Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish, typically a supporting role for the traditional corned beef and cabbage meal often cooked at Saint Patrick’s Day.
It’s dish of creamy mashed potato and a cooked, chopped greens. My preference is kale. This dish can be elevated by the addition of extra cream and/or butter and sometimes bacon. To change it up, you can sub in some parsnip for part of the potatoes, adding sweetness. I like adding chives at the very end. If you look hard enough in your winter garden, you may actually see a few beginning to sprout, if your chives grow in a protected and sunny spot. Chives are dependably one the of the first things a spring garden can offer.
The recipe is forgiving, so here we go, serves six
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds russet potato, peeled, rough chop
3 packed cups of chopped kale
Salt and pepper , to taste
1 cup chopped scallion
2/3 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of light cream
Chives, crispy bacon are optional garnishes
METHOD
Boil the potatoes, drain. Mash with cream and seasonings. Set aside.
Melt butter in a pan , add and cook the greens and scallion with a bit of salt, tossing until tender and bright.
Add the greens mixture to the mashed potato, stirring well. Adjust the seasonings and add a bit more cream for proper consistency.
Turn into a covered casserole and keep warm. Top with chopped chives at the last moment. You’ll feel the luck of the Irish after trying this dish!
It’s been an old fashioned winter, to be sure. We haven’t had snow piling up in such a protracted way for seasons.
The good news is, the NorthEast is where the snow is, so feeling very happy for the ski and winter activity resorts. They’ve had a few bad years, so this may not make up for it, but will certainly help!
“In like a lion” seems apt, we’re expecting the second storm of the week tomorrow. But even so, there’s already a change in the air, a quickening towards spring, and also in the quality of the light.
Soon, in a matter of days, it will be time to “spring ahead” with daylight savings time. That’s a definite boost!
Meanwhile, I’ll be content ( which seems a little underrated in today’s world) to watch the snow fall, the wild turkeys forage in the yard, note the witch hazel in winter flower, and ruminate with my seed and bulb catalogs.
Meanwhile eat hearty, stay warm and drink a little Guinness for old St. Pat!
The name means “re-boiled”, the flavor…out of this world. On the heartiness level, we give it a 10. It is essentially a country vegetable soup.
While preparing a pot of this luscious soup requires a bit of time ,gathering and chopping, the rewards are well worth it.
Nutritious, satisfying and flavorful, you can steer the result into the vegetarian sector or make it with a meaty beef soup bone.
Traditionally served over a slice of Tuscan bread, remember that this soup is largely vegetable so it doesn’t need to cook forever. If you choose to use a beef bone, cook that ahead to break it down and to make your bone broth so the rest of the ingredients don’t suffer. Did you know that boiling bones with a bit of vinegar draw out the bone essence? And the flavor cooks off, so no worries!
Here are my list of ingredient contenders : lots of garlic, minced, onion, celery, carrot chopped. Rutabega, cabbage and celeriac , medium dice. You’ll add a big can of chopped tomato and fresh herbs like basil and parsley just at the end. In the summer only I might add corn, okra and zucchini. A bit flourish of good olive oil in the bowl, just before serving and a smattering of herbs. That’s it. It’s not a recipe, but a creation, so feel unfettered! If you choose MISO, remember, we never cook it. Think of it like bouillon. It adds flavor and aminos, it’s a live food that gets diminished by heat , so swirl it in last, like salt.
Going to the root cellar is likely a dying tradition, however still very much alive amongst a certain style of Mainer.
Winter cooking used to be entirely informed by this. When people stored and ate what they grew (what remained in February were root vegetables, apples, cabbages, etc…and things that were “put by”, such as jams, jellies and pickles , salted meats and ferments) you’d better believe that there were some hearty soups and stews slated for the coldest days. So, get yourself some carrots, turnip, a rutabaga , cabbage, some creamy white beans, diced tomato, bone broth and a beef shin …OR MISO!…and go to town!
It seems like that this winter has really gotten real and we’re had weeks of“the coldest days”. Perfect for soup.
This is the sort of thing I want to cook and eat. I was first aquainted with it in Tuscany. They make a hearty soup, served over a slice of their saltless Tuscan bread called Ribolita. It means re-boiled and when you make a big pot, you’ll be eating it for a few days. So it must be “reboiled” or at least reheated!
