Vegetable Pie

A couple months ago when I was up in Ithaca visiting we pulled a recipe for a vegetable pie out of one of my sister's Moosewood cookbooks and adapted it rather loosely. Mainly because the cookbook recipe calls for a cup of mushrooms (which I hate), half a cup of peas (which I like fresh but not cooked and certainly not in pies), half a cup of corn (which I like on the cob but not in things and not when it's not fresh), two cups of cheddar cheese (which my sister isn't wild about), and spices we didn't have. Also, because we couldn't be bothered to deal with a regular pie crust for the bottom and then a crumb crust for the top, so we just made regular (yet wheaty!) crusts for both bottom and top. This time around I adapted it a touch more and the end result was wholesome and delicious. And I love cooking pies because they're so simple and forgiving, so I'm glad that I like this one.

The crust is really a pretty standard pie crust but half whole wheat:

• 1-1/2 cups white flour
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp ice water (or a bit more since it's got whole wheat flour in it)

The filling probably really works with any vegetables you like, which I figure makes it the perfect recipe for picky vegetable eaters or for getting rid of whatever is in your fridge. This is what I did:

• 1 large (yellow) onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 potato, diced
• 1 yam or sweet potato, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup asparagus, chopped (I might do a full cup next time--I love asparagus)
• 1/2 tsp paprika (the original recipe called for sweet Hungarian paprika which I don't have)
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• salt and pepper to taste

You just saute the onions until soft then throw in the carrots, potatoes, paprika basil, and marjoram and cook for 10 minutes. Then you add the bell pepper and asparagus, salt and pepper, cover it and cook for 5-10 minutes until the carrots get tender.

I'd never made a roux before but that's simple too. 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp white flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp mustard (the original recipe called for dijon but I just had honey mustard so I used that and it didn't taste gross or anything)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

You melt the butter, add the flour, and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes. Then whisk in the milk, mustard, and nutmeg, and stir over low heat until it's hot and lightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese. Kind of a pain but I suppose you'd have a dry pie otherwise. 

You just dump it all together then and cook it at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. My kind of cooking.