and baby makes 6! » Archives » Eating at 8:40p.m……..Or how to starve your family while they wait for you to make Torta rustica

I have had a cooking bug lately. It must be the coming of spring that is bringing it on.

Or the fact that my friend Pam sent me The Mediterranean Light cookbook for my birthday just a couple weeks ago. Pam is a real life friend who I have known my whole life. We are only 3 months apart in age, and when our moms used to get together (they live right across the street from my childhood home) they would put us in the same crib together while they had coffee. Go say “Hi” to Pam.

I’ll wait…….

I saw a picture of the Torta on her website and it looked to die for, so I had to make it.

My firt mistake was to start the dough at 3:15p.m.. I had just enough time to put together the water and the yeast before I had to leave for school pick up. Upon return, after 4pm, I added the flour and started the mixer up. I allowed it to knead until it was time to go pick up yet another child from school. Turned off mixer, picked up kid, returned and started mixer again. 10 inutes later I had to leave again to take a kid to soccer practice. At this point, this is the worlds most kneaded lump of dough.

Upon return at 5:30, I kneaded dough by hand just a tad, then turned it in an oiled bowl and placed it in the warming drawer of my oven so it could rise…..for 2 hours.

Then I make the filling, which involves roasting some red peppers, peeling them while helping 10yo download Weird Al songs from iTunes because he must have them TODAY, picking basil from my garden, giving Mia some Barbie vitamins because WE FORGOT THEM THIS MORNING, chopping onions, garlic and basil, painting on the back porch with watercolors that are getting EVERYWHERE, and lots of mixing. It has spinach, egg, cottage cheese, herbs, onion, garlic and some parmesan cheese.

6:30 Bill is home with the soccer kid, whom he has picked up on his way home from work. Bill is starving and asking what is for dinner. At this point dinner is a lump of dough and a large bowl of strained spinach.

6:45 The kids are pulling the drawer on the warmer and looking at the large dough ball and deciding if it is growing or not.

6:50 Bill lets me know he is starving again.

6:55 The kids are now starving.

7:00 Bill pulls out some crackers because he is STARVING. The man has the most efficient metabolism ever and has been experiencing hypoglycemia since his stroke. He MUST HAVE FOOD.

7:15 My kids have now poked at the growing dough and are wondering how it could possible turn into something edible. I may not have to punch it down, since that has already been done for me.

7:30 Dough has doubled in size. I roll it out 2/3 of it and line a springform pan.

7:35 Begin filling torta. Layer of 1/2 of spinach mixture, layer of roasted red peppers, then cottage cheese mixture, then more peppers, then the rest of the spinach mixture.

7:40 Roll out top to torta, cover it and crimp edges. It looks very……rustic.

7:45 Place torte in the oven and set timer for 45 minutes. Kids all start moaning and groaning! 45! MINUTES!! I thought it would be done at 7:30?!!! Tell them they will get worms and salmonella if they eat it now…..never eat raw egg or raw dough.

8:00 Bill reminds me that he is really, really, really starving and that nothing could be good enough to be in this much agony for.

8:15 Bill reminds me that the food may come out of the oven at 8:30, but it “MUST THEN COOL FOR ANOTHER 15 MINUTES…….and I AM STARVING……SEE MY RIBS???”

8:20 Kids open oven door and oh and ahh over the torta and its fluffy largeness.

8:30 Remove torta from oven, being careful not to take off broiler coils, because yes…it has risen. Alot.

It begins the cooling process, which brings on more hungry “I am STARVING” groans from children and husband.

8:40 Slice torta and serve it to all the emaciated people of my family. The little kids realize it is filled with spinach and only eat the outside bread.

This was so delicious it was sinful……and for me, well worth the wait.

Next time I might start making it upon waking at 6am. Maybe then, between all the driving, watercolor painting, Barbie vitamins, iTunes and cooking it will be done before bedtime.