IRISH STEW 2 WAYS + A FILM

When loud by landside streamlets gush, And clear in the greenwood quires the thrush, With sun on the meadows, And songs in the shadows, Comes again to me, The gift of the tongues of the lea, The gift of the tongues of meadows.

Straightway my olden heart returns, And dances with the dancing burns; It sings with the sparrows; To the rain and the (grimy) barrows, Sings my heart aloud— To the silver-bellied cloud, To the silver rainy arrows.

It bears the song of the skylark down, And it hears the singing of the town; And youth on the highways, And lovers in byways, Follows and sees: And hearkens the song of the leas, And sings the songs of the highways.

So when the earth is alive with gods, And the lusty ploughman breaks the sod, And the grass sings in the meadows, And the flowers smile in the shadows, Sits my heart at ease, Hearing the song of the leas, Singing the songs of the meadows.

-Robert Louis Stevenson, “Spring Carol”

Spring has arrived, with the birds aflutter and trees abloom. We’ve been starting to take long walks around our neighborhood, marveling at the tiny buds sprouting up on bare boughs and breathing in the sweet floral notes adrift in the spring winds. The sun hangs longer in the sky now, but a chill still lingers in the night air, calling for heartier dishes yet fresher ingredients.

When it comes to diet, my husband and I couldn’t be at more opposite ends of the spectrum. He’s an avid meat eater; I’m a vegetarian.  He watches carbs; I watch calories. Despite our dietary polarity, we still manage to find common ground in the kitchen and at the table. Rather than cooking two separate meals, we try to plan meals that share ingredients in common.  In some dishes, the meat can simply be omitted. In others, we have to be a little more creative.

I decided to share our little cooking odyssey with you. I’ve playfully nicknamed it The Hunter + The Gatherer, a his and hers series to cooking for those of you whose households also include veggies and carnies alike. For this first feature, I chose Irish Stew (beef for him, veggie for me) served on a bed of garlic mashed cauliflower. Here’s hoping this warm stew filled with spring's bounty brings you comfort on a cold St. Paddy’s night . . . I find it quite a fitting dish for a feast day.

IRISH BEEF STEW

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into chunks

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 4 oz tomato paste

• 12 oz Guinness Extra Stout

• 4 cups low sodium beef broth

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 4 medium carrots, peeled cut into large diagonal slices

• 1 cup green beans, trimmed

• 1 cup mushrooms, quartered

• 2-3 sprigs thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• Minced fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add beef (split into two batches) to pot and brown on all sides (2-4 mins). Remove beef and set aside on a plate. Add onions, celery and garlic to pot and cook for 2-3 mins, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of pot. Add tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves, and stir around for 2-3 mins. Pour in Guinness, beef broth, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and stir. Return beef and juices on plate to pot. Bring stew to a boil; then cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow beef to cook for 1 - 1 & 1/2 hours. Add the carrots to the pot and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until tender. Add the mushrooms and green beans to pot and simmer 10 more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve on top of garlic mashed cauliflower, garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy.

*For the vegetarian version, follow the same directions, but omit the beef, add in 6-8 diced baby potatoes with the carrots, and substitute vegetable broth for beef broth.

GARLIC MASHED CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 2 heads cauliflower

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp margarine

• 2 tbsp light sour cream

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Trim stem from cauliflower and chop into florets. Peel garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil over cauliflower florets and garlic cloves. Roast for 25-30 minutes until golden. Mash cauliflower and garlic with masher to break down florets a bit. Transfer to blender or food processor, add sour cream, margarine and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.