Recipes to Keep a Welcome in the Hillside

Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is dedicated to St. David’s Day.

Saint David's Day, (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales, and falls on 1 March each year. The date of 1 March was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David on that day in 589, and has been celebrated by followers since then. The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century.

Dewi Sant – St. David was born towards the end of the fifth century. He was a scion of the royal house of Ceredigion, and founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosin (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Sir Benfro, at the spot where St David's Cathedral stands today. David's fame as a teacher and ascetic spread throughout the Celtic world. His foundation at Glyn Rhosin became an important Christian shrine, and the most important centre in Wales. The date of Dewi Sant's death is recorded as 1 March, but the year is uncertain – possibly 588. As his tearful monks prepared for his death St David uttered these words: 'Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil'.

For centuries the first of March has been a national festival. St David was recognised as a national patron saint at the height of Welsh resistance to the Normans. St David's day was celebrated by the diaspora from an early period: the 17th century diarist Samuel Pepys noted how Welsh celebrations in London for St David's day would spark wider counter-celebrations amongst their English neighbours: life-sized effigies of Welshmen were symbolically lynched, and by the 18th century the custom had arisen of confectioners producing 'Taffies' – gingerbread figures baked in the shape of a Welshman riding a goat - on St David's Day.
In 2003 in the United States, St. David's Day was recognised officially as the national day of the Welsh, and on 1 March the Empire State Building was floodlit in the national colours, red, green and white. It is invariably celebrated by Welsh societies throughout the world with dinners, parties, recitals and concerts. To celebrate this day, people wear a symbol of either a leek, or daffodil. The leek arises from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were able to distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy dressed in similar fashion by wearing leeks. An alternative emblem developed in recent years is the daffodil. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen Pedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's leek"). Younger girls sometimes wear traditional Welsh costumes to school. This costume consists of a long woollen skirt, white blouse, woollen shawl and a Welsh hat.

Children in Wales take part in school concerts or eisteddfodau, with recitation and singing being the main activities. Formerly, a half-day holiday was afforded to school children. Officially this custom does not continue, although the practice can vary on a school-to-school basis. The flag of Saint David often plays a central role in the celebrations and can be seen flying throughout Wales. Cawl, a type of stew, is frequently prepared and consumed on St. David's Day.

So this week my recipes are in celebration of St. David's Day. They are Bara Brith, Welsh Lamb Stew, Leek and Potato Soup, Green Dragon and The Welsh Dragon. The herb of the week is Ice Lettuce.

My first recipe is Bara Brith, recipe by Mary Hamilton, courtesy of BBC’s The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best.

Bara brith, sometimes known as "speckled bread" or "Metha" (the literal meaning of the original Welsh-language name), can be either a yeast bread enriched with dried fruit (similar to the Irish barmbrack) or something more like a fruitcake made with self-rising flour (no yeast). It is traditionally made with raisins, currants and candied peel. There are many different recipes for this bread, which is baked and sold commercially in some parts of Wales by the "Winson" clan. The yeast version of bara brith has a limited shelf life and is best eaten as soon as possible, Mary’s family recipe omits it, giving a wonderfully sticky texture.

This recipe makes 1 cake, takes overnight soaking to prepare, and 1hr – 2hrs to cook.

450g x Dried Mixed Fruit
250g x Brown Sugar
300ml x Warm Black Tea
2 tsp x Mixed Spice
450g x Self-Raising Flour
1 x Egg, beaten

In a large bowl soak the fruit and sugar in strained tea and leave overnight. Next day preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Mix the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture and beat well. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake the oven and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

My next recipe is a cocktail for you to toast the health of St. David. Green Dragon, courtesy of www.cocktail.uk.com.

This recipe serves 1, takes mins to prepare.

2 Shots x Vodka
1 Shot x Green Chartreuse
1 x Maraschino Cherry

Shake all the ingredients with cracked ice. Strain and pour into a cocktail glass.

Ice Plant or Ice Lettuce - Mesembryanthemum crystallinum 

I came across this strange herb whilst watching Raymond Blanc’s “Kitchen Secrets” TV programme on the BBC. Driven by curiosity I decided to do a bit of research to discover more above it.