It’s perfect! We know those days when it’s too cold to even get out of the house . Who wants to shop or cook? Do it once and enjoy the fruits of your labor for days!
Please pop over to SEASONAL RECIPES to learn some of the secrets to a successful RIBOLITA.
I was just checking with my Google Personal Assistant about the year ahead, 2026.
Beginning in mid February, the year of the Fire Horse begins, occurring once every 60 years. This represents a combination of the horse sign and fire element, expect dynamic action, adventure, and a shift from planning to rapid growth and bold execution.
What type of person will thrive this year? The entrepreneur for one, creatives, communications fields, travel and adventure… and leadership/public service ( nick of time!).
Food Safari is about travel, in this case traveling deep within to pull out aspects of the creative adventurer inside.
Sit in stillness to form your intentions for 2026. Release the things, habits, people that no longer serve, vision what you hope for and desire.Speak gently to yourself, try to serve others without expectation. Breathe, move into your fullness and remember to be grateful for the abundance that many of us are fortunate to know. Spread the love.
Bright Blessing for all that strengthens humanity and our paths on this fragile planet we call home.
POUR INGREDIENTS INTO A JAR AND MIX WELL. STIR A SECOND TIME.
COVER AND REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT
CHOOSE A SEASONAL TOPPING LIKE FRESH BERRIES IN THE SUMMER OR A FRUIT COMPOTE IN THE WINTER
TOP OFF YOUR PUDDING AND ENJOY IT COLD.
It’s a New Year! Try something new and maybe even plant based. Chia is loaded with fiber and smart fats, low in cholesterol . Your body will thank you after the holiday feasting!
Keeping Christmas. It’s a personal thing, what does that mean to you?
As I think back on childhood Christmases ,it was about family traditions like dressing up and going to church, decorating the house, actually, everything. We loved baking Old Country goodies with Grandma Marad from Austria, traveling to see relatives who lived waaaay out in the country and enjoying their Penna. Dutch ways, and nights at home watching Walt Disney specials with Dad’s arm around me on the sofa. Or maybe Laurence Welk, Christmas edition, with Grandma Reigel, cuddled up on the big rocking chair. Alvin and the Chipmunks records come to mind, suburban parties with little friends (in the rec room, natch) where Dad had buffed the waxed floors to a shine.
No one ever brought up the fact that half my family was Christian and half were Jewish. It was a complete non-issue that I only figured out by looking back on the cuisine we shared as a family. What deliciousness!
I remember certain Christmas gifts that gave my growing years a kind of structure….a Little Genius doll by Madame Alexander when I was seven, a Peter and the Wolf recording, in order to learn the orchestra at ten, “the last bike that Santa would ever deliver to me”, given to me at ten, my first Beatles LP at eleven or twelve ( Beatles “65, I still know all the songs in chronological order ).Then the first cherished gifts from high school sweethearts, like a necklace, ticket to a rock show or love letter. Slightly later an illicit bottle of Mateus, the wine of many beginning wine aficionados, intended to make shenanigans even more heightened!
Most of the players who make up my holiday memories are gone today. The spirit of love and acceptance remains, as do the recipes handed down and made time and again, shared with others. Gathering in a spirit of good cheer and gratitude as we experienced growing up remains in my repetoire . So does helping others . Consider some community outreach and helping the less fortunate…there’s always time to volunteer, anytime of year.
To me, bringing in this sort of mindful practice of attention and kindness everyday…that’s keeping Christmas. And the wonderful thing is that you can do it everyday of the year.
Marshmallows and chocolate are a match made in heaven.
One way to elevate the experience for winter is to make them yourselves and add a few to that steaming mug of goodness you’ll want for winter warmth.
Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. White vinegar
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/2 cup water (for syrup)
1/2 cup water (for blooming the gelatin)
2 TB gelatin powder
GOOD Vanilla to taste
Instructions:
Bloom the gelation.
Place 1/2 cup water in mixing bowl.Sprinkle in gelation and stir to moisten. Set aside.
Make the syrup:
Place sugar and remaining water in a pot. Add vinegar honey, stirring gently. Heat and swirl until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil , cover and simmer for 2 minutes . After 2 minutes check the pan for any sugar crystals. If none, clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Cook until the temp reads 242 degrees. (hard ball stage)
Prep the pan:
Using butter, grease a 9 by 9 inch pan.
Set aside.
