The season of green is practically upon us with the likes of green beer, minty milkshakes, and dyed green scrambled eggs. St Patrick’s Day occurs on March 17 and is a day to remember one of Ireland’s patron saints, St. Patrick. It largely celebrates Irish-American culture in the United States. So take this opportunity to pull out your mad green cooking skilz and have fun impressing your friends.
There are no hard and fast rules, and under no circumstances are you required to cook a ‘traditional’ meal of dry corned beef with boiled cabbage and potatoes. It can be your own take on a green themed meal. While there are a lot of ways to turn this typical menu into a delicious meal, anyone from Ireland will be quick to tell you that a typical Irish meal is boiled pork and potatoes. It is mind-blowing when you realize that this meal concept we associate with St. Patrick’s Day is really an Irish-American tradition.
Another revelation: There’s never been any actual corn in corned beef.;) Long before the word ‘corn’ referred to a vegetable, it was an Old English word for any grain still containing the seed. In the original preparation of English corned beef, cooks use coarse pieces of salt the size of grains to cure or preserve the meat.
Whether you want to host a St. Patrick’s Day brunch or a dinner with a new flair, which is always my recommendation, I’ve compiled an undeniably GREEN menu to spark your inner cooking leprechaun.
Brunch
Green Eggs & Ham
Leek & Potato Fritters
Green Lemonade
Dinner
Chestnut Sage Pesto Bruschetta
Warm Brussels Sprout Salad
Lamb Chops
Mint Tea Julep (adult version)
Key Lime Miniature Tarts
