Leftover Pie

I've discovered that eating seasonally means you can rarely follow a recipe exactly. Most cook books and web cites suggest combining ingredients that don't usually grow in the same season. As a result, any "flexible" recipes I come across inevitably end up getting used again and again.

I got this great recipe for vegetable pot pie from http://earthgirlknits.blogspot.com/2010/03/pot-pie.html . As I read the directions, it occurred to me that this pie can be adapted to include pretty much anything, any time of year. I decided to try it out the night before the farmer's market as a way to get rid of all the leftover produce I hadn't yet eaten this week.



(Yes, it looks a little weird. I ran out of dough for the top of the crust, but I promise, the flavor was not affected).

Leftover pie is destined to become a regular in my kitchen. It was so much fun to make, and since the leftovers in my fridge change every week, I don't think this dish will ever be boring.

Local ingredients in my pie:

• flour
• butter
• butternut squash
• mushrooms
• white beans
• parsnip
• swiss chard
• onions

We Have Worms!!

My boyfriend is an environmentalist; he understands why composting is good. Still, the idea of sharing his living space with 2,000 creepy crawlers took a little warming up to. Actually, a lot of warming up to... 3 1/2 years to be exact. But this weekend, he finally broke down. It took a lot of pleading on my part and a written contract stating that he would never, ever, under any circumstances have to touch the worms, but he finally gave in.

So without further adou, I'd like to introduce the newest members of the Solstice farm family, Sam...


I named them all Sam because I am of the opinion that every living thing (and some inanimate objects) deserve a name. We chose "Sam" for practical reasons (it's gender neutral, and thus applies to all the worms).

(The rest of them are somewhere in here)

Since I'm a novice composter, any tips on how to properly care for Sam would be greatly appreciated.

In-Between Meals

My new favorite end of winter/start of spring meal: Zucchini pizza with mashed chilean squash (both recipes from Moosewood).


Local ingredients in the pizza:

• zucchini
• whole wheat flour
• eggs
• portabello mushrooms
• tomato sauce
• rosemary
• goat's milk ricotta

Local ingredients in the squash:

• butternut squash
• green bell pepper
• onion
• yogurt

Happy Spring!!

The In-Between

I love this time between the seasons...

Days when we can hike without jackets on trails still covered in snow.


Days when I can cook summer squash and winter squash in the same meal.


Days when my seeds are planted, but not yet sprouting.


Spring officially starts tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited about its arrival. But tonight, I'm savoring the last few moments of the in-between.

Bakers

I've been told that there are cooks and there are bakers. I am a cook. I substitute ingredients based on what's in the fridge, I measure amounts by eye-balling how much more will fit in the pan, and when I take notes on a recipe, they usually include such insightful comments as "next time it needs more flavor." These traits make for some creative and varied meals, but baking? Baking is different. Baking requires precision.

I have very few baking success stories.

Still, despite my past failures, tonight's meal compelled me to try again. Now that parsley is finally available at the market again, I spent the week perfecting my falafel recipe, and I needed some pita bread to go with it. So, armed with a stocked pantry and the greatest vegetarian cookbook I know of (Mollie Katzen's Moosewood), I attempted to bake.


2 hours later I had some very respectable pita. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good for a "cook".

Local ingredients in my pita/falafel:

• Whole wheat flour
• Honey
• Corn meal
  
• White beans
• Onion
  
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Yogurt cheese
• Lettuce
  

It's that time...

My seeds have arrived!! This year I'm planting almost exclusively from Seed Savers Exchange. It's this amazing organization that allows you to trade heirloom seeds as a way to promote biodiversity. My seeds include such unique plants as purple beans, black tomatoes, red carrots, heart shaped squash, star shaped ochra, and watermellons with stars (not to mention the curiously named "strawberry spinach"). I can't wait to see what grows.

For those of you interested, Seed Savers Exchange can be found on the web, and they do offer more normal fruit and vegetable varieties (but where's the fun in that?)