Our compliments to the Irish

This recipe is a delicious twist on mashed potatoes. It's called colcannon -- a mix of potatoes and cabbage -- and it's a traditional Irish side dish, which made it a perfect choice for St. Patrick's Day. Our family loves to try new things, and this was a winner. It was a great complement to our corned beef. We will definitely make this again.

THE RECIPE:

8 medium potatoes (between 2 1/2 and 3 pounds)*
1 stick butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
1 c. milk
7 green onions, white and green parts chopped

Scrub potatoes and cut into chunks. In a large pot, boil potatoes in water until they easily fall off after being pricked by fork. Drain, then mash with butter, salt and pepper. I use an electric mixer.

Mix milk and onions in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are tender and milk is frothy and has absorbed their flavor. Pour into potatoes and mash together.

In large pot, bring water to boil, then add chopped cabbage. Boil only about 2 minutes, so cabbage is just tender but NOT mushy. Drain well, then stir into mashed potatoes. Do not use electric mixer on this part.

*I used red potatoes and left the skins on.

Below you'll see a plate of our St. Patrick's Day feast.