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum dervies its tongue-twisting genus name because previously, the flowers were believed to only open in the sun and consequently the species was designated as Mesembrianthemum, which means ‘blooming at mid-day.’ When night blooming species were discovered, the spelling was changed and now describes a flower with its fruit in the middle (mesos – middle and embryon – fruit). A native of Southern Africa, the Ice Plant is now also found in Australia, Western USA, Southern Europe, in the Canary Islands and in coastal Japan. In the intense heat of these climates, where the sun beats down relentlessly, if you don’t want to die of thirst, you have to have something special up your sleeve to enable you to survive. The Ice Plant does so by ‘holding its breath’ during the day - it closes its pores (stomata) on the underside of its leaves to avoid water loss and only breaths after sunset. Normally, a plant takes in carbon dioxide during the day and converts it into sugar and oxygen with the help of sunlight. In the case of the Ice Plant however, the carbon dioxide which is taken up is bound to a molecule and processed to sugar and oxygen by photosynthesis the following morning. Naturally at home in coastal regions, on maritime sands - even on dunes, in salt marshes and inland deserts, Ice Plant tolerates very dry conditions and nutritionally poor and saline soils. Another extraordinary feature of this plant is that it will take salt from the air if the ground cannot provide enough.

Predominately green with reddish hues, the Ice Plant grows abundantly, radiating out close to the ground, with a wide spread of many succulent branches that emanate long and wavy-edged spatula shaped leaves. Its flowers arise on single stems and have a myriad of fine white petals that turn pinkish-red as they mature. Flowering is copious and the appearance is striking; resembling a carpet of land-based sea anemones in motion. Producing fruit in late summer, it derives its descriptive name - Ice Plant - from its leaves and flowers that are covered in a multitude of tiny translucent droplets, which shimmer in the sun and resemble dew, frost or ice crystals. Their membranes are easily crushed and exude liquid, making the plant feel moist and cool to the touch, even in the full heat of the day. The Ice Plant has an incredible ability to withstand heat and to absorb and store moisture. Even after harvesting, it remains amazingly fresh for weeks. It is these hydrating and nourishing gifts that it passes onto our skin, adding that special touch to sunscreen spray.
The leaves can be eaten raw in salads and they have a crisp, crunchy texture and they are said to lemon-like in taste.

My next recipe is Welsh Lamb Stew (Cawl), recipe by Bryn Williams, courtesy of www.uktv.co.uk/food.

This recipe makes 6, takes 25mins to prepare, and 45mins.

2kg x Lamb Shoulder, diced
2Ltr x Lamb Stock
4 x Bay Leaves
1 x Rosemary Sprig
2 x Medium Potatoes, coarsely diced
2 x Leeks, coarsely diced
2 x Swedes, coarsely diced
4 x Savoy Cabbages Leaves
2 x Carrots, coarsely diced
Fresh Crusty Bread to serve

Season the diced lamb with salt and pepper and put into a large heavy-based pan with a little olive oil. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until golden brown. Cover with the lamb stock, bring to the boil and skim off any fat and scum that rises to the surface. Add the bay leaves and rosemary and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the potatoes to the meat and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for a further 15 minutes until tender. When the vegetables and potatoes are cooked the stock should be thickened to a stew. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with fresh crusty bread.

My second alcoholic cocktail is more of a shot than a cocktail, The Welsh Dragon, recipe courtesy ofwww.cocktail.uk.com.

This recipe serves 1, takes mins to prepare.

1 Shot x Green Aftershock
1 Shot x Cherry Liqueur
2 or 3 drops x Angostura Bitters
Nutmeg

Pour the green Aftershock first, then pour a layer of cherry liqueur over the top then add two/three drops of angostura bitters to the top and watch it settle as the dragon in the centre.

My last recipe is Leek and Potato Soup, courtesy of “Soup For All Occasions”, by New Covent Garden Food Co., published by Boxtree.

This recipe serves 4, takes 20mins to prepare & 30mins to cook.

2 x Medium Floury Potatoes (such as Maris Pipers), diced
3 x Small Leeks, finely diced
2 x New Waxy Potatoes (such as Estima), cut into small dice
600ml x Water
1/2 x Small Onion, diced
25g x Butter
50ml x Single Cream
75ml x Milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and two-thirds of the leeks, then sweat for 10mins until the onion starts to soften and go translucent. Stir in the floury potatoes and cook for a further 5mins. Add the water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10mins until the potatoes and leeks are soft. Blend the soup until smooth, then stir in the waxy potatoes and remaining leeks and cook gently for a further 10mins until the potatoes and leeks is soft, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Stir in the single cream and milk before warming through. Season to taste using salt and ground white pepper, then serve.

This week my blog celebrates its 1st birthday. It began life on 1st March 2010 and has grown from strength to strength. Thank you for taking the time to read it and for all of your support over the first year, without you this blog would be nothing.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus

If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.

Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D

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