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What’s For Dinner?

My kids have a longstanding habit of calling before coming home at dinner time and asking “what are you making for dinner?” I’m not quite sure if this a vote of confidence in my cooking skills or an attempt to assess their options; I think the latter. I’m the chief cook in our household and have always been one to wait until the last minute to decide what to cook for dinner. Of course I do plan ahead on important occasions but I enjoying playing the game with myself trying to make something out of what is on hand at the very last minute. The phone rings..."I’m on the 5:30 ferry..see you in 20 minutes”, I spring into action. I even amaze myself sometimes because often I have no idea what I’m going to make until I look at what’s hanging around to work with. 

Like most cooks I have my standard repertoire of meals, some family favorites others not so appealing to all. I like to experiment.  I’m not one to do things the same twice.  When asked “what was in that dish you served last week?”, unfortunately I often can’t recall, I rarely write things down, or follow a recipe and thus may only have a general idea. Now this habit is not foolproof, I don’t fail often but when I do it is usually big, rendering a meal that only I will eat.  My daughter Lorean once exclaimed with an anguished look.. “Dad, why don’t you just make regular food?”.  Regular food… what’s that? 

One of the benefits of being a vegetable gardener is that the possibilities for the last minute are greatly expanded. I’ve even been known to pickup a flash light and head out into the woods looking for chantrel mushrooms in my last minute flurry.  Although it is Fall and the garden is on the wane there are still a few things growing.  In the picture above you will note a lovely cauliflower, chard and bok choy (but of course you recognized them!) the eventual ingredients in a last minute stir fry.. very tasty.  You will also note the inserted photo of me showing a cooking aptitude at an early age.  No, that is not the same apron.  Don’t ask me what’s in what I made, I told you I can’t recall such things.

One of my last minute innovations that has now moved to standard family fare and is a universal hit with the kids (when they are all at home that is) is pizza with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, vegan cheese if we are fasting feta and mozzarella if we are not, garlic, onions, olives, pine nuts, basil on a homemade crust.  It really is great, feel free to give it a try.  I recommend Costco for the main ingredients, their feta is cheap and the best around.... of course this requires that the reader plan ahead!

Now if my family can only get through all the telemarketer calls tonight at dinner time so I know when to start dinner!