Hodge Podge Pie

Well there isn't any pie baking going on in this kitchen but I've been "away" for a while so here is a hodge podge of what I have been up to.  The last couple weeks have just flown by, I seriously have no idea where they went but I do know that I ate some good food and had a wonderful time : )

One evening I tried to make the most colorful, vibrant, and equally healthy salad I could with what was on hand and this is what I came up with! I love red cabbage, this may seem weird but it is true.  Not only is it grown in a super sweet intricate "package" but it also tastes so unique and is very versatile.  Besides cabbage the salad included carrots, cucumbers, and beets.  

We let loose one weekend and did all 3 days of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, overall an amazing time with some fantastic bands but definitely a long weekend.  At least for us, we really like to try and keep the focus on the music and seeing as much as possible so grabbing food isn't really on the agenda, so naturally I came prepared.  I made some granola bars the day before so we could pack them up and bring them with us for snacking.  They were loosely based off of this recipe but mine had cacao nibs, raisins, and cranberries in them.  There were super easy to and turned out really well, I definitely would make them again.

A couple weeks ago when my sister was in town we got some ravioli at the farmers market made by family owned Wisconsin mushroom farm River Valley Ranch and Kitchens they also make and sell specialty items such as ravioli, salsas, and dips. Their motto is "Quality, freshness and lots of love" how perfect is that!  I made up a batch of their Asparagus ravioli with lemon spinach pasta and Wisconsin Asiago cheese, they taste every bit as amazing as they sound!!  I also have a bag of butternut squash with Parmesan I cant wait to try.

I recently made a wonderful brown rice and tomato tart from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook, a Christmas gift from my mom in 2002.  I was really excited to give this recipe a try since it was based on a rice "crust" versus one made with flour.  I filled it with roasted tomato, garlic, and bell pepper as well as goat cheese and fresh Thyme.  I thought it was wonderful, the crust was crunchy and the filling was rich and savory, I will definitely play with this idea again in the future.

Hope you all enjoyed the hodge podge pie!