Happy St. Patrick's Day

We first traveled to Ireland in 1990 and so enchanted with the place we took a year off and lived there in 1994. We rented a bungalow just off Bantry Bay, County Cork in a small town called Glengarriff, just across the harbor from Maureen O'Hara's, you know, the movie star...John Wayne, "The Quiet Man", "McCintock".


When it wasn't raining it was glorious--wild crashing waves, deep green oak woods, charming cottages, darling pubs within crawling distance and warm friendly people. Unfortunately Ireland was experiencing the wettest year on record, I felt like Mrs. Noah after forty days and nights of "pissing" rain (that's an Irish expression I adopted). I completely understand why the birth rate and alcoholism rate is so high! But we made the best of it and enjoyed fantastic beer, the best tea, butter and cream ever and amazing salmon and mussels caught daily in the bay. We were befriended by amazing people, many who were very good in the kitchen. I helped out at a friend's B&B and gathered her best recipes. You have never had brown bread, as soda bread is called there, or true Irish scones until you have visited the west of Ireland.

As my bit of Irish cheer I share this recipe for soda bread collected from a very dear woman, who was both mother and friend. It is best eaten as soon as it is cool enough to cut, but will be lovely all day. Naturally it is very nice the second day, especially toasted, but mind the toasting as it is quite crumbly. Put any left over loaves in plastic bags and pop them into the freezer.

Irish Soda Bread

3 c. whole wheat flour

½ c. cracked wheat (if you do not have this, substitute whole wheat flour)

1 ½ c. flour

½ c. rolled oats (oatmeal)

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

3 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450

Mix dry ingredients well. Add buttermilk and stir until a sticky dough is formed. Put it out on a floured surface and knead a bit. Shape into 3 loaves, cutting a cross on each. Place loaves on an oiled baking sheet or into loaf pans.

Bake 15 min. at 450. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake another 15 min., or until loaves sound hollow when tapped.