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St. Urho Scalloped Yellow Vegetables

Faux saint sprang from booze-fueled imagination

Happy St. Patrick's Day and happy St.

Urho's Day!

What, you have never heard of St. Urho? He's the patron saint of Finland, and we honor him on March 16. He is remembered for driving the grasshoppers out of the Finnish vineyards.

On St. Urho's day, celebrants wear purple and green. Purple represents the grapes, and green symbolizes the dead grasshoppers.

Now, if you believe this story, you probably have been drinking too much Irish whiskey or Finnish vodka. St. Urho actually originated in 1956 at a St. Patrick's Day party in Minnesota. Richard Mattson, a guest of Finnish heritage, grew tired of Irish-Americans bragging about everything Irish. The Finn spontaneously created St. Urho.

As the night wore on and the alcohol bottles emptied, the feats of St. Urho and the virtues of things Finnish turned into a mammoth tale.

The story didn't end that night. Locals passed on the tale. Eventually it was turned into a cottage industry that now produces books, posters, T-shirts, mugs and all sort of St. Urho memorabilia.

In the 1980s, Finnish yellow potatoes were a gourmet specialty in local supermarkets. Eventually American farmers began producing their own variety of yellow potatoes, and the Finnish import disappeared.

In San Diego, Yukon Gold is currently the most readily available variety. Yellow potatoes are faintly sweeter than baking potatoes and have a firmer texture when cooked. They are ideal for making scalloped potatoes.

In this recipe, I have combined yellow potatoes with rutabaga, which is a popular vegetable in Finland. The Irish also enjoy rutabaga. Make the recipe with Irish cheddar and you have a Finnish-Irish-American dish.

Scalloped Yellow Vegetables

4 servings

• 2 cups peeled and thinly sliced yellow potatoes
• 2 cups peeled and thinly sliced rutabaga
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup dry whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Drop the potatoes, rutabaga and onion into the water and wait for the water to return to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and let the vegetables stand in the water for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch. Heat the mixture in a saucepan. Stirring regularly, cook until the milk is lightly thickened. Stir in the mustard, salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute half of the vegetables in the bottom of the pan. Pour half of the milk over the vegetables and sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, milk and cheese.

Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the vegetables. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

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