These festivals were the birthplace of many customs and traditions for honoring the arrival of spring. The ancient Saxons, for example, baked and ate a bread similar to the hot-cross bun in honor of Eostre, the ancient goddess of light. In Rome, animal hunts commemorating Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime, were held. Although in recent years it has been almost entirely overlooked due to the Christian celebration of Easter, this ancient holiday is still remembered in some parts of the world such as Germany and Italy, where spring’s arrival is traditionally celebrated on the first of May, referred to as May Day.

In Germany, spring’s arrival is celebrated with a Maibaum, a pole decorated on top with a wreath of green branches and flowers from which hang streamers that are held by dancers performing a special dance around the pole.

In the Italian province of Teramo in Abruzzo, May 1st is the day to eat “the seven virtues,” a minestrone soup made by merging leftovers from the winter with the fresh vegetables of the spring. Into this thick soup are added seven kinds of dried pasta, seven kinds of dried beans and stock made from pork. In Assisi, a town in the Umbria region of central Italy, the traditional dish for the festival is porchetta, which is roast-suckling pig.

In keeping with the Italian theme of serving pork related dishes at their spring festivals, the recipes below for Pork Chop Chasseur and Pork Steak-Vegetable Bake are delicious choices for celebrating the change of the seasons.

Pork Chop Chasseur

Ingredients:

• 6 pork chops
• 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes
• 10-¾ oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• ⅓ cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, optional

Method:

1. Drain and cut-up stewed tomatoes, reserving the liquid.
2. Brown pork chops in large skillet.
3. Pour off fat.
4. Add the mushroom soup, reserved tomato liquid, chopped onion, yellow mustard and pepper.
5. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Stir in tomatoes and relish.
7. Serve over hot cooked rice.
8. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Pork Steak-Vegetable Bake

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise in ¼-inch slices
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 4 pork steaks, cut ½-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ envelop dry onion soup mix
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place potatoes and carrot slices in bottom of 12 by 7 ½ by 2-inch baking dish.
3. Trim fat from pork steaks.
4. Brown pork steaks well on both sides in oil.
5. In small saucepan combine water, onion soup mix and soy sauce; bring to boiling.
6. Spoon half of the soup mixture over the potato and carrot slices; top with pork steaks.
7. Spoon remaining soup mixture over the pork steaks.
8. Cover baking dish and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.