Friday, March 14, 2008

Onion + π = Opinion

It's Pi Day! You know, the 14th of March, or 3.14.
Of course, you'll want to bake a pie to celebrate.
I'm baking an onion pie, because I'm opinionated (and don't make me come up there and explain my post title to you).
The onions from the garden patch are still slender; just starting to develop their spherical bulge. So we'll use a few, both red and white, sliced and sauteed in flowery oil.
The crust will be half whole wheat and half white flour, made with leaf lard. Oh yeah, we got some Range Brothers leaf lard from the kind Prather folks, and I'm excited, because I thought that stuff was impossible for the little people to get. (I'm little! Leave me alone, or bring me a booster seat and a box of crayons.)
To pad out the filling, I'm thinking some new potatoes, gently sauteed just to get them softened, and a handful of crumbled dry jack cheese. Perhaps a drizzle of cream.
Seasonings: thyme, salt, pepper.
Utter simplicity, and I'm having to describe all this to you because I haven't baked the pi pie yet.
Oh. Hey, maybe I have. Look:

20 Comments:

Blogger Anita said...

you are a master word-tinkerer.

(and, yum)

1:47 PM  
Blogger kudzu said...

How did you know I was thinking about spring onion pie?

I'll be right over!

2:05 PM  
Blogger cook eat FRET said...

pi day
3.14
who thinks of this stuff?

i just googled leaf lard
who knew???

see how i learn from you again and again...

3:07 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

Lard? Now you've gone off the hook as the kids say.Decadent

4:16 PM  
Blogger dancingmorganmouse said...

Pi day wouldn't work in Australia because we do our dates differently - day, month, year, and there's only 12 months!
As for onion pies YUM, sweet slow cooked onion - the smell must have been wild.

5:12 PM  
Blogger kudzu said...

Had to write again after I saw the Pi Pie. How cool is that?
You are such a stitch!

5:57 PM  
Blogger El said...

I'm just so impressed you found the character for pi!

But, all woo-woo freakishness aside, I made a leek galette this week and I used my own rendered lard, first time! (Okay, maybe not MY lard from my own pig, but a big chunk of fat came my way so I rendered it and stunk up the house completely.) I WISH I could've done an onion one (though the leeks were mighty nice) but those onions are rare around these parts right now...but leeks? yeah, lots.

happy 3.1415...to you too!

6:03 PM  
Blogger Sharona May said...

Looks very good. Everyone loves a little onion.

Sharona May

6:25 PM  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

Anita: I've had this "word-tinker" in mind since way before I heard about Pi Day. Then, I was suddenly on deadline! It worked out perfectly.

Kudzu: It's company-worthy. The first description we both came up with: who would we like to have this with?

ceF: Dorky stuff. You learned two things!

Greg: Truly. It's decadent, but the crust is SO flaky and tender. Give it a try.

Morgan: Oh! Ha ha, I forgot about that date-writing convention. Yep, no 14-month years for you.
The pie was so simple, so outstanding. (And... my breath!)

Kudzu: Did you see the pi symbol in the center of the pie? A little subtle, but... :)

El: You are giving me pause for thought. I'm a little rusty on comparing onions with leeks, even if I eat both all the time. I think I get it, though. The slippery, sexy sweetness of a spring onion. Mm. Compared with the wooly, potato-y backbone of a leek.
I'm impressed by your home-rendered lard.

Sharona May: I have almost 185 onions left to pick! Lucky!

6:45 PM  
Blogger Chilebrown said...

Did you get the one picture from Nasa? It sure looks like the surface of the planet "PLUTO DEMOTED".

8:44 PM  
Blogger kudzu said...

But of course I saw the pi symbol, hence my second comment!

These now-sharp eyes don't miss many details.

9:58 PM  
Blogger Mary Coleman said...

We have a saying around Middle Tennessee.."you just ain't right!"
Onion + Pi = Opinion.
You're killing me!!

Plus it looks too good!

12:52 PM  
Blogger Stacie said...

i think the onions have gone to your head.

1:25 PM  
Blogger Catherine said...

you geek!
I have to send this to my PHd in Physics sister and her PHd in Physics hubby!

I'll just take that delicious looking onion thingame. Thank you!

6:48 PM  
Blogger Chilebrown said...

I just paid 4 dollars a pound for Jumbo Asparagus. It was from the Berkeley Market. They had Blues Music and the local Color. It is totaly different from the Marin Market. I hope Chris wil be there tomorrow morning. Peace,Paul

7:44 PM  
Anonymous leena! said...

Looks delicious, Cookiecrumb. You captured my (faux) Australian heart, because Aussies sure do love their savory pies. Only their pies are filled with mystery meat. It is better if you don't ask. It ruins the illusion.

By the way, I LOVE your Countdown till Bush has left the office timer. It is still not soon enough, if you ask me.

9:15 PM  
Blogger Robert said...

I just bought some fresh green and purple onions that look just like the ones in your photo, and you were just about to inspire me to try using them in a pie . . . and then I read that you got real leaf lard for the crust, and now I'm so jealous that I'm not sure I dare attempt a pie. I bet that leaf-lard crust is heavenly!

4:33 AM  
Blogger Holler said...

Mmmmm lovely! i prefer a savoury pie to a sweet one!

11:08 AM  
Blogger McAuliflower said...

yum- we are so lucky!
Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm gonna add poppyseeds to mine. :)

2:00 PM  
Blogger cookiecrumb said...

Chilebrown: Shh! NASA's super-secret Planet Onion Project.

Kudzu: I'm glad your eyes have been such a success. Wow.

Mary Coleman: I'm gonna take that as a compliment.

Stacie: Who you callin' an onionhead?

Catherine: Is it that geeky? Hee hee. Totally vegetarian, too. Go there!

Chilebrown: Last night I slept very weirdly, and didn't wake up until too late. I hope you saw Chris.

Leena: Savory is the only pie I make, mostly. Help yourself to the Bush countdown clock; you can just click on it. ;-)

Robert: Do not bail out on your pie. Use whatever lard you have for now (half and half with butter), and then start your search for real leaf lard for next time. It was dreamy; not too flavored and it did wonders with whole wheat flour. Good luck.

Holler: You too? I think it's genetic.

McAuliflower: Poppy seeds! I would never have thought of that; never. Sounds great. Toothsome fun.

3:12 PM  

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