Dear Customers,
When my mom died, my Dad rambled around that empty house for two years with none of the basic skills usually provided by a wife of that generation. He couldn’t cook, he didn’t clean, nor perform any of the other myriads of domestic tasks previously taken care of by Mom. My sister Judy, taking pity, introduced him to a widow from NY City who later became my stepmother, Mary.
Mary had an interesting way of cooking that involved throwing whatever was in the pantry or the refrigerator into one pot and inventing something new nearly every time. The only trouble was that if you liked something and asked for it again, she couldn’t recreate it!
The Irish invented Shepherd’s pie in pretty much the same way! It was created as a way for people to use up leftover meat and potatoes. It was a common, delicious, hearty yet humble dish. There are as many recipes for Shepherd’s pie as there are for potato salad in this country. Everyone adds their own touches; leaving out things they don’t like and adding in things they do!
| Olive oil | 3 large carrots diced | 1 med onion diced |
| 1 tsp black pepper | 1½ tsp dried thyme | 1 lb ground beef |
| 1 tbs butter | 1 cup frozen peas | 2 tbs all purpose flour |
| 1 cup beef stock | 2 tbs tomato paste | 4 tbs Worcestershire |
| ½ cup red wine | 6 cups mashed potatoes | 1 egg (beaten) |
In a large skillet heat the olive oil then add the diced carrots sauteing until slightly tender. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute. Next add the ground meat, pepper and thyme. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
Return the meat and vegetables to the pan and stir in the butter, peas, and flour – mixing until the flour is absorbed. Add the tomato paste, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and beef stock. Continue to cook to marry the flavors.
Finally, carefully spread the mashed potatoes on top of the filling (or use a piping bag to make a fancy looking top)! I mentioned that people often add optional ingredients that they enjoy themselves. Among these are frozen corn, fresh rosemary, sliced mushrooms, garlic cloves and chopped parsley.