country style pot pie, #22 of 52 pies

it was a cold and dreary day...and just whose idea was that?  it has been so nice and warm and sunny and then suddenly, i'm freezin in here!  when the weather is like that, i have a taste for hot soup.  soup isn't very pie like though so i decided to go with a pot pie-it's hot and creamy and perfect for cold and dreary days.

right now, we have lots going on in the garden.  in between showers, i grabbed my basket and a pair of scissors and went out to gather what i would need.  leeks, broccoli, peas and herbs (parsley, sage, oregano and thyme).  in the house i had some mushrooms and garlic as well as some asparagus that my husband had already picked from the garden.  if it seems like something is missing, it is.  when i pulled out the leftover turkey from the fridge, i was nearly over come by the smell.  it had been living in there for a week but i thought it might still be good.  however, it is destined to make the trip to the digester where the worms will enjoy it.

as always, when i am out in the garden, the captain tags along.  somebody has to make sure i am behaving.  as you can see here, he got sucked into the catnip.  looks like he needs the chaperon now...

i prepared the vegetables first.  some were sauteed-leeks, garlic and mushrooms.  others were blanched-carrots, broccoli and asparagus stems.  others were added raw so they would not overcook-broccoli florets, asparagus tips and freshly shucked peas.

using vegetable broth and some half and half, i made a nice creamy sauce and finished it off with the herbs.  then it was poured over the vegetables and topped with biscuits.

into the oven it went and in 30 minutes, dinner was served!

country style pot pie

one (9") crustless pie which serves about 4 as a main course

filling
the great thing about this recipe, you can customize it however you like!  don't like broccoli-use something else.  just want mushrooms-go for it!  want it meaty, add cubes of cooked meat and use a beef broth.  you call the shots-me, i'm going for turkey next time.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, green part only
1 tablespoon garlic
2 cups mushroom-buttons, halved or quartered
3 cups assorted vegetables-for things that will overcook easily (broccoli flowers, asparagus tip), plan to add those raw.  for the hard ones (carrots, potatoes) cook them first
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups broth
1/2 cup half and half
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch of biscuits, recipe follows

preheat the oven to 375.  sautee the leeks in the olive oil until soft, add the garlic and continue to saute.  add the mushrooms and cover the pan to cause them to sweat.  when mushrooms are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and prepare the remaining vegetables.  combine them in and even layer on the bottom of the pie dish.  in a sauce pot, melt the butter.  add the flour and cook the roux over medium heat for several minutes, stirring constantly.  whisk in the broth and then the half and half and continue to simmer gently for a few minutes.  off the heat, season with salt and pepper and then stir in the herbs.  pour over the vegetables and top with the biscuits.  bake until bubbly and the biscuits are an even golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.

buttermilk biscuits
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
place the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.  sprinkle the butter cubes over the top and pulse to cut in the butter-the mixture should look very coarse with little bits of butter visible.  add the buttermilk and process long enough to combine.  turn out onto a floured surface and with floured hands, pat it into a 1/2" slab.  using a 2" cutter, make small biscuits, reworking the scraps to yield 16-18 biscuits.  arrange the biscuits on top of the pie and follow the baking instructions.

one more round up!

my berry rhubarb pie was an inspiration to melanie.  she used the pie crust recipe i posted with that pie to make her raspberry-cherry pie.  and can you believe that is her first attempt at a lattice top?  beautiful pie melanie, thanks for sending me the photo!

and as always, bake one, send a photo and i will post it here.  go ahead, i dare ya... double dare ya... bakinbabe116@aol.com