You may think that it’s all fancy dinners and the like ’round here, but not so, I tell ya, not so.
For instance, the other day, I rushed home to take delivery of…
A truly authentic ham sandwich from Denny
…a ham sandwich. Yup. White sliced pan, something butter-like and Denny ham. No more, no less.
Notwithstanding the fact that I’m not an eater of meaty sandwiches (oops, Denny forgot again), the significance of what is an Irish Institution was not lost on me. The ham sandwich (more properly referred to in certain parts of the country as the hang sangidge) has graced many’s the Irish lunchbox and been consumed by countless thousands of attendees at GAA matches, community field days and parish hall functions. A ham sandwich, thus presented, is nothing less than tradition between two slices of bread (though one to which you might just want to add a bit of mustard).
This tradition is the inspiration for Denny’s Taste of Home (outdoors) campaign which, in turn, is the reason I found myself in receipt of one iconic ham-filled lunchable, along with a list of Denny’s top 10 spots at which to enjoy same. These locations range from beautiful Glencar Waterfall in Co. Leitrim to The Burren in Co. Clare, and one presumes that they are equally well suited to the enjoyment of hamless sandwiches. (My own personal choice of sandwich filling would be Tayto cheese and onion, how ’bout you?)
Also included on Denny’s list of sandwich spots is next week’s Bloom In The Park festival and, let me tell you, if last year is anything to go by, there’ll be a lot more than ham sandwiches to be had.
While the show gardens are the centrepiece of the festival, this year’s programme guarantees that those with an interest in food and drink will be well catered for. With what’s being billed as their “totally edible garden”, Grow It Yourself (GIY) Ireland will be demonstrating the potential of a suburban vegetable patch. The artisan Food Market will include a Lost & Forgotten Skills display, with demonstrations of cheese making, butter churning, apple pressing and fish smoking (no prizes for guessing where you will find me, then), while the Craft Beer Garden will be dispensing Irish craft beers, spirits and liqueurs to the thirsty among you (ok, so you might find me there too). And if, after all of that, you should feel the need for a ham sandwich, Denny, I’m sure, will oblige.
No ham for me :( with HP, I have to watch my salt, but as a child I loved them…when in Ireland I discovered Coleman’s and that was all she wrote, I drove around with Hammies, cheese, Cadbury’s and had a pint along the outter coastal roads for those ‘sheep crossing the road moments’- helped pass the time by of course, as well as my hunger :)
Have a fabulous weekend my dear!
Ah yes the good auld hang sangidge, wrapped in a bit of tinfoil or the remains of the bread wrapper. Sometimes we got fancy and added butterhead lettuce and scallions. Thanks for evoking those memories!
I grew up on ham salad sandwiches. ohmylord good. Plain ol white bread, ham salad and a leaf of iceburg lettuce.
Chef E: Ah, Colman’s mustard, now you’re talkin’- I may not be given to dining on ham sambos these days either but mustard, that’s a different matter :) Have a great weekend yourself!
Gillian: oh yes indeed, wrapped in the remains of the bread wrapper – that’s the real thing alright
Lea Ann: I think that a large part of the population of Ireland also grew up on ham salad sandwiches (I know my childhood featured plenty of them!)
Despite having grown up halfway around the world from Ireland, that Denny ham sandwich looks eerily like the sandwiches my mom would pack for my lunch! Nothing like a good ol’ ham sandwich :)
I have to confess that I do have an auld gra for the hang sangwidge in its various guises. I am a mustard lover – the hotter the better – so when I was a teeny in the pub of a Saturday with the Dad, there would be a ham & cheese toastie resplendent in its cellophane toastable wrapper and sachets of Colmans finest to slather all over it. The mustard presence also meant it was safe from attack my Mum or the siblings…
Today we actually had ham sandwiches for lunch – real butter, fresh vienna roll from SQ and some coleslaw to go with the ham. It was comfort food at its finest. In fact, I think I’ll have it again tomorrow – feck Weight Watchers!
p.s. Feel free to throw any unwanted meaty gifts in my direction… I’ll send you up the veg :)
Phyllis: I guess ham sandwiches are just one of those universal foods!
Babaduck: I can just picture the cellophaned toasties – have had plenty of those in my time. And I like your mustard strategy – always good to have something that acts as a deterrent when it comes to hungry family members! ps it’s a deal on the meat/veg swap :)
Mr. Noodle still subsists on ham sandwiches for lunch! I’d like to see the Lost & Forgotten Skills display – or, in my case, Skills-I-Never-Had-In-The-First-Place. 8-D
I’m sure Mr. Noodle is not alone in that, TN :D Meanwhile, I am off to Bloom today to see what it is that I have lost, forgotten or never knew I had!
Ham sandwiches do indeed have to be universal, kinda like peanut butter in that they go with everything, but maybe not each other. Look forward to hearing more about the GIY – sounds like a neat arrangement.
Hmm, yeah, not so sure about the ham + peanut butter sandwiches :D Will be reporting more on the GIY edible garden, coming up next week sometime