Leek-Mushroom vs. Spinach-Feta (Pie)

The back story:

Last month we started to receive weekly produce boxes from the organic farm that delivers to our neighborhood here in Zichron Yaakov. We do go through a surprising amount of fresh fruits and vegetables and so I was hopeful that the organic produce boxes would work out – I really love the idea of receiving organic produce boxes every week.

I like everything about getting a weekly box except for the reality that we just don’t have enough people to consume its contents. This is particularly problematic in our temporary apartment – our 5th in case you’re counting – in that we don’t have great storage.

We also don’t have hungry teens ready to pounce on anything and everything edible. We went through that stage while my husband was serving for a year in Kabul, Afghanistan about ten years back, where he thought we might have taken in a lodger because our grocery bills spiked suddenly – they were just eating everything in sight. Now we are just two older adults trying not to eat like there is no tomorrow; our son Aaron is here with us a few days a week and I am still shedding the last of my COVID-weight.

And there is one other problem … sometimes whatever is in season and provided in ample quantities in our box is not something that we eat on a regular basis. For example I cook with leeks for Passover – it is a traditional Pesach food and I have a few really good recipes like Egyptian Potato Leek Soup and Leek Feta Patties. Then after Passover I feel like we are done with leeks for a while. So when we received leeks in our box last week I was initially stymied and stowed them at the bottom back of the produce bin in the refrigerator while I figured out what to do.

We also had received a huge bundle of spinach; I knew what I wanted to do with that. It only takes a few minutes to sauté an onion and a few garlic cloves, and A LOT of spinach is just what you need to end up with the right amount for a Spinach-Feta pie. The pie crust is super easy and does not require butter or margarine. As long as I am making one pie crust, its about 5 minutes more to make two, and that gave me the idea to use the leeks to make a Leek-Mushroom pie for my husband Matt.

The Spinach-Feta pie I have made many times before; the Leek-Mushroom combination was a first-time pie that I will definitely do again given my husband’s enthusiasm. Within a day the two pies had shrunk to 1/2 size and fit neatly into one pyrex for easier storage (see above).

Now for the big questions:

If I write down and share these recipes who will make them at home?

Do you have a favorite?

Please let me know in the comments if you would like more information about Leek-Mushroom Pie, Spinach-Feta Pie and/or if there are other vegetable pies that you would like to know more about.

Bon Appetit!