- The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.
- More than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston are home to the largest celebrations.
- There are 36.5 million U.S. residents with Irish roots. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (more than four million).
- Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, ranking behind German.
- Irish ranks among the top five ancestries in every state except Hawaii and New Mexico. It is the leading ancestry group in Delaware, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Celebrate the day and surprise family & friends with a Fresh Green Chile Salsa! We found a great recipe in "Kokopelli's Cookbook" by James and Carol Cunkle. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ 85014.
FRESH GREEN CHILI SALSA
1 clove GARLIC, mashed to a paste
1 fresh JALAPENO PEPPER, seeded and minced
1 GREEN ONION, very thinly sliced, using part of the green leaves
4 large fresh GREEN CHILIES, roasted, peeled, seeded and minced (see instructions below)
2 large fresh, ripe TOMATOES, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp. fresh LIME JUICE
4 Tbsp. fresh CILANTRO, minced
1 Tbsp. OLIVE OIL
1 tsp. SALT
Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors. Will keep (refrigerated) for 2 weeks. Good as a dip, on meat and eggs, or on tacos and quesadillas. Yields 2½ cups.
ROASTING CHILES
A note of precaution - Chiles may be very irritating to the skin so use rubber gloves when handling and always keep hands away from eyes and face. Puncture each chile the whole length with the tip of a paring knife. Place chiles close together in a shallow baking pan and broil about 6 inches from the heat. When blistered and browned, turned over, using tongs. Each side should take 3 to 4 minutes. The chiles should be blistered all around, so it may be necessary to turn them again. Immediately place the chiles in a tightly covered container (pan, paper or plastic bag) for 15 minutes. This steaming process allows the skin to be removed easily. Still using rubber gloves and leaving the stem intact, use a sharp knifeto slit the chiles from the stem end to the tip along the perforations. Then from the tip to the stem, carefully remove the skin. Remove the seeds and membranes and, if desired, the stem.
