Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

Wrap all the ingredients in cheesecloth and

tie off.

Per serving : 114 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,
21 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 6 g dietary fi ber, 252
mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 3 Vegetable, ½ Fat

GREEK PIE

I grant you that this looks tricky, and certainly
phyllo pastry isn’t easy, but my handling tips
help. As a gracious treat to vegetarian (lacto­
ovo) guests, it’s hard to beat. I have used fresh
baby fava beans, but should you be off season
and wanting to experience this recipe, you can
use canned favas or, in a pinch, lima beans.

Working with Phyllo
Phyllo pastry is generally found in the fr ozen food
section of the supermarket. The package should be
thawed overnight in the refrigerator. As you assem­
ble the pie, cover any unused phyllo with a damp
cloth to keep it from drying out. If you have long
fingernails, be especially careful not to tear holes in
the phyllo. Wrap leftover phyllo in wax paper and
plastic wrap for storage in either the freezer or the
refr igerator.

SERVES 4

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 bunch (about 8) green onions, sliced into
½-inch rounds
½ pound mushrooms, quartered (yield 2 cups)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks

⅛ teaspoon white pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock (see

page 288) or ½ cup stock plus ½ cup

dealcoholized dry white wine

1 pound fresh baby fava beans

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon arrowroot

1 cup egg substitute

8 sheets phyllo dough

1 (10-ounce) package frozen, chopped

spinach, thawed and pressed dry

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch

square baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over

medium-high. Cook the onions for 1 minute,

then toss in the mushrooms and lemon juice,

and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in the zucchini,

white pepper, salt, and oregano, and cook, stir­

ring , for 1 minute more.

Pour in the stock and bring to a vigorous

boil to reduce by half. Pull the skillet off the

heat and stir in the beans and Parmesan cheese.

Combine the arrowroot with the egg substi­

tute and pour over the mixture in the pan. Stir

and let cool while you work on the crust.

Lay the stack of phyllo sheets on a clean

work surface. Spray the top sheet with cooking

spray, peel it off, and lay it (sprayed side up) in

the prepared dish, allowing it to overlap the

edges. (Don’t overwork the sheets; let gravity

settle them to the bottom of the dish.) Spray

the second sheet and set it squarely on top of

the first one. Do the same thing to the third

148 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE