Just over two decades ago, members Jeanne Valentine-Chase and Debbie Jackson of the First United Presbyterian Church of Pine Plains put their heads together to come up with a fundraiser to offer between the congregation’s November turkey dinner and its May chicken barbecue.
March, they decided, seemed like the right month — and St. Patrick’s Day the perfect occasion. Soon enough, a meal of corned beef and cabbage, served with Irish soda bread and brownies, became a tradition.
But the purpose of the event extends beyond hearty food and a nod to St. Patrick.
“Many people are experiencing food insecurity these days,” Valentine-Chase said. “With inflation looking like it’s going to get worse with food costs rising, we’re continuing the policy we initiated a few years ago of donating 25% of the net profit to our two food pantries: the Pine Plains Food Locker and Willow Roots.”
On Saturday, March 15, First United Presbyterian will host its 20th annual corned beef and cabbage dinner. (The COVID pandemic forced a cancellation in 2020.) Meals can be picked up between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. at 3039 Church St.
“We used to serve two sittings back in the day,” Valentine-Chase said. “Eventually, we realized we didn’t have enough volunteers to even manage one, with the serving and cleaning up. So now it’s strictly takeout. It helps us for people to sign up for a meal in advance.”
The cost of $18 per meal hasn’t changed. “Grocery prices are going up, but we’re keeping the dinner price the same,” said church secretary and president of the Little Nine Partners Historical Society, Dyan Wapnick, who added that the leftovers are also donated to Willow Roots.
Valentine-Chase and her husband, Scott Chase, will be joined in the kitchen by a crew that includes Wapnick and minister Jan Brooks.
“We cut up the cabbage and potatoes and put them on the stove,” Wapnick said. “Jeanne does the corned beef and the glaze for the carrots.” Ryan Orton will bake the Irish soda bread, and five church members will make enough brownies for 120 dinners. “We buy the meat from Peck’s, and most of the other items are donated by members of the congregation,” Valentine-Chase added.
When asked if St. Patrick himself had ever made an appearance at the dinner, Wapnick noted that a pot of gold has yet to turn up at the church.
To reserve a meal, call the church at 518-398-7117 or email Dyan Wapnick at dyanwapnick@optimum.net.