This week we mark the Vernal (Spring) Equinox, when the hours of light and the hours of darkness are approximately equal. Such occasions were important in pagan societies, and today the Spring Equinox is known by Wiccans as Ostara (O-STAR-uh), one of their minor Sabbats (festivals).
The name of the festival comes from the Teuton lunar goddess Eostre, whose chief totems were the rabbit, noted for fertility, and the egg, a symbol of creation and rebirth. (Can you say “Easter bunny” and “Easter egg”?)
Eggs are important in many faiths, and they play an important part in the spring religious festivals of two major religions, Judaism and Christianity.
A roasted egg is one of the foods on the Passover seder plate. Jewish scholars will say the egg represents the sacrifices made at the Temple in Jerusalem, and that because hard-boiled eggs are traditionally the first food served to mourners after a funeral, the egg symbolizes mourning for the Temple’s loss. But no one will convince me that there’s no connection to our pagan past.
Similarly, Christians may have adopted use of hard-boiled eggs from their Jewish forebears. The Last Supper was a Passover seder, and early Christians may have wanted to preserve some of its symbols. Or it may have come directly from ancient pagan practices, many of which were co-opted into Christianity. Eventually the egg, a symbol of renewing life, began to be associated with the resurrection of Jesus.
Whatever meaning you want to assign to eggs, the Spring Equinox this week seemed like a good excuse for providing an eggy recipe.
This Russian Tart is also vegetarian so it’s a good one for those refraining from meat during Lent. It’s a bit of a to-do to make, and the ingredients may strike you as a little odd, but it’s worth the bother.
There’s quite a lot of filling, so be sure to use a large and deep pie plate for the baking.
Russian Tart
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 stick and 1 Tbs. butter
- 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
For the filling:
- 4 Tbs. butter
- 1 small head cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups) (or use packaged coleslaw mix)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/8 tsp. each of basil, marjoram, tarragon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ pound mushrooms, clicked
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 5 hard-boiled eggs
- Fresh dill
Instructions
- Place the flour, sugar, and salt for the pastry in a bowl Cut in the butter and cream cheese and form into a ball.
- Roll out 2/3 of the pastry and line a 9-inch deep pie plate. Refrigerate the pie plate and the remaining pastry (keep it covered well).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large skillet, melt 3 Tbs. butter. Add the shredded cabbage and onion, and sauté for a few minutes. Add the herbs (use more to taste), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is wilted and the onions are soft. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to the skillet and sauté the sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove pie plate from the refrigerator.
- Mix together the cream cheese and sour cream, and spread the mixture on the bottom of the tart pastry.
- Slice the hard-boiled eggs and arrange the slices in a layer over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle fresh dill over the eggs.
- Cover with the cabbage-onion mixture and top with the sautéed mushrooms.
- Roll out the remaining dough and use as a top crust. Pinch the two crusts together at the edges and flute.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down to 350 and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more until lightly browned.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tell Us What You Think