Salad Rules, Quiche, George Saunders

Good morning. Wednesdays are always a little brighter for me because it’s usually the day Bon Appetit comes out with its newest podcast episode, so I can block out the world for a little while and listen to my favorite food people go deep on, say, Chicken Parm. It’s also the day I write about food over at Cup of Jo. This week, in honor of spring and the good-qual produce we have to look forward to, I wrote about a few rules I follow when making salads. I hope you’ll check it out. Speaking of good-qual produce, yesterday Phoebe and I planted a some seeds in our garden — green beans, snow peas, tomatoes, a few lettuce varieties. I am the world’s worst gardener, and I mess something up every year, but I’m hopeful for this season’s harvest — especially since Phoebe helped for the first time ever, sowing good, happy energy right into that soil with me. Here are two more things that I hope might add a little light to your day…

Pantry: Bring Back the Quiche

Why does no one make quiche anymore? (Or why do we make quiche but feel compelled to call it something else, like “tart” or “pie.”) I guess I sort of know the answer to that — when done correctly, it can be a cardiologist’s worst nightmare. But it can be such a great empty-the-fridge vegetarian vehicle, too, so I don’t want to write it off entirely. And there are a few ways to make it a little healthier…

My basic quiche template is: Pre-bake a store-bought pie crust (fork-pricked all over the bottom) for 8 minutes at 375°F. While it bakes, you can whisk your filling: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup cream (light cream is fine), and maybe 3 ounces of Parm. From there, it’s up to you and your pantry-refrigerator situation. I added some finely chopped artichoke hearts that had been sautéed with onion. You can add cooked greens (spinach, kale, chard), chopped tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli. Then top with a little more grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss) and bake for 30 more minutes. As soon as I took a bite I was like “why do I not make this more often?”

Purpose: Letter To My Students

More love for the class of 2020. (Forgive me, it’s all I think about now.) Last night, Random House hosted a virtual commencement featuring speeches from some of their best and brightest, including Anna Quindlen, Wes Moore, Reshma Saujani, and George Saunders (above). Anyone who’s spent even a minute on this blog knows about our enduring love for George Saunders (novelist, short story writer, and writing professor among many other things) and I was happy to see that his speech was taken right from this letter to his students in last week’s New Yorker. (Warning: You might hit a pay wall if you’re over the monthly limit.) Give it a read whether you have a graduate or not.

Stay safe. Stay home.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and especially how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at [email protected].