Eating Alpha #7: Tapestry Pie

Eating Alpha Episode 7

How Does God Guide Us?

I don’t know about you, but I can quickly feel rattled and even a bit lost when the stress and storms of life come my way. Sometimes it’s difficult to see past the current storm you are in. Or see a purpose amidst suffering.

God didn’t design us to live this way. He wants us to put our trust and dependence upon Him. As a Christian I do believe that God is ultimately in control, and has a plan for my life.

The inspiration behind this dish comes from the question proposed by this weeks video. How does God guide us? It is also inspired by a beautiful poem often recited by Corrie ten Boom. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who helped many Jews escape Nazi persecution during World War II. When talking to people about their purpose in life, she would show a cloth with a messy jumble of colored threads, that seemed to have no order or logic to their arrangement. She would then read this Grant Colfax Tullar poem:

Life is But a Weaving

My life is but a weaving

Between my God and me.

I cannot choose the colors

He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;

And I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper

And I the underside.

Not ‘til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly

Will God unroll the canvas

And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives the very best to those

Who leave the choice to Him.

And then she would turn the cloth over, which revealed what the weaving really was: A beautiful crown.

She would say: “Although the threads of my life have often seemed knotted, I know, by faith, that on the other side of the embroidery there is a crown.”

God’s guidance is like a Tapestry. When we are in the midst of the chaos of life’s challenges it can be hard to see His work in our lives. The Spaghetti on the bottom layer of the pie represents life twists, and turns that can lead to uncertainty. However as we grow in our trust in Him we are able to step back and see His will as a masterpiece in our lives more clearly.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

tapestry pie recipe

Prep time 1 hour

Cook time 45 minutes

Cooling 15 minutes

Serves 8 -10

Equipment:

Oven

1 small leaf cutter or a small cookie cutter.

Medium sized pot

9 “ Spring form pan or deep dish pie plate

Chef Knife

Cutting board

Spatula

Oven Mitts

Strainer

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 frozen pie crusts or prepared Pillsbury pie dough

1 box of spaghetti

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic minced

6 Italian Sausages - 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups or one 650 ml jar of your favourite tomato spaghetti sauce, homemade or store-bought

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh or dried Basil

2 teaspoons minced fresh or dried Oregano

3 tablespoons of prepared Basil Pesto (optional but recommended)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 Large carrot - Look for the fattest carrot you can find. You can often find large carrots in the Asian grocery store. They are called Nante Carrots.

1 Zucchini

3 Roma Tomatoes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the springform pan or a deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.

Take pie crust out of freezer to thaw if you are using frozen.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with one of the two pie crusts. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cook the Spaghetti in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 6 minutes or until almost al dente or just under cooked. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven. Drain, drizzle in olive oil to prevent it from sticking and cover so the pasta doesn’t dry out. Set aside.
Chop the garlic, and onions.
Remove the Italian sausage meat from the casing. Chop up the sausage.
Sauté the minced garlic, chopped onion and sausage meat. Once the meat is browned add the Pasta sauce and fresh or dried herbs. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs then add and whisk in the ricotta cheese and 2 tablespoons of prepared pesto sauce.
Combine the meat sauce with the ricotta mixture.
Mix in the spaghetti with the meat sauce and ricotta.
Stir in 1/2 cup parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the prepared spring form pan.
Peel the Carrots. Slice the tomatoes, carrots and zucchini at 1/8 or 3 mm thick round slices.
Layer the carrot, tomato and zucchini in repeating layers of 3 across the top of the spaghetti mixture starting on the outside circle working your way to the centre.
Sprinkle with powdered parmesan cheese and dried or fresh herbs.
Using a leaf shaped cookie cutter or or an oval shaped teaspoon, cut out the leaf shapes from the uncooked pie crust. Using a spoon, gently mark the dough leaves so it looks like a leaf. Below is an an example of how to create a leaf with an oval shaped tea spoon by rolling the spoon on the pie dough.

Arrange the pie dough leaves artistically on the top of the spaghetti as per the picture. One ring around the outside edge then a spiral layer on the centre. Cut in vines into the pie dough leaves. (Optional)
Using a pastry brush, brush the pie dough leaves with a small amount of milk or egg wash or olive oil.

Sprinkle one more time with powdered parmesan and herbs.

Bake in the preheated 350F oven for 45 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes before cutting. Cut unto pie wedges and serve with the illustration of the tapestry.

See gallery below for preparation and plating pictures: