I was broke and tired, but having a fun, liberating adventure. One of my memories from that day centers on the cheap, hearty, delicious meat pie I bought from a sweet, gray-haired lady. I remember being astonished at the deal and pleased by the pie’s portability. Prior to that experience, my notion of hand pies came in a Mrs. Baird’s wrapper (nonetheless delicious!).

Nearly a decade later, and — guess what — here I am still broke and occasionally tired, but having a fun, liberating adventure and I find myself turning to hand pies.

These Greek hand pies that would make Popeye proud. I’ve used greens gathered from my own and friends’ gardens: chard, amaranth, beet greens, lambs quarters, along with mint, basil, oregano and dill. The first time I made the dough, I followed the recipe, which calls for olive oil. The second time I used lard, which was more enjoyable to work with.

These pies are surprisingly delicious and nearly free. I have twice devoted the time to make a batch to freeze for quick meals. Taken straight from the freezer, they take about 20 minutes to fry.

My curry includes:
:: Sweet potatoes from Guilford Gardens.
:: Okra harvested from my garden and frozen on the autumnal equinox.
:: Cooked turnip greens and spinach frozen on October 27.
:: Snow peas harvested from my garden and frozen on December 4.

Pea patch in late October.

Pretty pods in mid-November.

Last week I was experimenting with braised greens for Kam’s Kookery. Matt and I had them with a broiled baguette and brie. There were a bunch of greens left over so the next night I concocted a pasta dish: braised greens with orzo, prosciutto, chickpeas and capers.


Prosciutto ends are a bargain for the frugal gourmet.

Braised Greens with Orzo, Prosciutto, Chickpeas, and Capers
1. approximately 3 cups braised greens, drained and coarsely chopped (warm or at room temperature)
2. approximately 3 cups orzo, cooked
3.  prosciutto ends (check with your deli; these remnants can be had for a bargain), about 1/2 c chopped with the fat trimmed and reserved
4. 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5. 2 T capers
6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
7. Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved fat and reduce the heat to low. After about 1 T of fat has rendered, discard the fatty pieces and add the minced garlic. Stir until fragrant. Add the chopped prosciutto. Let the meat heat through, about 5 minutes. In large bowl, toss the meat and rendered fat with the orzo, greens, chickpeas, and capers. Top with freshly ground pepper and grated Parmesan.

It’s easy to celebrate winter when the end is getting near. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side of the equator, but I am so ready for some warmth. And I’m so glad that fantasy of operating at b&b in Alaska never came to fruition.

Recipe notes: Roasted vegetables are amazing! They were so tasty, you could ditch the troublesome crust and just go with the veggies. My pie crust resembled an amorphous blob, but it was tasty. Next time I’ll probably use ready-made puff pastry dough. I really like that Lynn suggests spreading out the preparation over two days and it worked quite well for me. The leftovers were very tasty, too! Would be great reheated for breakfast with a fried egg.

I decided not to include the turnip; it was the last vegetable to be chopped and by then I decided that I already had a bountiful mound of pie filling. You can use whatever you have on hand—I wish I would have thought to include the sad butternut squash and sweet potatoes that have been repeatedly overlooked in the pantry all winter long.

Nothing fancy here. Just a yummy breakfast: an improvisational frittata and a broiled grapefruit. Really, this is an anytime meal.

I chronically misspell frittata. I just want those double ts to be at the end.

Frittatas are becoming my favorite receptacle for food on the brink of badness (and not in a good way). I use this recipe for general guidance. Excess greens (cooked or fresh), pruny mushrooms or potatoes, homemade salsa that’s really not very good—in it goes!

I would rarely leave for my lunch break (it was called “lunch” even if it really was supper), so I would just pick something from the store. Lunchables, frozen burritos, pizza rolls, or Dinty Moore chicken and dumplings. I would go through the cool cashier’s line in order to get a substantial discount.

I have no idea what provoked me that first time I tried chicken and dumplings; I had never had them at home. It was probably just plain curiosity—balls of dough in a gelatinous substance. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? Surprisingly I liked them and they became my supper of choice. Along with a Pepsi and York peppermint patty, of course.

Fast forward 10 years and Dinty Moore and chicken and dumplings still are synonymous in my head. Last night I made strides to correct that.

I used this recipe. It’s in my Best Chicken Recipe cookbook, which adds this handy tip: do steps 1–3 on day 1, and finishing up takes only 20 minutes on day 2. Putting the stew together went very well. I was a little nervous the dumplings wouldn’t cook through, but I just followed the instructions and they were fabulous. I can’t wait to eat some leftovers!

The perfect meal for a frigid day.

The dumplings were amazing, thanks to the fat reserved from browning the chicken. Chicken fat is smooth and light and imparts delicious flavor.

Saturday morn: casserole with a fried egg and so-not-local grapes and cherries. Oh, and my cold brew iced coffee. Nummy, nummy. (I’ve been hanging out with a 1-year-old tonight.)

Sunday mornin’: casserole with fried egg and some caramelized apples. The apples came from the tree in the front yard.
I mean—not that very morning—they were sliced and frozen several weeks back.

