Potato-Spinach Pie
january 21, 2015

Usually I make my own pie crust or use one from the freezer, but this time I took the author's advice and bought one pre-made from the store. It's a good thing I did, since prep for this recipe took a while, leaving about two minutes to roll out the dough and assemble the pie before kid-duty commenced.

Which hopefully explains why it looks the way it does. Though, I am sorry to say, I have long had trouble with the aesthetics of pie. An artful crust just doesn't seem to be in me.

I wish someone would give a class on handling pastry, like maybe Ava Chin, who made the most beautiful pies I have ever seen for the dinner we gave last fall to celebrate her book Eating Wildly. Ava filled gigantic springform pans with wild greens and ricotta, topped with an intricately woven crust that browned up just perfectly. Simply gorgeous! And delicious, too.

But no matter how it looks, this pie is definitely a good way to use up leeks and spinach, which tend to be in our CSA box frequently during late winter and early spring. Enjoyed by three out of my four family members, it is like an herby, more American version of spanakopita and is best served with a side of kale salad. My only complaint is that the pastry cost $11. Eleven dollars! For a single sheet of pastry! I can make it myself for about $1.50. On p. 78 of Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home.