Colcannon

We marked the solstice with colcannon.  An Irish dish–albeit loosely interpreted–somehow seemed suitable for the shortest day of the year, since the Irish strike me as folks who know a thing or two about darkness.

Colcannon

• 5-6 medium red potatoes
• 1 turnip
• 1/2 rutabaga
• 1/2 head cabbage, cut into strips
• 1/2 bunch kale, cut into strips
• 1 medium leek, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup buttermilk or kefir
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed cumin seeds
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the potatoes, parsnip, and rutabaga in a pot of boiling water until soft.
2. Drain; mash with buttermilk and a touch of salt.
3. In a separate pot, saute the onion for 2-3 minutes.  Add the cabbage, kale, salt, pepper, and a splash of water; steam on low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Toss in the leek and cumin; cook for another 2 minutes.

Now, you can simply serve the cabbage+kale+leek mixture on top of the mashed roots.  I happened to also want some black beans + paprika (prepared along these lines)–and yes, a poached egg, for a touch of sunshine on this darkest, longest of nights.