Potato and Olive Torta

I am quite the advocate for spontaneity, under any circumstances. This is perhaps due at least in part to my propensity for absent-mindedness, causing me to "spontaneously" visit the dry cleaners, post office, and pet food store on a weekly basis, but I also have a deeper, philosophical fondness for the notion of carefree abandon in an otherwise rather structured world, the flinging aside of restraints for the sheer joy of seizing the possibilities of a moment.

I'm very thankful that Zach is also given to spontaneity, as otherwise I suppose we would cause each other a great deal of stress. Some days our flights of fancy are rather modest, such as a sudden urge to make homemade mozzarella cheese on a Saturday morning, but at other times they can be a bit more outlandish, such as last Friday, when I suddenly discovered that the afternoon's surgery cases had been canceled and that I thus could, if I so chose, depart work at 12PM... Instantly, I phoned Zach: "Let's go to Savannah for the weekend!"

I feel we're quite fortunate that my parents locate their habitat in Savannah, for thus we have the double pleasure of visiting with them and touring one of our favorite cities on a regular basis.

(The door to Mom and Dad's condo... Come on in! :-)

After a lovely Friday evening spent visiting and savoring a batch of balsamic-spinach soup, Saturday morning dawned a bit overcast but just warm enough to stroll around town contentedly...

I so longed to revisit some of my favorite historic streets, canopied by ghostly waving Spanish moss, that I betrayed all medical advice and walked an entire mile, glorying in the nearly spring-like day and the sense of my feet against the sidewalk once more. Unfortunately, I am now paying dearly for my unwise afternoon stroll, as the pains have redoubled in my leg with a vengeance, searing like a vindictive bonfire. Oh, how I had longed, for in that moment moment, for those few hours, that one day, to be able to move normally once more... I shall never again take the ability to move, walk, run, and dance for granted...

On to brighter topics, though! I couldn't remain sorrowful for long, because we had already planned an outing to our favorite pub in Savannah, the Six Pence Pub, conveniently located just around the corner from my parents' condo! We've become quite enchanted with Six Pence's cozy, wood-warmed interior, and the tiny tables that just seem to invite one to gather round and share stories. Zach and my father started by sharing a rather generously sized Sam Adams Oatmeal Stout, one of Zach's two favorite beers (the second being New Belgium Brewery's Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer),

followed by the cleverest sampler trio - just the right size for sharing.

My mother surprised us all and even ordered a Woodchuck hard cider... I decided on a combination called a Black Velvet - half Guinness, and half Strongbow hard cider!

I was surprised to discover how wonderful the combination was - mellowed and emboldened by the Guinness, and brightened by the cider... For dinner we had complete consensus among all 4 of us - smoked salmon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches (the SSLT!) became the dish of the evening!

(Mom supervising the SSLT toast... :-)

The culinary highlight of the trip, however, was undoubtedly the dish I hinted about in Monday's post... ;-) Sunday marked the Jewish holiday of Purim, and in celebration, before our drive home, my father (who's becoming quite the chef in his retirement, to my delight - it's such fun to be able to swap recipes with him!)

treated us to a glorious casserole-style adaptation of a Spanish torta... As we sipped our coffee, the oven released enticing aromas that held us entranced, and then, oh, the flavors... Crispy potatoes, creamy whipped eggs, salty feta and tangy olives...

Potato and Olive Torta

1 cup diced cooked potatoes (I cook ours in the microwave)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup diced portabella mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, minced

2.5 oz green olives, sliced

3 T olive oil

6 oz canned skinless, boneless salmon (optional)

1/2 cup diced tomato

8 eggs

1 tsp dried oregano

2 T minced fresh cilantro, or 2 tsp dried

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9X13" baking dish with cooking spray.

~ In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, and olives in the olive oil until the onions are limp and translucent.

~ Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the salmon, if you're using it, and the diced tomato.

~ In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs along with the oregano, cilantro, salt, and pepper.

~ Transfer the onion-tomato mixture to the baking dish, and pour the egg mixture on top.

~ Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven, scatter the feta cheese and goat cheese on top, and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes - until the eggs are cooked through.

~ Serve deliciously, steamingly warm!