These photos illustrate how an inexpensive, tasty dish can go a long way. This recipe for bulgur casserole, from the Bulgar Bugle, provided six delicious meals (three meals for two people). I made it with Bob’s Bon Appetetin’ cream of bulgur wheat and the beef stock I made in May. This casserole is a new comfort food. It feels nourishing.

And since I had to thaw more stock than I needed for the recipe, I used the remaining beef stock to cook 6 cups of bulgur. After it cooled, I spooned it into lined containers and put it in the freezer. Once it was frozen solid, I popped out the bulgur bricks, put them in a freezer bag (the freezer is packed and the bags fit better) and back in the freezer they go. Convenience food!

I learned of the restaurant on a morning bike ride. I can’t remember your name—but thank you so much, Patience from Austin, Texas, for telling me about this treasure, for I was growing tired of fried seafood poboys.

Cochon, I learned, means “pig” in French. And this makes sense since they cook up an assortment of pig parts. On an almost daily basis, local pigs are delivered to the in-house boucherie. The restaurant has a bit of a diner feel to it on account of the spartan booths and bar. All the furniture is made of sleek, nude wood and the walls are warm shades of orange and yellow. I imagine the place takes on a different vibe at night when the bar’s main function is for drinking bourbon, rather than watching the chef. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant that boasts a James Beard award recipient. One of the chefs, Donald Link, was the 2007 Best Chef of the South; Cochon was nominated for best new restaurant. The restaurant opened in April 2006.

Everything on the menu sounded adventurous and tasty. I settled on the pig cheeks (yes, facial cheeks) at the recommendation of my waitress, Julie. I also ordered smothered greens and an Abita amber.

For dessert, the house-made buttermilk blueberry ice cream was very tempting, but when I waffled between the ice cream and the custard, there was no contest. Julie gave me a quick, decisive, “The custard.” Chocolate and chicory custard with cayenne whipped cream. It was luscious; the cayenne didn’t add much taste-wise, but it imparted a nice warmth to the chilled, creamy custard.

I loved it so much I went back the next day! I had green tomato and craw fish casserole and jalapeño spoon bread with okra and lima beans. Odd combination now that I think of it.

For recipes

Bulgur Mexicana
:: 2 T butter
:: 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
:: 1 c bulgur wheat
:: 1 large stalk celery, thinly sliced
:: 1/2 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced (I omitted this)
:: 1 t chili powder
:: 3/4 t ground cumin
:: 2 1/4 c vegetable stock (I used 2 c beef stock and 1/4 c water)
:: Condiments (suggestions follow)

Melt butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and bulgur and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and bulgur is golden (7 to 8 minutes). Stir in celery, bell pepper, chili powder, and cumin and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, mound bulgur mixture on a platter or individual plates. At the table, offer condiments, each in a separate bowl. Serves 4.
Condiments: shredded cheddar, alfalfa sprouts, sliced onions, sunflower seeds, sour cream, tomatoes, and/or taco sauce.

Bulgur Supper Salad
:: 2 c water
:: 3/4 t salt
:: 1 vegetable-flavored bouillon cube (I used a couple meat cubes)
:: 1 c bulgur wheat
:: 1 jar (6 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts
:: 1 large carrot, shredded
:: 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
:: 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
:: 2 green onions (including tops), thinly sliced
:: 1/2 c chopped parsley
:: About 8 lettuce leaves
:: 3 hard-cooked eggs, quartered
:: 2 medium-size tomatoes, cut in wedges
:: 4 oz. sharp cheddar or Swiss, julienned
:: About 1/4 c pitted ripe olives
:: Mustard Dressing (recipe follows)

In a 3-quart pan, bring water, salt, and vegetable bouillon cube to boiling. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare Mustard Dressing. Drain marinade from artichokes into dressing, mixing it well. Dice artichokes and set aside.
Turn hot cooked bulgur into a bowl, add dressing, and stir gently. Let stand until cool. Stir in artichokes, carrot, celery, green pepper, onions, and parsley. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the next day.
Arrange lettuce on a serving platter or individual plates. Mound salad on lettuce; surround with eggs and tomatoes. Sprinkle cheese over top and garnish with olives. Makes 8 servings.
Mustard Dressing: In a bowl, combine 4 T each salad oil and lemon juice, 1 t each dry basil and oregano leaves, 1/2 t pepper, 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed), and 1 T Dijon mustard.

Both recipes came from Sunset Vegetarian Cooking (1991) cookbook.

Boil potatoes, mash and season to taste with milk and butter. Brown ground beef and add onion with salt and pepper. Add brown gravy, peas, and corn. Let simmer until heated through. In a 13×9 pan, place meat and vegetable mixture in bottom of pan. cover with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven on broil until cheese is bubbly.

It’s certainly not the prettiest dish, but it warms the belly. I made this about a month ago when Matt had the flu. I made a version of this several years ago, but with TVP (textured vegetable protein—a very bad concept). It didn’t get gobbled up (go figure!) so I froze it. Ummm, shepherd’s pie doesn’t freeze well. So learn from my mistake. I wouldn’t imagine that potatoes freeze well, but that is my only experience.