By Two weeks to August 3rd. I can feel it. I wrote in the notebook Monday night: the body knows before the calendar does. I have been sleeping badly. I dropped a pan Tuesday morning at 6:30 and cried for three minutes standing in the kitchen, the pan on the floor, the gas on, oatmeal half-made. Then I turned off the gas, picked up the pan, made the oatmeal, fed the kids, went to work.
Group Tuesday. I said it out loud — anniversary coming, two weeks, I am already sliding. Bernadette said honor the slide. The ALS widower (whose anniversary is in November) said he has started keeping a photo of his wife in his wallet again because he was missing her face between dreams. I wrote that down.
Meghan called Wednesday at 4 PM, from her office. She said, August 3rd is a Saturday this year. What do you want to do. I said I do not know. She said Brian and I will be with you. I said I know.
Clinic was steady. I saw 28 patients in a four-day week (Wednesday I had a clinic-wide training). A high point: a patient I have been following for six months, 55 years old, hypertension, finally at goal on a stable regimen. He walked out Friday with a smile. Wins are rare and small and real.
Liam and Erin made banana bread Thursday. I came home to the smell of it. He had burned the top slightly. It was perfect.
Nora has started reading the first words. She read C-A-T Thursday night. She was stunned at herself. Liam was gracious, said Nora you are going to be a reader.
Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one on purpose. Liam learned the flip. He broke his first pancake trying. I said that's okay, the first one is for Daddy anyway. He nodded.
Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made chicken pot pie. She knows this week is hard. She always makes chicken pot pie when a week is hard. I have noticed this pattern over time. She has never announced it. She just makes it.
Food of the week: Ma's chicken pot pie. Pie crust top and bottom, white sauce, chicken, peas, carrots, celery, a lot of salt. The anti-grief casserole.
Ma’s chicken pot pie belongs to her, and I’d never try to replicate it — some recipes are too tied to the person who makes them. But after that Sunday in Southie, I found myself wanting to make something pie-shaped myself, something I could put in front of Liam and Nora and say: here, this is warm, I made it, we are okay. This broccoli pie has become my version of that. It is not grief food, exactly — it is more like the food you make to remind yourself that you are still here, still cooking, still feeding people you love.
Broccoli Pie
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 3 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped small
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Place the unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add chopped broccoli and cook another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and sour cream until smooth. Stir in garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Assemble the pie. Spread the broccoli and onion mixture evenly into the pie shell. Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top. Pour the egg custard mixture slowly and evenly over everything.
- Bake. Place pie on the center rack and bake for 33–38 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Rest before slicing. Let the pie rest at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 420mg