“Spring Visitors and a Hearty Shepherd’s Pie!”

The glorious spring days with lovely cool temperatures have encouraged large fuzzy black bears to awaken from their winter slumbers. As most people in our neck of the woods will attest, they have become habituated to people and are no longer shy and fearful. They are also clever and intelligent and have learned to open screen doors to houses and car doors. Last week, I looked out the window and witnessed a large group of black bears; a huge mother bear, two yearlings and three babies walking slowly through the woods. The rich black color of the animals created a beautiful contrast with the light green of the spring vegetation- all very nice at a safe distance!

And, then the other day, a medium sized black bear showed up in my yard, took a walk on top of our kayaks, sauntered over to the back door and looked in expectantly. I recognized him-“Cookie Bear” was back!

Last summer, I was baking a batch of vegan peanut butter cookies that are lightly sweetened with maple syrup. The screened kitchen window was open and the sweet aroma of cookies baking wafted through the air. My back was to the window and I heard a scratching sound on the screen. I thought that my husband had come home and was playfully announcing his arrival. I turned around and a huge nose was poking into the window trying to push out the screen with his enormous paws. I yelled at him with the biggest and sternest voice that I could summon and he just looked at me. I immediately closed the window and banged on a few pots- finally he gave up and lumbered slowly away. I named him “Cookie Bear”. I now remember to close the windows tightly before I bake or cook anything!

The other day, I was in the mood for a hearty shepherd’s pie with a mashed potato topping that had parmesan, yogurt and scallions, along with butter and milk. The filling included ground beef, sauteed onions and leeks, along with carrots, peas and green beans.

Hearty Shepherd’s Pie

Filling:

1/2 pound grass fed ground beef (as lean as possible)

1/2 onion finely chopped

1 small leek- rinsed carefully and sliced thinly

1 cup frozen green peas- defrosted

1/2 cup frozen green beans – defrosted

1/2 package mushrooms- thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter ( I have been using extra virgin olive oil and it works nicely!)

1/4 cup white flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (home made if possible, low sodium canned organic broth may be substituted). * Note

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Mashed Potato Topping:

Ingredients:

Aprox. 5-6 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, cut into quarters- not necessary to peel them

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons yogurt

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 scallion- washed and finely chopped

whole milk- add enough to achieve a creamy texture.

salt to taste

To Make Mashed Potatoes:

Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water.

Bring to a boil and boil until potatoes are very soft. Drain potatoes into a colander and return to the pot.

Add butter and salt and with a potato masher and mix until butter melts. Add other ingredients, adding the milk last. Add more milk until you get a smooth creamy texture- add more salt to taste. Add this stage, these potatoes are delicious – it’s hard to not eat the whole pot!

To Make Filling:

In a medium saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onion and leeks until they soften. Add ground beef and seasonings. Cook for a few minutes until meat browns and then add carrots and mushrooms. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook about 10 minutes until vegetables soften a bit and are lightly browned. Add peas and green beans and set aside.

To Make Sauce:

Over medium heat melt butter or olive oil in a small pot.

Stir in flour and cook briefly.

Slowly whisk in broth and continue to stir until mixture comes to a slow boil and thickens. If sauce is too thick, you can always a bit more broth. Adjust seasoning.

* Note- If you are using canned broth, I sometimes add a few dashes of Tamari for extra flavor and color.

Pour mixture into a baking dish and spread mashed potato mixture over top.

Preheat Oven to 350. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes until mixture bubbles up and the top is lightly browned. Let cool slightly before serving. Keep windows closed- this is not for “Cookie Bear”!

ENJOY!!

AND: Here is the “Tree of the Week”!

HAPPY SPRING!!