Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Sixty Five (The Bellwether Meal: Shepherd's Pie, Beth Style)

Cooking is my bellwether.

It’s not the literal sheep (wether) wearing the bell, and leading the way. But, it is the metaphorical indicator of my wellbeing.

Bellwether. Wellbeing. Interesting how close those words are juxtaposed. Or if I play with them a little more, it becomes WellBether.

How Weird. Cooking relates to a Well Beth.

Well, this Beth has not been so well the past month, and she has not been up to any cooking. So, cereal and pasta, if anything, it has been for this family, except for the few nights that Tim did some stupendous cooking.

But, I love to cook, and to write, and when both are stifled, it is an indication that something is wrong. The WRONG was a strange anaphylactic response to some unknown that lasted in various stages for about a month, followed by strep throat. It was like my body wasn’t my own.

Finally, happily, my body is once again my own. No more swollen face or scratchy throat. And, with this rejuvenation comes the impulse to cook and shop. Luckily, my new pal Ruthie likes to grocery shop too.

So after “schlepping” two dozen cases of Spelt Right product to the UWS Whole Foods for our upcoming demos, (thank you, Ruthie, for the Yiddish), we visited the Farmers’ Market on 97^th Street and loaded up on fresh locally raised meat and turkey, fresh grown veggies, and the rest. You know the scoop, summer and fall in the Northeast create a virtual cornucopia. Pure bliss for those who love to cook.

I decided to make turkey shepherd’s pie – hey, how apropos for a bellwether meal. The sheep and the shepherd are joining us for dinner.

As I was about to boil the potatoes, I decided to modify the recipe and use home fried potatoes instead and add ground turkey, and organic corn, and create a hash-like shepherds meal rather than in layers as in shepherd’s pie. Along with gaining my health back, I also gained some creativity. This was a “yum fest”.

Ingredients and Directions:

• 4-5 potatoes, diced, and sautéed on stove top with EVOO and a smidge of salt until golden brown and soft to cut.
• In a separate pan, sauté one chopped onion, 4-5 cloves of garlic mashed with about 1 teaspoon of sea salt in about 1/4 cup EVOO. Saute until golden brown.
• Add, one pound of ground turkey meat. Cook thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Chop one head of curly parsley and add to meat mixture.
• Add in cooked potatoes.
• Toss together.
• Feed to very hungry and happy family and to one healthy mom.

This meal and blogpost are bellwethers of happier, healthier days to come.