Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
September 1
Saint of the day:
Saint Fiacre
Patron Saint of Gardeners, Cab-drivers, herbalists; victims of hemorrhoids and venereal diseases;
Saint Fiacre's Story
St. Fiacre (Fiachra) is not mentioned in the earlier Irish calendars, but it is said that he was born in Ireland and that he sailed over into France in quest of closer solitude, in which he might devote himself to God, unknown to the world. He arrived at Meaux, where Saint Faro, who was the bishop of that city, gave him a solitary dwelling in a forest which was his own patrimony, called Breuil, in the province of Brie. There is a legend that St. Faro offered him as much land as he could turn up in a day, and that St. Fiacre, instead of driving his furrow with a plough, turned the top of the soil with the point of his staff. The anchorite cleared the ground of trees and briers, made himself a cell with a garden, built an oratory in honor of the Blessed Virgin, and made a hospice for travelers which developed into the village of Saint-Fiacre in Seine-et-Marne. Many resorted to him for advice, and the poor, for relief. His charity moved him to attend cheerfully those that came to consult him; and in his hospice he entertained all comers, serving them with his own hands, and sometimes miraculously restored to health those that were sick. He never allowed any woman to enter the enclosure of his hermitage, and Saint Fiacre extended the prohibition even to his chapel; several rather ill-natured legends profess to account for it. Others tell us that those who attempted to transgress, were punished by visible judgements, and that, for example, in 1620 a lady of Paris, who claimed to be above this rule, going into the oratory, became distracted upon the spot and never recovered her senses; whereas Anne of Austria, Queen of France, was content to offer up her prayers outside the door, amongst the other pilgrims.
https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=276
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Fiacre
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-fiacre/
Prayer:
Visit:
Meaux Cathedral
Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Meaux, France
St. Fiachra's garden, Irish National Stud and Gardens
Gardens:
Song of the Day
Flower Duet (Leo Delibes’)
Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
With the roses entwined together
On the river bank covered with flowers laughing in the morning
Let us descend together!
Gently floating on its charming risings,
On the river’s current
On the shining waves,
One hand reaches,
Reaches for the bank,
Where the spring sleeps,
And the bird, the bird sings.
Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
Ah! calling us
Together!
Under the thick dome where white jasmine
With the roses entwined together
On the river bank covered with flowers laughing in the morning
Let us descend together!
Gently floating on its charming risings,
On the river’s current
On the shining waves,
One hand reaches,
Reaches for the bank,
Where the spring sleeps,
And the bird, the bird sings.
Under the thick dome where the white jasmine
Ah! calling us
Together!
Recipe:
We are celebrating with an Irish recipe because our Saint was from Ireland.
Colcannon Cakes with Poached Eggs and Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients:
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450g potatoes, peeled
-
40g butter
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3 scallions, finely chopped
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A little salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
50g Savoy cabbage, shredded
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A little plain flour, for dusting
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Olive oil, for frying
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1 tablesp. white wine vinegar
-
4 large eggs
Directions:
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Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.
-
Meanwhile, heat a knob of the butter and one tablespoon of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid, over a high heat.
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When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the scallions and cabbage with a pinch of salt.
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Cover, shake vigorously and cook over a high heat for 1 minute.
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Shake the pan again and cook for another minute, then season with pepper.
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Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth, then beat in the remaining butter.
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Fold in the cabbage mixture. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties.
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Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties.
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Then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.
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To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer.
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Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside.
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Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.
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To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.
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Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam.
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Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube.
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Continue to blitz for another 5 seconds and pour back into the pan but do not return to the heat.
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Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving.
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Season to taste with salt.
