Help help help help! Need veggie pie recipe!

[ariel]

So a jut got a gorgeous new pie pan for my birthday. It's ceramic, heavy, and with a deep dish.

I have a get-to-gether with my bookgroup pals this week, and I want to make something for dinner for us using my gorgeous new pan!

They are vegetarians, and I was thinking something along the lines of a lovely vegetarian dinner pie.

Recipies are hard to come by... I was thinking something similar to a pot-pie, but in a multi-serving pan (9 1/2").

Any ideas???

[Mary Ann]

Do they do eggs or cheese? I'd be more likely to do a quiche, because the saucy part of the veggie pie is generally beef or chicken based. Veggie based ones are a good deal more work because you have to make a very rich vegetable stock. It's possible, but....

Most veggie soups have a beef or chicken base too.

Are you looking for a from scratch crust, too?

[ariel]

Hruuummm... ideally, yes. They eat eggs and cheese, just no meat.

Potatoes are ok, too (I was thinking shepherds pie?), but then I had visions of a golden, lovely (yes, from scratch) crust.

Someone just mentioned that wonderful half-butter half-shortening crust on the other page... mmm.....

I may end up just making an apple pie and leaving the dinner part up to my housemate.

[Mary Ann]

The best pastry is usually made with a half butter half lard recipe. The lard makes for a long flake, and the butter makes for flavor. I have some wonderful French crusts if you want. And often, for the deepest dish pies, only a top crust is used.

Shepherd's Pie is so called because it's a mixture of lamb and peas (very spring-y) with a mashed potato crust, not a pastry. Steak and kidney pie often uses a puff pastry (very flaky like a croissant).

I like the idea of an excellent flavorful apple pie, using a good lard and butter crust, and flavoring the apples with cinnamon, apple concentrate (get frozen apple juice and don't rehydrate) and Calvados in there. Decorate the top with cutouts of pastry to look like leaves, and brush with an egg white wash and sprinkle with coarse white sugar. It sparkles like a Christmas ornament, and the flavor is deep and rich. 'Tis to die for on a crisp fall evening with a dollop of whipped cream.

[Mary Ann]

Oh criminy, you're right Coyote! What was I thinking?!?! Geez. Lard is totally Pig.

Yeah, post your mushroom pot pie! I might cheat and use a lard crust, but I adore mushrooms.