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• Ingredients:
• 2 lbs coarsely chopped leek stems (just the light part of the stem)
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 C milk
• 1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, grated with the big holes on a box grater
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 lb butter
• 1 pound phyllo sheets, defrosted, at room temp. (read the phyllo package a day ahead to ensure success)

Directions:

Filling: Sautee the leeks over medium heat in half the butter for ten minutes. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper and remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, whish together the eggs and milk, stir in cheese and add the sautéed leeks. Toss to combine well. Pie: Use a glass casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush melted butter all over the inside of the pan. Begin layering phyllo sheets, one at a time with butter brushed on top between each one. When you have about 6 layers, add half the leek mixture. Keep adding layers until you have 6-10 more, then add the rest of the leek mixture. Keep adding layers until you reach the top of the pan. With a sharp, small knife, score the pie into serving sized squares and bake at 35) degrees for 36-45 minutes or until nicely golden and you can see that the eggs have given it enough volume to rise the whole shooting match in the pan.

Notes:

This is the one I brought to the potluck 1-9-11. ENJOY! Meyla

We have a few announcements that we think will be of interest to you and we hope that you will consider participating:

• Healthy Cooking For the Holidays is a free cooking class that will be held on Sunday, December 5, 3:00 p.m. at the Adventist Youth Center on corner of Pine and Division Streets. This is a free class on preparing delicious, nutritious holiday meals. A doctor will also be on hand to talk about the benefits of healthier alternatives. A light supper will be served and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information call Mary at 255-2497 or Rhonda at 263-4421.
• Feel The Hunger day is an initiative started in Sandpoint to raise awareness of world hunger. On Wednesday, December 8th participants are asked to commit to eating just one-half cup of rice for the day. That’s about the average amount that almost 1 billion of the world’s chronically hungry people will have to eat that day. To add your name as a participant, or to learn more about the initiative visit their website. You can also visit the related Facebook page. If you do intend to participate consider putting the word out to your own Facebook friends.
• The Northern Idaho Wolf Alliance (NIWA) is organizing Defenders of Wildlife Wolf Advocate Workshops for activists interested in learning techniques and methods for more effective organizing for wildlife protection. These workshops will be arranged based on participant interest. Please contact Ken Fischman for more information.

• Ingredients:
• 3/4 cup dried lentils (6 oz), sorted, rinsed
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2-1/2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

Heat oven to 375′.  In 2-quart casserole dish, mix lentils, rice, and broth.  Cover; bake 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Notes:

This makes a delicious burrito filling.

Credits: Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian cookbook

If you are at the library please take a few moments to look at our display on vegetarianism in the glass display cases. If you have any feedback on the display please do drop us a note.

World Vegetarian Day, October 1, is the annual kick-off of Vegetarian Awareness Month. Make a difference this October by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism and by encouraging friends and family to make vegetarian choices. For more information visit the World Vegetarian Day website.

October 2nd (Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday) is World Farm Animals Day dedicated to exposing, mourning, and memorializing the more than 58 billion cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and other land animals who needlessly suffer and die every year in the world’s factory farms and slaughterhouses. Please visit the World Farm Animals Day website to learn more.

Lastly, Eric Ridgway has a surplus of raspberry plants/starts that he would like to give away. Get ‘em quick!

• Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 package southern-style frozen hashbrowns
• 1 can cream of potato (or celery or mushroom) soup
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• crushed cornflakes, enough to cover casserole

Directions:

Melt butter and spread in 9 x 13″ casserole dish.  Add frozen hashbrowns.  Season with salt & pepper as desired.  Add chopped onion, if desired.  Mix soup and milk together; Pour over hashbrowns.  Spread cheddar cheese across top of hashbrowns.  Crush cornflakes and spread across top of casserole.  Bake in 350′ oven for 1-1/2 hours.

click photo to enlarge

• Ingredients:
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsps minced fresh cilantro or parsley
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup salsa

Directions:

In a large skillet or saucepan, saute onion, garlic, and cilantro in oil until tender.  Stir in beans and salsa.  Heat through and serve.

Notes:

Serve as side-dish or filling for burritos.

Credits: Quick Cooking

• Ingredients:
• 1 qt. cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Wash and halve cherry tomatoes into medium sized bowl. Crush garlic and basil over tomatoes, and mix until evenly distributed. Chill/marinate salad for 10-15 minutes. Add feta cheese and vinegarette (to taste) before serving.

Credits: Nicole Ripley

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• Ingredients:
• 1 pkg. coleslaw mix
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 1 pkg. Top Ramen noodles (Oriental flavor)
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup oil (olive is best)
• 3 tbsp. vinegar

Directions:

In a small bowl (or in the measuring cup) mix sugar, oil, vinegar, ground pepper and ramen flavor packet. In a separate bowl add crushed ramen noodles to coleslaw mix, onions, almonds and sesame seeds and toss. Pour dressing over salad mixture and toss again to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve. Will keep 3-4 days.

Credits: Judy Heidinger

Sandpoint Vegetarians is hosting a float in the 4th of July Parade in downtown Sandpoint. This year’s parade is being held on Saturday, July 3rd with a theme of “Together We Are One”. Last year we were very well received and the entire event was a great deal of fun for everyone who participated.

We would like to invite all of you to join us. We would especially welcome any creative ideas that you might have that would draw more attention to our float and help to promote vegetarianism. If you are (or can find someone) a musician who can play an instrument, a juggler, or an acrobat – we’d love to have you perform during the parade. We would also love to have participants dressed up in costumes – either as veggies, or animals or something else creative and eye-catching. Alternatively, you can just walk with us, bicycle, walk your pet, or walk holding a sign.

Dear Friends of Sandpoint Vegetarians,

Our recent potlucks have been very well attended. At the January and February potlucks attendance crossed the 100 mark and our March potluck saw about 85 in attendance. The dishes that you have brought have been delicious and very creative.

We want to thank all of you for making the potlucks such a resounding success. We particularly want to thank all of those who have arrived early and stayed late helping with the setup and take-down of tables and chairs, welcoming attendees, organizing the placement of food, helping with child care, and cleanup after the potluck. We also want to thank all those who have devoted many hours towards preparing for and presenting on various topics.

Mark your calendars for the next potluck date – Sunday, April 11th at 5:30p.m.!