Saint Patrick’s Day: a day often dedicated to cheesy leprechaun beards, McCafé Shamrock Shakes, and green dyed beer.

The holiday, which commemorates the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, is often associated with wild parties rather than its traditional roots. Saint Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Ireland for hundreds of years; festivities have been held since as early as the 1680s.

Traditionally, green ribbons and shamrocks were worn, parades were organized, and Catholics prayed in devotion to Saint Patrick.

Nowadays, Irish American families still embrace their culture by engaging in traditional Irish activities on March 17th. Several midstate cities, Harrisburg and York, hold Saint Patrick’s Day parades annually, and restaurants, such as McGrath’s Pub in Harrisburg and Annie Bailey’s in Lancaster, serve Irish cuisine all year round.

Saint Patrick’s Day has an important significance to many Irish-American families. HHS sophomore Lilly Strader comes from a large Irish family that gathers every year to celebrate the holiday.

“Our huge Irish family comes from out of state,” Strader said. “It’s a really big holiday for my family.”

And what better way to celebrate a culture than to taste it? To celebrate the classic culture of Ireland, members of the Hershey community shared their family’s’ traditional Irish recipes with The Broadcaster.

Irish Tea Cakes

½ cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup milk

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round pan. In a separate bowl, mix together butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into batter slowly. Stir in milk. Pour the batter evenly into the round pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners sugar for taste.

Submitted by Maggie Lane, HHS junior

Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup margarine, softened

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup buttermilk

** optional: add 1 cup of dried currants or raisins to the dough

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and margarine. Stir in buttermilk and egg. Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Form dough into a round and place on the baking sheet. In a separate small bowl, combine melted butter with ¼ cup of buttermilk and brush the loaf with this mixture. Use a knife to cut an X in the top of the loaf. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Submitted by Patricia Peters, culinary arts instructor at HHS.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

3 pounds lean beef (1 inch cubes)

½ cup all purpose flour

1 pound carrots, chopped

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, chopped

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon tomato paste

8 cups chicken stock

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Olive oil (to taste)

In a large bowl, mix flour, 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper. Add the beef cubes and toss to coat. In a large skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and ¼ of the meat. Cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer the cooked meat into a slow cooker. Repeat until all the meat is browned. Next, transfer the carrots and potatoes (cut into medium sized chunks) into the slow cooker. Chop 2 onions and cook them in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add in garlic and tomato paste, then 1 cup of chicken stock. Transfer the onions and stock into the crock pot. Stir, cover, and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

Submitted by Lilly Strader, HHS sophomore

Champ

2 lbs. red potatoes (skinned and cubed)

1 stick of butter

1 bunch of scallions (green onions), sliced

1 cup of milk (or cream)

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes until tender. While the potatoes boil, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions and saute them until they are tender but not brown. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the milk, adding a little at a time. Add the scallions and butter from the skillet to the potatoes and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with extra butter.

Submitted by Kimberly Brown, HHS English teacher

Simple Stew

Whole onion

3 whole carrots, chopped

10-15 potatoes, chopped

Beef

Bouillon cubes

Roll meat into 1 inch cubes, like meatballs, and let them simmer in a large pot with bouillon cubes and the whole onion. Add the chopped potatoes and let them cook. Once the mixture is nearly thoroughly cooked, remove the onion and add the chopped carrots. Let the stew cook on low for 45 minutes.

Submitted by Keiran Holley, HHS sophomore.