Last year, in “the Twelve Months of Soup,” I made potato leek soup. Here is the link to last year’s article with links to the recipe I selected, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2021/3/2/march-2021-in-the-twelve-months-of-soup-by-fran-joyce?rq=soup

This year, I made colcannon, a traditional Irish dish prepared with potatoes and our vegetable of the month, leeks.

Leeks are in the Allium genus of vegetables along with garlic, onions, shallots scallions, and chives. Unlike onions which form a tight bulb, leeks are loosely  formed and must be rinsed carefully be cooking to make sure any soil is removed from the bulb. The edible parts of the leek include the white and light green parts. The dark green stems have a tough texture, but they can be sautéed in some recipes or used to make vegetable stock instead of being discarded.

Leeks can be eaten raw in salads, or boiled, or sauteed. It’s important to cut them lengthwise and crosswise, so they are easier to chew. In France, leeks are referred to as asperge du pauvre, “poor man’s asparagus.”

The basic ingredients for colcannon are potatoes, butter, milk, and cabbage or kale. There are many variations for this staple dish. It’s quick to make and inexpensive. I would personally like to thank the genius who decided to add leeks to their recipe because the flavor of the leeks elevates this dish to a new level. Other popular ingredients include scallions, onions, laverbread (a food product made from laver or sleabhac, an edible seaweed), or chives.

Colcannon can be served as a main dish or a side dish with boiled ham, salt pork, or Irish bacon.

At Halloween time, people sometimes hide a thimble or ring in colcannon and the recipient wins a prize or prizes of small coins can be hidden in the dish. Other items such as a stick indicate the recipient with have a bad marriage or a rag indicates poverty. Honestly, I like my food without inedible ingredients, so I’ve never hidden anything in my colcannon.

I found a delicious recipe. I’m including the link here, https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/colcannon, but I prefer my own recipe which I’ve included here:

You can make the recipe vegan by using oat or hemp milk and vegan butter in any recipe.

For my recipe, I used Idahoan Buttery Style Instant Mashed Potatoes (2–4-ounce packets which make 4 servings each for a total of 8 servings).

I made the combined packets with 1.5  cups of water and 1.5 cups of milk in total. The directions on each packet call for a cup of water and a cup of milk, but the potatoes are soggy that way – ¾ cup for water and ¾ cup milk works best for each four-serving packet(for a vegan option you would make your own mashed potatoes) I use this brand because my son loves them, they are delicious, and quick.

Sauté the following ingredients in butter until the leeks and cabbage are a light golden brown:

2 leeks (white parts only sliced lengthwise and crosswise into small strips)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup of finely chopped kale

Add to the mashed potatoes, mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sautéing the leeks, cabbage, and kale with the garlic and butter brings out the flavor of the vegetables. I use both cabbage and kale for flavor variety. The dark leafy kale also adds color to the dish. I enjoyed it as a main dish. James had it as a side dish with crispy bacon.

Have some fun with the recipe and enjoy!

Our vegetable for April will be carrots.

The Twelve Months of Vegetables

January                             Cabbage                           Mahi Mahi Soft Tacos

February                           Zucchini                            Chocolate Zucchini Bread

March                               Leeks                                 Colcannon

April                                   Carrots

May                                   Beets

June                                   Kale

July                                    Broccoli

August                               Potatoes

September                       Green Beans     

October                            Spinach

November                        Corn

December                        Asparagus