Ohm Cookin' (Part 4: Ohm-Cooked Root Vegetable Pie)

It's been chilly and damp lately and we were in need of some comfort food. I used to make a chicken and biscuit casserole back in the carnivore days. I thought I would make up a veggie version. Who needs chicken, eh?


So, here's one take on it. I'll call this root vegetable and mushroom pie, with biscuit topping. If anything can make the sun come out, it's savory pie.


BTW, this recipe really put the old FES to the test. I can't say I'm making much headway learning to cook on it.

Filling 1 (I used the pie plate as a gauge to quantity since this is a made up recipe):

1 cup carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 

1 parsnip, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For filling (part 1):

Bring 6 cups water to boil. Add carrots and next 3 ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

Filling (parts 2 & 3) 

3 cups chopped onions or leeks or combination

2 celery stalks chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

5 ounces mushrooms (baby bellas or crimini)

1 cup of frozen peas, thawed 

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 

1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

For filling (part 2):

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil or butter until juices are released. Set aside.

For filling (part 3):

Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add onions/leeks; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare biscuits.

Biscuits:

2 cups flour (1 cup unbleached all purpose, 1 cup whole wheat)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, diced (or crisco)

1 1/3 cups (or more) milk

Mix first 3 ingredients in food processor. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Move to a bowl. Gradually add 1 cup of milk, tossing with fork until dough is evenly moistened and adding more milk by tablespoonfuls if dry. Set aside and get back to the gravy, for crying out loud.

Gravy is Groovy

Back to the neglected leeks: mix in garlic, celery, and sage and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 3 cups of warmed veggie broth. Cook until sauce is thick and reduced, whisking often, about 8 minutes. 

Mix in reserved vegetables, peas, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer filling to buttered nine-inch deep-dish pie plate (I prefer Emile Henry because they're just better). 

Drop biscuit dough atop hot filling by heaping tablespoonfuls; sprinkle with pepper. 

Bake uncovered in preheated 400º oven, or until tester inserted into center of biscuits comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Eat.

And Voila: the sun comes out (Patty's iPad pic).