The infinite Pi; for Ms Cilantro, Ms Tamarind, Mr. Cardamom Chai

The caravan of digits that is pi
does not stop at the edge of the page,
but runs off the table and into the air,
over the wall, a leaf, a bird's nest, the clouds, straight into the sky,
through all the bloatedness and bottomlessness.
Oh how short, all but mouse-like is the comet's tail!
Wislawa Szymborska

Why am I thinking of a transcendental number when I am shopping for vegetables? Sometimes the vegetables at the market are like the Pi. Infinite, each with a unique taste, color and texture. I have this uncontrollable urge to buy every vegetable that I lay my eyes on and combine them into one glorious dish like a large happy family living in a farm up in the mountains.

Which is why I chose to make shepherd's pie. Not the meaty kind but a vegetarian one where I can use every vegetable that I have greedily bought at the Co-op. Eggplant has a wonderfully meaty texture to it. Peppers, red and green (I am obsessed with them) give it a little crunchy sweetness. The squash inside the pie means a watery disaster like one of the end of the world movies where the ocean engulfs New York city. The squash is therefore banished to the side after its been broiled to crisp perfection.

Zahtar is a middle-eastern spice blend with ground sumac, sesame seeds, marjoram, thyme, basil and oregano. My sister Ms. Tofu faithfully brings me a bag of the tangy blend every time she visits. I sprinkled it on the vegetables to add some edge. I added extra thyme and sage since I love the mellow flavor of of these herbs in any baked dish. The binding agents for the pie were eggs, Parmesan cheese and dry cornbread stuffing left over from Thanksgiving. Making mashed potatoes to top the pie is a labor of love; I took mine on a little eastern journey with clarified butter from India (ghee) instead of cream and a sprinkle of Piment Fort kindly given to me by Ms. Butterfish. With great tactile satisfaction I layered the mashed potatoes on the vegetables before baking the pie.

As I cut the steaming pie the cross section resembled a still by Chardin. A generous serving of the crisp broiled squash on the side gave this Salon masterpiece an Impressionist twist. As I filled my mouth with the wholesome goodness of the vegetables, I felt like one those lunching ladies with floral lace dresses, extravagant hats and and pretty umbrellas from Monet's paintings. This dish is dedicated to the vegetarians in my life - Ms. Cilantro, Ms. Tamarind, Mr. Cardamom Chai.

The shepherd's medley from the Co-op.

Garlic nestled in the cleavage between sage and thyme

Yukon Gold potatoes

                                   

Eggs and Parmesan cheese forming Mickey Mouse ears with corn bread stuffing

                                 

Zahtar sprinkled on the vegetables.

              

Saute meaty eggplant with Zahtar

Crispy peppers next

Onion and garlic next

Tomato paste into the mix

Extra sage and thyme

Corn bread stuffing

Binders added

Squash with Zahtar

Broiled for 10-15 minutes

The labor of love begins - boil and peel potatoes

Add Moroccan Chili powder - Piment Fort

Add generous helping of Ghee

Allspice, just a pinch or two

A labor of love and the biceps...

Layered with great satisfaction

Chardin's still life

with my Impressionist twist