Pardon if my memory gaps are gaping wider than usual...did you mention this option to me or to sarahnity?

Turns out it's not an option for me, either, since I'm not sure where the nearest SAMs is located. I think about 1 1/2 hours away if there's one in Burlington (VT). And when you're leaning on a food shelter for sustanence, buying in bulk is usually right out!

On a related topic, I'm not sure if I saw it on DailyKos or during my other searches, but I stumbled upon a new poverty/nutrition study. It found that for young children (under 10) that poverty affected their nutrition, but far less than was expected. Teens fared much worse with some of this attributed to the nutritional demands of a maturing body. Adults (over 25) fared the worst and in addition to the poor nutrition even experienced regular caloric deficits in their diet.  I take this study to mean that when families prioritize the food, younger members are buffered from hardship as much as possible. (the availability of governmental programs helps as well!)

...along the fenceline and in pots on the porches (on windowsills during the winter). Make my own substitutes (that aren't really substitutes) with sea salt (buy it by the pound, it's worth it) and mix in whatever sounds good or is in this week.

Grow thyme, basil (LOVE the smell of drying bunches!), sage, rosemary, taragon, sheep sorrel, chives, cilantro/cardamom, oregano, savory, six kinds of mint, lemon balm and always lots and lots of garlic, scattered everywhere amongst the veggies. Dry these in bunches, put the dry into clean canning jars with used lids to store until I'm mixing. Also grow six or seven kinds of peppers (sweet and hot) every year, these dry fine in ristras or cut into strips and sun or oven dried. Grind [whatever] up to powder, mix with the salt and put into spice jars. Some mixtures without any salt.

You've gotta buy peppercorns and bay leaves (they don't grow here), good in particular mixtures. Always include bay in anything that goes with beans, it helps "de-poot" them. You'd be surprised at just what you can grow in little pots, there's usually more than enough. Most can be dried and ground, including garlic cloves (slice first) and greens (dry like chives). Some is best fresh, particularly basil with tomatoes.

Homemade curries/seasoning salts are very fine to have on hand, cost nothing but seeds and dirt and salt.

is the way to eat cheap and healthy

There are lots of choices in each category, too.

You can even use meat as a flavoring, if you like... but then it's like 1 oz or less per person.

4 eggs, a cup of milk, a pie crust, a can of mushrooms (3/$1 on sale), and a couple handfuls of (or half a box of frozen) spinach.

I will admit that more than one zuccini vine might be overkill, I would, at least, plant two.  Fried zuccini flowers might sound odd, but they're great!

Here's the recipe:

Fried Zucchini Flowers

12-18 zucchini flowers
1 cup flour
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Batter: Mix together flour, milk, egg and salt.  The batter should be fairly runny, slightly thinner than a pancake batter.  If not runny enough, add a little water, one tablespoon at a time.

Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan to hot but not smoking.  Pour in oil to cover the bottom, about 1/2 inch.

Gently, gently, dip the flowers in the batter, then fry them until golden.  Do not overcrowd the pan and work in batches if necessary.  

Drain flowers on paper towel and serve hot.

Serves 6

All in all, your very BEST bet for eating cheap and getting good nutrition to boot is to purchase dry beans and grains in bulk. I can get dry pinto and black beans at the farmer's market in 25 or 50 pound bags for less than 50¢ a pound. 50 pounds is about 6 months' worth of bean meals (and we eat chili beans or Sandanista burritos three times a week at least) for less than $25. I can't grow 'em that cheap! Also buy 5# bags of masa (in the Mexican section, big population here), make my own sopapillas and tortillas.

Since I work from home, I also make bread - sourdough, so I don't have to spend money on yeast, which costs more than flour. Throw in some barley, rice, oat or even acorn flour (I buy whole grains and process acorns in the fall, grind them with a hand-crank mill in batches, freeze in jars or zip-locks), add some flax or organic sesame seeds, maybe even some sprouts (wheat, alfalfa, radish, clover). A good hunk of that with cheese is itself a meal and quite filling.

