And so it came to pass that we needed to clean out the basement freezer (we already lost one in the last flood so we need to remove any future loss by cleaning out the basement entirely) and I found a frozen puff pastry I had bought for one of the many events we’ve had to cancel over this past Winter (obviously, still a sore spot, as the cancellations continue — someday we’ll feel like humans with a life again). I had ignored it because I thought it was a big deal and that I needed a lot of time or patience, or something I don’t feel like I’ve had a lot of lately (of course, I could have just read the package, I wasn’t making the puff from scratch — I feel good about the Dufour Pastry group, they even make a plant-based organic version, acts the same). It has been a game-changer.

It thaws rather quickly (less than an hour outside of the fridge, 2-3 hours inside — consistency doesn’t change that much but if you are doing something more delicate, I’d opt to thaw longer in the fridge) and works great to throw on top of a cast iron skillet full of (leftover) cooked chicken/gravy/and veg as a ‘pot pie’ (just follow directions on package for baking, and be careful the pan is then hot!).

The other night we chose to roast some cauliflower to top a thawed and partially pre-baked (as per box direction) puff with a little bacon cooked up with garlic and onions, sliced up leftover roasted potatoes, and feta cheese. Rebake and amazing!! We tried to make little wells and roast eggs in it but that didn’t turn out as good as we had hoped, we’ll have to experiment a little more there but the Roasted Veg Tart with Feta was great. I think anything that tastes lovely carmelized and roasted would go great on this tart (we really piled it up, too — on a regular sheet pan toss veg to roast with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper, roast at 375 degrees stirring occasionally to brown up many bits, remove when roasted to your liking, chop a little more to work best on pastry) like roasted sweet potatoes or squash, broccoli, parsnips or carrots, golden beets, asparagus, eggplant with maybe an addition of toasted pine nuts or Dukka, dried or fresh herbs like sage or rosemary, possibly dried fruits like sliced fig or dried plums, sauteed mushrooms and any kind of allium (I can’t wait for Summer scapes)…the feta baked on top was delicious (I love Pumpkin Vine Family Farm‘s goat feta — it’s divine, and they are wonderful — you can go and visit, they host a Farmer’s Market and many events). Get a puff, try it out, it was an easy peasy ‘kitchen-sink’ kind of meal which I love. And a hit for boardgame night!

We were very fortunate to have travelled to Morocco when we were younger and stayed with extended extended family. We travelled with a Moroccan and got to see all the in’s and out’s of a couple of the big cities and some of the countryside. We visited Casablanca and Rabat, stayed in Mohammedia, took a crazy trip to Fez and then a train to Marrakesh, all in all spending about a month there.

Besides having a brief (but intense) bout of ‘Hassan’s Revenge’ for the both of us (and then grateful for separate beds in Marrakesh), our trip was amazing and we loved every minute of it. We visited old forts, many a marketplace (including Djemaa el-Fna), ate in palaces, toured ceramics makers, got henna, went to a Hammam (bathhouse), Jardin Majorelle, and a Fantasia performance.

And we ate, oh, we ate. All the things. Fresh clementines from the trees, market strawberries, street merguez, tajines full of meats and dates and prunes, couscous with piles of vegetables and choice lamb, chicken with olives and preserved lemons, local fish and seafood, sfinge, and even pizza with anchovies and olives, and plenty of orange soda. When the extended family would visit the States they would continue to make us miraculous treats like Bisteeya and more tajines.

Saffron, cumin, and cinnamon are the super combo that makes Moroccan food so dreamy and deep flavored lightened with lemony brightness. And they shine in the lusciousness of Harira — a fortified stew eaten generally in the fasting breaks during Ramadan. Meat, eggs, lentils, and garbanzo beans are the proteins while the noodles and thick broth fill you up. Flavored with parsley, celery, tomatoes, and onions, it is really hearty fare. I tone it down a bit by eliminating the lentils (and celery — mostly because I don’t have it on hand because I’m not a big fan), reducing some of the onion, and using canned chickpeas and tomatoes, and sometimes adding a bit of cilantro at the end. There are versions without the egg-lemon mixture but I don’t find them as interesting.

This is from Paula Wolfert’s original Couscous cookbook, a book I found by chance at Rivendell Books in Montpelier, VT a million years ago (ok, maybe 25) and use it often. I love Paula’s authentic processes though I adapt many that I make regularly to quicker versions. In this version I use lamb necks (salt on both sides). I heat ghee or butter with a little oil and add a healthy pinch of saffron, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, chopped onion and chopped parsley to the pot and stir until fragrant and the onions have softened, then I add the lamb necks to brown in the hot oil on either side. I pour a big can of fire-roasted tomatoes in, and then fill the can again and pour that in. Add 2 sticks of cinnamon, 2 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid askew for 1 and a half hours. I then add 2 cans of garbanzo/chickpeas to the pot, bring to a boil,adding fine soup eggnoodles. When they are al dente, I then stream in the lemon/egg mixture (if it goes to fast and doesn’t form long egg strands like she says, it is more like egg drop soup and is still delicious, don’t beat yourself up about it), while stirring constantly. I serve with a swirl more of lemon juice (or lemon wedges), and a little chopped cilantro.

A rich and hearty stew for the chill of Winter.