SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #639

[Crystal A. Isaac]

The herb and cheese pies (quiches) are nice for lunches, as long as you
have a way to transport them. Look in Elizabeth and Cariadoc's Micellany
for reliable ideas. The tart for Ember day is very good. I seem to
recall a really good spinach and cheese pie as well.

You could also try Pastry of Artichokes. For your needs, little turnover
sized pastries might be better than a 9 inch pie. You might consider
reducing the liquid to 1/3 cup if you make individual pie servings.

Pastry of Artichokes is a late-period recipe for a vegetarian pie. I
found it in _Acquired Taste: The French Origins of Modern Cooking_ by T.
Sarah Peterson.  Published by Cornell University Press, Ithaca. 1994.
ISBN 0-8014-3053-4.  Ms. Peterson cites Cristoforo di Messisbugo's
Banchetti: Compositzioni di vivande e apparecchio generale (1549 CE)
modern edition by F. Bandini. Venice: Pozza, 1960 as her source. 

"First make a rectangle of pastry.... Then in the bottoms put butter and
a little pepper, and marzolino (a cheese) cut very, very small. Then you
will have three artichokes almost cooked and well trimmed of their
spikes, with the heart well cleaned off of hay. Put into the pastry
adding pepper, butter and marzolino cut small in the same way. Then take
two egg yolks, two ounces of sugar, and half a cup of verjuice, and a
little bit of fragrant herbs cut fine with knives. Mix everything
together and put into the pastry. Then put on its cover and put to
cook...."

Modern adaptation:
1 nine inch pie crust, plus top crust
2 12oz cans of artichoke hearts, very well drained and chopped
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter, grated (It is easier if you freeze the butter
first.)
2-3 pinches ground black pepper

Sprinkle a layer of cheese and butter on the bottom of the pie pastry.
Add a pinch of pepper. Place a layer of well-drained and chopped
artichokes on the layer of cheese. Add another layer of cheese and
butter; then another layer of artichokes. Add another pinch or two of
pepper. 

When all is layered and ready, mix together:

2 egg yolks
2 ounces of sugar (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar*
1/4 cup grape juice*
fragrant herbs and salt

For "fragrant herbs" I placed a 1/4 teaspoon of the following into the
mortar and ground it fine: salt, dried rosemary, sage, tarragon and
parsley. Next time, I will use more spices*. Evenly drizzle the
resulting sticky mixture over the pie. Put on top layer of crust. Prick
or slash the crust top. Bake at 350ºF until the crust is done, (about an
hour).

*A later version of this pie, using 1/2 cup verjuce and triple the
spices was much better.

Crystal of the Westermark
(mka Crystal A. Isaac, crystal at pdr-is.com)
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