The first day of spring arrives on March 20. This year we are all impatiently waiting to have warmer weather and to see the first crocus pop up to brighten the landscape.

We celebrate St. Patrick’s day on March 17, the date he died in 461 AD.

While he was a missionary in Ireland he used the shamrock to help spread Christianity throughout Ireland. He used the three leaves to illustrate the trinity of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I’m not sure how the tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage came into being, since potatoes are what I recall as the only food available during the famine in Ireland.

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The Irish have a fun way of counting their blessings. These brought a smile and chuckles to us: May your home always be too small to hold all of your friends; May you have food and raiment, a soft pillow for your head; may you be 40 years in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead; May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.

Cooked cabbage has never been high on our list of favorite foods, but the cold, windy days of March remind us that winter doesn’t give up and disappear just because the calendar dismisses it. St. Patrick’s Day is a good time to bring out the cabbage recipes to chase away the winter doldrums with tummy warming meals.

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Cabbage & Corned Beef Rolls

2 lbs. Corned beef brisket

1 Onion, quartered

8 Potatoes, peeled, quartered and cooked

16 Large outer leaves from a savoy cabbage

1 Egg, beaten

2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped

Put beef and onion in a large pan with eight cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for three hours, or until very tender. Remove meat from pan and set aside. In the same pan, boil leaves, three at a time, for two minutes or until soft; set aside. Reserve two cups of cooking water and put it in the refrigerator.

Coarsely chop beef. Mash potatoes with egg and half of the parsley. Remove the toughest part of the leaves by cutting a triangle at the bottom of each one. Top each leaf with potatoes and beef, tuck in sides and roll up. Place seam side down in a roasting pan. Refrigerate, covered for up to two days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour reserved liquid over rolls, cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mustard.

Corned Beef & Cabbage Bake

2 c. Potatoes, peeled & diced

1 c. Celery, chopped

1 c. Onion, chopped

3 c. Cabbage, coarsely chopped

2 c. Water

3 (2.5 oz) pkgs. Buddig corned beef,

shredded

3 Tbsp. Baking mix

1 (12 oz) can Evaporated milk

1 t. Dried parsley

Put potatoes, celery, onion, cabbage and water in a saucepan. Cook for 25 minutes, or until veggies are just tender. Drain well. Stir in corned beef and spread mixture in a greased 8-by-8 inch baking dish. Mix baking mix, milk and parsley in saucepan; cook and stir for five minutes, or until mixture thickens. Pour evenly over cabbage mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Makes six servings.

Cabbage Salad

3 c. Cabbage, shredded

1/2 c. Celery, chopped

1/2 c. Mandarin oranges

2 Apples, cored and chopped

1 (14 oz) can Great Northern beans,

drained and rinsed

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 t. Sugar

2/3 c. Mayonnaise

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix salad ingredients in a bowl; mix dressing ingredients and stir into salad.

Serves six to eight.