Homemade Pasta, More Chestnut Soup, And Dolma Pie... With Passive Solar Zoning!

The weather has been Artic. Snow, slush, mud... then returns to ice. This week at our off-grid farm, when not working we eat our way through bad weather. We try to hike it off, but... it's easy to lounge in thick sweats, curled up with books!

Cooped up, I finally ordered my seeds from Virginia’s beloved Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, and am itching to winter sow. The antique cook stove is now covered with simmering pots, and the mastiffs are snoring.

Papi Pasta
Make pasta. We use a non-electric, vintage pasta-maker. In a pan, sautee roughly chopped carrots, onions, (turkey) bacon, and garlic cloves in a little white wine. Add in canned tomatoes and let it all cook down. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve. So simple. Perfect for the cold day!

It might be treacherous out, but after a morning indoors eating, we really should go for a walk!

More Chestnut Soup
THESE chestnuts were foraged in Richmond’s Fan District.

Simmer chestnuts with chopped celery, onion, and carrots in broth until done. Cool, puree, and sprinkle in sea salt, thyme, and summer savory. Serve with a drizzle of cream (who are we kidding, I have alpha-gal so use oat milk) and fresh bread.

Passive Solar Zoning Story… With Dolma Pie

I met with my New York client earlier this week, who shared his zoning story regarding his house’s passive solar siting. If passive solar / green building / prefab homes interest you, the full story is here. In short, for the prefab house's passive solar design to work, the home needed to be turned on the lot. But the narrow lot has 25' setbacks, so needed to go to zoning for a special use permit. It was a great opportunity to engage the community in how passive solar design works!

Now, with the meeting ended, I'm hungry. Let’s make Dolma Pie!

Dolma Pie
Cookstove season is when I use my dried grape leaves and daylilies I collected in spring. First, simmer grape leaves so that they’re cooked. Drain and set aside. Most recipes start with, “Roll the dolmas in grape leaves,” but if you are harvesting your own grape leaves and storing them dried, they need to be cooked by simmering them in water first.

Grape leaves, dried.

I didn’t simmer enough grape leaves, AND I made too much rice, so the ratio of grape leaves to filling was not equal. That’s ok, let’s just line the pan on the edges with domas, fill the center with filling, and now it’s a DOLMA PIE!

In a large pan (you will later dump the rice into this), I sauteed chicken thighs (in any oil but I love Duke’s mayo, it’s savory). In a pot, I cooked rice with minced garlic, onion, glugs of vinegar, and liberally drizzled sriracha (you want this savory!) and covered the rice in broth (to be a pinkie finger height over the rice). I minced a green (today, kale) and dumped that in, then put the lid on to cook. When the chicken is done, take that pan and let it cool while you shred the thighs. Sprinkle the pan liberally with dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Dump the cooked rice in and mix it all up so the rice absorbs the pan greases. Add more dill, sriracha, and vinegar to taste so that it is packed with flavor. Mix in dried fruit (today, raisins) and chopped nuts (today, almonds).

Take the cooled, drained grape leaves, add in some rice mix, and roll it up into little cigars. Line a greased (today, again with liberally applied Duke’s which gives a nice creamy touch) baking pan with the dolmas on the sides. Now add the rice to the middle and press it all down then do that flip you’ve been watching everyone on Instagram do, and pray it doesn’t drop.

Top with more chopped nuts.
The presentation could be improved. I think the next time I do this I will lightly grease the pan and then, after, add dollops or even a layer of Duke’s, like a good 1960s jello recipe. The creamy touch of mayonnaise with the savory rice tasted great, but didn’t enhance the dish’s appearance. I will be more purposeful next time!

Its presentation might not have been a 10 out of 10, but it was delicious.

FINALLY, the snow has melted. I am off to meet friends to discuss a new club! Part salon, part throw-down party, part supper club... all, with playlists.