vegetables-200x150.jpgAfter seeing Sweeney Todd, Penelope didn’t feel much like going out for a bite, but by the time she got home she did feel like something with a little crust. As she turned the key in her front door and spied the neighbor who had received her mail by mistake, opened it by mistake, and then returned it a week late by mistake, Penelope considered renovating one of her Morris chairs and tuning up her steak knife. But with the probability of an unattractive mug shot ending up on the internet, she decided to play it safe with a vegetarian alternative. Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust for a double crust pie

The Filling

  1. 3 tbs olive oil
  2. 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
  3. 1 large onion, chopped
  4. 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
  5. 1 medium bunch asparagus
  6. 1 cup carrots, sliced
  7. 4 oz green beans, boiled 1 minute, sliced
  8. ¾ cup chopped green onions
  9. ½ drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  10. 1 tbs chopped rosemary
  11. 1 tsp salt
  12. ½ cup unsalted butter
  13. ½ cup plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
  14. 1 cup milk
  15. ¼ cup whipping cream
  16. ¾ cup vegetable stock
  17. salt, to taste
  18. ground black pepper, to taste
  19. 1 egg (for glaze)

Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat

Add the peppers and the onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes

Transfer to a medium bowl, and set aside

Heat the remaining 2 tbs of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat

Add mushrooms and saute until just brown, about 4 minutes

Add to the bowl with the peppers and the onion

Add the green beans, green onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and rosemary to the bowl

Lightly steam the asparagus and cut into ½ inch pieces

Lightly steam the carrots

Add the asparagus and carrots to the other vegetables

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat

Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes

Gradually whisk in 3 cups of vegetable stock, then the milk and cream

Bring to a boil

Season with salt and pepper

Combine the sauce with the vegetables and pour into the bottom pie crust

Cover with the top crust

Make some steam vents

Brush with the egg to glaze

Pre-heat the oven to 400°

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350° and bake for another45 minutes, until the sauce bubbles through the steam vents