Irish Ploughman's Lunch for Saint Patrick's Day

Last year, before I went on my trip to London, an English friend told me to be sure to have a "Ploughman's Lunch." What? Never heard of it. Had you? Here's what wikipedia had to say about it: "A ploughman's lunch (often just called a ploughman's) is a cold snack or meal originating in the United Kingdom, comprising at a minimum cheese, pickle, bread, and butter. It is often accompanied by a green salad..." It sounded reasonably good at the time, but I couldn't squeeze it in-literally and figuratively-between all the other lovely foods I devoured in London. Right before I got on the plane home, I stopped at a take-and-go food shop, called Pret a Manger, where I grabbed an assembled Ploughman's Sandwich. It was a brown bread sandwich with cheese, chutney, and dressed greens. Not bad, but not as fantastic as I had hoped. I really still didn't have an idea what a real Plougman's Lunch consisted of-that is until I opened March's Cooking Light Magazine and saw this glorious sight.

I had to make this stunning version, created by Irish cook book author, Margaret M. Johnson, post haste. I invited my parents to a family lunch on Sunday afternoon and we sat around the table and savored every morsel. The bread itself is worthy of attention. It's fantastic, full of whole wheat goodness and cruncy bits of steel cut oats. It's not sweet, like American versions of soda bread, but savory and moist. (My mom has made two loaves of it since Sunday. It's that good, people.) I served our sandwich with a bit of mayonnaise to balance out the sweet and tart chutney-which was also absolutely delicious. This will make a lovely Saint Patrick's Day Feast, but I'm quite sure it will show up on my table much more often than that. But start there and see if you don't fall head over heels for a Ploughman's Lunch. For these and other great healthy Irish recipes, check out Cooking Light's Website.
Irish Ploughman's Lunch from Cooking Light Magazine
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups salad, 1 1/2 ounces sausage, 3/4 ounce cheese, 1/2 bread slice, about 2 cornichons, and about 2 tablespoons chutney)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 (3-ounce) links chicken apple sausage, cooked and sliced diagonally
4 ounces reduced-fat cheddar cheese (such as Kerrygold), sliced
3 slices Brown Soda Bread, each cut into quarters
2 ounces cornichons
3/4 cup Tomato Chutney
Preparation
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add lettuce; toss to coat. Arrange salad on a platter with sausage, cheese, Brown Soda Bread, and cornichons. Place Tomato Chutney in a bowl; add to platter.

Brown Soda Bread from Cooking Light
Whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, and steel-cut oats (also called Irish oatmeal) make this a super-healthy interpretation of the classic Irish bread.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
Cooking spray
11.25 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup steel-cut oats (such as McCann's)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Coat a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt). Combine buttermilk and egg; add to flour mixture. Stir just until combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Invert bread onto a wire rack; cool completely. Remove parchment; slice bread into 12 slices.
Tomato Chutney from Cooking Light

Notes: I used a (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with juices
Yield: 2 cups (serving size: 2 tablespoons)
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
7 plum tomatoes, peeled and quartered
Preparation
1. Place first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a boil. Add onion and remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until thick, stirring occasionally.
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