(mise en place)
(after browning)
(the finished product)
I own a copy of The Joy of Cooking. It was given to my by my mother before I started college, and it was the first real cookbook I ever owned. It has traveled with me for many years over many, many miles. That being said, I don't exactly have a cozy relationship with Joy. It looms in my cookbook cabinet like some huge, snowy white tome of arcana that cooking wizards should pour over, and relative novices like myself should approach with caution. Joy is a great reference - I use it all the time to check for substitute ingredients, measurement calculations, and to get a handle on the base version of recipes I'm trying to alter. But I don't pop it open at 5pm on a Thursday night and say "Hmmm, let's pick something to make for dinner."
This recipe is why.
I have to admit, I loved the result. S wasn't very fond of the parsnips, and more than one person has suggested it could benefit from the addition of some meat. But really, I'm a sucker for winter vegetables, as well as biscuits and cheddar cheese, so I thought it was really tasty. On the other hand, I walked into the kitchen to start making this before 6pm and I didn't eat the first bite until 9:30. Really.
If you want to try this recipe out, make sure you plan ahead. Your toil will be rewarded with tender, non-mushy chunks of winter vegetables, just a little bit sweet, and fluffy, cheesy biscuit topping. One note - I'm recording the recipe as I made it, but I'd recommend adding less broth; I thought mine turned out a little watery, though the taste didn't suffer any.
Vegetable Pot Pie
adapted from The Joy of Cooking
(8 servings, total time: ~3.5 hrs)
2 medium red onions
3 medium carrots
3 parsnips
1 fennel bulb
1 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
8 ounces portobello mushrooms
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
S&P to taste
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
400 degree oven
1. Wash all the vegetables. With a large, sharp knife, peel the squashes, gut them, and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Peeling them will be easier if you cut them into quarters or so first. Put each chopped squash into its own bowl. Peel and chop the parsnips and carrots into 1-inch pieces, and put them in a bowl together. Cut the mushrooms into thick slices and halve crosswise; place them in their own bowl. Cut the onions into thick slices,and place them in their own bowl. Cut the fennel bulb into 1-inch chunks, and place them in their own bowl.
2. Heat about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in your biggest frying pan over medium-high. Cook the onion slices until browned, ~3 minutes on each side. Place them in a 9X13-inch baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 tablespoon more each of the butter and oil, and repeat this process with the carrots and parsnips (5-7 minutes), fennel (5 minutes), and squashes (~6 minutes each). Lastly, add the last of the oil and butter, if needed, turn the heat to high, and cook the mushrooms 5-7 minutes, until brown.
3. Carefully mix all the browned vegetables up in the baking dish, and season as desired. Pour the broth over the vegetables, cover the dish with foil, and bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
4. While the vegetables are in the oven, make the cheddar biscuit crust recipe. After the vegetables have baked for half an hour or so, spoon the biscuit dough over the vegetables, return the dish to the oven, and bake at 400 for another 20 minutes or so, until the biscuits are browned. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Cheddar Biscuit Crust
(total time: ~10 minutes)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teasponn salt
5-6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut in the butter pieces with a knife or pasty cutter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Dump in the milk, pepper, and cheese, and mix the dough with a wooden spoon or spatula until it just comes together.
4. GENTLY knead it a time or two in the bowl to mix in all the loose pieces hanging out on the bottom.
Whew.
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