Mixing:
Place the bloomed gelatin in a mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for a minute to break it up.
Add a pinch of salt.
While the machine is mixing on medium to med low, slowly and carefully stream in the sugar syrup-, adding along the wall of the bowl (not on the moving whisk!)
The heat of the syrup should dissolve all the gelation.
Increase mixer speed to high for 5 minutes. You should have a fluffy, glossy mixture similar to meringue. Add the vanilla and mix another minute.
Getting it into a pan:
Spread into the prepared, buttered pan while still warm, using an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
Curing:
Let the marshmallow set for 6 hours at room temperature.
After that, turn the marshmallow out onto a counter to cut., any size you like. I choose a 1 by 1 inch square, and use a buttered knife for a clean cut.
Dusting:
Use cornstarch to dust them with.
These keep for quite a while in an airtight container….as long as there are no children in the house!
We’ve struggled through October’s “Pumpkin Spice” moments, eaten muffins, cake, quick breads and coffee flavored like pumpkin.
Let’s give things a savory twist just in time for Thanksgiving. How about a silky, rich Pumpkin Bisque, scented with local cider and freshly ground nutmeg?
A bit of white wine, or coconut milk rich, homemade chicken stock and plenty of roasted pumpkin rounds things out.
I use celeriac in mine, which is celery root and usually found in a natural foods store at this time of year.
Puree all with a stick blender and you get something wonderfully satisfying and comforting. Easily makes a meal and also freezes well.
Another of this recipe’s virtues is that it can easily be made Vegetarian or Vegan. A show stopping first course served individually in a small pumpkin for Thanksgiving dinner!
CLASSIC PUMPKIN BISQUE/ SERVES 6-8
INGREDIENTS
1/4 C. OLIVE OIL
1 CUP CHOPPED VIDELIA ONION
1 SMALL BALL OF PEELED, DICED CELERY ROOT
1 TB. MINCED GARLIC
1 # PUMPKIN PUREE
1 QT. RICH CHICKEN STOCK, a splash each of white wine and cider
1/2 C. HEAVY CREAM OR COCONUT CREAM
MIX OF WARMING SPICES, TO YOUR TASTE: FRESH GINGER, FRESH GRATED NUTMEG, CURRY POWDER, S AND P
METHOD
HEAT OLIVE OIL IN A LARGE POT WITH A HEAVY BOTTOM. ADD CELERY ROOT AND ONION, PINCH OF SALT.STIR, COOK TILL TENDER
ADD GARLIC AND SPICES. COOK A COUPLE OF MINUTES LONGER.
POUR IN THE CIDER, WHITE WINE AND CHICKEN BROTH. ADD THE PUMPKIN PUREE. STIR UNTIL WELL COMBINED. BRING TO A SIMMER, STIRRING. THEN LOWER HEAT AND COOK COVERED, PERHAQPS 20 MINUTES.
USE AN IMMERSION BLENDER TO MAKE THE SOUP SMOOTH. ADD CREAM OR COCONUT CREAM TO FINISH AND STIR.
CHOPPED PARSLEY TO GARNISH …OR TRY Toasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin oil!
PRO TIP: Looks great when served in small individual pumpkins.
Geese are heading south. The tender garden annuals have taken a hit. The leaves have changed into their final act…the burnished oranges, yellows and rich browns of the oaks, known to hold their leaves the longest.
Summer’s gone along with those 80 degree days. But I’m grateful for the oaks last hurrah!
Once the other hardwoods have given up the ghost of their summer grandeur, the kaleidoscope shifts to those mighty oaks that often grow in close proximity to the water at the coast in Maine.
The Autumn light, bright blue sky, blue waters and fanfare of remaining color all conspire with the puffy, white clouds to create a quintessential moment in time. It’s late Fall in Maine. A moment that stretches from the energy of summer and spans the gap to the solitude and thoughtfulness of winter. A time to gather, assess, reflect. Whether you’re a squirrel collecting acorns, a fellow chopping and stacking wood, out at work harvesting winter squash in the garden ,curating your reading list, or even inviting your friends in to dinner, that’s what we are essentially doing.
The Gather. A way to share… elevate… prepare.
It speaks to simple abundance and a quieter time to celebrate both the source and those we share it with.
INGREDIENTS:
Keeping Christmas. It’s a personal thing, what does that mean to you?
Instructions:
