Getting Our Green On

Every March I wonder: why do I only make this dinner for St. Patty's Day? The boys love corned beef and cabbage with horseradish cream and cumberland sauce! People say that cumberland sauce is to corned beef what mint jelly is to lamb. Mine - no surprise! - is non-traditional. I add crystallized ginger for added zing.

And I'm not doing it on St. Patty's Day this year because Jacob has a book group meeting on Wednesday, though I am curious what they really are doing because I know for a fact that he didn't read anything and neither did Brian! ;) So, our feast will be a day late.

AND this year I am going to use savoy cabbage...because that's in our CSA box this week. Thank goodness I don't have an Irish grandmother I'll be upsetting with my bastardization of this traditional Irish meal.

Camilla's Cumberland Sauce: 1-1/2 C red currant jelly; 1 C port; zest and juice from 1 blood orange and 1 lemon; 1 shallot, minced; 1 T grainy mustard; 1 t crystallized ginger, finely minced; 1 T cornstarch; 1 T water; sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Bring all ingredients except the cornstarch and water to a boil. Reduce heat and cook till the jelly melts. Whisk the cornstarch and water together and drizzle into the jelly mixture. Whisk until the mixture thickens. Let cool to room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

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