Monthly Archives: March 2022

Smothered Kale with Andouille Sausage

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Here’s a recipe using another vegetable which is growing in my winter garden. “Smothered Kale and Andouille Sausage” is just good old-fashioned Southern cooking at its best. This recipe substitutes kale for other traditional Southern vegetables such as mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage and okra. I am successfully growing Dinosaur kale in my garden this winter. Hurray! This dark bumpy, somewhat sweet and mild variety of kale works well with the slow smothered cooking method. Andouille sausage adds a smoky, spicy twist to this dish. If you wish, serve vinegar on the side for a tangy ingredient to brighten the kale.

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Sweet Salad Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette

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I am always excited when something grows well in my garden, especially if it is a new vegetable or plant. I would never say that I’m a big-time gardener, I just have a small, sunny area in my yard which I call a “garden.” And I mainly do things by “trial and error” with the help of a gardening guide. If something grows well, I’ll try it again. In February, I transplanted a 4-pack of mixed lettuce-type seedlings — it was called sweet salad green mix. According to my gardening calendar, it really should have been planted in December thru January. But, I thought I’d take a chance. Why not? (I read the gardening guide after I got home!) Wow, in a month these greens flourished and grew well, as you can see. And so I am proud to be making a salad, “Sweet Salad Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette,” with the greens.

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“Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Custard Sauce”

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In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m making “Irish Bread Pudding.” You may ask, what is so Irish about bread pudding? I am making my favorite New Orleans-style bread pudding recipe and I am adding Irish Cream to the custard. Irish Cream is a liqueur containing whiskey, cream and various flavors such as coffee and vanilla extracts, sometimes chocolate. To be labeled legally as “Irish Cream Liqueur,” the whiskey must be produced in Ireland. Bailey’s Irish Cream is the quintessential Irish brand of this liqueur. When the Irish Cream Liqueur is added to this extra-rich bread pudding, the dessert really has some kick. And as some interesting trivia, New Orleans actually has a significant Irish population. The first Irish immigrated to this city in the late 1700’s, attracted because of Catholic traditions. More Irish settled in the city during the potato famines. The first Patrick’s Day celebration was held in 1809  So, let’s celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a festive manner with this “Irish-inspired” dessert.

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Tasty “Lentil Shepherd’s Pie”

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During our sight-seeing trip last fall to New England, we stopped at a small café on the premises of a sustainable farm along the coast of Maine. Shepherd’s Pie was on the menu. Wow, I haven’t eaten this dish in many years. The restaurant included several “twists” on traditional Shepherd’s Pie recipes. In one variation, the filling included a local brand of porter beer. That pie tasted great! A second variation was a vegetarian one made with lentils. We ordered a second serving of this one! I associate Shepherd’s Pie with Irish cuisine and I believe that is entrée continues to be a popular dish in Irish pubs. With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I decided to try my recollection and make the vegetarian “Lentil Shepherd’s Pie” version. Lentils are packed with nutritional value — an added plus to this tasty entrée.

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