cream off the morning's milk.
3 pounds peeled russet potatoes cut into chunks
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
3 cans chicken stock or water with chicken bouillon cubes
Salt
White pepper
1 tall can evaporated milk
1 stick butter or margarine
Place potatoes, celery and onion in a large stockpot. Add enough chicken stock or water (with bouillon cubes) to generously cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and mash the vegetables, slightly. I just use a potato masher or a fork against the side of the pan. You still want it to be chunky, but mashing part of it makes it rich and creamy. Add entire stick of butter and can of evaporated milk. Add white pepper and salt to taste.
Ladies, I have a drop or two of Hibernia in my own blood and I'm pretty convinced the love of the spud is in my genes. Although I have developed a cream of potato recipe that I love, I still remember one my mom used to make, on cold snowy nights, that was almost identical to this one. I also recently discovered that raw potato juice (organic, of course) is an excellent cure for ulcers and gastritis, so your grandmother might have been onto something there:) La Fhéile Phadraig Sona Duit!
ReplyDeleteRight back at cha' Eloise, and a Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone else. :-)
DeleteYes, our grandmothers could fix about anything.
*hugs*
~JD
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ReplyDeleteSounds yummy. I might have to make that.
DeleteTis indeed yummy. I hope you enjoy it. You can be in my family with this recipe, Susan.
Delete*hugs*
~JD
Oh my gosh that looks yummy. Try colcannon sometime -- a sassy potato soup with cabbage. Thanks for sharing a family favorite JD. You can't beat a family endorsement!
ReplyDelete:)
~Rose
Hi Rose!
DeleteThere is a lovely recipe for colcannon in our March newsletter. Check it out here and enjoy. http://eepurl.com/j4BCf
*hugs*
~JD
I'll have some potato soup and green beer!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Irish ladies,
Michele Hart
A genuinely almost Irish girl, sort of.
There you go. Girl, you know you're part of the family.
DeleteSlainte!
*hugs*
~JD
Here's a helpful phrase to help you with your order in an Irish bar:
DeleteTabhair dom an rud céanna mar atá ag an fhear ar an t-úrlar!
It means: Give me the same as the man on the floor!
:-D...JD
The Potato Soup recipe sounds delicious, J.D. I'll have to try it as it's one of hubby's favorite things, and a comfort food in my household.
ReplyDeleteServe him up a bowl of Irish Potato Soup and he will know you love him. It always spells love around here.
DeleteHere's another Irish phrase that might come in handy over the weekend: Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!
It means St. Patrick's Day blessings.
*hugs*
~JD
What I want to know is, where do you keep your cows? :) I remember milking cows and churning butter. Soooooooo good on grandma's hot buttermilk biscuits covered with honey they'd gathered. Your potato soup recipe is delicious, and very much like my grandma made.
ReplyDeleteTabhair dom an rud céanna mar atá ag an fhear ar an t-úrlar!
Though you might find this hard to believe, I do know how to hand milk a cow. and make butter. Yes, great good stuff.
Delete*hugs*
~JD
You can do anything you want! :) Keep on keeping on!
DeleteHappy St. Patty's Day to you from the Quinns. I'm Swedish, he's German. That's all I've got to say. ;-)
ReplyDeleteJane