Birds in a pie. Double-crust or deep-dish - recipes

Birds in a pie. Double-crust or deep-dish

Each 8-inch-deep furrow is sprinkled with 5-10-10 fertilizer. Mr. Jones and helpers cover the fertilizer with a generous layer of soil before planting to keep it away from tender seedling roots.1/2 cup unflavored yogurt Orange slices1/4 cup cornstarchLike all successful food gardeners, Sylvia and John Jones of West Seattle recognize the importance of timing. They know exactly when to start seeds and transplant them; when to fertilize, cultivate, and water; and when to harvest crops at peak quality. Their routine involves a 12-month plan that they draw up in January.1 pound spinach1 tablespoon grated orange peelMelt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in pan; add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until onion is soft. Add the mush-rooms and cook, stirring 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook until bubbly; set aside.Photo: Vegetable plot takes shape with help of willing workers. Here they're digging 8-inch-deep furrows for plants, marking out rows with string and stakes2 large carrots, peeled and choppedOn a floured board, roll half the pastry into a round about 4 inches larger in diameter than a 10- or 11-inch pie pan or dish. Line pan with pastry; trim edges to 1 inch beyond rim. Spoon onion-carrot mixture into pastry; top with spinach. Arrange quail on spinach, breasts up and legs towards edge of dish.Pastry for a double crust 10-inch pie or mix for 3 crusts, 9-inch sizeOverlap chops in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat to draw out juices, about 10 minutes. Uncover, boil off liquid, then brown both sides of chops in their own drippings. Lift out chops. Add butter and mushrooms to pan and stir until mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice and peel; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Set chops on top; cover. Simmer on medium heat until chops are tender when cut, about 20 minutes.Wipe frying pan clean; add 2 tablespoons of the butter and melt on medium-high heat. Add quail and cook, turning frequently until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Lift out quail. (If done ahead, cover and refrigerate as long as overnight; let warm to room temperature before proceeding.)Roll remaining pastry on a floured board into a round that is at least 3 inches larger in diameter than pan. Drape over quail, allowing legs to pop through; crimp edges of pastry to seal. Brush top with egg-water mixture. Bake pie, uncovered, on the lowest rack of a 400| oven until richly browned, about 30 minutes.1 large onion, peeled and choppedGarden party day1 cup whipping cream1/2 pound small mushrooms, halvedQuail Pie1 cup sour creamIn the deep-dish pie (next page), four squab or Rock Cornish game hens, cut into halves, snuggle under puff pastry with chunks of winter vegetables and a sour cream sauce.Bringing to mind the nursery rhyme, serving birds in a pie is an unexpected presentation for quail, squab, or Rock Cornish game hens. Besides hiding the surprise, the pastry cover provides a steamy atmosphere that keeps the birds and surrounding vegetables tender and succulent.Unwarp pastry sheets and pinch together at seams to form one large sheet; roll out on a lightly floured board until 2 inches wider and longer than casserole. Lay pastry over filling and trim so it extends 1 inch beyond the rim; moisten edges of pastry and press to rim. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.Photo: Tarpaper, cut into 6-inch squares with center holes, fits around stems of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower to help reduce infestation by cabbage root maggot. Plastic labels note variety and days to harvestOne highlight of their gardening year is a planting party every April, when willing relatives and neighbors come over to help with tilling, planting, and a farm-style lunch. "Their incentive is the reward at harvest time,' Mrs. Jones says, "When the garden yields enough crunchy lettuce, succulent corn, ruby red tomatoes, blackberries for jam, and other crops we can share with them.' (The garden yields some 75 percent of the Joneses' food intake, with plenty to spare; much of the harvest is frozen, dried, preserved, or stored in bins in the garage.)1/2 cup dry sherryOn a diagram of the 26- by 50-foot garden, Mr. Jones decides which vegetables (and which varieties) will go where. In a logbook, he plans the year's gardening chores, month by month, including when to plant particular vegetables and herbs, when to spray, when to harvest.Photo: In spoke-like fashion, arrange whole quail on vegetables in a pastry-lined dishPlants are tagged with labels that indicate varieties and days until harvest; most durable are the ones cut from white plastic bottles.1 pound thin-skinned potatoes, scrubbed (1-in. diameter or cut into 1-in. pieces)Photo: Braised pork chops and mushrooms go with fresh orange and yogurt saucePhoto: Master plan in hand, John Jones checks locations for this year's crop on garden party day while neighbor completes rotary-tilling1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunksWaterDeep Dish Squab PieCut birds in half lengthwise with poultry shears or a sharp knife and mallet. Melt butter in a 12- to 14-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 the bird pieces at a time and cook, turning frequently, until squab breast is firm but slightly pink when cut (15 to 20 minutes), or game hens are no longer pink when cut near thigh joint (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat; lift birds from pan.Before the partyBlend sour cream and cornstarch; stir into pan juices. Slowly stir in gin and broth; add rosemary. On high heat, stir saucc until boiling and thickened. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.3 cups regular-strength beef broth2/3 cup gin or regular-strength beef broth4 tablespoons butter or margarine3 tablespoons butter or margarinePhoto: Buffet lunch is served near the garden. Blooming tree behind is a grafted cherry that produces "Bing', "Royal Ann', and black "Republican' cherries in late June1 cup orange juice1/2 pound small mushrooms, quarteredShown above, eight butter-browned quail nest with spinach, sauteed carrots, and onions in pie crust. You serve the baked pie with a sherry cream sauce.

Photo: Billowy puff pastry conceals birds in a pie. Cut pastry into individual portions, then spoon squab and vegetable filling alongside