By Christmas week. Amber home. Eli for some meals. Tyler and Justin. Josie vibrating with thirteen-year-old holiday excitement. Gayle in her chair, a throw over her knees, quieter than last year.
Christmas Eve candlelight service. We brought Gayle. She managed the short walk into the church and sat through the service. She sang along with the hymns. She was pale by the end. We got her home and into bed by 8:30.
Christmas morning: slow. Coffee first. Gayle joined us at 9 in the living room, wrapped in two blankets. Presents went quietly. Amber gave me a hand-bound journal she had made herself in a Kearney workshop. Dave gave me a new leather bag for my truck — my old one was fifteen years old and falling apart. Gayle gave each of us a framed photograph from her own archive — a photo each of us from when we were young. Mine is me at 19, standing in front of Larry's semi in the yard. I had never seen it. I cried.
Dinner: ham, scalloped potatoes, Gayle's rolls, green beans, pies. Eleven at the table (us six, Gayle, Steve, Louise, Hannah, Mark, Ella who is six). Gayle ate a small plate and a half-piece of pie. She was tired. She went to bed at 8. Amber sat with her for a while before the rest of the family left.
Book two: first draft at 90,000 words. Done. I sent it to Sarah Friday morning. I wept a little at the keyboard. Second book done in draft. Now the revision season begins.
That dinner table — eleven people, Gayle in her chair, Ella at six still wide-eyed at the candles — asked for food that could hold its own without demanding attention, dishes that just quietly did their job while the real work of the evening happened between people. Spinach pie has always been that for me: sturdy, a little salty, something you can slide onto a crowded table and know it will be eaten down to the dish. This year it felt especially right, a green anchor among the ham and the potatoes, something Gayle could take a small, good forkful of and mean it.
Spinach Pie
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 20 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie dish or an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Cook the aromatics. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Build the filling. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Stir in the ricotta, feta, and Parmesan. Add the spinach and the cooled onion mixture. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until evenly combined.
- Layer the phyllo. Lay one sheet of phyllo into the prepared dish, letting the edges drape over the sides. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with 3 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Spoon the spinach filling evenly over the phyllo base.
- Top with remaining phyllo. Layer the remaining 4 sheets of phyllo over the filling, brushing each with butter. Fold and tuck any overhanging edges down around the sides. Score the top gently with a sharp knife into 8 portions — this prevents the phyllo from shattering when you cut it after baking.
- Bake. Place in the center of the oven and bake until the top is deep golden and the filling is set, 40 to 45 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Rest and serve. Let the pie rest at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature. It holds well on a holiday table.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 520mg