An Irish Spring

MEGHAN PADGETT - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – EXCLUSIVE BRANDS

Ah Spring! The time for rebirth, growth, and the great defrost. Growing up in an Italian Irish household we either had pasta or cabbage on the table. With the first hints of Spring right around the corner, I wanted to share a few of my family favorite recipes…right out of grandma’s cookbook. I am hopeful this gives you a sense of home and makes your kitchen smell immaculate.

My first recipe is from my Grandma Magner. I loved smelling this bread bake and could not wait for it to join our dinner table…and of course make corned beef sandwiches with the leftovers. Who doesn’t love a just out of the oven bread with their meal?

Grandma Magner's Quick Irish Soda Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 7 cups flour All Purpose (Grandma used whole wheat flour) • 2 tsp salt • 2 teaspoon baking soda • 4 tablespoons cold butter • 2 eggs • 2 1/3 cups buttermilk • 2 tablespoon rolled oats (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F 2. Mix together flour, salt and baking soda. Add butter and rub into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. 3. In a separate bowl whisk eggs and buttermilk. 4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour ¾ of the liquid into the flour mixture. 5. Using your hand bring the flour and liquid together to form a loose dough. Dough should be soft but not sticky. 6. Turn the dough onto a well floured work surface. Bring the dough together into a round. Should resemble about 1 ½ inches thick or 8x8 round in size 7. Place on baking sheet, dusted with flour 8. Score the bread. 9. Brush the bread with remaining buttermilk/egg mixture and dust the to with the oats. 10. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400 F and bake for 3 more minutes. You know the bread is ready if you get a hollow sound when you tap the bottom.

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My next recipe is from my Great Grandma Reda’s cookbook. Now she used to make this as a lasagna but to keep this innovative and the prep down I am substituting the Lasagna sheets for one of our Piancone frozen fresh pastas, the Pappardelle. If you haven’t checked this line out yet I highly recommend it. These products are always fresh, blast frozen, never precooked, and made from 100% semolina flour.

And in keeping with the spring theme, asparagus is a great spring vegetable. It is best to enjoy between February and June, with its peak of flavour hitting in April. For the best asparagus look for a bright green appearance with no shrivelling. The tips of the asparagus may have a purplish hue, should be firm, tight and never mushy.

GG Reda's Asparagus Pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 4 garlic cloves, minced • 1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese • ½ cup whipping cream • 36 asparagus spears (chopped) • 8 mint leaves chopped • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 • pound of Pappardelle • Zest and juice of 2 lemons • Extra virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in ricotta and whipping cream. Season as needed with salt and pepper. 2. In a pot of boiling water add the chopped asparagus spears. Blanch for 2‑3 minutes and drain. Add to the frying pan. Add the chopped mint, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in the grated parmesan. 3. Bring another pot of water to a boil, add salt. Cook the pasta sheets until al dente. Drain well, divide amongst 4 plates. Top each plate with ¼ of the asparagus sauce mixture. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and shaved parmesan.

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Going back to my Irish roots…Grandma Sweeney’s cabbage was to die for…and super easy to make.

Grandma Sweeney's Irish Cabbage

INGREDIENTS

• 10 slices Canadian Bacon • 2 medium heads of cabbage, cored and cut into wedges • 4 tablespoons of melted butter • 4 teaspoons of ground nutmeg • 4 cups of water • Salt and pepper to taste • 1 cup red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler

2. Place cut cabbage into a large pot of boiling water and simmer over low heat until tender. While the cabbage is cooking, slice the Canadian bacon into strips and cook in a skillet over medium high heat until crisp.

3. Drain and set aside. When the cabbage is tender drain and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with the Canadian bacon and nutmeg. Transfer to a baking dish.

4. Place under broiler until the top layer is lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar.

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