hide under a blanket of this: colcannon with leeks

Today kind of sucks. It's grey outside and I feel sluggish. Spending the rest of the day under a heavy wool blanket pulled over my head is pretty tempting right now. Instead, I'll write about this dish I made a couple of weeks ago. Just looking at it is almost enough to pull me out of the doldrums....almost.

Colcannon also known as bubble n' squeak is pure comfort food...potatoes and cabbage and a nice amount of butter to make the lumps go down easy. I decided to play with the good ol' Irish standby of Colcannon and its close relative Champ (which is potatoes mixed with chives or green onions) which have the onion-y bite that I love. For the onion-y bits, I used leeks instead seeing that it's a good, solid winter vegetable and can be found cheap and plentiful this time of year in local markets. I also never peel potatoes because I love that extra texture (and nutrients!) from the skin. Plus, since I used red potatoes, the jackets make the dish extra pretty.

Now, this should be a side dish served alongside of some sausages or roast chicken. But not for me. I like a mound of this served in a bowl, no other supplements needed. Like I said before, this is comfort food and for me, eating this along while watching some trashy television (like ANTM, for instance) is like being huddled under a giant woolen blanket. It's good company for the blahs.

colcannon with leeks
4 red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 head of green cabbage, sliced
1 leek, (white and pale green parts only), cut into slices
1 c whole milk
4 T butter
salt & pepper

In a medium pot, boil up the potatoes. Meanwhile, combine milk, cabbage, leeks, half the butter, salt and pepper into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the cabbage is soft, about 15 minutes. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain well and add to the cabbage mixture. Mash with a potato masher, adding in remaining butter and more salt & pepper if necessary. Dim the lights, turn on the television and hunker down with a ol' big bowl full.