; Supermarket Serenade: Barefoot Thursday-Vegetable Pie or is it?

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Barefoot Thursday-Vegetable Pie or is it?

It’s Barefoot Thursday!! Barefoot Thursday is the day when barefoot bloggers across the blogosphere whip up a recipe created by Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa. Why don’t you find out more about it by visiting the Barefoot Bloggers…maybe you would even like to join in (I’ll bet you would like it).

Thank you to Deb from Kahakai Kitchen for her wonderful selection of The Barefoot Contessa’s Vegetable Pie…what a decadent treat-vegetables in a creamy rich sauce topped with a buttery, flakey crust; what is not to love?

Well this week’s recipe became a “what can I substitute so I don’t have to run out to the Supermarket, yet again” recipe...I love the supermarket, but seriously I’ve been there every day this week. So this is what I came up with:
Butter? I only had 2 sticks and I needed some for the crust, so I cut the butter in half.
Checked the veggie crisper and guess what? All out of fennel-so I just left it out.
Onions? Replaced them with shallots.
Butternut Squash? Sorry all out, we’re using sweet potatoes.
Potatoes? I have a few white and a few purple-I diced them up and tossed them in.
Asparagus? Ahh, no. How about just adding extra carrots? (Oh and I only have the little individual bagged mini kind for lunchboxes so I just used those)
Black pepper? Used white-I'm on a white pepper kick lately
Parsley? Unavailable sorry, used dried thyme
Heavy cream? Half and half will have to do
Pernod? Yeah right, I’m lucky I have white wine in the house…I just skipped it.
Frozen small onions? I added a few more shallots and called it good.

I actually had some saffron leftover from making the Barefoot Butternut Squash Risotto, but I opted to not use it. But I did have the chicken stock (homemade...applause here would be appropriate) and I did use the flour. Oh and one more change (is this the same recipe?) I added some leftover parmesan coated chicken diced. So what I’m saying basically is that I did not make a vegetable pie, but rather a chicken pot pie loosely based on a vegetable pie. Did you follow all that?

The result? We loved it!


Vegetable Pie
Recipe by Ina Garten-from The Barefoot Contessa Parties

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups sliced yellow onions (2 onions)
1 fennel bulb, top and core removed, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups good chicken stock
1 tablespoon Pernod
Pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions (1/2 pound)
1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the asparagus, carrots, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, onions, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

28 comments:

Veronica said...

Yikes! My comment posting was broken...I think this fixed it-I hope. I'm too insecure to feel like I have no blogger friends!

Anne said...

Haha it sounds like we were on the same page with substitutions. It looks like yours turned out great!

chocolatechic said...

I made quite a few substitutions too.

Cathy said...

Oh, you have lots of blogger friends -- don't worry! Your pies look fab! One thing I love about this recipe is that you can make it your own, or just use what you have on hand. Did ANYONE use pernod? I am curious! Beautiful pot pies!

Mandy said...

Most everyone had some kind of substitutions in this recipe. Yours looks like it turned out great. Well done!

Susan said...

You have blogger friends, promise! love your blog by the way, and especially your categories - wowza! I hope you will visit my blog too at www.raisin-toast.com and Please vote for me on the Blogger's Choice Awards at www.bloggerschoiceawards.com. Have you been nominated? You should be. Your blog is excellent. Take care Veronica!

Susan
http://www.raisin-toast.com

Anonymous said...

Your blog post for the pie was laugh out loud funny. You cook JUST as I do! And your pie looks great. It's all about the inspiration, and Ina is always telling us to sub what we have, and you did. I wouldn't have bothered with the pernod or fennel in any case, anyway.

Audrey said...

It's not you! I couldn't get here this morning but it's working now (someone told me they couldn't get to mine either. Did you change your comments setting by any chance? I did, and I'm wondering if that's where the bug came from.)

But enough about Blogger! I love the purple potatoes...and thanks for telling us about the Swanson's chicken stock.(I do have three coupons, though...) Your squashes (and squash soup) are gorgeous too.
Audrey

Cynthia's Blog said...

I loved the post, and I have to ask... No Pernod? I called my local liquor store and they said a bottle of that stuff would be 23.00, ummm no thanks. I don't even drink!

Esi said...

I love that everyone made many substitutions and yours sound great!! I am so with you on that grocery store thing. I am trying to reduce my trips (they used to be daily)

Veronica said...

Thanks everyone!! Audrey-I didn't change a thing, the comments just stopped working...so I changed the comments to be a pop-up per the advice of someone on the help board at blogger and now they work! oh well.

Maria said...

I tried to comment earlier but it wouldn't let me!! I am glad it is fixed, you are loved:) The pot pie looks hearty and delicious!

Megan said...

i made alot of substitutions also. It was a forgiving recipe and we loved it too! I love your little pie pans!

Pam said...

Oh my. This is one of my favorite recipes. I love pot pies and this crust looks so flaky and perfect. Nicely done!

Anonymous said...

Oh, you are too funny! I LOVE it!
~Cat

The Blonde Duck said...

I want the recipe to your version! I like it a lot better. It looks wonderful. I am a huge fan of chicken pot pie.

My comments have been acting up too. They were even shut down this afternoon around 3.

Anonymous said...

I was wondering if it was on my end this morning. I am laughing at all your substitutions--you sound like me. It looks great, though!

I tagged you and left you an award on my blog. Check it out when you can.-Lorie

Summer said...

Homemade chicken stock? Wow, I'm impressed. Looks yummy.

That Girl said...

Well it is called "vegetable" pot pie, not "these specific vegetables" pot pie. I love your substitutions.

Deb in Hawaii said...

I am so glad you liked the recipe! Love the pictures--it turned out so well and I am all for substitutions!

NKP said...

I think that this recipe lends itself well to improvising. The pot pies look delish!

grace said...

that's definitely the beauty of things like this--you can throw in everything but the kitchen sink and it's still good. lovely work, veronica. :)

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

I had problems commenting yesterday and I thought it was me. Applause for the homemade chicken stock. Your pot pies look rich and creamy.

Robin said...

Great Pies! All those great veggies, yummy! I think this is a winner recipe as pot pies are one of my favorites.

Betty said...

This looks really delicious! Yum!!

Thanks for your comment love on my blog yesterday. BATW rocks!

Prudy said...

Veronica:
I have had the darndest time trying to leave you a comment for the last two days! I hope this one is a go. It looks wonderful. That's what I've been trying to say! Hope it works!

Suzie said...

Looks great - and I love the flexibility of this recipe. A great way to clean out the vegetable crisper.

Jen said...

I LUV pot pies...I think more for the crust than anything! Gotta love that pie crust! Mmmm. Thanks for this.