Can I hold a Veggie Pocket in one hand and quilt with another? Time will tell.

The note instructs participants to "bring a sandwich for lunch". Tomorrow's my big day: I begin my first official quilting class. I've quilted for years and sat at the feet of some of the greatest quilters who ever sewed a stitch--my mother, my aunts, my grandmother. I adore quilts and have a house full of them, including several I've made.

But I've never had a professional quilter actually sit down and teach me the trade secrets. I feel sure I'm missing some shortcuts and can learn some easier ways to tackle the craft. I've had people tell me that once they took a quilting class, they realized all the ruts they needed to "un-learn" in their own self-taught quilting processes.

So, I've signed up to learn to make a quilt-in-an-afternoon fall table runner. Now that's the class for me--when I return home, I'll have a finished project in hand--fits my lifestyle just fine.

The note from the teacher told the students that lunch would be grabbed on the run between stitches. I wanted something that wouldn't be messy. "Celebrating a Healthy Harvest", my old standby source, helped by providing a recipe for Veggie Pockets--a vegetable sandwich stuffed into a whole-wheat pita half. Cucumbers and shredded carrots, along with the mashed chickpeas, make this just about as healthy (and tasty) as you can get. The pita-bread pocket makes the contents manageable for dining during this quilting circle.

Time will tell whether I bring home a souvenir--a finished table runner--from the class, or whether I'm too pokey slow to finish on time. But one thing's for sure--I have a favorite new recipe that I've gained as part of the process.

Veggie Pockets

1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beams), drained

1/3 cup fat-free Italian dressing

4 whole wheat pita breads, cut in half

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup shredded Italian cheese

Process the chickpeas in a food processor until they are almost smooth. Scrape the sides of the container as needed so all is blended. Add the salad dressing and process until smooth. Open the pita pockets and line them with cucumber slices. Fill each pita half with 3-4 tablespoons of the bean mixture; sprinkle shredded carrot and shredded cheese on top. Serve cold or warm briefly in microwave. Makes 8 pockets.

Another winner in the weird-combinations category: Chopped Salad with Pita Croutons

On Sunday we prepared that odd-couple recipe, Tomato Watermelon Salad, that I blogged about some days back, to take to a family gathering. The luncheon was being held just before my cousin Yvonne's 80th birthday party. The family was dining on sandwiches before members left for the church, where the party was about to start. I brought a bowl of the salad and thought this group of loved ones, who were featured in my new cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden, would be the appropriate bunch to appreciate the unusual concoction featuring tomatoes, watermelon, mint, and pistachios.

Even though garden-fresh food was part and parcel of this family's identity and history, the same quizzical looks crossed the brows of these loved ones as they do whenever I mention this salad combination to just about anyone. "Tomatoes and watermelon? Say what?" Nobody expects these two red fruit to pair up in a salad or in anything for that matter. But they did; the crowd there was complimentary after sampling this delicious oddity.

On the same page in the August 2010 Prevention magazine as the Tomato Watermelon Salad was another tomato recipe just as strange: Chopped Salad with Pita Croutons. It featured chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, parsley, and toasted pita bread. Pita bread? In a salad? You betcha--it's another winner; I fixed it as part of our dinner last night and couldn't get enough.

The crisp, oven-toasted pita provided the salad's crunch, yet the bread cubes soaked up the oil-and-vinegar dressing to enhance the flavor. Tomato and cucumber, of course, made it healthy. I envisioned going beyond the recipe and adding a little chopped avocado or perhaps a little swiss cheese sprinkled on top.

The versatile tomato strikes again--I never imagined it could be combined with such a variety of other food items, especially in salads. And by the way--happy birthday, Yvonne, on this day of your "official" 80th. Nobody makes better salads than you do!

Chopped Salad with Pita Croutons

1 whole wheat pita

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 chopped tomatoes

1 peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber

5 sliced green onions

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Toast pita slice in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes until the pita is crisp. Tear it into pieces. In a large bowl whisk the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, and parsley. Toss to combine; add the pita croutons, and toss again. Makes 4 servings.