Colcannon

Adapted from Seward Co-op recipe

Ingredients

4 red potatoes

1 Tbs olive oil

1 head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced

1 head fennel, thinly sliced & frons(green tops) chopped

3 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup chives, chopped

4 Tbs ghee (clarified butter)

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

1 tsp grey salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Slice 2 potatoes, coat in olive oil, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, place on parchment lined baking sheet, and bake until golden brown-about 20-25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the other 2 potatoes into large chunks, cover with water in a large saucepan, cover, bring to a boil, and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the cooking water. Lightly mash the potatoes with a potato masher.

4. Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbs of ghee in a large cast iron pan on medium low heat, saute the cabbage and fennel (not frons), until slightly wilted, about 8-10 minutes (cover to speed up wilting and keep in moisture).

5. Add roasted potatoes to the mashed potatoes, mash lightly, mix in remaining ghee, milk, green onions, salt, pepper, cabbage, and fennel. Cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

6. Stir in chives and fennel frons.

The Seward Co-op was giving away samples of colcannon, which I had never heard of before, and I was amazed at the flavor of the traditional Irish dish. I made this around St. Patrick's Day, so this is a little late, but you don't have to wait for next year to make this dish. I was a little reluctant about the fennel because I am not a fan of anise flavor, but I found out that when you cook fennel it gets sweeter and more mellow. I don't think this dish would have been as great without the fennel. The fennel frons looked like dill in the dish, which also got me to thinking that dill would be a great herb to add. The roasted potatoes were so tasty by themselves it was hard to mash them into the dish without wanting to eat them just the way they were. Eric and I ended up eating this dish as a whole meal because it was so filling. It was also great warmed up for lunch the next day at work. I highly recommend trying it.

Southwestern Adobo Veggies over Smoked Provolone Polenta

Ingredients

Polenta

3 cups filtered water

1 cup polenta (corn grits)

1 cup smoked provolone, shredded

1/4 cups chives, chopped

1/2 tsp grey salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper

Topping

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups fresh spinach, washed & stems removed

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 can corn, drained & rinsed

1 can sliced black olives

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup chives, chopped

2 green onions, sliced diagonally

1 Tbs adobo sauce

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (reserve 1 Tbs for garnish)

1 tsp grey salt

1 tsp freshly cracked pepper

1 avocado, diced

juice of 1/3 lemon

Directions

1. Bring the water to a boil to make the polenta.

2. Slowly whisk in the polenta and reduce the heat to a simmer.

3. Simmer for 5 minutes, turn off heat, stir in cheese, chives, salt, and pepper-allow to sit for a few minutes (keep lid on to keep warm until ready to serve)

4. Meanwhile, melt ghee in a large cast iron pan on medium low heat.

5.Add the spinach and garlic, cook for 1 minute

6. Stir in pinto beans, corn, olives, pumpkin seeds, adobo sauce, green onions, and chives; cook for 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and everything is warmed through

7. Mix the avocado in the lemon juice and add to the pan, along with the cilantro, salt, and pepper.

8. Serve the dish by placing a large scoop of the polenta on the plate, top with the bean mixture, and garnish with cilantro.

I had made polenta in the past and I was never that impressed by it. I would add seasonings, but it always came out bland. But this time was different because the smoked provolone cheese made this polenta irresistible! The smoky melted cheese made the house smell amazing! Then to balance off the cheese I made a healthy topping with lots of protein, from the beans and pumpkin seeds, and a ton of veggies. This whole recipe came from needing to use up an avocado. I wanted to use a more unique grain than I typically use, so I thought the polenta would be perfect, even though polenta is really not all that unique. The corn grits were so easy and fast to cook, so this meal came together in no time.