Satisfying Savory and Sweet Pies: A Complete Dinner Menu

Since we have cakes on our hands, I fantasized about what cakes I could make for a full dinner. The meal consisted of a savory main course  followed by a sweet pastry for dessert which meant there had to be some parameters. Many quiches, like the famous and popular chicken pot pie, have multiple steps, so take the time to prepare them. We need something simpler if we're going to  tackle Sweet Pie. To appreciate the sweetness, the cake with the main course had to be light.To meet the criteria for something lighter, it might be a good idea to focus on veggies. 

 Chard has a more intense flavor than many green vegetables. And the variety of textures you get from the combination of stems and  leaves makes for a satisfying chew. I always use green chard instead of the rainbow or red variety. I prefer the flavor and enjoy the larger stems.By using  leaves and stalks and adding  dairy for fortification, you get vegetables that I find just as satisfying as meat. I chose a recipe from Kristin Donnelly's Modern Potluck that  New York Times reviewer Tejal Rao featured in an article on quiches. The batter is prepared as a dish and can feed a group of people, but  can easily be made into a casserole dish, using additional pepper paste and chard topping to make hand pies that you freeze for later. Very 

 happy two year olds. If you read the "Community Notes" in the recipe, you'll see how easy it is to customize the filling based on what you have in your pantry or  your personal tastes.Serve with a fine lettuce with a spicy vinaigrette. 

 

 And now for dessert, the punctuation of the meal. Let's celebrate the arrival of spring with a raspberry rhubarb cake. Rhubarb and raspberries are heralds of spring and together create a wonderful combination of acidity and sweetness. The color is nice too.Look for the reddest rhubarb you can find. There is no  difference in taste between them, but the color will be different. Set aside the green parts of the stalks for  a compote  with pork or turkey. Or you can do what I did as a kid and dip the stick in sugar for the ultimate tangy-sweet snack. High fiber content.

 And if you think  two large cakes is too much for your needs, did you know there's a Split Decision cake pan? This is a springform pan that's split in two so you can bake two completely different cookies in one pan. Perfect for the undecided or  for two or three people.