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BREADIn former years the Irish housewife made fresh soda bread every day. Some of the oats, barley and wheat harvested during August and September were stored in the loft. They were spread out on the loft floor, and every month bags were filled with grain and brought to the mill where they were finely ground to be used in breads – oatenmeal, wheatenmeal and bran.
BREAKFAST SCONESThe Irish seem to have decided long ago that, since nature had given them rich butter, honey and jam, they would have to provide a properly royal platter for these good things. This handy platter is the scone: a wholemeal confection. Unsurpassed in thick wholesomeness, giving healthy bulk to the first meal of the day.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
HONEY SCONES
FRUIT SCONES
Ingredients: 8oz flour 225g 2 cups Method: Sieve flour and salt into a bowl, rub in the fat, add the sugar, baking powder and fruit and mix well together. Add milk and continue as for breakfast scones. To vary: Take an orange, grate it and squeeze the juice. Add the rind and a little juice to the dry ingredients. Less milk will be required.
OAT CAKESOatmeal has long been a staple food of the Irish. These rich and tasty cakes were usually cooked on a big, heavy, flat well-greased sheet over a peat or log fire. Today they are normally baked in the oven.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Ingredients: 8oz oatmeal 225g 11/3 cups Method: Put oatmeal into a bowl. Sieve flour, salt and breadsoda into the same bowl. Melt the margarine and add to the dry ingredients. Add enough hot water to make a firm dough. Sprinkle a worktop with oatmeal and roll out dough. Cut into rounds, using a tea cup, arrange on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire tray.
IRISH BUTTEREighteen pints of milk are needed to make one pound of butter. The dairy at home was a little building attached to the main house; it had its own outside entrance. Not only butter but milk, skim milk, cream, buttermilk and eggs were prepared and stored here. When the cows were milked, their milk was brought to the dairy, where it was separated. The cream passed through a funnel on one side of the separator; skimmed, creamless milk passed through a funnel on the other. At home we generally drank whole milk at breakfast, tea and supper and skim milk with our midday meal. The rest of the skim milk was given to the calves, pigs and hens. |
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