Not Timely, but Decidedly ON TIME

I know it's been weeks since the last post, but I'm going to selfishly say, No Apologies.  I've been collecting material for a couple posts about meal components, and those take awhile to build.  Anyway...

I know today is St. Patrick's Day, so you probably can't make this delicious corned beef meal on the actual day, but Saturday is not to late to celebrate, and I'll post a corned beef hash remix in time for your Sunday breakfast.  I promise.

 Notice the "centerpiece" of Christmas candy.  Oops.

Now, corned beef and cabbage is rather ubiquitous this time of year, but I'm betting most of you have never made it yourself.  Well, it's easy and delicious so no excuses, time to make it.  Easiness aside, I use a LARGE slow cooker to make mine and not everyone has one.  You can still make it if you have a Big Pot that fits in the oven.  Okay?  Moving on.

Just a note on my presentation of recipes: Not only am I blogging to share recipes with my friends and family (and whomever else happens by), it's a way for me to preserve my recipes for myself.  So, if you pay attention, I will give directions in the recipes that don't look like the pictures.  I've used my pictures but included corrections to the recipe that I feel will improve the recipe (e.g. below the cabbage is in huge, floppy wedges, but the recipe says cut in roughly 2"x2" pieces).

I also can't say it enough, cabbage is SO good and good for you.  So eat it!

Corned Beef with Cabbage
(taken with some changes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)
serves 3 people with leftovers, or 4 hungry people
   6 medium waxy potatoes (e.g. red or Yukon Gold), quartered
   4 medium-sized carrots, cut into 2" chunks
   1 medium-sized yellow onion, cut into 6 wedges
   1 3-4 pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet, rinsed (key!)
   3 whole cloves
   1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
   2 teaspoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
   1 12 ounce can of beer (recommended: Guinness)
   water
   1 medium-sized head of white cabbage, cut up in 2"x2" pieces
   Your favorite mustard for serving (dijon or a super grainy brown are both awesome)

1.  Load up your crock (or your Big Pot) with the veggies.

2.  Lay the brisket across the veggies and sprinkled with included seasonings, cloves, peppercorns, and brown sugar.

3.  Pour the beer around the brisket, then fill the crock with water to cover the brisket with just a film of water.

4.  Cover and put the crock in the cooker, set to Low, and walk away for 9-11 hours--possibly go to work or a parade or a last minute road trip to Stockton California to keep your friend company while she adopts a doggy (very good use of several hours).

4a.  Somewhat more complicated directions for Big Pot: Preheat oven on LOWEST temperature setting that is not "Low," usually 200 degrees.  Meanwhile put the loaded up Big Pot, now covered, on the stove on high heat and bring to a simmer.  Immediately remove from stove and place in oven.  You can't walk away entirely; I'd say you should check on it every couple of hours, in case it does something (?), and [I think] it'll cook in about 4-6 hours.  So you can do the laundry or have some quality gardening time if you don't mind washing your hands each time you come in to check your meat.

5.  When time is up and you can smell the yummy, long-simmered vapors of brined meat and veggies, remove the brisket and veggies to a platter and cover with foil.  Add the cabbage to the crock and replace in the cooker on High.  Let it go for 20 minutes.  (Big Pot: Just do this part on the stove on medium heat).

6.  When the cabbage is ready to come out, lay it next to the veggies and slice the corned beef across the grain (remove any excess fat first).

Tada!  And guess what, if you're reading this by 10:30 AM today, you can still make it in time for a late St. Patrick's Dinner.  And, in case you noticed, those Yukon Gold potatoes are a bit greenish--Trader Joe's gets no points from me for its produce.  Anyway, it doesn't hurt, and it's a little festive, right?

Peach Cobbler
(I made this up for the most part.  The biscuit topping is roughly adapted from a savory dish Bittman did on The Minimalist, except with sugar)
serves 4-6, but serve 3, what's better than peach cobbler for breakfast?
   4 cups peeled and pitted peaches, frozen works great (mine were frozen, but from my tree!)
   juice of 1/2 lemon
   1/2 cup of sugar
   pinch of salt
   few grates of fresh nutmeg (or 1/8 teaspoon)
   1 cup all purpose flour
   pinch of salt
   1/4 teaspoon baking soda
   3/4 teaspoon baking powder
   1/2 cup sugar
   3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small bits
   1 egg
   1/2 cup buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In medium saucepan over low heat, combine the peaches, lemon juice, sugar, and one pinch of salt.  Bring just to a simmer, remove from heat, and stir in the nutmeg.

3.  Pour the peaches into a greased 8"x8" baking dish and set aside for a moment.

4.  In a food processor (or a bowl if you insist on doing this by hand), give the flour, salt, baking soda and powder, and sugar a couple of buzzes.  Add the butter and egg and process just until lightly lumpy.  Add the buttermilk and process until just combined.

5.  Dump the batter as evenly as sanity permits over the peaches.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, keeping an eye out for a perfectly golden biscuit top.

Note:  If you put the cobbler in the oven when you take the cabbage out, it'll be pretty good timing for your mini dinner party dessert.

Sorry no pic of the cobbler, guess I was too excited to eat to photograph it.  I served it with homemade vanilla whipped cream, but you are allowed to cheat and use store-bought, as long it's RediWhip and NOT Coolwhip.