St. Patrick's Day

When we think of St. Patrick's Day, we think of eating Corned Beef and Cabbage. Here is an interesting fact you may not know about Corned Beef and Cabbage. Corned Beef and Cabbage is the traditional meal enjoyed by many on St. Patrick's Day, but only half of it is truly Irish. Cabbage has long been a staple of the Irish diet, but it is traditionally served with Irish bacon, not corned beef. The corned beef was substituted for bacon by Irish immigrants to the Americas around the turn of the century who could not afford the real thing. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

How about trying something different like Country Ham and Cabbage - Smithfield Style!
2-3 chunks of Country Ham, cooked
1 quart of fresh water
2 Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
2 slices Country Bacon, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon Mustard Seed, toasted
8 small red-skinned Potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh Parsley, chopped
1 large head of Cabbage, quartered then halved
Directions:
Combine first four ingredients in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and add cabbage. Simmer for 3/4 to 1 hour. Saute bacon with onion, garlic, and mustard seed. Add to pot, along with potatoes. Continue to simmer for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with hot cornbread.

And for something else different, if you have leftovers, try this Corned Beef and Cabbage Casserole recipe using Blue Crab Sting Ray Bloody Mary Mixer. To make this, you need leftover sliced potatoes, and leftover sliced or shredded boiled cabbage. The quantity you make depends upon how much of these ingredients you have on hand. You need a Pyrex baking dish large enough to hold at least one layer of each of these leftovers.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom of Pyrex dish lightly with olive oil. Arrange single layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of corned beef, followed by a layer of cabbage. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp. celeryt seed and 1/2 tsp. basil then add another layer of potatoes. Drizzle Sting Ray Mixer over the top of the top of the casserole and along the sides of the dish. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foilo and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.