Now all I need are some chickens, and a goose to keep the dogs and foxes away from them! THEN I might get a milk goat... herbed chevre is quite easy to make, my extension agent tells me.

Shedded in a good borsch with sour cream on top is heaven.  And beet greens are an excellent late spring early summer veggie-although hard to find for sale out side of New England, in my experience.  Just boil or steam lightly so still a little resistance to chewing, and serve with any meat or fish dish.  If you want to, add butter, or lemon juice.  I like them plain.

Keep in mind that any squishy pie filling (custard, chopped fruits, etc.) can be baked in a greased casserole dish if you don't have a pie shell.

Beet Pie!
Makes a 10" Pie, Preheat oven to 350.
1 Unbaked 10" pie shell, chilled.

2 lbs. Fresh beet
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 1/4 c. heavy cream (can evap. milk would work)
1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 vanilla bean  (or tsp. vanilla)
1/2 c. sugar
3 whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1. Cut tops off beets leaving 1 inch of stems. Boil ‘til tender. Remove from heat and cool. Slip skins off and coarsely grate them by hand, stir in nutmeg and set aside.

2. Combine cream, milk and vanilla bean in heavy pan, simmer for 5 minutes, remove vanilla bean.

3. Using a mixer, beat the sugar with eggs and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Gradually add the hot cream-milk mixture, beating constantly. Strain mixture into large bowl and stir in beets, mixing well. Pour into shell. Bake 55-60 minutes until filling is set. Eat warm or room temp.

White Potato Pie (Yes, it's sweet)
You need: unbaked single crust for an 8" pie

2 C. mashed potatoes
1/3 TB butter
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB orange juice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 C sugar
2 C milk
1 t. grated orange peel

mash potatoes with butter and salt.
add sugar, slightly beaten eggs, spices and milk. stir well.
add peel and juice. stir to mix.
pour into shell & bake until firm (~40 minutes at 350 degrees F)

Bean Pie
9" Pie shell, baked empty for 10 minutes and cooled.

2-15 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. melted unsalted butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. freshly ground allspice
1 t. Baking powder
1/3 c. evaporated milk (if desired substitute soy milk).

Have pie crust ready. Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, beat beans until smooth. Beat in eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. In separate bowl, combine baking powder and milk. Add to bean mixture—beat well—pour into pie shell. Bake 50 minutes or until FIRM. Cool before serving.

Amish Sauerkraut Surprise Custard Pie

1 crust for a 9" pie, unbaked
2 1/2 c. whole milk
3/4 c. drained, rinsed, chopped sauerkraut
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

preheat oven to 425 F (220 C)
in a large bowl, combine milk, eggs, sauerkraut, sugar, vanilla and salt.
Pour mixture into the pie shell
Bake at 425 F for 35 minutes... or until knife inserted 1" from the edge comes out clean... enjoy!

ZUCCHINI PIE

You'll need:
9" unbaked double crust

2-3 med. zucchini, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4" (1cm) thick slices (6 cups sliced)
2 TB lemon juice
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 TB flour
2 TB cornstarch
1/4 cup butter, cut into 1/4" cubes

preheat oven to 400 F. Boil zucchini 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain & rinse in cold water. Toss with lemon juice. Set aside. In a small bowl combine dry ingredients, toss with zucchini slices & spoon into crust. Dot with butter cubes. Add top crust, seal and vent. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

I just checked back after making cookies and I'm impressed with the number of replies! Lots of good ideas here, and I'm going to start a document file with all the links so I can share it around at the food shelf.

Fortunately, I'm one of the few who do know what to do with dry rice and beans, but I don't usually follow a recipe. I'm coordinating with the woman who runs the food shelf 'cause she knows I can cook a bit (I bake better than I cook....) and I have good 'net access to look for recipes. (hubby telecommutes one day a week, so we HAVE to have a good connection...for which I'm very grateful or I wouldn't get my DailyKos fix near often enough!)

Thank you, again! And if I can catch the diaries on frugal food I certainly will join in the discussion!