Gouda and Stout Bread for St. Patrick's Day
Posted on Tue, Mar 02, 2010
Posted by Misti Maisch on March 2, 2010
Green...who doesn't like green? Green is the color of luscious grass and the lucky 4 leaf clover. It's iconic for putting the earth and its preservation first. Green eggs and ham oh Sam I am! Can you say "wheat grass smoothie"? Really, who doesn't love Kermit the frog? We certainly can't forget that it's the color of money either. When we think green, we also think of St. Patrick's Day which happens to be on the horizon.
If you're lucky (no pun intended), you'll find Popeye bread in your local Great Harvest. Of course it has leafy green spinach in it but also so much more. We are talking about sweet roasted red peppers and savory parmesan cheese. This bread makes an incredible roasted chicken sandwich. I like to flatten some chicken breasts and then bake them with a little sea salt, fresh ground pepper, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Then I take some of my favorite cheese -- Dubliner Irish Cheddar, of course -- and put that on the chicken. Toast some Popeye bread, assemble, and you have an amazing sandwich. (By the way, Great Harvest bread is so flavorful and moist that you can skip calories from mayo and you won't even know it's missing.)
My favorite bread in March is the Gouda and Stout bread. If your local bakery isn't using Guinness beer in this recipe, chances are they are using a local microbrew. This bread is a great side to some hearty stew. Many of our Great Harvest bakeries will also be baking Irish Soda Bread , Chocolate Mint Cookies, and quite possibly some Blarney Scones. The Blarney Scone takes its name from the Blarney stone of the famous Blarney Castle which happens to be a world landmark and one of the greatest treasures in Ireland. Millions have flocked to the castle to kiss the stone which legend believes gives the gift of eloquence. Oh, only if it were that easy!
Does your family have any favorite food traditions for St. Patrick's Day?