Spring came late to Baltimore, not green this year, but red. There were flashes of anger, flashes of fire, flash floods of shouting in the streets. I stayed in and served something warm, wishing I could garnish it with something wise.
In the morning, we went out. We took work gloves, trash bags, push brooms. We drove to the grocery empty of groceries, its windows gouged out and already patched with plywood. We drove to the drugstore empty of drugs, charred and already cooled. We drove to the hospital, its skies cleared of smoke, still buzzing with newscopters. The big cleanup had dwindled to neighborhood cleanup, all loud music and easy smiles.
In one corner of one empty lot, we lifted broken glass. Under the glass huddled a crush of plastic bags. Under the bags lounged rusted chunks. Under the rust sprouted something bent and pale green, something eager for air and light and room to grow.
Eskin has lived in Baltimore for nine years.
Crave more Leah?
Find all your favorite stories and recipes in Leah Eskin’s memoir, “Slices of Life: A Food Writer Cooks Through Many a Conundrum.” Available wherever books are sold.
Bitter greens spanakopita
Prep: 1 hour
Bake: 25 minutes
Makes: 40 little pies
8 ounces fresh mustard (or other spicy) greens, sturdy stems discarded
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
2 ounces watercress
1 ounce fresh basil
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8 ounces feta
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 pound fillo dough, defrosted
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
1 Steam: Heap mustard greens and spinach into a big pot along with a splash of water. Cover, bring to a boil and steam until greens collapse, about 1 minute. Drain. Roll in a clean kitchen towel and wring dry.
2 Whirl: Measure salt and pepper into the food processor. With the machine running, drop in garlic, buzzing it to bits. Add watercress and basil, pulse several times. Add feta, eggs and lemon zest. Process smooth. Add cooked greens and pulse several times to make a nice deep-green filling.
3 Brush: Set 1 sheet fillo dough on a work surface (cover the remaining sheets with a clean kitchen towel). Brush lightly with butter. Cover with a second sheet; brush lightly. Cover with a third; brush lightly. Slice (a pizza wheel works nicely) this buttery stack into long, 3-inch wide strips. (Depending on the fillo format, you may get 3 or 4 strips per sheet.)
4 Fold: Scoop 1 tablespoon filling onto the bottom of one strip. Fold up, flag-style, into a neat, triangular packet. Brush with butter. Set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fold remaining pies.
5 Bake: Slide sheet into a 350-degree oven and bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Enjoy.
Provenance: Inspired by my friend and Greek home-cooking whiz Jennifer Lee.