Artistic Biscuits: Coal Mine Labour Day Biscuits Part One - Savoury

Theme: Labour Day


As this is Labour Day Weekend, Jeremy proposed that the theme of my first official Biscuit Project biscuits be just that: Labour Day. Labour Day in the U.S. is a "celebration of the economic and social achievements of workers" and was started in 1894 as a reaction to the Pullman Strike (a conflict involving cut wages for railroad car workers). Having just watched the documentary Harlan County, USA, about the 1973 coal miners' strike in Kentucky, I was inspired to focus on this part of our hardworking, energy source-providing American workforce.


Our first American commercial coal miners descended into the mines in the 1700's in Midlothian, near Richmond, Virginia. According to various accounts, thankfully preserved online by the daughters of coal miners, meals were generally prepared by the coal miners' wives and packed into a metal pail with a cover, sometimes customized with stickers or, by the more artistic, painted with scenes. While the coal miner's meal varied from place to place and day to day, I've come across a few trends:

Last night's leftovers

A sandwich and fruit

The Coal Miner Pasty, (pasty is pronounced PASStee, not PAYstee) also known as the Traditional Cornish Pasty and introduced by emigrants from Cornwall, a little filled pastry purse, made with potatoes, turnips or rutabaga, onions, and ground beef.

I chose the pasty as my biscuit spring board, leaving out the meat because I'm a vegetarian. Here's what I came up with. They were DELICIOUS.

Coal Mine Labour Day Biscuits - Savoury

2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary
2 scallions or green onions, minced
1 turnip, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 red potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup reduced-fat well-shaken buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and turnip and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, salt, and rosemary in a bowl, then blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in scallions. With a potato masher or a fork, mash in potatoes and turnips until still slightly chunky but evenly mixed in. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined.

Spoon dough into mounds (size depending on quantity desired. I think I made about 24 biscuits total.) about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until golden, 17 to 20 minutes.

Tips:

Don't skip the turnips, even if you're afraid of them. They add a sweetness and a lovely texture. No need to be afraid of a turnip.

Listen to this while you're baking:

"The Mountain" performed by Steve Earle and The Del McCoury Band

Check out one of these documentaries while you're eating:

Harlan County, USA
Burning the Future: Coal in America

Tasters: Actor Jeremy Beck, John Rouse, one of the creators of Createculture.org, and Amy, his culturally adventurous and very pregnant wife.