A Vegetarian Easter Dinner

What is a celebration without good food? Special occasions all have one thing in common and that is a meal especially prepared for that day. Thanksgiving and Christmas have laid claim to the turkey dinner. The other elements of the meal may vary but the turkey is the central theme around which the feast is designed.

Easter is no different, no matter how or why you embrace this weekend, a fancy meal on Easter Sunday, in most cases, is common. For many the meal is built around a baked ham, for some, lamb is the main dish; there are alternatives that can be considered.

You may want a break from the usual you may have just become a vegetarian or are considering becoming one, regardless of the reason, there are great vegetarian choices for Easter dinner.

When planning a special meal I do some digging into the background of the event, in other words, in the case of Easter is happening in nature at this time of the year.

Easter is a movable celebration which takes place on the Sunday following the paschal full moon, which is the full moon that falls on or after the vernal (spring) equinox.

This means it is a Spring affair and associated with renewal and return. Songbirds are coming back from their southern retreats, flowers are beginning to peek out from beneath the earth and the air is warmer. What meal best suits this time?

There is nothing growing in my garden right now, too cold and too much snow. I do have some herbs growing in the kitchen I can use. Root vegetables, locally grown are available and so I have decided to make an apple-vegetable pie.

Apple-Vegetable Pie:

Ingredients;

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 medium turnips diced

1 medium onion sliced thin

1 russet apple, could use a Mac sliced thin

2 gloves garlic sliced

1 frozen pie shell

3 cups water

Sea salt to taste

Preparation;

1- in large sauce pot put in water

2- add olive oil

3- add sea salt

4- bring to boil

5- add turnips (turnips take longer to cook than potatoes so if you use potatoes add turnips 15 minutes before potatoes

6- add carrots

7- cook ten minutes

8- add apple and garlic

9- cook 30 minutes

10- while vegetables are cooking, place pie shell in pre heated oven 350C for 7 minutes

11- remove pie shell from oven add sliced onions to shell

12- Drain water off vegetables

13- Mash, can add a tsp butter or olive oil.

14- Place mashed ingredients in pie shell

15- Put in oven at 350 ca

16- Bake for 35 minutes.

Remove and serve.

For desert I think a Chickpea and Fruit Salad is ideal.